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It seems to me that _by definition_ persons travelling with a licence from a town would be exempt from prosecution as vagrants/vagabonds. The licence is a proof that the holder was both employed (and so had means of support) and had a permanent residence. So there seems to be no contradiction between statute and practice there.... Abigail "Barbara D. Palmer" wrote: > > Whether they _legally_ could tour freely after 1572 I can't answer, but > that they most certainly did do so is not in question. From the published > REED volumes' patron appendices you can put together a long list of waits on > the road. Additionally (I'm in the middle of writing something else and > thus have the evidence literally to hand), in the West Riding of Yorkshire > we have records for the following traveling waits and musicians on the road > as well as in their home sites: Barnsley, Bradford, Darton, Doncaster, > Elland, Giggleswick, Halifax, Hatfield, Heptonstall, Knaresborough, Leeds, > Pateley Bridge, Pontefract, Ripon, Rotherham, Rothwell, Selby, Sheffield > (town), Sheffield (Talbots' patronage), Skipton (town), Skipton Castle > (Cliffords' patronage), Snaith, Thornhill (Saviles' patronage), Wakefield, > Wentworth Woodhouse (Wentworths' patronage), Wigglesworth. Hope this > helps--you may find yourself drawing a distinction between the law and the > reality, which hardly would be a first for REED. > All best, > Barbara D. Palmer > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Paulette Marty" <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Tuesday, May 28, 2002 8:48 PM > Subject: Town minstrels > > Does anyone know whether town minstrels could tour freely after the 1572 > Act against vagabonds? The Act does not explicitly exempt them from > prosecution, but if a traveling minstrel clearly indicated (by badge or > some other method) that he was a civic retainer, would he be prosecuted? > I would appreciate any information on this or any suggestions of where to > look for information. > Thanks, > Paulette Marty -- Abigail Ann Young (Dr), Associate Editor/Records of Early English Drama/ Victoria College/ 150 Charles Street W/ Toronto Ontario Canada M5S 1K9 Phone (416) 585-4504/ FAX (416) 813-4093/ [log in to unmask] List-owner of REED-L <http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~reed/reed-l.html> <http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~reed/reed.html> REED's home page <http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~reed/stage.html> our theatre resource page <http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~young> my home page