Earls of Chester, when besieged by the Welsh. This happened in the reign of King
John, and is related to this effect.[28]
Hugh, the first Earl of Chester, in his charter of foundation of St. Werburg's
Abbey in that city, had granted such a privilege to those who should come to Chester
fair, that they should not be then apprehended for theft or may other misdemeanour,
except the crime were committed during the fair. This special protection occasioning
a multitude of loose people to resort to that fair, was afterwards of signal benefit to
one of his successors. For Ranulph, the last Earl of Chester, marching into Wales with
a slender attendance, was constrained to retire to his castle of Rothelan (or
Rhuydland), to which the Welsh forthwith laid siege. In this distress he sent for help
to the Lord de Lacy, Constable of Chester: "Who, making use of the Minstrel's of all
sorts, then met at Chester fair; by the allurement of their musick, got together a vast
number of such loose people, as, by reason of the before specified priviledge, were
then in that city; whom he forthwith sent under the conduct of Dutton (his steward),"
a gallant youth, who was also his son-in-law. The Welsh, alarmed at the approach of
this rabble, supposing then to be a regular body of armed and disciplined veterans,
instantly raised the siege and retired.
For this good service, Ranulph is said to have granted to De Lacy, by charter,
the patronage and authority over the minstrels and the loose and inferior people: who,
retaining to himself that of the lower artificers, conferred on Dutton the jurisdiction of
the minstrels and harlots:[29] and under the descendants of this family the minstrels
enjoyed certain privileges and protection for many ages. For even so late as the reign
of Elizabeth, when this profession had fallen into such discredit that it was considered
in law as a nuisance, the minstrels under the jurisdiction of the family of Dutton are
expressly excepted out of all acts of parliament made for their suppression; and have
continued to be so excepted ever since (W).
The ceremonies attending the exercise of thus jurisdiction are thus described
by Dugdale,[30] as handed down to his time, viz. "That at midsummer fair there, all
the Minstrels of that countrey resorting to Chester do attend the heir of Dutton, from
his lodging to St. John's church (he being then accompanied by many gentlemen of
the countrey), one of 'the Minstrels' walking before him in a surcoat of his arms
depicted on taffeta; the rest of his fellows proceeding (two and two) and playing on
their several sorts of musical instruments. And after divine service ended, give the
like attendance on him back to his lodging; where a cover being kept by his [Mr.
Dutton's] steward, and all the Minstrels formally called, certain orders and laws are
usually made for the better government of that Society, with penalties on those who
transgress."
In the same reign of King John we have a remarkable instance of a minstrel,
who to his other talents superadded the character of Soothsayer, and by his skill in
drugs and medicated potions was able to rescue a knight from imprisonment. This
occurs in Leland's Narrative of the GESTES of Guarine (or Warren) and his sons,
which he "excerptid owte of an olld Englisch boke yn ryme,"[31] and is as follows:-
Whitington Castle in Shropshire, which together with the coheiress of the
original proprietor had been won in a solemn turnament by the ancestor of the
Guarines,[32] had, in the reign of King John, been seized by the Prince of Wales, and
was afterwards possessed by Morice, a retainer of that prince, to whom the king, out
of hatred to the true heir, Falco Guarine (with whom he had formerly had a quarrel at
chess[33]), not only confirmed the possession, but also made him governor of the