City of Lincoln Waites

The Lincoln City Drummer

1754 - Guy Fawkes Night

Paid to "George Crathorn for Waites on 5th Nov [amount not specified], to the Drummers 5s, Ringers 5s, Waites 5s, to ffra Layton for Guy 5s" and "To Geo Crawthorn for ffireworks - £2.12s" (Lincoln City Rolls 109/1753-1754).

1758/9 - Victory for Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick

The Lincoln Corporation paid "For a Treat on the Success of Prince Ferdinand over the French Army - £7.17s.6d, And to the Ringers 10s.6d, Drummer 5s and Waites 5s on the same occasion" (Lincoln City Rolls 19/1758-1759). This appears to be a reference to the Battle of Minden.

1760

In 1760, George III became King. The Waits and the City Drums attended the proclamation to the citizens of Lincoln: "To the Waits upon the proclamation of his Present Majesty King George III – 10s.6d, to the City Drums 5s & to the Ringers 10s.6d in money & 5s in Ale, For carrying the Flag – 1s, For Ale to the soldiers and City Officers - £3.7s, to 8 companies of the Militia for firing upon the King’s Birthday - £8.8s and to the Ringers, Constables, Waits, waiters flagcarryers, Doorkeepers &c. on account of the Coronation, in all - £5.6d" (Lincoln City Rolls 17/1760-1761).

1766 - 1768

It is difficult to be clear exactly what duties the City drummer performed or at what occassions his presence was required, apart from the fact that he was paid for drumming at the Races. The Lincoln Races were very popular with the Council members, and much time, thought and effort was put into ensuring the Race Day entertainment was enjoyed by all.

Ideally, I would have liked to include a picture of the Lincoln City Drummer here, but, I have not been able to find one. In the meantime, here are some alternative pictures. The Regimental Drummer in the blue coat is a re-enactor from The Recreated Fixed Regiment of Puerto Rico from 1797. (Photograph courstesy of José Torres, Brigade Napoleon and Hector Diaz, Lt. Colonel.) The Regimental Drummer in the red coat is a re-enactor from The 60th Regiment of Foot (Royal Americans) as would have been seen at Old Fort Niagra, New York State USA, during the French and Indian Wars (1754-1763) (Photograph courtesy of Jeff Brown, thekingscompany.com).

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1710/11: "Paid to the Waits & Drummers on the thanksgiving night – 10s"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/93/1710-1711)
1718/19: "To Mr Jordan for the Drums on Holyrood Day – 3s"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/102/1718-1719)
1732/33: "To the Drummers at the horserace – 7s.6d"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/69/1732-1733)
1734/35: "Paid the Drummers at the Race – 12s.6d"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/58/1734-1735)
1735/36: "The Drummers at the Race – 10s"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/54/1735-1736)
1736/37: "Paid the Drummers at the horserace – 10s"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/62/1736-1737)
1738/39: "Paid the Drummers at the Race – 12s.6d"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/48/1738-1739)
1740/41: "To the Drummers - £1.7s.6d"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/132/1740-1741)
1741/42: "Paid to the Drummers at the Race - £2.14s"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/59/1741-1742)
1743/44: "Paid to the Drummers at the horserace – 10s"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/1/1743-1744)
1743/44: "Paid to the Drummers when War was proclaimed – 2s.6d”
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/1/1743-1744)
1745/46: "To the Drummers at the horserace – 10s"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/116/1745-1746)
1746/47: "Paid to the Drummers at the horserace – 10s"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/11/1746-1747)
1748/49: "To the Drummers at the horserace – 10s"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/110/1748-1749)
1749/50: "To the Drummers at the Races – 10s"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/146/1749-1750)
1750/51: "To the Drummers at the horserace – 10s"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/113/1750-1751)
1751/52: "To the Drummers at the horserace – 10s"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/2/1751-1752)
1755/56: "To the Drummers at the horserace – 12s.6d"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/21/1755-1756)
1758/59: "Richard haslewood for beating the Drum there [at the Races] five days – 12s.6d"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/19/1758-1759)
1759/60: "To Rd Haselwood for beating ye Drum at ye Races – 12s.6d"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/15/1759-1760)
1760/61: "To Rich Haselwood for beating the Drum at the City Races – 12s.6d"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/17/1760-1761)
1762/63: "Paid Richard Hazlewood for beating the drum at the Races – 12s.6d"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/13/1762-1763)
1763/64: "To Richard Haslewood for beating the Drum at the Races – 12s.6d"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/16/1763-1764)
1765/66: "To Richard Haselwood for beating the Drum at the Races – 12s.6d"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/6/1765-1766)
2 August 1766: "To Haselwood Drummer - £12s.6d.
(L1/4/1/1)
29 July 1767: "Paid Rich[ard] Haselwood Drummer of the Races - £12s.6d."
(L1/4/1/1)
September 1768: "Paid Rich[ard] Haselwood Drummer of the Races - 12s.6d."
(L1/4/1/1 & Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/10/1767-1768)
2 September 1768: "Paid Rich[ar]d Haselwood for drumming at the Races - 12s.6d."
(L1/4/1/1)
1769/70: "To Richard Hazelwood for beating the Drum at the Races – 12s.6d"
(Lincoln City Mayor's & Chamberlain's Rolls/8/1769-1770)

One of Richard Haselwood's relatives was the City Gaoler. City Accounts show a number of payments to "Peter Haselwood, Gaoler" between 1766 and 1770 (L1/4/1/1). Most of these are salary payments but some are for small items for the Gaol - as on 28 April 1767 when he was reimbused for purchasing "scuttles" (L1/4/1/1).

According to the Rolls of Sacrament (Lincoln City Rolls and Parcels/Box 14/188) Peter Haslewood had been Church Warden of St Martins in 1714.

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The Lincoln Races
Names of Lincoln Waits