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Order NumberCCA-DCc/AddMs/94
TitleLetter Book
Date1574-1586
DescriptionWriter: Wotton, Thomas

Contains letters sent to leading politicians of the day, including Sir Francis Walsingham, the earl of Leicester, Sir Edward Wotton, and many others. Thomas Wotton (b c1521, d1587), father of Sir Henry Wotton, lived at Boughton Malherbe. He was the elder son of Sir Edward Wotton (d1551) and the nephew of Nicholas Wotton, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, whose tomb in the cathedral he erected. He was Sheriff of Kent in 1558-9 and 1578-9.

This volume contains copies of his outgoing letters 1574-1586, which occupy pp.51-90. Wotton died in Jan 1587 and the volume passed to William Tothill, one of the 6 clerks in Chancery. To him Mr Eland assigns 2 flowery letters to a lady (called 'Cousin') pp.91-92. On pp.95-250 (with gaps) occur miscellaneous legal formulae (actual examples, largely relating to the Home Counties). Tothill owned the estate of Shardloes, Bucks, which passed to the Drake family following his daughter's marriage to Francis Drake in 1602.
ExtentPaper book, 565pp, 8.625x12.5in, bound in white vellum bearing arms of Thomas Wootton with quarterings, with 4 ties of blue ribbon
Physical DescriptionPaper book, 565pp, 8.625x12.5in, bound in white vellum bearing arms of Thomas Wootton with quarterings, with 4 ties of blue ribbon
AccessStatusOpen
Open
Publication NoteExtracts published, Thomas Wotton's Letter-Book 1574-1586, ed G Eland FSA, (OUP, 1960)

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