Sir Fulk Grevill, knight. SP 14/28 f. 26 (1607)
To the Kings most excellent majestie
The humble peticion of Sir Fulk Grevill knight
Shewinge, that whereas his majestie by instruccions geven to his highnes councell within the dominions and principality of Wales in the fowrth yeere of his most happie raigne over us was pleased to graunte unto the said Sir Fulke Grevill (his majesties secretarie there) the fee of fowre pence to be taken uppon all affidavittes, and othes there to be ministred, as by the said instruccions appeareth; by whose gratious graunte and favor he hath ever since quietlie enjoyed the same. He most humblie beseecheth that his majestie will now be pleased to graunte the same fee of iiii pence unto him by patent under the greate seale of England during his life, to hould the same in such sorte as he now doth by vertue of his highnes instruccions: and he accordinge to his most bounden duty shall daylie pray to God for his majesties longe, and most happie government.
Report by Janet Osbourne
Sir Fulke Greville had a very distinguished career. He was born on 3 October 1554, in Warwickshire. In 1604 he was granted Warwick Castle by King James I and spent £20,000 on restoring it to its former glory. He was an Elizabethan poet, dramatist and statesman who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1581-1621. On 30 September 1628, whilst at his London house, he was stabbed by Ralph Haywood, a servant, who felt he had a grievance against him, and died a very painful death. The servant turned the knife on himself.(1)
A petition was made in July 1607 by Sir Fulke Greville to the King for a patent confirming to him a grant of 4d each (fourpence, also sometimes known as a groat) on all affidavits administered within the Principality of Wales, he being Secretary of the Council. On 17 July 1607, it was stated that a “grant to Sir Fulk Greville, of power to receive 4d for every affidavit taken before the Council of the Marches of Wales, for life”.(2) The Welsh Marches is an imprecisely defined area along the border between England and Wales. However, at one time the Marches included all of the historic counties of Cheshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.
I can find no information that Sir Fulk Grenville was granted his request that 4d for each affidavit include England.
References
(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulke_Greville,_1st_Baron_Brooke
(2) ‘James I: Volume 28, July-December, 1607’, in Calendar of State Papers Domestic: James I, 1603-1610, ed. Mary Anne Everett Green (London, 1857), pp. 362-393. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/domestic/jas1/1603-10/pp362-393.
This report is part of a series on ‘Petitioners in the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I, 1600-1625’, created through a U3A Shared Learning Project on ‘Investigating the Lives of Seventeenth-Century Petitioners’.