Paper Petition   [1594]   REQ 2/226/66, m. 1  73

Parchment Bill of Complaint   11 February 1594   REQ 2/226/66, m. 2  74

Parchment Answers   17 April 1594   REQ 2/226/66, m. 4  76

Parchment Replication   3 May 1594   REQ 2/226/66, m. 3  81

Parchment Interrogatories   1594   REQ 2/229/25, m. 19  90

Paper Deposition   19 May 1594   REQ 2/229/25, m. 3  94

Parchment Interrogatories   [1594]   REQ 2/229/25, m. 2  105

Paper Depositions   11 June 1594   REQ 2/229/25, m. 1  106

Court Order   22 November 1594   REQ 1/18, p. 87  107

Court Order   1 February 1595   REQ 1/18, p. 303  107

The editorial project ‘British Envoys to Germany’ was initiated with the aim of shedding new light on official British perceptions of German affairs and the states of the German Confederation, and thereby contributing to the historiography of nineteenth-century Anglo-German relations. As hoped at the outset, the diplomatic dispatches proved to be a valuable source, providing insights into many aspects of nineteenth-century history. The quantity and quality of reporting, the informative and often subtle nature of the dispatches, and the freedom of their authors to report on topics other than the political made working on the dispatches a challenging and often very enjoyable task. The selection in this series gives an idea of the richness of the thousands of letters stored at The National Archives, and a visit to Kew is recommended to anyone who wants to ‘delve’ into the nineteenth-century diplomats' world and Anglo-German relations at that time.

I am apprehensive that I shall be able, but very inadequately, to satisfy the desire which Your Lordship will naturally feel to learn something, from my personal observation, of the state of things in this Country at this interesting period of its history; if however I fail, in giving you much information, I trust that the shortness of my Residence here, and the expediency of my keeping somewhat in the background, until the return of the King enabled me to present my Credentials, will be a sufficent excuse.

At the close of the Relation of a short survey of 26 counties observed in a seven weeks' journey begun on 11 August, 1634, by a Captain, a Lieutenant, and an Ancient, all three of the Military Company in Norwich, the "courteous reader" was invited by an anonymous writer of verse to

Receive it only as a preparation

For a more large and long itineration

and it is not unfitting that in the tercentenary of the fulfilment of this promise, the account of the tour to the south and west of England should be offered to the Royal Historical Society

Henry Cavendish, whose journey to Constantinople is narrated in the following manuscript, was the eldest son of Sir William Cavendish and his third wife, Elizabeth Hardwick, the celebrated 'Bess of Hardwick', who subsequently married, as her fourth husband, George Talbot, sixth earl of Shrewsbury.

The Tenn Circles or Provinces of the Empire, and what Horsemen, and ffootemen[,] everie one is bound to Contribute in all necessarie affayres for the State of the Empire, where is to be noted that the Protestantes in the same, doe double their Contribucion.

Though my personall attendance on your lordship receives a discontinuance by my absence from Ireland, I cannot so much forget the obligation of that noble respect vouchsafed me there and the authority of your lordship's commands as not to waite on your lordship by my letters till a new oportunity admitt me againe the honour of kissing your lordship's hands. And though the impression I am under of your lordship's high civilityes might justifye large acknowledgments, yet beleeving your lordship delights more in obligeing acts then the repetition of them, I forbeare saying more then that I shall retayne a due resentment of my great ingagements to appeare your lordship's servant and am ambitious to receive some commands from your lordship which may witnesse you are pleased so to account of me.

A discourse touching ye present estate and gouuernement of the kingdomes of Denmarke and Norwegen, with a description of the said realmes, and Dominions appertayninge vnto them. written in September Anno 1588.

The spelling, punctuation, and capitalization of Woodford's diary have been left unchanged as the sense is generally clear. Wellingborough he spells as variations on ‘Wellingborow’; Towcester as ‘Toucester’. Christ (either standing alone or as part of Antichrist) is shortened to ‘Xt’, except in such words as Christian and christened or when forming part of the name Christopher; these he spells as follows: ‘xxian’, ‘xxned’, ‘xxofer’. The only letter that I have altered is his ‘j’, which I have changed to ‘i’ where necessary. In the introduction, Woodford's surname is spelled without a final ‘e’ because this is the way that he spells the word throughout the diary; the only exception to this applies to later generations of the family. Where editorial additions and explanations have been made they appear either in square brackets or in a note. Some of Woodford's abbreviations and contractions have been expanded in this way: Northampton, which he writes ‘Northton’, has been rendered ‘North[amp]ton’.

The first intimation that I might be asked to go to Ghana as Governor General came in a 6d Air Letter hand-written by Kwame Nkrumah from the Prime Minister's Office in the Castle at Accra, and dated May 5th, 1957. There was something rather pleasantly informal about the use of the cheap Air Mail service for such an important communication. The letter, in green ink, read as follows:

486 Final concord in the king's court at Westminster in the quin-dene of Easter, 14 Henry III, before Thomas of Moulton (Muleton'), Stephen of Seagrave (Segrave), William of Raleigh (Ralegh'), Robert of Lexington (Lexinton'), William of London (Lond') and master Robert of Shardlow (Sherdelawe), justices, and others, between Abbot Adam [of Lathbury] of Reading, seeking by Hugh of Fulford (Fuleford') as attorney, and Aumary son of Robert, whom William son of Aumary called to warranty and who warranted to him concerning 8½ virgates of land in Carswell (Kersewell') [Berks.]. The abbot quitclaimed all his right in the said land to Aumary and his heirs. In return Aumary gave and quitclaimed to the abbot and abbey of Reading the homage and full service of William son of Richard and his heirs from the tenement which he held of Aumary in Adwell (Adewell'), viz., 2 marks annually and the foreign service appurtain-ing to the tenement. This concord was made in the presence of the said William, who acknowledged that he owed that service.