Draft.

Parties: (1) Charles II (2) Stationers' Company.

Substantive clauses are as follows:

(a) For the encouragement of the Company, and out of Royal Charity for the poor of the Company, all forfeitures or penalties that become due to the King by reason of offences against the 'Act for preventing the frequent abuses in printing seditious treasonable and unlicensed books and pamphlets and for regulating of Printing and Printing Presses', or against any other Act concerning printing, shall be bestowed and employed towards the support and relief of the poor of the Company.

(b) Justices of the Courts of the King's Bench and Common Pleas, and the Barons of the Exchequer, are authorised to grant process to the Company upon its request for the levying of such penalties and forfeitures (which they shall retain to the uses aforesaid) without estreating the same into the Court of Exchequer.

(c) For the accomplishment of the Royal Bounty aforesaid the High Treasurer, Commissioner of the Treasury, Chancellor, Under Treasurer and other offices of the Exchequer are authorised and appointed that if any penalties or forfeiture due upon any offence committed against the said Act of Parliament or other Acts concerning printing shall be recovered or estreated into the Court of Exchequer and levied, they cause the same to be issued out, paid and delivered to the Company for the relief of its poor.

Draft minutes are dated 26 Mar 1685, 6 Apr 1685, 6, 11, 20 and 22 May 1685, 1 and 26 Jun 1685, 4 and 6 Jul 1685, 3, 18 and 22 Aug 1685, 7 and 12 Sep 1685, 5 Oct 1685, 2 Nov 1685, 7 and 22 Dec 1685, 1 Feb 1686 and 1 Mar 1686.

Some minutes have other documents inserted:

Minutes for 6 Apr 1685:

1. letter from Peter Parker and Thomas Guy, printers for the University of Oxford, to the master, wardens and court, offering to continue their former agreement that if the company pays its first quarter of rent then they will forbear to comprint, and stating that they will forgo the company's unpaid three quarters rent if the company acquits them of the Psalms they have printed, 25 Mar 1685.

Minutes for 6 and 11 May 1685:

1. Lord Mayor's precept to the master, wardens and court, requiring them to nominate a new livery and return the names of those nominated to the Guildhall on the morning of 7 July, 5 May 1685.

2. Lord Mayor's order, stating that as the liveries of several city companies are to be suspended and the livery status of these companies determined, their liveries must be newly granted, and ordering that their masters and wardens nominate loyal members to form the new livery, 5 May 1685.

3. list of members of the Haberdashers', Fishmongers', Merchant Taylors' Girdlers', Leathersellers' and Barber Chirurgeons' Companies, 6 May 1685.

4. Lord Mayor's order, listing those approved by the court as members of the new livery, 7 May 1685.

5. Lord Mayor's order, requesting that the master and wardens of several companies send their new charters to the town clerk to be enrolled in the journals of the court [of aldermen], 8 May 1685.

Minutes for 20 and 22 May 1685:

1. royal command to Roger L'Estrange, signed by Lord Sunderland, renewing regulations concerning licensing and the restriction of number of presses, 21 May 1685.

Minutes for 6 Jul 1685:

1. letter from Jo[h]n Richardson to the master, stating that by reason of commands to attend the service of his Majesty he is unable to attend the duties of renter warden, requesting that the court make a new choice and stating that he is happy to pay the fine for not serving, 6 Jul 1685.

Minutes for 3, 18 and 22 Aug 1685:

1. Lord Mayor's statement that the master, wardens and assistants had presented to the court [of aldermen] a list of names of those nominated to be liverymen of the company, and that the court approves and allows them to be of the livery, 30 Jul 1685.

2. true copy of licence and deputation from the Archbishop of Canterbury and Bishop of London to Roger Midgley, permitting him to licence books on behalf of the bishops under the revived Printing Act, 21 Aug 1685.

Minutes for 7 and 22 Dec 1685:

1. memorandum reading 'Memorandum December the 7th 1685 that the precedanse of the Westminster parliament before that at Oxford where printing in partnership for Mr Faniewell Herick Mr Tho Bassett Mr John Wright Mr Francis Smith Mr Ralp Smith Mr Robert Boulter and Benjamin Harris and Richard Chigwell, witnis my hand Benjamin Harris'.

Minutes for 1 Feb 1686:

1. otherwise blank piece of paper with the inscription 'Court 1st february 1685'.

Minutes for 1 Mar 1686:

1. draft minutes of meeting of the Committee about Stall Booksellers, 5 Mar 1686, with an annotated copy.

Inserted loose:

1. copy Lord Mayor's order that booksellers free of other companies be turned over to the company, and that in the future the chamberlain of the city do not admit any stationer to any company other than the Stationers' Company, 7 May 1685.

2. small slip of paper with the inscription 'Court - 1685'.

3. warrant from the Chief Justice 'to all Mayors Sheriffs Bayliffs Constables & all other officers & Ministers whome these may concerne', requiring them to assist the company in searching out seditious printing, 3 Nov 1685.

Committee minutes are written on some Court minute documents:

Court sitting of 6 Apr 1685: meeting of the Committee about Peter Parker and Thom[a]s Guy, 29 Apr 1685.

Court sitting of 6 Jul 1685: meeting of the Committee appointed about Parker & Guy, 21 Jul 1685.

Contains the following Acts and commentaries (mostly print):

• Appendix to A Decree of Starre-Chamber Concerning Printing made the eleventh Day of July last past, 1637

• Act against Unlicensed and Scandalous Books and Pamphlets, and for better Regulating of Printing, 1649

• An act for preventing the frequent abuses in printing seditious, treasonable, and unlicensed books and pamphlets, 1662

• An act for preventing the frequent abuses in printing seditious, treasonable, and unlicensed books and pamphlets, 1685

• An act for the encouragement of learning, by vesting the copies of printed books in the authors or purchasers of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, 1708 (printed 1718)

• An act to amend the law of copyright, 1842

• Stamp Acts, 1757 and 1765

• Restraint against co-printing law books (manuscript, no date)

• A Letter To a Member of Parliament, Shewing, that a Restraint On the Press Is inconsistent with the Protestant Religion, and dangerous to te Liberties of the Nation, 1698 - anonymously authored tract, now variously attributed to Daniel Defoe and Matthew Tindal

• Further Reasons Humbly Offered... for making more effectual... An Act for the Encouragement of Learning - argument advanced on the Stationers' side in the Battle of the Booksellers

• A Bill for making more effectual... An act to enable to commissioners of His Majesty's stamp duties, 1735

• Legal Deposit Act, 1775 (two copies)

• An Act to enable to commissioners of His Majesty's stamp duties to stamp the paper of newspapers, 1794

• An Act for repealing the Duties on Paper, 1794

• An act from granting Samuel Buckley the sole liberty of printing and reprinting the histories of Thuanus, 1733

• Acts for prohibiting the Importation of Books re-printed Abroad, 1739 and 1746

• An Act for the further Encouragement of Learning, 1801

• Copyright Bill, 1881

i: Court order that the Bishop of London's order to damask the Assemblies' catechisms and burn sheets of De Anima Mundi be registered in the Company's book of orders, 3 Dec 1677.

ii: order of the Bishop of London to damask seditious books seized from Francis Smith and to burn any not in a fit state for damasking, 16 Jul 1678.

iii: order of the Bishop of London to damask reams of Loyal Protestant Tutor, counterfeit primers and A Papist Misrepresented and Represented, 14 Dec 1685.

iv: order of the Archbishop of Canterbury to damask reams of Seli Historia di Grand Brittagno, Dowlman of Succession, Hunt's Postscript, Hunt's noe Protestant Plott and the Bishop of London's letters, 8 Apr 1687.

v: order of the Earl of Middleton, Principal Secretary of State, to damask English Liberties, or Freeborne Subjects Inheritance, and A Scheme of Popish Cruelties, or a Prospect of what we must expect under a Popish Successor, 11 Nov 1685.

vi: order of the Bishop of London to damask Hobbe's Leviathan, 11 Dec 1673.

vii: receipt of payment for damasking Leviathan, 25 Mar 1674.

viii: receipt of payment, 1677 [MISSING].

ix: receipted account of monies due to John Garrett for tasks including damasking Dorman Newman's books, and expenses relating to Astwood's trial, 29 Jun 1681.

x: bill and receipt of payment of Robert Stephens for getting the warrant to damask books seized at Pindar's Coffee-house which was supposed to be Obadiah Walker's, 26 Feb 1690.

xi: receipt of payment for damasking, with receipt of payment of Robert Stephens on verso for services, 5 May 1690.

xii: receipts of payment of Robert Stephens for searches, 25 Jun [1680]

xiii: receipt of payment of Robert Stephens for indicting publishers, 25 Jul 1693.

xiv: order of the Bishop of London to damask books imported from beyond the seas, undated.

xv: typescript copy certificate of the burning of socinianized Common Prayer books on 7 Feb 1716.

Hand-written records of printing at Oxford, and of seizures of illegal printing, including:

• Copy of two orders of the Bishop of London to damask books seized from Susan Streater and Nathaniel Thompson. The original order was delivered to the Company 29 October 1678
• Copy of order of Charles, Earl of Middleton to damask books seized from Benjamin Harris, 11 November 1685
• Copy of order of the Bishop of London to damask books seized from George Croome, Mrs. Harris, and James Rawlins. The order is dated 14 December 1685.
• Copy of order of Thomas Jenner, Recorder of the City of London, to all Constables, Headboroughs, and officers of the Peace, to assist the Company in searching, 17 December 1685. Copy of similar orders dated 31 December 1685 and 16 January 1686.
• Copy of an order of the Bishop of London, Henry Compton, to damask books seized from Barnard White and Robert Roberts. The sheets were discovered by Roger L’Estrange. The order is dated 26 January 1686.
• Copies of statement by John Mayo regarding an illegal printing press, 7 January 1686.
• Copy of an order from Secretary Sunderland to the Wardens to deliver a book to Robert Scott, 8 February 1686. With Scott’s receipt of the books, 10 February 1686.
• Copy of an order from Secretary Sunderland to the Wardens to deliver a book to Henry Hills, 15 February 1686. With Hills’s receipt of books, 26 February 1686.
• Copy of order to Mayors, Sheriffs, Bailiffs, Constables and other officers, 8 April 1686.
• Agreement between Ann Humphries and the Company.
• Copy of order from the Archbishop of Canterbury to damask seized books, 8 April 1687.
• Copy of Rules to be observed by the Master and Wardens and members of the Company called to inspect imported books.
• Copy of an order for the delivery of psalms to Peter Parker and Thomas Guy. Signed in receipt by Parker and Guy, 20 June 1687.
• Copy of Mr Pollexfen’s advice touching the agreement with Oxford.
• Copy of Mr Trinder’s opinion in the case with Cambridge.
• Copy of the paper given the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford, 20 May 1687.
• Copy of articles of agreement between John Bellinger, John Baker, Robert Clavell and Henry Hills.
• Copy of the state of the case concerning the printing at Oxford.
• Other miscellaneous records.

• Bill of expenses incurred by the beadle, Randall Taylor, August-October 1677. Items include: travel by water to Lambeth and back, with Mr Leybourne, with Mr Herick, with Smart, with Mr Haris & his man, two books of Mr Kendon, with Mr Steevens, in attending the Chamberlain with Mr Mearne & Mr Leigh, quarteridge payment. Signed in receipt by Randall Taylor, 12 October 1677.
• Bill of expenses incurred by the clerk, John Lilly, relating to the following legal actions: the King against Mearne, the King against Clerke, the King against Winter. Signed in receipt by John Lilly, 11 August 1677.
• Bill for a search and seizure at Mr John Starkey’s, 26 September 1677.
• Receipt for Thomas Warren for four days attending in searches, 11 April 1678.
• Bill of expenses incurred by the clerk, John Lilly. Includes expenses relating to legal actions: the King against Marlow, the King against Sole. Signed in receipt by Lilly, 17 July 1678.
• Bill of expenses incurred by the clerk, John Lilly, relating to searching and copying Moredale’s Decree. Signed in receipt by Lilly, 23 December 1680.
• Bill of expenses incurred by the clerk, John Lilly, relating to the case of the Company of Stationers against Astwood. Signed in receipt by Lilly, 14 July 1681.
• List of expenses incurred during searches, 9-14 August 1681. Personal names: Thomas Braddyll, Lionel Jenkins, Robert Stephens, Richard Royston, Roger Norton, Samuel Mearne, Robert Scott, Horne, Henry Hills, Randall Taylor, Thomas Newcombe.
• List of expenses incurred in attending the Lord Chief Justice, 26-28 August 1681.
• Bill of Samuel Mearne with items including, coach hire to attend Secretary of State Lionel Jenkins, attending the Solicitor General, at the Queen’s Head with Mr Sherman, Mr Hills, and Captain Baker, at the Queen’s Head again. Signed in receipt by Mearne, 16 March 1682.
• Bill of the beadle, Nicholas Hooper for various expenses incurred December 1691-October 1692. Signed in receipt by Hooper, 7 April 1694.
• Bill for a dinner at the Queen’s Head, signed in receipt, 20 March 1700.
• Bill of the beadle, Nicholas Hooper, for various expenses incurred February-March 1700. Signed in receipt by Hooper, 29 March 1700.

Receipted bills for suppressing unlicenced books and other expenditures, including:

• Bill of the beadle, Randal Taylor, for various expenses incurred July-November 1683. Items include: searching with Mr Steevens, with Mr Sawbridge and Steevens, sweeping the chimney, searching at Holloway Lane and other places, with Mr Steevens, mending the sword, searching again, paid the postman and the woman for cleaning, 8 whifflers’ staves, taking down putting up and mending the banners, candles and pipes for a court. Signed in receipt by Taylor, 24 December 1683.
• Bill of Henry Hills Sr. for going to and from Whitehall multiple times, and for seizing a catechism, 1687.
• Bill for books bought by Henry Hills Jr. in his office as Messenger of the Press. Signed in receipt by Hills Jr., 10 March 1688.
• Various bills of Henry Hills Jr., February 1688-January 1689.
• Bill of Henry Hills Sr. Signed in receipt by Hills, 12 June 1688.
• Bill of Henry Hills Sr. Items include: spent upon one giving intelligence about unlicensed books, gave for intelligence of Barnets 6 Letters or papers printed together & for one of them, promised for discovery of a private press when taken upon that intelligence, spent going to Whitehall about it & getting two warrants from Secretary Sunderland. Signed in receipt by Hills, 25 November 1687.

Receipted bills for searching and other expenditures, received for or from Robert Stephens.

Receipt of Robert Stephens in the sum of ten shilling for going searching with Warden Vere several times, 26 December 1677. Personal names: Robert Stephens, Thomas Vere.

Itemised bill of Robert Stephens in the sum of one pound five shillings six pence. Items include: waiting on Web concerns in Southwark with Smart, subpoena three days at Westminster upon the trial of Thompson, going to Mortlake and waiting upon the Secretary and Council. Received of the clerk, John Lilly, 1 June 1678. Place names: Southwark, Westminster, Mortlake. Personal names: Robert Stephens, John Lilly, Web, Smart, Nathaniel Thompson.

Itemised bill of Robert Stephens in the sum of nine shillings six pence, received of John Lilly, 10 July 1678. Items include: one day attending the quarter sessions, two days waiting to take Soul's (Sowle) will, the constable and expenses. Personal names: Robert Stephens, John Lilly, Andrew Sowle.

Itemised bill of Robert Stephens for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company 30 Dec 1680-25 Mar 1681. Items include: several searches about pamphlets, attendance on the secretary everyday, his trouble about the Peers speech, Hatfield Vision, Presbyterian need, a letter interrupted going for Holland, attendance at Guildhall and sessions and for employing men to buy several pamphlets and small books. Signed in receipt by Stephens in the sum of two pounds fifteen shillings, 25 March 1681. Personal name: Robert Stephens, Francis Tyton.

Itemised bill of Robert Stephens for expenses incurred from 25 March-24 June 1681. Items include: several searches with Mr Marlow to Gaines's private press, several searches and seizing the Answer to the King's Declaration and expense and Treason In Graine, taking a warrant to search the Glass House Yard for Braddyll's private press, for seizing the Rare Show at Astwood's. Signed in receipt by Stephens in the sum of two pounds two shillings six pence, 2 July 1681. Place name: Glass House Yard. Personal names: Robert Stephens, John Marlow, Gaines, Thomas Braddyll, James Astwood.

Itemised bill of Robert Stephens addressed to the Master and Wardens of the Stationers' Company asking for reimbursement. The expenses were incurred defending an indictment from Samuel Lee over Stephens's actions to stop the printing and publishing of city charters by Lee, as commanded by the Company. Signed in receipt by Stephens in the sum of eight pounds one shilling, 8 September 1681. Personal names: Robert Stephens, Samuel Lee.

Bill of Robert Stephens addressed to Warden Towse, for expenses incurred in the service of the Company June-December 1681. Items include: going with Warden Towse and sometimes with Warden Newcomb searching several times, buying several books and pamphlets with wrong names and without names, prosecuting several offenders. Signed in receipt by Stephens in the sum of five pounds. Personal names: Robert Stephens, John Towse, Thomas Newcomb.