British Popular Customs Present And Past - online book

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April 23.]                  st. georgs's day.                              195
" Payd for iiij pesses of clowt lether, ij8' ijd*
" Payd for makeyng the yron that the hors resteth upon, vjd*
" Payd for makeyng of Saynt George's cote, viijd*
" Payd to John Paynter for his labour, xlv3'
" Payd for roses, bells, gyrdle, sword, and dager, iij8" iiijd*
" Payd for settyng on the bells and roses, iijd*
" Payd for naylls necessarye thereto, xd' ob."
Cheshire.
In a pamphlet entitled Certayne Collections of Anchiante Times, concerninge the Anchante and. Famous Cittie of Chester (already alluded to) and published in Lysons' Magna Bri­tannia, 1810, vol. ii. pt. ii. pp. 588-590, is the following account of races at one time annually held at Chester on St. George's Day: In a.d. 1609, Mr. William Lester, mercer, being mayor of Chester, one Mr. Robert Amerye. ironmonger, sometime sherife of Chester (a.d. 1608), he, with the assent of the mayor and cittie, at his own coste chiefly, as I conceive, caused three silver cuppes of good value to be made, the whiche saide silver cuppes were, upon St. George's Daye, for ever to be thus disposed. All gentlemen that would bringe their horses to the Rood-dee that daye, and there rune, that horse which with spede did over-rune the rest, should have the beste cuppe there presently delivered, and that horse which came seconde, nexte the firste, before the rest, had the seconde cuppe there also delivered, and for the third cuppe it was to be rune for at the ringe, by any gentleman that would rune for the same upon the said Rood-dee, and upon St. George's Daye, being thus decreed, that every horse putt in soe much money as made the value of the cupps or bells, and had the money, which horses did winne the same, and the use of the cupps, till that day twelve month, being in bond to deliver in the cupps that daye, soe also for the cuppe for the ringe, which was yearly continued accordingly untill the yeare of our Lord 1623; John Brereton, inn-holder, being mayor of Chester, he altered the same after this manner and caused the three cupps to be sould, and caused more money to be gathered and added, soe that tho intercste thereof woulde make one
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