Loseley MSS, 1558 Dec 26
The Loseley MSS Surrey History Centre
Wright Vol 1, 2. Page 3
Sir William Fitzwilliams to Mr William More (1). St. Stephen's Day, 1558
Transcribed by Thomas Wright, ‘Queen Elizabeth and her times,’ London, 1838
SIR, I can but for these your late lettyrs, and all othyr your gentlenes, render onto you moste hertie thanks, and to th' effect of your saide lettyrs, you shall ondyrstande that apon Saturdeye last, he beyng at Londyn, my sone Browne (2) wrote oneto me, that he hade onderstandyng my Lord Chamberlayn (3) began to make labore for his sone to be one of the knyghts for that shyre. Whereapon I sent to Mr. Cawerden to knowe hys opinion theryn, whose awnswer was, that for hys owne parte he wolde take no knoledge of annye suche mattyrs, nor he thoght gode that my son sholde, saying furdyr that oneles my son dyd stande for the same he wolde not, and that he undyrstode Mr. Sawndyrs made at the desyre of my saide lord earnest mene onto the freeholders abowte Kyngston, which made answere that theye had promysyd ther gode wylls beffore, &c. Thus have I certeffyd my sayd sone of Mr. Cawyrden his mynde, and of my owen also, which is myche agreable to the same. And I hope with the gode helpe of you and othyr gode frends the mattyr wyll go well ynoghe on owr syde, &c. Mr. Teylle wil be with you apon Wensdaye week, &c. And for newes you shall ondyrstand that yestyrdaye beyng Chrystemas day, the Queue's majestic repayryd to hyr great closet, with hyr nobles and ladyes, as hath ben acustomyd yn such high feasts. And she perseving a bysshope preparing himselfe to make all in the olde fowrme, she taryyd there onetill the gospell was done, and when all the people lokyd for hyr to have offryde according the olde facion, she with hyr nobles returnyd agayn from the closet and the masse, onto hir priveye chamber, which was strange onto dyvers, &c. O blessid be God in all his gifts, &c. (4) You shall knowe more of this matter by Mr. Teylle, &c. I pray you to commende me and my wiffe, first onto yourself and then onto your gode wyfe, &c. This Saynt Stevenes night, by Your as his own, WYLLIAM FITZWYLLIAMS.
(1) William More, of Loseley in Surrey, who was at this time Sheriff of the counties of Surrey and Sussex.
(2) Sir Thomas Brown of Betch worth Castle in Dorking, who married Mabyl, daughter of Sir William Fitzwilliams.
(3) William Lord Howard of Effingham.
(4) It is well known that for at least a month after the accession of Elizabeth, no change was made in the religion of the State. She waited till she had her ministry settled and her parliament assembled. As the time of the meeting of parliament approached, she began to show more openly her intentions, and the circumstance here mentioned was one of the first prognostics of the great change that was to come. " On the first of January, following," says Fuller, "being Sunday (the best New Yeere's gift that ever was bestowed on England) by vertue of the Queene's proclamation, the letanie was read in English, with epistles and gospels, in all churches of London, as it was formerly in her Grace's own chappel." Happy it was for England that the change was made deliberately and quietly, without the violent commotions that broke out in other countries, where the authorities were opposed to the rising opinions.
