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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.

Draft minutes are dated 26 Mar 1684, 7 and 24 Apr 1684, 27 May 1684, 2 and 10 Jun 1684, 16 and 25 Jun 1684, 5 and 7 Jul 1684, 4 Aug 1684, 1 and 30 Sep 1684, 6 Oct 1684, 3 Nov 1684, 3, 20 and 27 Dec 1684 and 16 Jan 1685.

At front of file is a small slip of paper with the inscription 'Court - 1684'.

Some minutes have other documents inserted:

Minutes for Apr 1684:

1. letter from R[ober]t Graham and L M Burton to the master and wardens, recommending William Phillips as a fit person to serve the King as a court assistant, undated.

Minutes for 27 May 1684:

1. draft petition from the company to the King, thanking him for the new charter and for the rights and privileges contained within it, undated.

Minutes for 2 and 10 Jun 1684:

1. letter from Rog[er] Norton and Hen[ry] Hills to Mr Garrett, requesting that as Mr Tooks had not had time that morning to bind an apprentice, Mr Garrett should seal the indenture between them and enter it as done in the morning, 5 May 1684.

Minutes for 16 and 25 Jun and 5 and 7 Jul 1684:

1. petition from Rich[ard] Butler, company freeman and prisoner in Ludgate, requesting relief for the care of his wife and children, undated.

2. letter from the Duke of Buckingham to Roger Norton, master, requesting that James Segnin, the borther of the Duke's chemist, be made free of the company, 26 Jun 1684.

Minutes for Sep 1684:

1. surrender by W[illia]m Rawlins to John Place of his 40th share in English Stock, 30 Sep 1684.

Minutes of 3 Nov 1684:

1. draft petition from the master, wardens and assistants to the King, requesting that he appoint licencers for the authorising or reprinting of all books and papers, in order to better prevent and suppress seditious works and libels, undated.

2. letter from Ro[ger] Lestrange to Roger Norton, master, complaining that several libels against himself had been entered into the book of copies, and requesting that the printer John Southby be prosecuted, 27 Oct 1684.

3. letter from Ro[ger] Lestrange to the master and wardens, stating that he is unable to attend Lord Sunderland that morning, and requesting that they deliver an enclosed document to Lord Sunderland on his behalf, 2 Jan 1685.

4. letter from Lord Sunderland to the master and wardens, stating that the King commands the company to apply itself to the best means for preventing intolerable liberties of the press, and to communicate with the Surveyor of the Press, who has orders from his Majesty to signify to the company, 17 Dec 1684.

5. letter from R[o]g[er] Lestrange to Mr Garrett, requesting that he presents Mr Lestrange's services to the master and wardens and let them know that he will have an unstated item finished on Friday morning, 23 Dec 1684.

Minutes for 3, 20 and 27 Dec 1684 and 16 Jan 1685:

1. draft demand from Roger Norton, master, to an unstated company, demanding that it pays £83 6s 8d of due rent to Thomas Guy, and stating that if it does not do so then the company will not continue to forbear to comprint with it any longer the 25 Mar 1685.

Draft minutes are dated 2 Apr 1688, 7 May 1688, 15 and 25 Jun 1688, 6 Aug 1688, 4 Sep 1688, 11 Oct 1688, 3 Nov 1688, 3 and 19 Dec 1688 and 1, 4 and 6 Mar 1689.

Some minutes have other documents inserted:

Minutes for 7 May 1688:

1. figures for Robert Turner, Adiel Mill, Mr Porter, W[illia]m Wild and Tho[mas] Hodgkin, possibly monies owed, undated.

Minutes for 4 Sep 1688:

1. Lord Mayor's order requesting that liverymen of several companies be restored to their places, with reference to a recent royal charter restoring to the city its ancient franchises, 7 Oct 1688.

Minutes for 4 and 6 Mar 1689:

1. memorandum from Tho[mas] Dring, stating that the company is to discharge Mr Guy and Mr Parker for comprinting the company's copies and pay all arrears for rent due, that Mr Guy and Mr Parker are to deliver to the company the primers they had printed and be paid 9s 9d per reame for this, and that Mr Guy and Mr Parker are to pay the company £180 in consideration for their comprinting, 6 Mar 1689.

2. copy petition from Gilbert Ironside, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, to the king, stating that the university has been molested by the king's printers of bibles in London and the Company of Stationers for printing bibles and books of common prayer with singing psalms annexed, and praying for an order that the process of Quo Warranto issued in his Majesty's name be withdrawn and the complainants (if wronged) pursue their remedy at law in their own names in a suit.

3. order of council signed by W[illia]m Bridgeman, that a copy of the above petition be given to Henry Hills and the other King's printers of bibles in London, that the matter be heard at the board on 5 Oct 1688, and that until the king declares his pleasure on the hearing all further proceedings upon the process of Quo Warranto are to be stopped, 23 Sep 1688.

Parties: (1) Peter Parker and Thomas Guy, stationers (2) Thomas Willis, esquire, Henry Jones, clerk, and John Cross, gentleman, executors of the will of Dr John Fell, Bishop of Oxford, deceased.

i: notice of Oxford University vice-chancellor John Venn to the Stationers' Company regarding Peter Parker and Thomas Guy and printing folio psalms, with letter from Parker and Guy to the Company on the reverse, 2 Jul-3 Sep 1687

ii: letter from Peter Parker and Thomas Guy to the company regarding Oxford and Cambridge printing, 7 May 1688.

iii: counsel's opinion, undated.

Receipted bill for books purchased from Thomas Guy by Mr Deputy Collins.

Copy petition with copy minute of Queen Mary's response of forwarding the petition to John, Archibishop of Canterbury, for inquiry and report.

Pamphlets 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.

Front cover of first copy of pamphlet has the inscription 'Master or Chairman'.

Front cover of second copy of pamphlet has the inscriptions 'Warden' [crossed out] and 'Clerk'; content of pamphlet contains manuscript annotations and corrections.

Folder is divided into subfolders:

i: list of pensioners of Cater's Charity, 1 Dec 1800.

ii: 4 copies of typescript table of Company pensions, undated, with summons to cakes and ale festivities, Jan 1960 [5 items].

iii: printed table of pensions and annuitants, undated.

iv: details of the Catherine Hamblin and Jonas Davis bequests, c.1850.

v: summons to a meeting of the General Purposes Committee to consider the Company Charities with list of Company charities, C R Rivington, 1 Apr 1883.

vi: draft Charity Commission scheme concerning the Company charities, mid 20th century.

Given in the case of Thomas Guy and John Parker v. Jonathan Edwards, Henry Aldrich, William Sherwin, John Hall and Thomas Hughes.

Draft agreements between Thomas Wright and William Gill and the Stationers' Company regarding the University of Oxford's right of printing, 7 Feb-21 Jun 1766, and draft agreement between Cambridge University and the Stationers' Company, 18 Dec 1767; folder also includes typed notes on court book entries for Thomas Guy.

Minutes are unsigned; minutes are given for ordinary court meetings, court meetings for the election of corporation officers, courts for the election of master and wardens, Pension courts, meetings of partners for the election of stockkeepers and treasurer of the English Stock and courts to distribute Mr Cater's Gift; courts for the election of corporation officers and for the election of master and wardens are not titled as such.

Typical order of entries for ordinary court meetings is: place, date and time of court meeting; list of those present, consisting of the master, wardens and assistants; confirmation of the orders of court from the preceding court meeting(s); choosing of wardens and assistants; court business, including administration of English Stock shares, administration of charitable annuities, administration of leases, and resolutions and orders relating to reports, applications to the company, correspondence and other matters; names and personal details of those cloathed, made free of the company and bound or turned over as apprentices.

Spine reads 'Court Book from 3 June 1717. to 30 June 1733. Liber H' and 'H'.

At top of recto of the page preceding the first entry is written in contemporary hand 'Daniel Davis Packer in Peters court Corhhill'.

Near front of volume are copy bonds:

pages 18-19: obligation and condition requiring the company to distribute yearly the sum of £50 to poor company members and widows of members, taken from a sum of £1000 given to the company by Thomas Guy for investment in the English Stock, 3 Feb 1717.

pages 20-22: obligation and condition requiring the company to pay in half-yearly installments the yearly sum of £125 to Thomas Guy and, after his death, limitors declared in his will or other writings, or if limitors are not declared then instead to the mayor, commonalty citizens of London and the governor or treasurer of St Thomas' Hospital for use by the poor of the hospital, 3 Feb 1717.

On page 123 is recorded the translation of Samuel Buckley from the Haberdashers' Company to the Stationers' Company, 25 Sep 1722.

Minutes are unsigned; minutes are given for ordinary court meetings, private courts, court meetings for the election of corporation officers, courts for the election of master and wardens, pension courts, meetings of partners of the English Stock and general assemblies of the master, wardens and commonalty of the company held at their Common Hall; courts for the election of corporation officers are not titled as such; courts for the election of master and wardens are titled 'Election Courts'.

Typical order of entries for ordinary court meetings is: place, date and time of court meeting; list of those present, consisting of the master, wardens and assistants; confirmation of the orders of court from the preceding court meeting(s), from 5 Jul 1686 onwards; court business, including administration of English Stock shares, leases and committees, and orders relating to reports, petitions to the company, correspondence and other matters; administration of the livery, from 11 Oct 1686; details of those made free of the company and bound as apprentices, 4 Dec 1693-8 Jun 1696 and from 3 May 1697 onwards.

Spine reads 'Court Book 1683 to 1697' and 'F'.

Inserted into front flyleaves is a small card with typescript inscription regarding the entry for 6 Nov 1693, with handwritten annotations.

Volume includes committee minutes:

folio 25r: minutes of a 'meeting of the Comittee appointed ab[ou]t Peter Parker and Tho[ma]s Guy', 11 Oct 1684

folio 27v: minutes of a 'meeting of the Comittee concerning the Subpressing Lybells', 27 Dec 1684

folio 33r: minutes of a 'meeting of the Comittee ab[ou]t Peter Parker and Thomas Guy', 29 Apr 1685

folio 41r: minutes of a 'meeting of the Comittee about Peter Parker & Thomas Guy', 25 Jul 1685

folio 67: minutes of a 'meeting of the Comittee appointed at last Court, to treat ab[ou]t buying the interest late of Mr Sawbridge in Cambridg Printing', 19 Nov 1686

folio 67v: minutes of a 'Meeting of the Comittee appointed at last Court ab[ou]t Mrs Leigh's Account', 26 Nov 1686

folio 78v: minutes of a 'meeting of the Comittee appointed ab[ou]t Haberdashers & Stall Booksellers &c', 14 Mar 1687

folio 79v: minutes of a 'meeting of the Comittee appointed ab[ou]t the Companys Coppies at a Court of the 7th of February last', 18 Mar 1687

folios 129v-130r: minutes of a 'meeting of the Comittee appointed to treate w[i]th our Master ab[ou]t Cambridge busines', 1 Mar 1690

folios 131v-132r: minutes of a 'meeting of the Comittee ab[ou]t Mr Starkey's busines', 3 Apr 1690

folio 134r: minutes of a 'meeting of the Comittee ab[ou]t Cambridge Busines', 11 Apr 1690

folios 137r-138v: minutes of 'the same Comittee' [relating to Mr Starkey], 25 Jun 1690

folios 144: minutes of 'the Comittee about Hawkers', 8 Oct 1690

folio 145r: minutes of a 'meeting of the Comittees appointed ab[ou]t the Subpression of Hawkers', 15 Oct 1690

folio 174: minutes of a 'meeting of the Comittee apopointed concerning the Oxford affaire', 6 Jul 1692

Petition from Gilbert Ironside, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University.