Description:A particularly notable document amongst Sir John Leveson’s papers is a document dated 1597 which is signed by Queen Elizabeth I herself. Her signature ‘Elizabeth R’ is followed with the words ‘By the Queene’. These words would have been added to the document by the writing clerk to notify the Queen’s advisors that it was a document which required the Queen’s signature.
The document sent to Sir John refers to the deferment of the repayment of a number of forced loans. After the introduction ‘Trusty and welbeloved we greet you well’, the document states that ‘this last yeere’ the Queen and her advisors ‘did committ’ to Sir John’s charge’ the overseeing of a number of forced loans. The document indicates that the chosen people were ‘required to pay to you by way of a loane som portions of money to be imloyed by us this last yeere for the necessary publik service in defence of our Relm’.
Sir John was efficient in overseeing the payment of these loans, the document stating that he had ‘with good diligence receaved the greatest parte and payd the same to the Recept of our Exchequor’. The Crown intended that these loans would be ‘repayd as soone as we may conveniently’.
However, the document informs Sir John that the Crown ‘cannot readily’ repay the loans, ‘by reason of the presente preparations which by the enemies mightye attempte against our Relm’. The document indicates that owing to the threat of an invasion by Spanish forces, the loan money was required to finance defences ‘both by Sea and Land’. The document also states that the Crown was unable to repay the loans ‘for that the first payment of such subsidies as by this last Parliament hath bene graunted to us is not to be payd to us before the Twelf daye of February the next yeere’.
Owing to these difficulties, the document states that ‘we finde yt very necessarie to differ the repayment of the said somes so lent’, adding ‘we hope our loving subjects will be content’. The document concludes ensuring Sir John that ‘they shall be assuredly fully paid by the end of six monethes, or sooner as we shall finde commoditie’.