The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-07 00:00:00

HENRY WOODTHORPE, ESQ.

LATE TOWN-CLERK FOR THE CITY OF LONDON.
Few men were better calculated to fill the ancient and ho-
mumble office of the Town Clerkship of London than the
lamented subject of the present notice, who, after some years of
indisposition from dropsy, was carried off by that malady two
days since. In the above capacity, as well as in the ordinary
interchange of business, the natural urbanity and kind disposi-
tion of Mr. Woodthorpe, joined to the sagacity and penetrative
spirit of his discourse, rendered him no less respected and ap-
preciated by his fellow-citizens than by his numerous friends
elsewhere • and it is with pleasure we recur to the fact, that
his particular friend, Mr. William Herbert, the erudite Libra-
rian to the Corporation, has recognized these kindly traits of
his departed friend's character in a more lasting than epheme-
ral manner, by acknowledging, in his " History of the Twelve
Great Livery Companies of London," the very great and re-
peated obligations he was under, and the constant attentions he
received from Mr. Woodthorpe, to his capacity of Town Clerk
The knowledge of the ancient deeds and documents in his
keeping, as well as their bearings upon the historic periods to
which they appertained, combined with his own antiquarian
powers of research and discrimination, rendered the office so
adequately and so efficiently performed, that his loss would be
for some time severely experienced, were it not that it has every
chance of being replaced by the ability and qualifieations of a
successor like Mr. Pritchard, whom we rejoice to find an-
nounced as a candidate, and who dese. yes success.
The office of the Town-Clerk or Common Clerk of the City,
is to keep the original Charter, the books, rolls, and other re-
cords, wherein are registered the acts and proceedings of the
City. By virtue of this his office, he may not improperly be
called the City Register. His duty is also to attend the Lord
Mayor and Aldermen at the Courts.
The custody of the City Records, is an institution of very
ancient date, and mentioned in a roll of the 33d of Edward L _+. v. 1304, as relating to the preservation of the " Rotuli
gum aunt in custodia apud Turrim, London ;" the place where
they were then kept being in a certain house afterwards called
Wakefield's Tower, wherein that King, it is said, "caused to
be laid up the rolls, and other memorable matters of the Chan-
cery ; as well from the time of his progenitors, heretofore
Kings of England, as in his own, for the safe and secure custody
of the said rolls and memorable things."
The keepers of the City Records have usually, and from the
earliest times, says Stowe, been such as have been skilled in
the law, and studious in antiquity. They have been .always
learned in the perusal of records and instruments, and withal
persons of great faithfulness.
Among the first superintendents of the City Records were
—Walter de Reginald, Robert de Hoton, William de Kildesby,
John Burton, temp. Rich. I!. ; and in the reign of Queen
Elizabeth, William Fowyer, who digested and arranged these
invaluable documents which, till then, were scattered and
deranged. During the time of King Charles 11., William
Brian, the Barrister of Lincoln's Inn, was appointed by that
King, after his restoration, and his labours in this respect are
highly spoken of by the chronicles of the day. William Petyt,
of the Inner Temple, also laboured to great effect in digesting
the mass of documentary records, and deducing them to order.
After these we find in the Appendix to Maitland the follow-
ing given in chronological series :
TOWN CLERKS.
1672 William Wagstaff, Esq.
1691 John Goodfellt w, Esq.
1700 Henry Ashurst, Esq.
1705 James Gibson, Esq.
1717 Randolph Stracey, Esq.
1724 Thomas Jackson, Esq.
1737 Miles Man, Esq.
1757 Sir James Hodges, Knight
1770 William Hay, Esq.
The fees of the Chamberlain, Common Sergeant, and Town-
Clerk, were anciently 10/. per annum. In the year 1758, when
William Hay, the last keeper of the records, mentioned above,
was in office, a salary of 6501. per annum for himself
and clerks collectively was allowed ; and his deputy, Mr.
Howcker, was paid at the rate of 1001. per annum. The salary
and perquisites at the present day are well known.
Among the very valuable documents which are under the
guardianship of this City offi6r, and consequently of Mr.
Woodthorpe till within there few days, are a number of very
special books and rolls, and among them the original of the
Book of Common Prayer, the foundation rolls of Abbeys, and
other religious htiuses, Leagues of Foreign Princes, and Treaties
with them, bonds, charters, deeds, enrolments, tenures, ex-
tents and surveys, Ecc., of England, too multitudinous to be
tehneutmi
mereasteodf.
Kilnnga
John,dditi 305 of Henry 111., 242 of Edward I, also to these,
are at least 68 rolls of
157 of Edward IL, 575 of Edward 111,, 210 of Richard 11.,
1:26 of Henry IV., 93 of Henry V., 285 of Henry VI., and
150 saf Edward IV.
The appointment of the Town-Clerk rested in the Com t
of Common Council.

UNTAXED BEVERAGES.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR,-;-As from the proceedings of the House of Commas
it seems more than probable that the people must pursue their
own course for the redress of their grievances, I think it as
well that we should be preparing the way against the time
when we must commence action. I therefore send you a list
of untaxed beverages, which may be used as substitutes for
tea,-coffee, and sugar ; and I shall be glad if any of your
readers, more qualified than myself, will pursue the- subject,
so as to put us in possession of the most comprehensive list
that can be made.—l remain, your obedient servant,
A PATRIOT.
Beef tea, chicken broth, barley water, mutton broth, bolted
or cold milk, oatmeal porridge, veal broth, buttermilk porridge.
[Alas ! for our Correspondent. There is not one of these
articles which is not taxed by the landlords and taxed-by the
State. It is as little possible to escape death as the fax-
gatherer.—ED. Sun.]