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Orders of service for the annual Company Ash Wednesday service, founded by Master John Norton on his death in 1612; service sheets date from 1930-1940, 1943-1944, 1947-1958, 1960, 1962, 1967-1968, 1970, 1972-1981, 1985, 1991, 1993, 1995-1996, 1998-2006, 2010, 2012, 2014-2016, 2018,, 2019, 2023-2026.

Box also includes:

Sermons preached to the Company, 1920 and 1923.

Photographs of plaques commemorating John Norton, sermons preached at the Ash Wednesday service, 1920 and 1923.

Invitation to cakes and ale and the service, 3 Mar 1965 and 18 Feb 2015-10 Feb 2016, and entry ticket to cakes and ale, 13 Feb 2013.

Invitation to the service to unveil a plaque commemorating John Norton, 14 Dec 1948.

Invitation to a livery dinner held 17 Feb 1965.

Transcipts of bequests and the attendant conditions. The majority of entries date from 1593-1679, with additional entries made in 1884 and 1908.

i: draft balance accounts for the loan charities of William Norton, George Bishop, Christopher Meredith and John Norton, 1860 and 1864-1865, and for the Wood Street estates, 1864-1865 [5 items].

ii: summonses to appear before the Commissioner, 8 Jan 1851-28 Apr 1858 [11 items].

iii: acknowledgement of papers sent to the Charity Commission by the Clerk, 20 Jul 1863.

iv: assorted papers: (1) summons to attend the Court of Chancery and pay monies to the Attorney-General, 28 Jan 1852-13 Jul 1855, (2) receipts for monies paid to the Attorney-General, 20 Feb 1852-19 Mar 1858, (3) list of actions undertaken in relation to the Company's case in Chancery, 4 May 1830-12 Jun 1833, (4) observations relating to the Company's case in Chancery, undated, (5) certificate of the sum remaining on the credit of the case in Chancery, 6 Jun 1856, (6) proposed minutes [1857], (7) letter from the Charity Commission stating details of the Company charities, 2 Nov 1857, and (8) notices of attendance at Stationers' Hall on inspection duties, 7-14 Jul 1863 [13 items].

i: contemporary printed copy of Thomas Guy's will, 1725. Printed by John Osborn, bound in paper.

ii: scheme for the regulation and administration of the William Norton, George Bishop, Christopher Meredith and John Norton charities, 1858. Bound in cloth.

iii: pamphlet printed for use by company members and officials; contains details of all company charities, consisting of benefactions of Beale Blackwell, William Bowyer, Theophilus Cater, John Clarke, James Compton, Jonas Davis [and Reverend and Mrs C A Barlow], Charles Dilly, Alderman James Figgins, Thomas Guy, Catherine Hamblin, Luke Hansard [two benefactions], Richard Johnson, Joseph Johnson Miles, John Nichols and John Bowyer Nichols, Andrew Strahan [two benefactions], William Strahan, Charles Whittingham, Beata Wilkins and Thomas Wright, and the Company's stock pensions, 1917; inserted is a slip detailing candidate requirements for Charles Edwin Layton's gift.

Folder is divided into subfolders:

i: receipts of charitable gift payments, 19 Jan 1685-30 Dec 1782; also includes a card from London booksellers urging lords to attend the Committee of the Whole House reading of the Booksellers' Bill, 14 May 1774, with annotations listing the recipients and with numbers or comments beside some names [12 items].

ii: receipts of charitable gift payments and draft accounts, 15 Aug 1813-27 Dec 1922 and 18 Feb 1977 [12 items].

iii: printed notices stating that no Company members, nor their widows, may be a pensioner unless they have paid quarterage, 1774 reprints of 1718 notice [2 items].

i: Text of indenture for the Company to send one copy of every newly-printed book to the Bodleian Library, dated 12th December 1610.

Parties: (1) the Stationers' Company (2) Oxford University.

ii: Text of indenture for the Company to send one copy of every newly-printed book to the Bodleian Library, dated 28th January 1612. Signees for the Company include the Master, John Norton, and the Wardens, Richard Field and Humfrey Lownes.

Extracts and copies of wills bequesting monies to the Stationers' Company for charitable use.
Folder contains:

i: extract from will of James Compton, 24 Sep 1858.

ii: extract from will of Jonas Davis, 11 Apr 1827.

iii: extract from will of Richard Johnson, 3 Jan 1795.

iv: extract from will of Alderman Gill, undated, with extract from notice informing the Company of the bequest and photocopies of the will [4 items].

v: draft wills of Henry Mortlock and his widow Elizabeth Mortlock concerning English Stock shares, undated.

vi: typescript transcription of will of John Norton, [21 May 1612].

vii: extract from will of William Strahan, 2 Jul 1784, with receipt for payment of the bequest, 1 Aug 1786, receipt for payment of earlier gift from Strahan, 20 Jul 1774, and pamphlet containing a printed extract from his will [4 items].

viii: extract from will of Richard Welles, 12 Mar 1803.

ix: extract from will of Beata Wilkins, 24 Nov 1773.

x: extracts from will of Alderman Wright, 4 Dec 1798 [2 items].

xi: extract from will of William Bowyer, 30 Jul 1777, with printed list of qualifications prescribed by his will for a candidate of an annuity of £30 per annum to a journeyman compositor.

xii: probate of will of Bartholomew Penny, 1798.

xiii: extract from will of Thomas Holme, 30 Apr 1870.

xiv: extract from will of James Figgins, 19 Dec 1883.

xv: extract from will of Emily Bentham, 1904.

Bundles contain:

xvi: copy will and codicils of Herbert Fitch with assorted documents relating to the administration of the terms of his will, 22 Oct 1936-10 Mar 1943.

xvii: copy will of Charles Edwin Layton, 28 Feb 1908, with assorted documents relating to the administration of the terms of his will, 15 Dec 1927-1 Dec 1940.

John Norton was one of the most prolific booksellers of the late Elizabethan and Jacobean period. He died in 1612 a wealthy man. He left 1000 pounds to the Stationers’ Company as part of a larger bequest. Other stipulations of his will included leaving 150 pounds to the churchwardens of St Faith’s to buy land and property, the rent of which might be split between the poor of St Faith’s parish and poor stationers. Norton’s bequest further included the weekly dispensation of a penny loaf and two pence apiece to six poor stationers and six poor members of the parish. He also provided for an annual Ash Wednesday sermon, celebrated with cakes, wine, and ale at Stationers’ Hall.

Clerk's book divided into six principal sections:

folios 17r-129v: register of apprentices bound, 17 Jul 1576-25 Jul 1605.

folios 130r-318v: entries of copies, 17 Jul 1576-25 Jun 1595.

folios 319r-352r: register of freemen admitted, 14 Jan 1577-2 Jul 1605.

folios 393r-414v and 417r: fines for breaking of orders, 28 Jan 1577-28 Jun 1605.

folios 415 and 418r-420r: calls for the livery, 1 Jul 1577-30 Jun 1604.

folios 427r-486r: Court minutes and Clerk's memoranda, 1 Oct 1576-29 Dec 1603.

On the title page are two 18th or 19th century inscriptions:

Index reading:

'Apprentices to page 130

Entrys of Coppies from 130 to 318

Freemen from p 319

Book of Fines from 393 to 415

Calls on the Livery from 415 to 427

Decrees or Orders or probably the Court Book from July 1576 to November 1603. from page 427 to the End'

Inscription reading: 'The copies prior to their date, are to be found from the grant of the charter, in the old Wardens acct. book, classed distinctly under every year to 1571'.

At front of volume are memoranda and other records:

folio [1r]: [to be completed]

folio [1v]: register of those appointed to go to the Lord Mayor's feast at the Guildhall, 29 Oct 1583-29 Oct 1595.

folio 2r: memoranda by Richard Collins stating that he was chosen Clerk of the Company, 30 May 1575, and listing what he had been charged to enter into the volume, with folio numbers; details of gilt spoons, 1589; register of those appointed to go to the Lord Mayor's feast, 29 Oct Oct 1596-30 Oct 1598.

folio 2v: memorandum that the gift and legacy of John Waller had been distributed that day, 27 Jan 1587; memorandum that Mr Jones had printed a book that had been received by Warden Cawood but is not entered; register of those appointed to go to the Lord Mayor's feast, 29 Oct 1599-29 Oct 1600.

folio 3r: annual receipts of monies received for use of the hall by the wardmote and for weddings, 13 Jan 1578-10 Apr 1592.

folio 3v: receipts for monies received for use of the hall by the wardmote and for a member's wife's burial; list of books sent from Scotland to William Norton for his cousin John Norton, seized by George Bishop, taken to Stationers' Hall and then delivered away, 17 Jun 1591.

folio 4: memoranda concerning books seized

folio 5r: list of names of those appointed to search, 3 Sep 1576

folio 5v: [to be completed]

folio 6r: 'A copie of certen orders concerning printing'.

folio 6v: [to be completed]

folio 7r: Court order relating to [to be completed]

Information given in the entries of copies includes name of property owner, name of person/s under whose hand/s the copy is entered, title of work and amount paid (usually 6d per title); occasionally name of author is included. Significant entries of copies include:

folio 164v: [Edmund Spenser's] The Shepheardes Calender, entered for Hugh Singelton, 5 Dec 1579.

folio 170r: [Edmund Spenser & Gabriel Harvey's] Three Proper, and Wittie, Familiar Letters, entred for Henry Bynneman, 30 Jun 1580.

folio 231v: Sir Philip Sidney's [New] Arcadia, entered for William Ponsonby, 23 Aug 1588.

folio 251v: [Edmund Spenser's] The Faerie Queene, entered for William Ponsonby, 1 Dec 1589.

folio 262v: [Christopher Marlowe's] Tamburlaine parts 1 and 2, entered for Richard Jones, 14 Aug 1590.

folio 297v: [William Shakespeare's] Venus and Adonis, entered for Richard Feild, 18 Apr 1593

folio 299v: [Christopher Marlowe's] Edward II, entered for William Jones, 6 Jul 1593.

folio 304v: [William Shakespeare's] Titus Andronicus, entered for John Danter, 6 Feb 1594.

folio 305v: [William Shakespeare's] Henry VI part 1, entered for Thomas Millington, 12 Mar 1594.

folio 306v: [William Shakespeare's] The Taming of the Shrew, entered for Peter Shorte, 2 May 1594.

folio 309v: [William Shakespeare's] Richard III, entered for Thomas Creede, 19 Jun 1594.

folio 315v: A treatise in commendation of poetry by Sir Philip Sidney, entered for William Ponsonby, 29 Nov 1594.

Topics covered by the Court minutes include elections of the Master, Wardens, Court Assistants and Renter Wardens, Court attendance, administration of Company officials, regulation of apprentices and journeymen, disputes between members, granting or administration of charity, administration of property, and regulation of printing.

At back of volume are Renter Warden balance receipts and memoranda:

folio 486v: receipts for balances paid to the Company by the Renter Wardens, 6 May 1577-6 May 1586.

folio 487r: memoranda recording the transfer of licence to print one impression of 'Quenes Iniuntions and Artycles' from Master Barker to Thomas Purfoote, 5 Aug 1583, a payment for 'Catechismes' from Master Coldock to Master Newbery, 2 Sep 1583, and the fact that the cup given by Henry Fflycke must be entered in the book of gifts, 3 Nov 1583; receipts for balances paid to the Company by the Renter Wardens, 6 May 1587-6 May 1591.

folio 487v: note of T Cantroller's printing privileges from 1573-1574; list of items in the armoury additional to that specified in the inventory, 8 Jul 1578; receipts for balances paid to the Company by the Renter Wardens, 6 May 1592-7 May 1599.

Certified balance accounts for the loan charities of William Norton, George Bishop, Christopher Meredith and John Norton; accounts date from 1860-1864, 1898, 1900-1901 and 1903-1904.

Receipt for seven pounds 16 shillings in fulfillment of John Norton's bequest for a year to the parish of St Faith the Virgin. Signed in receipt by John Owen, church warden. Personal names: John Owen, John Norton. Place names: St. Faith the Virgin.

Receipt for seven pounds 16 shillings for John Norton's gift to the poor of St. Faith's parish. Signed in receipt by John Ayres, churchwarden. Verso: "Church Warden." Personal names: John Ayres; John Norton. Place names: St. Faith's under St. Paul's.

Exceptionally flourished receipt for seven pounds 16 shillings paid to the parish of St Faith the Virgin from the Company due at Lady Day last. Signed in receipt by John Ayres, churchwarden. Personal names: John Ayres; John Norton. Place names: parish of St Faith's under St Paul's.

Receipt for seven pounds 16 shillings paid to the parish of St. Faith the Virgin annually due from the Company as the gift of John Norton. Signed for in receipt by Richard Chiswell, Churchwarden. Personal names: John Norton; Richard Chiswell. Place names: Parish of St. Faith.