General Source: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/
Lez Wayt' de Citie.
Thursday, 15 Nov., 21 Henry VI. [A.D. 1442], petition to the Common Council by the City's Waits as follows:-
"Un to our full honourables Maisters right wyse & discrete persones of the Co'e Counseill in þe Citee of London Besechen full mekely your humble servauntes John Tassell, William Raumpayne, William Fegge, Richard Kendale wt other v. of her felowshippe Waytes of the seid Citee that how Waytes of other Citees & townes han' here lyvere & clothyng by which they ben know to their soveraignes & maisters And it is so Þt your seid servauntes ben nat of power to continue in her servise wtoute your gracious help and supportacion So plese it un to your wise discrecions the premisses considered by Þadvise of the Mair & Aldremen of Þe seid Citee with your goode will & assent to ordein & graunt Þt yowre seid besechers may have the armes of Þe seid Citee. (fn. 15) And yerely onys her clothyng which woll be worshippe to hem & to yew & to alle Þe seid Citee And Þan your seid servauntes woll abide with yow for terme of her lives And ellis it lith not in her power to do service as hem aught to doo."
The said prayer granted on condition (1) that each of the Waytes hold office during the pleasure of the Mayor and Aldermen; (2) that they attend the Mayor and Aldermen when specially summoned; (3) that any vacancy should be filled up by the advice of the Mayor for the time being; (4) that each one shall take a suitable oath at the discretion of the Mayor; and (5) that the following nine (fn. 16) persons should execute the office, viz., John Tassell, William Figge, William Rampayn, John Wikes, senior, John Wykes, junior, Richard Wykes, Thomas Aleys, Richard Porter, and Richard Kendale.
In the cellarer's account, L. and P. Hen. VIII, ii (1), 115, there are notices of presents to the queen, to the king's footmen, the king's waits, the lord of misrule of the king's house.
From: 'Folio 206b: July 1442 - ', Calendar of letter-books of the city of London: K: Henry VI (1911), pp. 269-83.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=33726&strquery=City%20Waits
Footnote:
The City Waits being musicians whose business was to play before the Mayor and Aldermen on festive occasions, their number appears at this time to have followed the number of Muses. In later years their number was reduced. In 1789 there were eight, and so remained until 1802, when their place was taken by seven City Trumpeters (Rep. 206, fo. 449). This number was maintained until 1854, when an order was made by the General Purposes Committee that vacancies as they occurred were not to be filled up. The number of City Trumpeters at the present day is four. The word is only preserved at the present day in the English language for the Waits who at Christmas time occupy the streets and render night hideous.
City Waits, petition of, to be allowed to wear a livery and the City arms, 276
From: 'Index: A - K', Calendar of letter-books of the city of London: K: Henry VI (1911), pp. 404-33.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=33737&strquery=City%20Waits
The Lord Mayor's Houshold Officers.
These Officers are nominated by the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs for the Time being, to be admitted by the Approbation of the Court of Aldermen, and hold their Places as Freeholdersquam diu se bene gesserint. By reason whereof the Disposal of such Places rarely happen to the Lord Mayor or Sheriffs; the said Officers claiming it as their Due, by Custom and antient Usage, to transfer their Places by the Permission of the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs respectively, with the Consent of the Court of Aldermen.
The Charges of the Government:
City Waits £53 6s 8d
From: 'House of Commons Journal Volume 10: 28 January 1693', Journal of the House of Commons: volume 10: 1688-1693 (1802), pp. 795-800
. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=29300&strquery=waits.
Mr. Bodurda. In the statute touching fiddlers and minstrels, there has been a reservation of the privileges of one Dutton. I know not what it means, but I thought good to tell you of it.
Mr. Robinson. This privilege is excepted by another statute. These minstrels do corrupt the manners of the people, and inflame their debauchery by their lewd and obscene songs
Sir Thomas Wroth. Harpers should be included.
Mr.- (fn. 3) Pipers should be comprehended.
Alderman Foot. I hope you intend not to include the waits of the City of London, which are a great preservation of men's houses in the night. (fn. 4)
Sir William Strickland. The general word minstrel will be best; for if you go to enumerate, they will devise new instruments.
Mr. Butler. Music is a lawful science, and I love it; but, in regard you restrain it to those places, I think the general word will serve well enough.
Mr. Highland. Add singing as well as playing.
Colonel Whetham. I hope you will not deprive men of their voices.
Mr. Speaker. Singing is a natural, playing an artificial music.
From: 'The Diary of Thomas Burton: 5 December 1656', Diary of Thomas Burton esq, volume 1: July 1653 - April 1657 (1828), pp. 20-37.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=36740&strquery=waits .
Freeman's Court
North out of Cheapside at No. 103 to Honey Lane Market, with a passage east to No. 32 Laurence Lane (P.O. Directory). In Cheap Ward.
First mention : Boyle, 1799.
Former name : "Trump Alley," 33 H. VIII. 1540-1 (L. and P.H. VIII. XVI. 717, to Maitland, ed. 1775).
Riley suggests that the Trumpers or makers of Trumpets may have lived here and that their Trumpets were probably used principally by the City Waits or Watchmen, and that a trumpet was known as a "wait." He also suggests that it is identical with Trump Street, but this is not so, Trump Street (q.v.) lying further north.
From: 'Freeman's Court', A Dictionary of London (1918).
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=6015&strquery=wait.
In the cellarer's account, L. and P. Hen. VIII, ii (1), 115, there are notices of presents to the queen, to the king's footmen, the king's waits, the lord of misrule of the king's house. From: 'Austin canons: Priory of Holy Trinity or Christchurch, Aldgate', A History of the County of London: Volume 1: London within the Bars, Westminster and Southwark (1909), pp. 465-75.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=35357&strquery=waits .
In Thomas Dekker’s “The Magnificent Entertainment Given to King James,” describing the arrival of James I in London for his coronation in 1603, there is a reference to a banquet with music by “The Wayts and Haultboyes of London.” Does “wayts” refer to the musicians and “haultboyes” to their instruments, or what?
1667 London Gazette No. 189/1
The Mayor, Aldermen and Common Council of this Town, after a Sermon Preached to them, went to the Market-Cross in their Formalities, the Waytes playing before them.
Hadland 1915
In 1677. Sir Francis Chaplin, Knt, Lord Mayor. “The several companies adorned with streamers and banners, and fitted with Hoe-boyes, Cornets, Drums, and Trumpets, moved by water towards Westminster. . . . His Lordship and the guests being all seated, the City Music are in preparation to exercise their delightful science and finger their instruments with good skill and excellent humour, but (after some suits of Ayres being played) a person of good fancy with a well composed voice begins a new song of entertainment, one of the City Musicians being attired like to New-Bedlamite with appropriate action and audible voice singeth the second song to the tune of Tom-a-bedlam.”
FILE - RICHARD EDGE to ROGER KENYON. - ref. DDKE/acc. 7840 HMC/1057 -
date: 1697, November 16
The Blue Boar, in Holborn
16 November 1697
"His Majestie landed on Sunday last, about 11 a'clock in the aforenoon, at Margret, came that night to Canterbury, last night to Greenwich, where this morning most of the great officers and persons of quality in the town, waited of him, and about two this afternoon made his publick entry into the citty; came through Fleet Street about 4, and so went to Whitehall. The ceremony was thus, as near as I can remember: ringing of bells, the streets lined with the citty trainbands, here and there a conduit running with wine. First, a company of granadeers, a troop of the royall dragoons, next 3 of the King's coaches, with several persons of quality in them--Collonel Stanley I saw in one of them; next was the messengers on horseback, next the Citty trumpetts and waits, next the serjeants of the counters, next the Common Councell on horseback, next the Aldermen on horseback, next the Lord Mayor, carrying the sword, on horseback, then the heralds, all bare, then the kettle-drums, next the yeomen of the guard, then the King's coach, very fine, in which was the King, who looked very brisk, and made his compliments to each side the street, and the Prince of Denmark and Earl of Rumney, next Prince George's empty coach, then a troop of the life guard, then the Archbishopp of Canterbury, then the Lord Chancellor, then the Duke of Leeds in his coach besides his grace the Earl of Pembrooke, then the Duke of Norfolke, then the Duke of Devonshire, then several dukes' coaches, then severall earls and lords, amongst which I saw the Earls of Macclesfeild and Warrington, then severall bishopps, amongst whom was the Bishopp of Chester, then all the judges' coaches, then severall persons of quality's coaches; all the coaches before had six horses each, and footmen and laques going by.
Items from the City of London Archives (A2A)
FILE - Waits: City - ref. COL/OF/02/157 - date: 1704 - 1762
Notes and Extracts relating to City Waits
Receipt for £10.15s. being 1/3 part of the sum agreed to be paid by Wm. Smith to the Lord Mayor for his admittance into the place of one of the eight waits. 18 Sep 1704.
Receipt for £2.3s. being 1/3 part of £6: 12s agreed by Richard Sleep to be paid to the Lord Mayor for his admittance into the place of one of the City Waits in the room of Thomas Sharples. 23 Oct 1711.
Assignment of three years' salary as a City Wait, by Edward Pointin to James Indall, 9 Jan 1713/4.
Admission of Charles Ballet in the place of John Jenkins and William Davis in the place of Convett Newes, for the sum of £90 each, 1/3 nd. to be paid to the Chamber. 1760 & 1762.
FILE - Waits - ref. COL/OF/02/158 - date: 15 Feb 1787
Power of Attorney given to Rich. Burnett to receive money due to Wm. Burnett one of the City Waits.
FILE - [no title] - ref. ZA/B/2/175-175v - date: 17th Dec., 1672
George Watt, musician, petitioned on behalf of himself and of the City's waits that they might have the City's livery and a yearly salary. It was ordered that there should be four City waits, that they should have liveries every three years and 10s. apiece every Christmas so long as they did not leave the City, and so long as they played in the streets morning and evening as had been the custom.
The Christmas Watch was to be duly observed by the Mayor and Sheriff's this year and every year in future upon pain of fine.
FILE - [no title] - ref. ZA/B/2/157 - date: 14th Dec., 1666
George Watt, musician, petitioned on behalf of his Company, the City's Waits, that the City's livery should be bestowed upon them. It was ordered that the Treasurers should give cloth for livery gowns to George Watt and to two others of the ancient waits and that they should wear these in the City and not elsewhere.
FILE - [no title] - ref. ZA/B/3/148-9v - date: 25th Feb., 1706[/7]
Thomas Lewis, senior, William Powell, Thomas Lewis, junior, and Matthew Trueman, the City's Waits, stated in a petition that by the usage of the City the Waits should have new cloaks at the City's charge every three years, and that the Treasurers paid them 10s. for their playing on any extraordinary rejoicing day, besides their common salary. They had had their present cloaks above three years, and had not been paid anything for the last two rejoicing days. Consideration of this petition was respited until the next Assembly.
FILE - Waits: Payments to - ref. COL/OF/02/156 - date: 1689 - 1718
Signed order of Thomas Pikington, Mayor, for payment for their attendance on the Coronation day last. Apr 17 1689. (no names.)
Signed order of James Bateman, Mayor,... at the anniversary of King Charles's restoration, 25 Jun 1717.
Order for payment to Alice, widow of Thomas Philpot, late one of the City's thumpeters. 4 Mar 1717/8.
FILE - City Waits' receipt for Court [4, 7, 12 or 15?], receipted by Theo. Fitt, 11 Aug 1680. - ref. CLA/036/02/1680/13/7 - date: 1680
1 p.
FILE - [City Waits'] bill for Courts 6,8,10 and 12, with Lord Mayor Sir George Thorold's order to Chamberlain George Ludlam to pay Mr. Meers. - ref. CLA/036/02/1720/17/2 - date: 1720
1 p.
FILE - Order of the Lord Mayor for payment to the City Waits, 3 Aug 1681, receipted by Robert Perry, 3 Aug 1681. - ref. CLA/036/02/1681/12/2 - date: 1681
1 p.
Corporation of the City of London appoint the LSO their official City Waits:
"ref. COL/OF/02/159: 1968, Appointment of London Symphony Orchestra as City Waits"
