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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 March 2011
One of the features in common in sixteenth-century episcopal visitations in England, whether Catholic or Reformed, is enquiry after usurers. Bonner's Articles for London in 1554 may be compared in this respect with Grindal's Injunctions for York 17 years later: ‘…Whether in the City of London or diocese of the same name there be any person that is a notorious and common usurer, which lendeth his money for unlawful and excessive gain and lucre, contrary to the manifest words of scripture, to the evil example of other Christian people, to the danger of his own soul, and to the utter undoing and hindrance of many, especially if poor and young beginners, borrowing for their necessity?’ ‘…the churchwardens and sworn men of every parish shall half yearly from time to time present unto the Ordinary the names of all such persons of their parish…as be usurers, that is to say, all those who lend money, corn, ware, or other thing, and receive gain thereof over and above that which they lend’.
page 33 note 1 Bonner's Articles for London, 1554, are in W. H. Frere, Visitation Articles and Injunctions of the Reformation, ii. 348, cf. also 338. Grindal's Injunctions for York, 1571, are in Frere, iii., 276. Other Visitation Articles and Injunctions concerning usury are in Frere, op. cit., ii. 387 (Pole, Canterbury Visitation, 1556); 397 (White, Lincoln Visitation, 1556); 424 (Pole, Canterbury Visitation, 1557); op. cit., iii. 381 (Parker, Winchester Visitation, 1575).
page 33 note 2 Mk. x. 25f., cf. Deut. xxiii. 19, Exod. xxii. 26, Levit. xxv. 35–7, Ps. xv. 5, also Lk. vi. 34–5.
page 34 note 1 On the specific question of usury and Reformation theology see Nelson, B. J., The Idea of Usury, Princeton 1949Google Scholar, and, for an opposing view, George, G. H., ‘English Calvinist Opinion on Usury, 1600–1640’, in Journal of the History of Ideas, xviii. (1957), 455–474CrossRefGoogle Scholar.
page 34 note 2 See R. H. Tawney, Preface to 1929 reprint of Thos. Wilson, A Discourse of Usury, 1569.
page 34 note 3 Blaxton, John, The English Usurer, or, Usury Condemned by The Most learned and famous Divines of the Church of England, London 1634Google Scholar.
page 35 note 1 This is Sandys's view in a letter to the queen, resisting attempts to alienate the manors of Southwell and Scrooby, B.M. Lansdowne MS. 989, fol. 31.
page 35 note 2 W. H. Frere, op. cit., iii. 228. Sandys appears to allow no interest at all and specifically enquires about concealed usury.
page 35 note 3 Sermons of Archbishop Sandys, ed. J. Ayre, Parker Society, 1842, 355 and 367; cf. also a sermon before the queen, 136.
page 35 note 4 Sermons, 50.
page 35 note 5 Sermons, 182.
page 35 note 6 B.M. Lansdowne MS. 27, fol. 20: letter to Burghley dated 16 April 1578.
page 35 note 7 B.M. Lansdowne MS. 46, fol. 136; letter to Burghley dated 4 March 1586.
page 35 note 8 The Articles exhibited against Hutton, dated 22 May 1586, are contained in B.M. Lansdowne MS. 50, fols. 86–8.
page 36 note 1 Ibid., fol. 86.
page 36 note 2 Sermons, 203.
page 37 note 1 B.M. Lansdowne MS. 50, fol. 86. Sandys's bitter attack, in a sermon at York, against those who defended usury, may refer to this occasion; Sermons, 203. As well as the word of God, ‘all reason and the very law of nature is against it’ (i.e. usury).
page 37 note 3 B.M. Lansdowne MS. 46, fol. 136; letter to Burghley dated 4 March 1586.
page 38 note 1 Ibid.
page 38 note 2 The scene is described in full in B.M. Additional MS. 33207, fol. 6, and in Bishopthorpe MS., bundle 28, no. 19, in the Borthwick Institute, York—the latter account is reproduced in part in Marchant, R. A., The Puritans and the Church Courts in the Diocese of York, 1560–1642, 19Google Scholar.
page 38 note 3 Borthwick Institute, York, ‘Ecclesiastical Commission Act Book 1585–91’, fols. 52–54.
page 40 note 1 See E. Power and R. H. Tawney, Tudor Economic Documents, ii. 161 f.
page 40 note 2 ‘Ecclesiastical Commission Act Book 1585–91’, fol. 80 ‘Two usurers at Beverley’ (17 September 1586); ibid., fols. 124–9, ‘A good many usury cases’ (19 March 1588). Cf. also ‘Act Book 1576–80’, fol. 120, before the archbishop and the Lord President, William Suttell ‘curate of Ryppon, up for usurie and popery’ (18 November 1577).
page 40 note 3 Borthwick Institute, York, R. Asquith 7, b. I. The names contained in the bonds correspond with those mentioned in the Act Book recording the usury hearings.
page 41 note 2 Sermons, 203, cf. also 401.
page 41 note 3 Sermons, 50.
page 41 note 4 Sermons, 231.
page 41 note 5 Sermons, 182. Sandys speaks of interest at 20 and 30 per cent.
page 42 note 1 Thos. Wilson, A Discourse on Usury, ed. R. H. Tawney, 1929, 170.
page 42 note 2 Sermons, 344, 398, 402, 426.
page 42 note 3 Sermons, 183, cf. also 231.
page 42 note 4 Sermons, 50, cf. also 203.
