leaving Elizabeth his daughter and heire married to Richard Earle of Warw. after whose death James the Nephew entered into the said Castle Som Parliament 9 H. 5. Esch 5. H. 6. c. and was summoned to the Parliament as Lord Barkley Tho. Lo. de la Ware died seized in taile by reason of a fine levied in the time of his Ancestors of the Baronie de la Ware with divers other lands in other Counties and died 5. H. 6 without issue And Reginald West Knight of the halfe blood was next Heire Som. Parliament An 7. H. 6 by reason of the intaile And was summoned to the Parliament by the name of Regin Lo. de la Ware Knight although Iohn Griffeth was heire of the whole blood Iohn de Vere Esch 9. H 6 20. H. 6. E. of Oxford seized in his demesne as of fee taile to him and to the Heires males of his body issuing of the Honour and County of Oxford with divers other lands Ao. 18. H. 8. died without Heires of his body and his three sisters viz. Elizab. Vrsula and Dorothy were his next heire generall but Iohn De Vere next heire male was E. of Oxford by reason of the said intaile and none of the said three Heires obtained the dignitie William Lord Paget of Bewdsert Esch Anno 11. Eliz. was seized in fee of the Baronies of Longden and Haywood and of and in the Mannors of Bewdsert Longden c. and being so seized by fine 1. Mar. intayled the Mannours and Baronies aforesaid to him and the Heires males of his body issuing and after anno 5. Eliz. died leaving Hen. his Son next heire male which Hen. entred into the Baronies and lands aforesaid by vertue of the aforesaid fine and died thereof seized 11. Eliz. leaving Elizabeth his onely Daughter and heire after whose death Tho. Paget brother and heire male of the said Hen. entred into the Baronies and Mannors aforesaid and was summoned to the Parliament by vertue of the aforesaid fine Robert le Ogle intayled the Mannors of Bothall and Ogle Esch 6. Eliz. with divers other Mannors c. Com. Northumb. to himselfe for life the Remainder to the Heires males of his body and tooke to his first wife Dorothy Witherington by whom he had issue Robert his eldest sonne and Margery his daughter married Gregory Ogle of Chippington and the said Rob. after the death of his first wife married Iohan Ratliffe Brother of the half blood by whom he had issue Cuthbert his second sonne and died after whose death Robt. the Sonne was Lord Ogle and from him to Cuthbert brother of the halfe blood by vertue of the intaile and not vnto Marg. nor Cuthbert her sonne of the whole blood Moreover thirdly 3. Conclusion if a Baron by tenure doth Aliene by Licence to a meere stranger upon consideration or c. if such Alience be nobly descended in such cases after such alienations such Alience hath borne the name and dignitie of a Baron in respect of such Barony so aliened And if he had no Dignity before hee in respect of that hath beene summoned to the Parliament and enjoyed the Barony hereof are Presidents extant Maude Esch 22. Ric. 2. Countesse of Angiers and Northumb. Heire of the Barony of Cockermouth after the death of Lucy her Brother who dyed without issue intailed the honour c. of Cocker-mouth to her selfe and to Henry Piercy Earle of Northumberland then her Husband and to the Heires males of their bodyes upon condition that that should beare the Armes of the said Earle which are Armes given Or a Lyon rampant 6. quartered with the Armes of Lucie viz. Gules 3. Lucies argent bearing the said Armes so often as they shall appeare and afterwards viz. 22. R. 2. died without issue Neverthelesse the said Earle and after him the said Hen. Percy his Son were Barons of the said Honour by the said assurance and Sir William Melton Knight Couzen and next Heire of the said Countesse never had the said Armes Amongst the Parents in the Tower Chart patent in 41. H 3. Anno 41. H. 3. it appearth that one Herward de Marisco and Rameta his wife did grant unto Simon de Mountfort then Earle of Leycester the Barony of Elinden in the County of Northampton which descended to the said Rameta from John de Vescount which Graunt seemeth to be with Licence for that the said King doth by his Patent confirme the same and further gave to the said Earle and his Heires divers priviledges there Also Exchange of a Barony this antient Charter following concerning the exchange of a Barony with the King is worthy memory which is K. Iohn ao. 7. granted unto Robert de Newbergh Fordington for the honour of Burstocke in exchange and granted that it should be the head and the chiefe of the Baronship as Burstock was aforetime and that all Knights and others should attend upon him and his lands in Fordington as chiefe of his Baronship as they aforetime were attendant upon Robert Burstock By these Presidents appeareth that Barony by tenure is annexa feodo So that the former questions are fully satisfied and answered viz. 1. That by alienation without Licence the Barony is ferfeited 2. The heires Males have enjoyed them and the Females excluded 3. That the Alience of such a Barony nobly descended is Baron But if such alienation with Licence be made to any person ignoble Nora 1. though the burden of the tenure doth remaine on him for the K. best advantage yet he may not take upon him the Dignitie without the Kings speciall favour upon his merit Upon consideration therefore of these assertions all the former objections are answered and as touching the first it is answered by that which is last specified that an ignoble Alience may challenge nothing as a Baron by tenure In 11. H. 4.2.6 in a Case concerning a Distresse it is agreed that a Baron 11. H. 4.2.6 c. are not contributary for such lands parcell of their Barony but for other lands they are but there is question made if one which is not Baron purchase a Barony whether hee shall be discharged which was not worthy the questioning if such a purchaser challenge by reason of his purchase place in Parliament For as land holden by villein service doth not make the owner a villein which doth purchase the same although by tenure he must doe villein service So land holden by Baron service doth not make the ignoble noble though the charge of such tenure lay upon him Yet if the King will give to any man ignoble in recompence of service any Castle c. to be holden per Baroniam hee is forthwith noble because hee draweth this Nobilitie from the fountaine without other Creation But a question by the way what yeerely revenue is sufficient for a Baron Qu. Diversitie of times hath brought forth divers determinations as touching the French constitution R.
make alienation without licence 50. E. 3 c. 10. he is onely to make a fine by the Statute For authoritie Glanvill saith Mag. Char. cap 31. Glanv l. 7. cap. 1. Notandum est quod nec Episcopus nec Abbas quia corum Baroniae sunt de Eleemosina Regis non possunt de Dominicis suis aliquam partem dare ad remanenciam sine assensu consensu Domini Regis In 20. E. 3. certaine land being parcell of the Baronie of Brenbur was aliened by W. de Bruce 20. Ass 1 8 20 E. 3. Ass 122. 224. the Baron thereof without licence and in the argument of a Case concerning the same Greene said that parcell of a Baronie c. held in chiefe cannot bee aliened without his Licence Againe 46. E. 3. it was found by Office that W. Bishop of Chester had Leased for life to Io. Peston a Mannor 46. E. 3. Forf 18. parcell of the Baronie without Licence and resolved that it was forfeited but by mediation of the said Counsell the Bishop submitted and made a fine and severall Scire faec issued against the perceptors of the profits to answer the King Distinct 2. Thus much of Alienation without Licence But of the other part if a Baron by tenure doth aliene by Licence wee must distinguish for it is either made for the continuance of his Barony c. or else for some other consideration That if any such Alienation be made for the continuance of the Barony in the name then have the issue male with the Castle c. retained the Dignitie of a Baron and hereof have the Heires generall or next Heires females beene excluded And for proofe of this assertion many antient Presidents may be produced seeing they have happened almost in every age for three hundred yeares space of which some certaine doe ensue Barony of Grooby in Com. Leycest Willielm dr Ferariis Co. Derbie obiit anno 38. H. 3 Margaret Com. Derb Domina deGrooby Robeitus de Ferariis Comes de Derbie VVil De Ferariis Dom De Grooby ex Do. Mris Iohannes de Ferariis Dominus de Cartley VVill. de Ferariis Do. Minus de Grooby It appeareth by an Office found after the death of William de Ferarijs Lord of Grooby 23 H. 6. that Margaret Lady of Grooby gave to William Ferarijs her second sonne in taile the Mannor of Grooby by vertue whereof hee and his Heires wee Barons of Grooby The Barony of Kelpâ—cke Com Hereof Temp. E. 1. VVillelm Baro de Kelpecke Rob. VVallero Baro de Kel obit si neprodâ—â— F. 1 Alicca Nuptal Laynec VVilielmus VValleion Aâ—anus â— Laynet Baro de Kelp ra io Don. Robertus VValleron Prox Hae-res Robertus Walleron Baron of Kelpecke died 1. E. 1. without heire of his body and Robert Sonne of William Brother of the said Robert was his next Heire yet he gave to Allen Playnell the Lordship of Kelpecke c. in taile by force whereof he was Baron and summoned to the Parliament and he died Anno 27. E. 1. The Barony of Plankenoy in Com. Lincolne Temp. E. 2. Iohn Dreyn court tam Dâ—eâ—n court Baâ—on of Blaâ—knoy obiit â—o E. 2 VV. Dreyne ba. of Blank â—ntayled o-biit 38. E. 3 Iohn Dreyn-court Edmond Dreyncourt VVillielm Dreyncourt obiit ante â—atrem Isabell his next heire VVilliam Dreyncourt baron of Blanknoy The King to all Pat. Anno 10 E. 2. part 2. num 13. c. greeting Know yee that whereas lately our welbeloved Edm. Dreincourt considered that both his sirname and also his Armes after his death in the person of Isabel Dreincourt should bee quite blotted out of memory most earnestly desired c. To whose request in consideration of service to our Father and our selfe by our Letters Patents do grant so much as in us lyeth to the said Edm. to dispose to whom hee pleaseth By vertue whereof he gave them to William sonne of John Dreincourt in taile Esch 22. E. 3. Sâ—m Parl. 7. E. 3. Claus dors part 25. the said Edm. died ult Ed 2. tempore E. 3. William was summoned to the Parliament by vertue of that gift till his death which was Anno 38. E. 3. The Barony of Holgate Com. Salop. Philip Barnell baron of Holgate Edward Barnell baron of Holgate Iohn Lovell â—he first Husband Maude Barnell heire to her brother Iohn Hand-lowe the scond hus-band Iohn Lord Lovell Nicholas Handlowe Baron of Holgate Iohn Lord Lovell Hugh Handlowe alias Bunnell Baron of Holgate Iocosa Vxor Thoâ—nae Ed-dington Margery uxor Ed-wardi Hungerford Paterina ux-or Iohannis Talbot It appeareth by divers officers in the time of Ed. the third that Iohn Handlowe in the right of Maude his wife was seized of the Mannor of Holgate Acton Burnell c. for life the remainder to Nic. Handlowe alias Burnell sonne of the said Maude and Iohn by a fine in Court And that Iohn Lovell was next heire of the said Maude and her first borne sonne by her first Husband And afterwards the said Nicholas was summoned among the Barons of this Realme to the Parliament by reason of the fine aforesaid And not the said Iohn Lovell that was next heire Thomas de Beauchampe Esch Anno 43. Ed 3. the elder Earle of WarWicke by a fine levyed 18. E. 3. intayled the Mannor and Castle of Warw. with divers other possessions to himselfe for terme of his life the Remainder thereof to Guy his eldest sonne and to the heires males of his body issuing and for want of such Heires the Remainder to come to Tho. Beauchampe brother to the aforesaid Guy and to the Heires males of his body c. And after the said Guy died without Heires males of his body leaving two Daughters and Heires living Afterward the said Earle died and the said Thom. the sonne entered into the Castle and Mannor aforesaid with other the premisses and was E. of Warw. by reason of the intaile aforesaid notwithstanding that Katherine Daughter of Guy next heire to the said Tho. the elder was living thirty yeeres after his death Richard Earle of Arundell by a fine levied 21. Ed. 3. intayled the Castle towne Esch Anno 9. H. 5. c. of Arund to him and the Heires males of the body of Elinor his wife by vertue whereof Iohn Matravers was E. of Arun. after the death of Tho. the Earle who died without issue male although his Sisters possessed divers lands whereof he died seized in fee. Thomas the elder Lord Barkeley Esch 5. H. 5. was seized in Fee of the Castle of Barkely and mannor c. And by a fine levied in 23. E. 3. he intayled the said Castle c. to himselfe for life the Remainder to Maurice his sonne in taile with other Remainder as before which said Maurice had issue Tho. Lord Barkley and Sir Iohn which Iohn died in the life of his Brother leaving James his Sonne and heire living after the said Tho. died 5. H. 5.
all degrees of Nobilitie is a part of the Law practised in every Kingdome under that division which respecteth publicke justice and therefore in regard of persons sub ordine debito this is now apparently perceived if we apply our thoughts to the regard of jurisdiction in generall which respecteth the fountaine of justice from whom it springeth All Justice is either commutatiue or distributive Commutative Justice determineth debates growing upon contracts inheritance or chattels and those bee reall or personall which suites are commenced ad instantiam partis by Plaint Bill or Writ in the ordinary Court of Justice within the Realme Distributive Justice is twofold for either it doth ordaine punishment for such crimes as doe fall within the correction of the lawes or else it doth distribute a reward for vertues That kind of Distributive justice that inflicts punishment proceedeth in some cases ad instant partis as in appeales of Murder Rape Robery c. That most usually Ex officio and that either by indictment or presentment That kind of Distributive justice which concerneth the advancement of vertue in bestowing of honour which is the proper guerdon of vertue In Camer stellat 39. El. z inter Comit. Kanc. Rotherom remaineth with the highest Soveraigne annexed to the Imperiall Crowne of the Realme for as vertue is the gift of none but God from heaven so the reward of vertue with honour for her Majestie Gods substitute on earth within c. But when honour and armes being the ensignes of honour be once bestowed on any or possessed by any if there shall arise contention betweene competitors for the same pretending severall challenge thereto the ancient policie of the Realme hath ordained an especiall Court The proper Court of honour armes the jurisdiction whereof is immediately derived from the Crowne and whereof the Judges have beene right honourable personages The Lord high Constable and the Earle Marshall and in later times the Judge thereof is the Right Honourable the Earle Marshall the jurisdiction of which Court consists in the execution of that part of Distributive Iustice which concerneth the advancement and support of Vertue The Court wherein and the Judges by whom these controversies are to be determined by that which is above said may partly appeare The Lawes whereby the same are to bee decided are the Lawes of God the generall conclusions of the lawes of Nature Dist lib. 10. cap 4. Com. 304.6 and of the law of Nations together with the customes usages of statutes and Ordinances of our Countrey in like cases heretofore either observed or provided or which are the primary grounds and chiefe principles of the lawes of this Realme And if no Cause heretofore hath happened that might bee a president to determine such future Controversies then in the judgement of such doubts that resolution is to be imbraced which is most correspondent to our government agreeable with the disposition of our people and so especially as that the new judgement so it be promulged doe not in any matter of consequence impeach infringe or infeeble any old or former received Law or usage then in force The law therefore of our Countrey so branched into severall Courts though the severall Jurisdictions aforesaid 8. Ed. 4. per Yelverton Bract. lib. 1. Cap. 2. ought to determine all civill and criminall Causes with the body of this Realme concerning whatsoever Causes Neverthelesse some men there are not duly considering of what principles and parts the Lawes doe consist have laboured to prove that the Quae. of Nobilitie and Armes should not bee determined by the lawes of the Realme framing unto themselves many Arguments to prove their Assertion the chiefe of which arguments are here proposed and answered Object 1 First it is said that the Lawes of the Realme doe make all the Daughters equally to inherit but it is not so in the descent of the Dignities and titles of Honour and therefore it seemeth that the Quae. concerning the descent of dignitie are not determinable by the lawes of the Realme To this Argument may bee answered Resolve Bract. li. 2. Cap. 4 fol. 10 li. 2. ca. 5 fol. 13. Coment 170. that there are divers inheritances some of things corporall as lands tenements c. some of incorporall framed not by nature but by mans policy and therefore called Iura the first sort doe lie in Livery the other are such as doe lie in grant Of the later sort there are divers kinds some matters of preceptible profit as Offices common c. Some others are matters chiefly of ease as wayes and passages over the land of others Some other concerne matter of profit and pleasure as Forrests Parkes Chases Warraines c. Others of jurisdiction as the grant of Courts others of Priviledges and immunities as a getter to one and his heires to be quit of Subsidies Dizmez Quinzems c. Others matter of honour as the dignitie of a Duke Marquesse Earle Viscount or Baron granted to one and his heires generall or to him and the heires of his bodie Inheritance concerning matters of honour Cap. 1. Praeterea de prohibita feodi alienatione per Frederes being things in their nature participating of superioritie and eminency are not partible in any equalitie among many and therefore must of necessitie descend unto one and that is unto the eldest Daughter inheritable where there are no heires males lawfully to challenge the same 23. H. 3. Fitz. Com. 8. There was a Judgement in the time of H. 3. touching the descent of the Earledome of Chester after the death of the Earle who died without issue male his Sisters being his heire which Judgement was that the said Earledome should be devided as other lands and not to the eldest But this Judgement was holden erroneous then For Bracton a learned Judge of that age Braction lib. 7. fol. 76 de Cosercen thus seemeth to write thereof viz. De hoc autem quod dicitur quod de feodo milit veniunt in divisione capital Messuagia inter cohaeredes dividuntur Hoc verum est nisi capitale Mess sit caput Comitat. propter jus gladii quod dividi non potest vel caput Baroniae castrum vel aliud aedificium hoc ideo ne sit caput in plures particulas dividatur jura Comitat. Baroniar ' deveniant ad nihilum per quod deficiat regnum quod ex Comitat. Baronibus dicitur esse constitutum si autem plura sunt aedificia quae sunt capita BAroniae dividi possunt in Cohaeredes facta electione salvo jum assuet quia cum plura ibi jura sunt quod liber per se poterit inte gre observari quod autem non est in uno ut praedoct ' est licet à qui busdam dicatur Quod in alijs Regionibus aliquando de consuetudine dividatur sed quod nunquam dividi videtur in Anglia debeat nec visum fuit contrar '
erit consuetudo regionis observanda ubi haereditas est quae petitur personae nascuntur quae petunt Et unde si dicatur quod in regno Angl. aliquando facta fuit partitio hoc fuit injustum Vermon liver d'antiquities à placitio 290 ad placiumt 301. It is therefore evident that Baronies c. doe by the lawes of the Realme descend unto the eldest Copercener and Judgement given once to the contrary Thereof Bracton doth rightly accompt to be unjust his reason is notable For in as much as the Honour and Chivalty of the Realme doth chiefly consist in the Nobilitie reason will not that such dignities should be divided among Coperceners whereby through multitude the reputation of honour in such succession Pet. Greg. de repub lib. 7. cap. 5. and so divided might bee impaired as the strength of the Realme being drawne into many hands with decrease of livelihood by such partition should be infeebled In which resolution Britton the Baroned Bishop of Hereford Britton 187. de herit devis who compiled this Booke in the name and by the commandment of Ed. 1. accordeth who delivered this as a speciall Caveat En tous cases sont les droits des espees that which Braecton calleth Ius gladij gardes de sole misse dismembres he calleth it Ius gladij because Dukes Earles be at the time of their creation Cinguntur gladijs gladius autem significat defensione reginae patriae But howsoever that judgement was given or whensoever it was neverthelesse very evident that it was soone redressed for if it were given upon the death of Ranulph the last of the name E. of Chester who died about 17. H. 3. the Writers about that time doe testifie that the Earledome of Chester came wholly to Iohn Scot the sonne of David Earle of Huntington and Anguish and of Maude the eldest Sister of the said Ranulph If it were given upon the death of the said Iohn Scot who died without issue about 24. H. 3. for in the reports of the Law the difference of a yeare is no great matter yet notwithstanding the said Judgement stood not in force Math. Paris Monast Sancti Albani Chron. 36. for that the said King assumed the said Earledome into his owne hands upon other satisfaction made to the Sisters Coparceners of the said Iohn Scot ne tanta haered tas inter Colos deduceretur M. 6. H. 8. That the descent of Dignities and Offices of Honour are determinable by the Common law is made manifest by the great cause concerning the office of the Lo. high Constable of England challenged tempore H. 8. by the Duke of Buckingham and determined by the resolution of the Judges as by a note of that Case extant Dyer 285. whereof my Lord Dyer in his Reports hath a memoriall is most evident where the Case ws that Humph de Bohun Earle of Hertford and Essex held the Manor of Hatfield Newnham and Whiting hurst in com' Glouc ' du roy pur service de eant hault Constable d' Anglque mor ' tyent issue 2 files que font particion de mesme les Maners part le office eant servic ' pur reason de tenureque descent ' al ambu files deÌ„e exercise pur lour sufficient deputie dum sole ' vixerint mez aprez lour mariage fuit deÌ„e exercise solement pur le Baron el'eigne Mes quia Hen. de Bullingb Ca'ps H. 4. que ad espouse le puisne a que le man ' de Whittenhurst de eant part ' de terr' iss ' ten ' fuit allot ' pur sa pur port Another Querie was moved whether by the unitie of parcell of the tenancy in the King the said Office were not determined or whether this were in the other Sister which the Justices resolved that the Office had its continuance in the eldest Sister and her heires of whom the said Duke was discended but because the exercise of the said Office was a service in respect of tenure the said Judges further resolved that the King might refuse to have the said office exercised as any Lord may refuse the homage of his Tenant All which resolutions the two chiefe Justices did signifie unto the King according to the names of themselves and the rest Object 2 Second Objection that by the law of Chivalry if the Widow of a Duke Earle Baron c. doe marry with a Knight Esquire or Gentleman then neverthelesse shee retaineth her name of honour whereas the Common Law doth otherwise determine thereof and therefore they conclude that the common Law doth not determine this kind of controversie concerning the title names and dignities Noble There must be made a dis-Junction betweene the strictnesse of Law Resolu and courtesie of Ladyes at the Court 14 H. 6.2 8. a. for it is a rule in Law as it is the same law of Chivalry and in that point so is and should be knowne among the Heraulds for asmuch as a report of law in that case doth acknowledge it to be taken out of the bookes of Heraulds 5. Mar. bre Br. 546. nosme 69. Fortescue 100. that Quando mulier nobilis nupserit igncb c. Of the which Fortescue sometime chiefe Justice of England yeeldeth a notable reason Cod lib. 10. de incolis leg sinal Mulieres honore maritorum c. sin autem minoris ordinis verum For if shee be honoured with any title in respect of her Husband it is reason that after his death she marrying with an inferiour sub cujus potestate vivet that she should bee of like qualitie and reputation as is her said Husband For as she was inabled by the one so must she be content to leave that Nobilitie by strict course of law for liue of the other so that in this point the law is one way and the honour and courtesie of Ladyes another And as the Civilian saith in the like case 6. E. 3.7 E 6.79 3 Eliz 23.69 Aliud est jus aliud Privilegium Neverthelesse the books of our law do make mention of that Courtesie and allow of it as a Courterie though not as the Law With these doe agree the law of Nation with which concordeth also the Civill law Foeminae nuptae clarissimis personis clariss personarum appellatione continuentur But of the other side clariss â—oeminarum nomine senator Filiae nisi quae viros claeriss sortitae sunt non habentur Foeminis enim dignitat clariss mariti tribuunt Parentes verò donec plebeis nuptijs fuerint copulaetae Cod de dignit leg 12. tamdiu igitur clariss foemina erat quaemdiu Senatori nupt est vos clariss aut separat ab eo alij inferioris dign non nupserit Neverthelesse Iacob Rebuff indâ—ct leg 1. lib. 12. Cod de dignitat in Kingdomes this holdeth not place in the blood Royall for Si filia Regis nubat alicui Duci vel Comiti dicitur tamen semper Regalis