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❧ THE DEcree for Tithes, to be paid in London.  
Anno M. D. LXXX.  
At London ¶ Printed for Gabriel Cawood. 1597.   

The Decree for Tithes, to be paid in London.  
AS touching the payments of Tithes in the City of London, and the Liberties of the same: It is fully ordered and decreed by the most reverend Father in God Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate and Metropolitan of all England. Thomas Lord Wriothesley, and Lord Chancellor of England. William Lord Saint john, precedent of the King's majesties Counsel, and Lord great Master of his highness household, john Lord Russell, Lord privy seal, Edward Earl of Hertford, Lord great Chamberlain of England, john viscount Lisle high Admiral of England, Richard Lister Knight chief justice of England, and Roger Cholrneley Knight, chief Baron of his Grace's Exchequer, this present twenty and four day of February, Anno Domini secundum cursum & computationem Ecclesié Angelicanè millesimo quingentesimo quadragesimo quinto, according to the statute in such case lately provided. That the Citizens and inhabitants of the said City of London and Liberties of the same, for the time being, shall yearly without fraud or covin for ever pay their tithes to the Parsons, Vicars, and Curates of the said City, and their successors for the time being, after the rate hereafter following, that is to wit, of every ten shillings rend by year of all and every house and houses, shops, warehouses, sellers, and stables, and every of them, within the said City and Liberties of the same sixteen pence half penny. And of every twenty shillings rend by year of all and every such house and houses, shops, warehouses, sellers, and stables, and every of them, within the said City and Liberties, two shillings and nine pence: And so above the rent of twenty shillings by year, ascending from x. s. to x. s. according to the rate aforesaid.  
Item that where any lease is or shall be made of any dwelling house or houses, shops, warehouses, sellers, or stables, or of any of them, by fraud or covin, reserving less rent than hath been accustomed, or is, or that any such lease shall be made without any rent reserved upon the same, by reason of any fine or income paid before hand, or by any other fraud or covin: That then in every such case the tenant or farmer, tenants or farmers thereof, shall pay for his or their tithes of the same, after the rate afore said, according to the quantity of such rent or rents, as the same house or houses, shops, warehouses, sellers, or stables, or any of them were last let for, without fraud or covin before the making of such lease.  
Item that every owner or owners, inheritor or inheritors, of any dwelling house or houses, shops, warehouses, sellers, or stables, or any of them within the said City & liberties, inhabiting or occupying the same himself or themselves, shall pay after such rate of tithe as is above said, after the quantity of such yearly rent, as the same was last let for, without fraud or covin.  
Item if any person or persons have taken, or hereafter shall take any mese or mansion place by lease, and the taker or takers thereof his or their executors or assigns doth or shall inhabits in part thereof, and have or hath within viii. years last passed before this order or hereafter will or shall let out the residue of the same: That then in such case, the principal farmer or Farmers or first taker or takers thereof, his or their executors or assigns, shall pay his or their tithes after the rate aforesaid, according to his or their quantity therein, and that his or their executors assign or assigns, shall pay his or their tithes after the rate above said, according to the quantity of his or their rent by year.  
And that if any person or persons, have or shall take divers mansion houses, shops, warehouses, sellers, or stables in one lease, and letteth, or shall let out one or more of the said houses, and keepeth or shall keep one or more in his or their own hands, and inhabiteth or inhabiten in the same: That then the said taker or takers, and his or their executors or assigns, shall pay his or their tithes after the rate above said, according to the quantity of the yearele rend of such mansion house or houses retained in his or their hands. And that his assign or assigns of the residue of the said mansion house or houses shall pay his or their yearly tithes after the rate above said, according to the quantity of their yearly rents.  
Item if such farmer or Farmers, or his or their assigns of any mansion houses, warehouses, shops, sellers, or stables, hath at any time within eight years last passed, or shall hereafter let over all the said mansion house or houses contained in his or their lease to one person or to divers persons: That then the inhabitants leases or occupiers of them, and of every of them shall pay their tithes, after the rate of such rents as the said inhabitants, leases, or occupiers, and their assign or assigns, been or shall be charged withal, without fraud or covin.  
Item if any dwelling house within eight years last passed was or hereafter shall be converted into a warehouse, storehouse, or such like, or if a warehouse, storehouse, or such like within the said eigh● years, was or hereafter shalb● converted into a dwelling house: That then the occupier or occupiers thereof shall pay tithes for the same, after the rate above declared of mansion hous● rends.  
Item that where any person shall demise any Diehouse or Brewhouse with implements convenient and necessary for dying or brewing, reserving a rent upon the same, as well in respect of such implements, as in respect of such Diehouse or Brewhouse. That then the tenant shall pay his tithes, after such rate as is above said, the third penny abated. And that every principal house or houses with key or wharf, hailing any Crane or gibbet belonging to the same, shall pay after like rate of their rents as is aforesaid the third penny abated. And that other wharfs belonging to houses, having no Crane or gibbet, shall pay for their tithes as shallbe paid for mansion houses in form aforesaid.  
Item that where any mansion house with a shop, stable, warehouses, wharf, with Crane, timberyard, teinteryard, or Garden belonging to the same, or as parcel of the same, is or shall be occupied together, that if the same be hereafter severed or divided, or at any time within viii. years last passed were severed or divided: That then the farmer or farmers, occupier, or occupiers, thereof shall pay such tithes as above said for such shops, scable, warehouse, wharf, with Crane, timberyard, teinteryard, or garden aforesaid so severed or divided after the rate of their several rents thereupon reserved.  
Item that the said Citizens and inhabitants shall pay their tithes quarterly, that is to say, at the feast of Easter, the Nativity of S. john Baptist, the feast of S. Michael the Archangel, and the nativity of our Lord by even portions.  
Item that every householder paying ten shillings rend or above, shall for him or herself be discharged of their four offering days: but his wife, children, servant, or others of their family, taking their rights of the church at Easter, shall pay two pence for their four offering days yearly.  
Provided always, and it is decreed, that if any house or houses, which hath been, or hereafter shall be let for ten shillings rend by year or more, be or hath at any time within eight years last passed, or hereafter shall be divided and leased into small parcels or members, yielding less yearly rend then ten shillings by year: That then the owner or owners, if he or they dwell in any part of such house, or else the principal lease or leases, if the owner or owners do not dwell in some part of the same, shall from henceforth pay for his or their tithes, after such rate of rent as the same house was accustomed to be let for before such division or dividing into parts or members. And the under farmer and farmers, lease and leases, to be discharged of all tithes, for such small parcels, parts, or members rent at less yearly rents then ten shillings by year, without fraud or covin, paying two pence a piece yearly for their four offering days.  
Provided always, and it is decreed, that for such Gardens as appertain not to any mansion house, and which any person or persons, holdeth or shall hold in his or their hands for pleasure, or to his own use, that then the person so holding the same shall pay no tithes for the same. But if any person or persons, which holdeth, and shall hold any such Garden, containing half an Acre or more, doth or shall make any yearly profit thereof by way of sale: that then he or they shall pay tithes for the same, after such rate of his rent, as is herein first above specified.  
Provided also that if any such Gardens now being of the quantity of half an Acre or more, be hereafter by fraud or covin divided into any less quantity or quantities, then to pay tithe, according to the rate above said.  
Provided always that this decree shall not extend to the houses of great men, or noble men, or noble women, kept in their own hands, and not let for any rent, which in time past hath paid no tithes, so long as they shall so continue unletten, nor to any hals of crafts or companies so long as they be kept unletten, so that the same hals in time past have not used to pay any tithes.  
Provided always, and it is decreed, that this present order and decree shall not in any wise extend to bind or charge any sheds, stables, sellers, timber yards, no teynter yards, which were never parcel of any dwelling house, ne appertaining or belonging to any dwelling house, ne have accustomed to pay any tithes: but that the said Citizens & inhabitants shall thereof be quiet of payment, of any tithes, as it hath been used and accustomed.  
Provided also, and it is decreed, that where less sum then after the rate of sixteen pence halfpenny in the ten shilliings rend, or less sum than two shillings and nine pence in the twenty shillings rend, hath been accustomed to be paid for tithes, that then in such places, the said Citizens and inhabitants shall pay but only after such rate as hath been accustomed.  
Item, it is also decreed, that if any variance, controversy, or strife do or shall hereafter arise in the said City for no payment of any tithes: or if any variance or doubt arise upon the true knowledge or division of any rent or tithes within the liberties of the said City, or of any extent or assemblant thereof, or if any doubt rise upon any other thing contained within this decree: that then upon complaint made by the party grieved to the Mayre of the City of London for the time being, the said Mayor by the advise of counsel shall call the said parties before him, and make a final end in the same, with costs to be rewarded at the discretion of the said More and his assistants, according to the intent and purpose of this present decree.  
And if that the said More make not an end thereof within two months after complaint to him made, or if any of the said parties find themselves grieved: That then the Lord chancellor of England for the time being upon complaint to him made within three months then next following, shall make an end of the same, with such costs to be rewarded as shallbe thought convenient, according to the intent and purpose of this said decree.  
Provided always, that if any person or persons take any tenement for a less rent than was accustomed to be let for, by reason of any great ruin and decay, burning, or such like occasions or misfortunes: That then such person or persons, his executors or assigns shall pay tithes only after the rate of the rent reserved in his or their lease, and none otherwise, as long as the same lease shall endure.