Steyning Museum - A Dip In The Archives

Queen Anne’s “Royale Compassion”
We have recently acquired copies of a fascinating pair of documents. The first lists John Johnson in March 1702 petitioning “for relief from the fine of £415* imposed on him last Easter term (by the sole evidence of Christopher Turner) for transporting wool to France”. This related to Turner’s accusation that Johnson had been smuggling wool – a commodity then fiercely protected by government legislation. (* £415 in 1702 was equivalent to just under £100,000 in today’s money.)

The second document is a copy of the original letter, handwritten “by her Majesty’s Command”. There is what appears at the top of this letter to be the signature of “Anne R”. It is a lengthy letter which records that John Johnson had been convicted of: “loading and laying on board several packs of wool for transportation”.

The letter goes on to state, with its original spellings:
“Whereas the said J’no Johnson hath by his humble peticon set forth that he was convicted upon the single evidence of one C’pher Turner, a man of mean creditt and repute (as appears by a certificate of sev’ll inhabitantes of the said county to us also produced) that he hath a wife and five small children and is in very low circumstances and that the paym’t of the said penalty will be the utter ruine of himself and family and hath therefore prayed that we would be graciously pleased to extend our Our Royale Compassion to him in such manner as we should think fit. We having taken the (circumstances) into Our Royale Consideration. Our Will and Pleasure is and Wee do hereby Direct Authorize and Comand ... discharging the said J’no Johnson ... from the said judgm’t ... and from all damage of any part thereof ... warr’t given at Our Court of St James’s 8th July 1702 in the first year of Our Reigne.”

The enormous fine imposed on this unfortunate family man, a Steyning tanner “of very low circumstances”, together with the manner of Queen Anne’s apparently personal response to his petition for leniency, makes this a highly unusual situation and one that we are very glad to record within our archives.

Ironically, delving further into our records, we discovered that Robert Johnson, the son of John, later became a local customs officer, with the job of rooting out any smuggling contraventions, such as the accusation levelled against his father. It is of stories such as this that our local history is made. Come and see for yourself!

Return To News Page