Meeting of the Stratford-upon-Avon Corporation, presided over by the bailiff, John Shakespeare, at which officers for the following year were elected

Following his election as bailiff in 1568, John Shakespeare presided over meetings of the Corporation, although minutes were only properly kept for two – on October 1, 1568 and  April 20, 1569 (Minutes and Accounts, ii, pp. 13-14, 24-5). On September 7, however, when officers for the following year were due to be elected, the proceedings were more fully recorded, as shown here. The left column lists the 12 aldermen present, with John Shakespeare’s name at the top and two absentees noted below. Only six capital burgesses (and two absentees) are listed, confirming the difficulty in recruiting new members.

The main business was the election of a new bailiff. Robert Salisbury, who had been nominated the previous year despite being only a capital burgess and not an alderman, was the unanimous choice, with Robert Perrott and John Sadler receiving no votes at all. Perrott had already refused to serve at least once and possibly twice; he also did not attend this meeting, and was fined five pounds for his absence. John Sadler, like Salisbury the previous year, was still only a capital burgess and had to be elected an alderman at this meeting. 

At the bottom of the page is the note: “Loke ouer the Leafe for othir officers” where (not shown here) there is a record of the appointment of the remaining officers, as well as an ultimatum to an absent Robert Perrott to appear at the meeting on September 9 or be fined a further £20. Perrott continued in his obstinacy and was eventually removed (Minutes and Accounts, ii, pp. 40–2).