The Black Book of Bedford

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The Black Book of Bedford, as the title page informs us, was begun in November 1562. It is a parchment volume, 10½ x 14 in., in which are entered three sets of constitutions or byelaws, certain Corporation oaths, and a large number of fines taken in the Bedford Court of Pleas during the 17th century; a few deeds are enrolled also. The first set of constitutions is given here.

These seem to have been made between 1562 or earlier and 1603. No. 16 speaks of the Feast of the Nativity next “videlicet in anno domini 1565”; the Court Leet at which constitutions were made was held usually in August and December, and this particular constitution therefore should have been made three years after the book was begun. No. 17 refers to prisoners committed to the Bridge House; the Bridge House was originally a chapel dedicated to St. Thomas, and was not used as a prison before 1589. This leaves a gap of nearly 24 years between two successive byelaws. No. 36 uses the expression “King’s highway,” instead of “Queen’s highway” as was usual during the reign of Elizabeth, and should therefore not be earlier than 1603.

It is clear from the Leet book beginning August 1586 that at this time the Leet juries used another series than ours, the constitutions referred to in that volume being numbered up to 70 and above, although our series ends with 50. A constitution against canvassing at elections is an example of one recorded in the Leet book but not entered in the Black Book. Further, on 18 December 1598 the burgess jury desired that there might be a book of parchment made wherein all the constitutions in force might be written fairly, although the Black Book was already in existence. Finally, on 13 December 1602 they desired that those constitutions which lately had been perused and agreed upon might be confirmed and engrossed in the Black Book, and all other constitutions to be void. This was done after the next Leet, 15 August 1603, and thereafter for the short remainder of this Leet volume the numbers of the constitutions given in the presentments agree with the numbers in the Black Book.