Ordinances made by Sir William Cecil, Knight of the Order of the Garter, Baron of Burghley, for the order and government of xiii. poor men, whereof one to be the Warden of the Hospital at Stanford Baron in the County of Northampton, to remain in a Chest in a Chamber in the said Hospital, locked up in a Chest with two several locks, the keys whereof to be in the custody of the Vicar of S. Martin's and the Bailiff of the Manor.  
xx. Augusti Anno xxxix. ELIZABETHAE Reginae, & Anno Domini 1597.  
THe first five shall be named, chosen and admitted always by me William Lord Burghley, during my life, and after, by mine heir male that shallbe owner of mine house and Lord of Burghley, whereof the foremost shallbe called the Warden of the Almeshouse of the Lord Burghley.  
The next four, which is the vi. seven. viii. and ix. shall be named and admitted by the Vicar of S. Martin's for the time being, and the Bailiff of the Manor of Stanford Baron, in the County of Northampton, and the eldest Churchwarden of S. Martin's, and by them that shall be dwellers in the Nunnery, otherwise called S. Michael's, and in the Inn called the George of Stanford Baron, or by the greater number of them.  
The last four, viz. the x. xi. xii. and xiii. shall be named and admitted by him that shallbe for the time Alderman of the Borough of Stanford, in the County of Lincoln, and by the Recorder of that Town, the Steward and bailiff of the said Manor of Stanford, or the more part of them, whereof the Alderman to be one.  
Item, the Vicar of S. Martin's, or the Curate of the Church for the time being, shall keep a Register in writing of the names and surnames of all the said poor men, which book shall be kept in the Vestry within the Chancel of S. Martin's Church, and shall be written in order, beginning with the name of the Warden, and then of the first four, and so following the second four, and lastly the last four, and shall be signed with the hands of the bailiff of the Manor of Stanford Baron, and of the Steward of that Manor, and so yearly renewed as cause shall require, upon the decease or change of any of the said poor men, and a double of this book shall be delivered to the Alderman of Stanford, to be kept with the Records of the Town, thereby to know how the number shall continue.  
Item, when the warden and any other of the xii. shall die, or any of their places become void, the place of such as shall die, or become void, being either the Warden or of the number of the first four, shall be supplied by the Lord of Burghley for the time being, and so the place of any of the second four, dying or becoming void, shall be supplied by the foresaid Vicar, and the persons that are authorized to name the second company of four: and the like shallbe observed by the Alderman of Stanford, and the others joined with him for the supplying of such places of the last four, as shall from time to time become void.  
Item, if the parties aforenamed, or the more part of them, shall not supply the void places of such as have been first chosen by them within xxviii. days after the same shall be void, the same shall be supplied by any two others of them that are authorized to nominate any of the said xii. and in default of such nomination, the Lord of the house of Burghley and his heirs male shall supply the same within two months, and in default thereof, some one or two of the Feoffees or their heirs (to whom the annuity of one hundredth pounds is granted, that shall dwell near to Burghley) shall supply the same.  
Item, the Warden of the house shall have yearly a gowncloth of three yards and of viii. s. the yard, and every of the other shall have every year a gownecloth of three yards at vi. s. viii. d. the yard, of such colour as the Livery coats of the Lord Burghley or his heirs shall be for the time, which shallbe provided and bought by the Balife of the Manor of Stanford Baron, and by the oversight of the Vicar of S. Martin's and the Alderman of Stanford.  
Item, in the nomination of the said Warden and xii. poor men, these circumstances following shall be observed, or else none otherwise named shall be allowed.  
FIrst, every one so to be named, shall be presented in the Church of S. Martin's, upon a Sunday in the forenoon to the Vicar of the said Church, and by him allowed to be of honest Christian profession, and able and well disposed to say the Lords prayer, the Creed, and to learn to answer to the Ten commandments, as are prescribed to such as are catechized.  
Item, none shallbe thereto admitted, but such as have been borne in the Counties of Northampton, Lincoln, or Rutland, or that have dwelled for the space of seven. years within the space of seven. miles of the Borough of Stanford, except the Lord of Burghley house shall for some reasonable cause dispense therewith, neither shall any be thereto allowed that is under thirty. years of age, or that hath any certainty of living above the value of liii. s. iiii. d. by the year, nor any that is known to be diseased of any Leprosy or of the Pocks called the French pocks, or of any Lunacy, or to be a common Drunkard, Barretor, or infamous for adultery, theft, or such like fault.  
Item, the said poor men shall be (as near as may be) chosen out of such as have been either honest soldiers or workmen, as Masons, Carpenters, or other Artisans of handy crafts, or Labourers in any works or in Husbandry, or servants that are by sickness, age, or other impediment, unable to get their living by their handy work or by daily service, as beforetime they have done: And if after that they shallbe chosen to the places, any of them shall fall into such infirmities of infectious diseases, or to be justly infamed and convinced of such notable vices as above is in the next former Article mentioned, they shallbe displaced by them by whose authority they were placed, and their allowance to cease within xiiii. days after their displacing, against which time their places shallbe supplied by such as have displaced them.  
Item, none of the said xiii. poor men shall in Alehouses or other places play at Cards, Dice, or any unlawful game, but if after once warning given to them by the Vicar of S. Martin's, or the bailiff of Stanford Baron or of the Manor of the Borough of Stanford, to forbear from such unlawful play, shall a second time commit any such offence prohibited, he shallbe removed from his place, and shall receive no more weekly relief, except upon knowledge of his fault, and promise of amendment, he shallbe restored by the said Vicar and bailiff, and two others of the number that did first place him.  
Item, every of these poor men shall resort in their Livery gowns to Common prayer every Sunday, Wednesday, Friday, and Holiday to S. Martin's Church at Morning and Evening prayer, and shall sit or kneel in some place appointed by the Churchwardens. Neither shall any of them be absent from the Church at such times, without just cause by sickness, to be notified to the Vicar, and to be allowed by him. And for every such default not excusable, the Parish Clerk shall have vi. d. out of the weeks wages allowed to the poor man that shall make such default.  
Item, there shallbe paid to the said Warden, and to the other xii. by the Vicar of S. Martin's, and the bailiff of the Manor in S. Martin's Church, or by one of them every Sunday after Evening prayer, these sums following, viz. To the Warden of the Hospital the sum of iii. s. for the week following, and to every of the other twelve the sum of two. s. iiii. d. for the week following, saving to the parish Clerke his due for the default afore committed, (if any shallbe) as above is expressed, which he shall also receive at the same time.  
Item, all these poor men, that shall be unmarried, and not notoriously sick, shall lodge every night in the common house, without some special impediment, to be allowed by the Vicar or by the Bailiff of the Manor of Stanford Baron, and such as shallbe married, may live with their wives out of the common house, so the same be within S. Martin's Parish, or within the Borough of Stanford, but yet they shall be bound one night in a month, to lodge with their fellows in the common house, upon pain of loss of one weeks wages, which shallbe paid to the poor men's box in S. Martin's Church.  
Item, none of them shall go abroad in their gowns out of the bounds of S. Martin's Parish, or out of the Borough of Stanford, and the liberties thereof.  
Item, the Vicar of S. Martin's, or Minister shall upon the first Sunday of every quarter of the year, assemble them together in the Church before Evening prayer, and severing them asunder, shall hear them say the Lords prayer, and the Creed, and to answer to the Commandments: and such as will not in convenient time learn, and be able to say the same, shallbe avoided from his room after fourteen days space given him to learn the same, and the Vicar or Minister shall have for his labour v. s. every such Sunday, and the Parish Clerk twelve pence for attending on the Vicar.  
Item, they shall every first Sunday of every quarter go to Burghley house, (if the Lord of Burghley, or the Lady his wife shall there keep household) and there shall dine at one table together in the hall, where they shall have two mess of meat, every mess of two dishes, one with pottage and boiled meat, the other roast, (if it be no fasting d●y) and if it be a fish day, than they shall have two like meases of white meat and fish. For the charges whereof, he that shall dwell at Burghley as the heir of the house, shall defray the same, or else in case of the absence of the said Lord Burghley, or the Lady his wife from the house, payment shallbe made out of the yearly sum of the annuity to the said thirteen poor men after the rate of iiii. d. a piece, to be paid by the Bailiff of the Manor, or by such as shallbe authorized to receive the annuity, and to distribute it according to these orders, and the same to be allowed upon the account.  
Item, if at any time he that shallbe mine heir of my house at Theobalds' in Hartfordshire, shall come to Burghley, or Stanford, the said poor men shall present themselves dutifully unto him, and shall offer any service they can do to him, in memory of the Founder William Lord Burghley, Ancestor of the said Owner of Theobalds'.  
Item, if any doubt or question shall hereafter arise upon the words or meaning of these former Articles or Ordinances, the resolution or determination thereof shall be made, and in writing delivered to the Vicar of S. Martin's, by the Bishop of Peterborough, or by the Dean and any one prebendary of the Church of Peterborough, whereunto all parties shall yield and obey.  
Item, as these poor men shall at the first have their several rooms allowed unto them in the Alms house, so shall they during their lives, or their continuance in their places, continue their lodgings, and every one as he shall succeed to the void place, so shall he succeed in the lodging without any change.  
Item, all the twelve shall at their entries openly in S. Martin's Church, promise to be obedient to the Warden of the house, in all things that he shall advise them for the observation of the orders by these Articles prescribed. And if any of them shall wilfully refuse to observe the same, he shall complain thereof to the Lord Burghley for the time being, or in his absence to the Vicar, and Bailiff of the Manor, who shall remove such a wilful person from the place, whereunto they that did first name him, shall appoint another.  
Item, during the life of me the Lord Burghley, he that is, & shallbe my Bailiff of my Manor of Stanford Baron, shall receive the said annuity of one hundredth pounds, out of my lands heretofore called cliff Park, in the County of Northampton, and shall with the privity of the Alderman of Stanford, or the Vicar of S. Martin's, make payment thereof according to these orders, and the rest that shall remain upon his yearly account, to be employed on the repair of the house, or upon the poor prisoners in any jail in the Borough of Stanford, by the appointment of the Alderman, and the said Vicar for the time being, before whom the said Bailiff shall make yearly his account the second day of November. And after my decease, if the said Alderman, Vicar, and Recorder of Stanford for the time being, shall not like to continue the said Bailiff for the said service, they shall name and appoint either such as shall be Bailiff of the Borough of Stanford, or such as shallbe Inhabitants in the Inn or house called the George of Stanford Baron, or in the scite of S. Michael's Nunnery, or in default of them, such other as shallbe meet for that service, with the consent of the L. Burghley for the time being, or any of two the Feoffees, which account shallbe also yearly afore the last of November presented to the Lord Burghley, if he shall then be residing at Burghley, or in his absence from thence to some one of the Feoffees.  
Item, the said annuity shallbe paid by the Bailiff or Farmers of Cliff every quarter of the year to the Bailiff of the Manor of Stanford Baron, that is to say, xxv. pounds at or before the feast of S. Michael the Archangel, and so quarterly by equal portions, with which money the Bailiff shall weekly make payment of the foresaid sums as afore is expressed. And now for the first payment, he shall begin the first Sunday after the feast of S. Michael, and so continue weekly.  
There shallbe also provided by the said Bailiff with the privity and allowance of the Alderman of Stanford, and the Vicar of S. Martin's, gowns for every of them according to the value above mentioned, which shallbe delivered to them yearly the Saturday afore the first Sunday after Michaelmas.  
There shallbe also during the term of twenty and one years from the feast of S. Michael the Archangel last passed, yearly delivered out of the woods of cliff Park, thirteen loads of fire wood for the said thirteen poor people abiding in the said Hospital by Roger Dale gent. the Farmer or Tenant at cliff Park, his executors or assigns, which thirteen loads, the said Roger Dale his Executors or Assigns are bound by covenant to cause yearly to be carried to the said Hospital at some conventient time before the feast of all Saints, and after the end of the said xxi. years, the said quantity of wood shallbe provided by the Bailiff of the said Manor of Stanford Baron for the time being.  
William Burghley.