béefore a temporall Judge c. and the prisoner praieth his clergye that is to saye to haue hys booke which is as much as if hée desired to bée dismyssed from the Temporall Judge and to bee deliuered to the Ordinarie to purge hym selfe of the same offence This priuyledge at the firste was not soe generall in respect of the parties that should take benefite thereby as it afterwarde beecame to bée for at the beginninge beinge a popishe inuentyon the patrons thereof were very partial and wolde not that any should reape commodity thereby but their popish priestes only and such as were wythin orders as aforesayed and this arose amonge them partlye through their great pride dysdayninge to bee vnder the obedience of their natural kinges and temporall correctyon and partelye of polycie for shame lest the leude maners of their spiritualty should come to the open view examination of y e layetie as they distinguish them noe meruaile at al for w tin a fewe of the first yeres of king Henry y e secoÌ„ds raigne the clergie of the Realme had committed aboue one hundred seueral murders vppon hys subiectes as the Kinge was certenly informed besides many robberies and other outrages for remedy whereof order was taken by y e king his nobilitie and w t much a doe the Clergie consented therto y t if any clerke from thence forth committed felony or treason he should first be degraded and afterwarde deliuered to the lay power there to receiue as to his offence belonged c. at y â— last in fauor of life a thing to bee shewed indifferently towards al mankinde and for the loue of lerninge it was graunted to al men that could reade though they were neither priestes nor w tin orders And since in parliament made vpon good considerations it hath ben restreined and taken away in dyuers cases as in wilful murder Burglary and such others Clerke attaint Clerke conuict CLerkes are in ii sorts that is to say Clerkes attaint Clerkes conuict Clerke attaint is he which prayeth his clergy after iudgement gyuen vpon him of the felony and hath his clergy allowed such a Clerke may not make his purgatioÌ„ Clerke conuict is hée which prayeth his clergy before iudgment gyuen vppon him of the felony and hath hys clergy to him graunted such a clerke may make his purgation Colour COlour is a fayned matter which the defendant or tenant vseth in his barre when an accion of trespas or an assise is brought against him in which he gyueth the demandant or plaintife a shewe at the first sight that he hath good cause of accion where in troth it is no iust cause but onely a colour and face of a cause And it is vsed to the intent that the determynatyon of the accion should bée by the Judges and not by an ignorant Jury of xii men And therefore a colour ought to bée a matter in law or doubtfull to the common people as for example A. bringes an assise of land against B. and B. saith that hee hym selfe did let the same land to one C. for terme of life and afterwarde did graunt the reuersion to A. the demaundaunt and after C. the tenaunt for terme of lyfe died after whose decease A. the demaundaunt claiming the reuersion by force of that graunt whereto C. the tenaunt for life did neuer atturne entred vpoÌ„ whom B. entred against whom A. for y â— entre bringes this assise c. this is a good colour because the comoÌ„ people thinke that the land will passe by the grauÌ„t without atturnement where in déede it wil not passe c. Also in an accion of trespas colour must bée geuen and of them are an infinite number one for example In an accion of trespas for takinge away of the playntifes beastes the defendaunt saith that before y e pleintife had any thing in theÌ„ hée himselfe was possessed of theÌ„ as of his proper goodes and deliuered them to A. B. to redeliuer them to him againe when c. and A. B. gaue them vnto the plaintife the plaintife supposing the propertie to be in A. B. at y â— time of the gift tooke them and the defendant tooke them from the plaintife whereupon the plaintife bringeth y e accion this is a good colour and a good plea. Colour of office COlour of office is alwaies takeÌ„ in y e worst part signifieth an act euel done by the countenance of an office and it beareth a dissemblinge face of the right office where as the office is but auaile to the falsehod the thinge is grounded vpoÌ„ vice and the office is as a shadowe to it But reason of the office vertue of the office are taken alwayes in the best part and where the office is the iust cause of the thynge and the thynge is pursuing to the office Collusion COllusioÌ„ is where an accion is brought agaynst another by hys owne agreement if the plaintife recouer then such recouery is called by collusion and in some cases the collusion shall bée enquired of as in a Quare impedit an assise such like But in auowry nor in a writ of entrie or any accyon personall the collusion shall not bée inquyred Common law COmmon lawe is for the most part taken 3. waies first for the lawes of this Realme simple without any other lawe as customary lawe Ciuil lawe Spirituall lawe or whatsoeuurr els lawe ioyned vnto it as when it is disputed in our laws of England what ought of right to bée determyned by the comon lawe and what by the spirituall lawe or Admirales Court or such like Secondly it is taken for the kinges courtes as the kynges bench or common place onely to shewe a difference béetwéene them and y â— base courtes as Customary courts courtes barons county courtes pipouders and such like as when a plea of land is remoued out of auncient demesne because the laÌ„d is frank fée pleadable at the coÌ„mon lawe y t is to say in y â— kings court and not in auncien demesne or in any other base court Thirdly and most vsually by the comon law is vnderstoode such laws as were generally taken and holden for lawe before any statute was made to alter the same as for example Tenant for life nor for yeares were not to be punished for doinge wast at the common lawe tyll the statute of Glocester ca. 5. was made which doth giue an action of wast against them But tenant by the curteâ—y and tenaunt in dower were punishable of wast at the common law that is to say by the vsual and comon receiued laws of y â— Realme before the sayd statute of Glocester was made Comon COmmon is the right y t a maÌ„ hath to put his beastes to pasture or to vse to occupy the grouÌ„d that is not his owne And note y â— there be diuers comons that is to say comoÌ„ in grosse common appendaunt comon appurtenant comoÌ„ because of neighbourhod Common
I. S. by his wil all hys lands and tenementes here not onely all those landes y â— he hath in poss doe passe but also those that he hath the reuersion of by vertue of these wordes tenements â–ª 〈…〉 â—e deuiâ—ed to a man to haue to him for euermore or to haue to hiÌ„ his assignes in these ii cases y e deuisée shal haue a fée sâ—ple But if it be geuen by feoffement in such maner hée hath but an estate for terme of life Also if a man deuyse his land to an other to giue sel or doe therwith at his pleasure or wyll this is fée simple A deuise made to one to his heires males doth make an estate taile but if such words be put in a déede of feoffement it shalbée taken in fée simple because it doth it doth not appere of what bodye the heires males shal be begotten If lands be gyuen by déede to I. S. and to the heires males of his body c. whoe hath issue a daughter whoe hath issue a sonne and dieth there the land shall returne to the donour and the sonne of the daughter shall not haue it because hée cannot conuey himself by heires males for his mother is a let thereto But otherwise it is of such a deuise for there y e son of y e daughter shall haue it rather theÌ„ y â— wil shal be voyd If one deuise to an infant in his mothers belly it is a good deuise otherwyse it is by feoffement graunt or gift for in those cases there ought to be one of hability to take presently or otherwise it is voide A deuise made in fee simple without expresse wordes of heires is good in fee simple But if a deuise be to I. N. hée shall haue the land but for terme of life for those words wil cary noe gerater estate If one wil y â— his sonne I. shal haue his land after the death of his wife here the wife of the deuisour shal haue the lande first for terme of her life Soe likewise if a man deuise his goodes to his wife and that after the decease of his wife his sonne and heire shal haue the house where y â— goods are there the sonne shal not haue the house during the life of the wife for it doth appere y â— his inteÌ„t was that his wife should haue the house also for terme of her lyfe notwithstandiÌ„g it were not deuised to her by expresse words If a deuise be to I. N. and to y â— heires females of his body begotten after the deuisée hath issue a sonne and a daughter and dieth here y e daughter shal haue the land not the sonne yet he is the most worthy persoÌ„ and heire to his father but because the wyll of the dead is that the daughter should haue itlawe and conscience wil so also And herein the very hethens were precyse as appereth by these verses of Octauius Augustus whych Donatus reporteth he made after that Uirgil at hys death gaue commaundement that hys bookes shoulde bée burnt béecause they were vnperfite and yet some perswaded that they shoulde bée saued as in deede they very happely were to whom hée auÌ„swered thus But faith of lawes must nedes be kept and what last wil doth say what it doth coÌ„mauÌ„d be done y â— néedes we must obey Discent DIscent is in ij sorts eyther linial or collateral Linial discent is wheÌ„ the discent is conueied in y â— same line of the whole bloode as Grandfather father sonne sonns soÌ„ne so downwarde Collateral discent is out in an other braunch from aboue of y â— who le bloode as the graund fathers bro. fathers brother soe downewarde Disclaimer DIsclaimer is where the Lorde dystraineth his tenaunt and hée sueth a repleuin the lord auoweth the takinge by reason that he holdeth of him if the tenaunt say that hée dysclaimeth to holde of him this is called a dysclaimer and if y â— lorde thereuppon bringe a writ of right sur dysclaimer it be founde against the tenant he shal lose the land Tithes TIthes are in thrée sortes deuyded to wit Preiudicial tithes Parsonal tythes and Mixt tithes Predial tithes are tithes that bée payed of thinges that come of the grouÌ„d onely as Corne Haye fruits of Trées such like Parsonal tythes are tithes that bee payed of such profits as come by the labour and industrie of a mans person as by buyinge sellinge gaines of marchandise and of handicraftes men laborers and such as woorke for hyer as Carpenters Masons and such like Myxt tythes are the tithes of Calues Lambs Pigges and such lyke that encrease partlye of the grounde that they be fedde vppon and partlie Disseisin vppon disseisin DIsseisin vppon disseysin is when the disseisor is disseised by an other Disseisor and disseisee DIsseysoure â–ª is hée which putteth anye manne out of his lande without order of y â— lawe disseisee is hée that is so put out Distresse DIstresse is the thinge which is taken dystrayned vpon any lande for rent beehinde or other duty or for hurt don although that the propertie of the thinge béelongeth to a straunger but if they be beasts that belong to a stranger it behoueth that they bée leuant and couchant vppon the same ground y â— is to say that the beasts haue ben vpon y â— ground by certaine space y â— they haue themselfe well rested there or els they bée not distrainable And if one distraine for rent or other thynge without cause lawfull then the party gréeued shall haue a repleuin vppon suertie found to pursue his accion and shal haue y â— distresse to hym deliuered againe But there bée diuers thinges which bée not distrainable y â— is to say an other mans gowne in the house of a tayler or cloth in the house of a fuller sheremaÌ„ or weyuer for that that they be commen artificers and that the coÌ„mon presuÌ„ption is that such thinges belong not to the artificer but to other persons which put them there to be wrought Also vitaile is not distrainable nor corne in sheues but if they be in a carte for that that a distresse ought to bée alway of such thynges wherof the sherife may make Repleuin and deliuer againe in as good case as it was at the time of the taking A manne may dystrayne for homage fealtie and escuage other seruyces for fynes and amercements which bée assessed in a léete but not in a court baron and also for dammage fesaunt that is to say when hée findeth the beastes or goods of an other doing hurt or cumbringe hys grouÌ„d But a man may not distraine for any reÌ„t or thing due for any laÌ„d but vpon the same lande y t is charged therewith but in case where I coÌ„e to distraine the other séeing my purpose chaseth the beastes or bereth the thing out to the intent y â— I shal not take it for a distresse vpon the ground theÌ„ I
very troublesome and therefore nowe for the most part that way is altered and they vse to leuy the same by the yarde or Acre or other measure of lande By meanes whereof it is nowe lesse troublesome and more certen then before it was And euery Towne and coūtrey doe knowe what summe is to be payed amonge them and howe the same shal be raysed Wée read that Moyses was the first that did number the people for he nūbred the Israelits and therefore the first taxe subsidy tribute or fiftéene was inuented by him amonge the Hebrues as Polidore Uirgil doth thinke Regrator REgrator is hée that hath corne vittailes or other thinges sufficient for his owne necessary néede occupation or spendinge and doth neuerthelesse engrosse and buy vppe into hys handes more Corne vittailes or other such thinges to the entent to sell the same againe at a highe rand déerer price in faires marketes or such like places Reioynder REioynder is when the defendant maketh aunswere to the Replication of the plaintyfe And euery Reioynder ought to haue these ii properties specially that is to say it ought to bee a sufficient aunswere to the Replication also to followe and enforce the matter of the barre Reliefe REliefe is sometimes a certen some of money that the heire shall pay to the Lord of whō those landes are holden which after the discease of his auncestour are to him dyscended as next heire sometymes it is the payment of an other thinge and not money And therefore reliefe is not certen and a like for all tenures but euery sundry tenure hath for the most part hys speciall reliefe certayne in it selfe Neyther is it to bée payed alwayes at a certen age but varyeth therein also acording to the tenure As if the tenaunt had landes holden by knyghtes seruics except great Sergeantie and die his heire being of full age and helde his lands by the seruice of a whole knightes fée the Lord of whome that lands are soe holden shal haue of the heire 100. s. in the name of relyefe And if he helde by lesse then a knightes fée hee shal pay lesse and if more then more hauinge respect alwaies to the rate for euery knightes fée an hundred shillinges And if hée helde by graunde serieantie which is alwayes of the Quéene and is also knightes seruice then the relyefe shalbée the value of the lande by the yeare besides al charges issuinge out of the same Reliefe that the lorde shal haue for lands holdē in Socage is soe much more as the rent that the tenaunt holdeth his lande in Socage by as if hee holde by a penye rent and die the lorde shal haue that peny rent and a peny ouer for reliefe of what age soeuer the tenaunt be at the death of his auncestour And note that insome cases the lord shal haue his reliefe immediatly after the death of his tenaunt if it soe be that the tyme of the yeare wil suffre the same to be gotten as money corne flesh fish spices or any such like and for default of payement the lorde maye therefore of cōmon right presently distraine But in some cases the Lorde must stay for his reliefe a certen time when necessitie soe constraineth As if the tenāt helde by a rose a chery a strawbery or such like die in winter he shal not haue reliefe til roses cheries and strawberies are naturally fresh and ripe which is about midsomer then he shal haue one for rent an other for reliefe There is an other kind of reliefe that is payd after the death change or alienation of fréeholders that hold in auncient demesne and otherwise is paied as a knowledge of the tenure betwene y e lord and the tenant The same is not certein how much But doth vary according to y e custome of the mannour or tenure and is to be presented by the homage or sutours at the next court day of the same maner And note that alwaies when the reliefe is due it must bee payed at one whole payment and not by partes although that the rent bée to be payed at seueral festes Remainder REmaynder of lande is the lande that shal remaine after the particuler estate determined As if one graunt lanoe for terme of yeres or for lyfe the remaynder to I. S. that is to saye that when the lease for yeares is determined or lessée for life is dead that then y ◠land shal remaine shal be or abide with to or in I. S. Replication REplication is when y ◠defendaunt in any action maketh an aūswere and the plaintife maketh an aunswere to that that is called the replicatiō of the plaintife Reprises ▪ REprises are deductions payments and dueties that goe yearely and are payed out of a manour As rent charge rent secke pentions corodies annuities such like Resceipt REsceit is when an action is brought agaynst the tenaunt for terme of life or tenaunt for terme of yeres and he in the reuersion commeth in and praieth to be receiued to defende the land and to plede wyth the demaundaunt And when hée commeth it behoueth that hée bée alway redy to plede with the demaundant Reseruation REseruation is taken diuers waies hath diuers natures as some times by way of exception to kéepe that which a mā had before in him as if a lease bee made for yeares of ground reseruing y e great trées growing vpon the same nowe y e lessée may not meddle w t thē nor w t any thing y t commeth by reason of thē so longe as it abideth in or vpon the trées as mast of Oke Chestnut Aples or such like but if they fall from the trées to the ground then they are in right the lessées for y ◠ground is set to him and al theruppon not reserued c. Sometimes a reseruation doth get and bringe forth an other thynge which was not before As if a m◠lease his lāds reseruing yerely for y e sāe xx li. c. and diuers other such reseruatiōs thereby And note y e in auncient time their reseruations were as wel or for the more part in victualles whether flesh fish corne bread drink or what els as in mony vntill at the last and that chiefely in the raigne of kinge Henry the first by agrement y ◠reseruation of victuals was changed into ready money as it hath hither so since continued Retraxit REtraxit is the preterperfectēce of Retraho compound of Re and Traho which make Retraho to pull backe and is when the party plaintife or demaundant commeth in proper person into the court where his plea is and sayth that hée wil not procéede any farder in the same c. Now this shal be a barre to the accion for euer Reeue REeue is an officer but more knowen in auncient tyme then at thys day for almost euery manour had then a Réeue and yet styll in many coppy hold manners where the old custome any thing preuayleth
definitiō of villenage is villein of bloude and of tenure And it is he of whome the Lord taketh redemptyon to mary his daughter to make him frée it is hée whom the lord may put out of his lāds and tenements at his wil alsoe of al his goods and cattel And note wel y t a sokmā is no pure villeine nor a villeine oweth not ward mariage nor reliefe nor to do any other seruices real And note wel that the tenure in vyllenage shall make noe frée man villeine if it be not continued sith tyme oute of mynde nor vyllayn land shal make no frée manne villeine nor frée lande shall make noe villeine frée except that the tenāt haue contynued frée sith the tyme of noe minde but a villeine shal make frée land villein by seysin or claime of y e lord And note wel that if a villain purchase certaine land take a wife alien and dieth before the claime or seysin of y e lord y e wife shalbée endowed And note wel y t in case that the lord bring a Precipe quod reddat against the alien the which voncheth to warraunt the issue of the villaine which is villeine to the Lorde hée shal haue the voucher by protestation y e Lorde may say that notwithstandinge that hee plede with his villeine yet his villeine shall not bée enfraunchised And note well that a bastarde shall neuer bee iudged bylleyne but by knowledge in court of recorde And note well that if det be due by a Lord to a free man and he maketh two men his executours the which bée villeynes to the sayed Lorde and dyeth the villeines shall haue an actyon of dette agaynst their Lorde notwythstandinge that he plede with them And if he make protestation they shall not bée for so much enfraunchised for that that they be to recouer the dette aforesaid to the vse of an other person that is to say to the vse of their testatour and not to their owne vse And if the tenāt in dower haue a villeine which purchaseth certaine land in fee and after the tenaunt in dower entreth shée shal haue the land to her to her heires for euer more the same lawe is of tenaunt for terme of yeres of a villein And note wel that the Lorde may roble his villain bete and chastice at his wil saue onely that he may not maime him for then he shal haue appell of mayme agaynste him ¶ And note well that a villaine may haue iij. actions against his lorde y t is to say appel of death of his aunce stour appel of rape don to his wife appel of maime And note well if two parceners bring a writ of Nyefe one of thē be nonsute the nonsuite of hym shalbée iudged y t consuit of them both soe that if the non-suite be after apparance they shalbée put oute from that actiō for euer for the lawe is such in fauour of liberty And note well if two haue a vylleine in comen one of them make to him a manumission he shal not be made frée against both And note wel that in a writ de Natiuo habendo it behoueth that the lorde shewe howe hee cōmeth priuy of the bloode of the villeine of whome hée is Lorde c. And if hée nor none of hys auncestours were not seysed of none of hys blood he shall not wynne by his action if y ◠villein haue not knowledged in court of record him selfe to bée his villein And note wel that in a writ of Niefe may not be put more niefes then ij this was first brought in in y ◠hatred of bondage But in a writ de Libertate probanda may bée put as manye nyefes as the plaintife will ¶ And note well that if the vylleyne of a Lorde bée in auncien demesne of y e king or other towne priuileged within a yere and a day the lorde may seise him and if he dwel in the same towne or other place fraunchised by a yere and a daye without seisin of the Lord he hath noe power to seyse him after if hée goe not in estraie out of the foresaid fraunches Taile ¶ To hold in the taile is where a man holdeth certaine lāds or tenements to him and to his heires of hys body béegotten And note wel that if y ◠land be géeuen to a man and to his heires males and hée hath issue male hee hath fée simple and that was adiudged in y e parliament of our Lord the kynge But where landes or tenementes bée géeuen to a man and to his heirs males of his body begotten then hée hath fée tayle and the issue female shal not bée enheritable as it appereth the xiiii yere of Edward the third in assise Taile apres possibilitie ¶ To hold in the taile after possibilitie of issue extinct is where lād is geuē to a mā to his wife to the heires of their ii bodyes ingendred and one of them ouerlyueth the other wythout issue betwéene them béegotten hée shall holde the lande for terme of hys owne life as tenaunt in the taile after possibilitie of issue extinct And not withstanding that he do wast he shal neuer be impeched of that wast And note that if hée alien hée in the reuersion shal not haue a writte of entre in consimili casu But hée may enter and hys entre is lawfull per Robertum Thorpe chiefe Justice Frankmariage ¶ To holde in frankemariage is to holde in the seconde tayle lymit in the statute of Westminster seconde cap. 1. And the feoffour shal acquite y ◠feoffée of al maner of seruices vnto y e 5. degrée be past and y e feffour shal do all the seruice and suites duringe y e sayde terme And after the heires of the feoffée shall doe it for that that the priuitie of bloud is past And if hée bée distrained for seruyce hée shal haue a writ of Mesne agaīst him supposing that he held the lands of him but he shal not haue the foreiudgement if it be not in aduauntage of his issues And note well that after the fowerth degrée be past he shall bee attendaunt of as much seruice to the donour as the donour is attendant to the Lord paramount And if hée do felony for which he is attaint the king shal haue his lands for terme of his life naturall And after hys death hys issue shal inheryte as by force of the tayle And in this case none shall haue hys lands by way of eschete no more then in any other taile And in case that the tenant die without heire of hys body begotten the lande shall reuert to the donour as it shoulde in the common tayle And if a manne let his land to another in franke mariage yeldynge to hym a certayne rent by yeare hée shall hold this land in the common tayle and not in frankemariage for by the rent reserued these woordes
other in the night with felonious intent to robbe or kil or to doe some other felony in which cases although he cary away nothing yet it is felony for which he shall suffer death Otherwise it is if it be in the day tyme or that hée breake the house in the night and enter not therin at that tyme. But if a seruant will conspire with other men to robbe his master and to that intent hee openeth his masters dores or windowes in the night for them and they come into the house by that way this is burglary in the straungers and the seruant is a théefe but noe burglar And this was the opinion of the right worshipfull Sir Roger Manwood knight most woorthy Lorde Chiefe Baron of the Eschequer at the quarter Sessions holden in CauÌ„terburie in Januarie last 1579. 21. Elizabeth Caruage CAruage that is to bée quite if the kinge shall taxe al hislaÌ„d by Carues Note that a Carue of land is a plowland Cession CEssion is when an Ecclesiasticall person is created bishop or wheÌ„ a person of a personage taketh an other benefice without dispensation or otherwise not qualified c. In both cases their first benefices are becoÌ„e void and to those that he had who was created Bishop the Quéene shal present for that tyme whosoeuer be patron of them And in the other case the patron may present Challenge CHallenge is where Jurours appeare to trie an issue then if any of the parties suppose y â— they are not indifferent they may there Challenge and refuse them There be diuers challenges one is challenge to the array the other to the polles Challenge to tharray is wheÌ„ the panel is fauourably made by the sherife or other officer Challenge by the poles are some principal and some by cause as they call it Principal is wheÌ„ one of the Juroures is the son brother or cosine to the plaintife or defendaunt or tenant to him or y â— he hath espoused the daughter of the pleintife for those causes hée shalbée withdrawen Also in a plée of y â— death of a maÌ„ in euery other accion reall in accions personall if the debt or daÌ„mages amount to xl markes it is a good challenge that he cannot dispende xl s. by the yeare of free holde Challenge by cause is where the party doth alledge a matter which is no principal chelleÌ„ge as y â— y â— son of one of y â— Jurrours hath espoused the daughter of the pleintif then he doth coÌ„clude therfore he is so fauorable which shal be tried by others of theÌ„quest whether he be fauorable or indifferent if they say that he is fauorable and not indifferent theÌ„ hée shalbée drawen out otherwyse hée shalbée sworn Also a felon that is arraigned may challenge xx Jurrours paremptory wythout any cause that is in fauour of life as many as hee wil with cause but then it shal be tried if for such cause he be indifferent or not Champertours CHampertours be they y t moue pleas suites or cause to be moued by own or others procurement sue them at their owne costs to haue part of the land or gaines in variance Charge CHarge is where a man grauÌ„teth a rent out of his grounde and that if the rent bée béehinde that it shal be lawfull for him his heires assignes to distraine till the rent be paide This is called a rent charge But if one graunt a reÌ„t charge out of the land of an other and after purchase the land the grauÌ„t is voide Charters of lands CHarters of lands are writings déeds euideÌ„ces instrumeÌ„ts made froÌ„ one man to an other vpoÌ„ some estate coÌ„ueied or passed betwene theÌ„ of lands or tenemeÌ„ts shewing the name place quantitie of the land the estate time maner of the doinge thereof the parties to the estate deliuered and takeÌ„ the witnesses pres eÌ„t at the same with other circumstaunces Chattels CHattels are in ij sortÊ’ that isto say Chattels Reals and Chattels personals Chattels Reals are leases for yeares wardes and to holde at wil c. Chattels personals ar al mouable goods as money plate householde stuffe horses kine corne such like Childewite CHildwite that is y â— you may take a fine of your bondwoman defiled and begotten w t childe w tout your licence Chimin CHimine is the hye way where euery maÌ„ goethe which is called via Regia and yet the Kynge hath noe other thinge there but the passage for hym and hys people for the frée holde is in the Lorde of the soyle and all the profyte growinge there as trees and other thinges Thing in action THinge in action is when a manne hath cause or may brynge an action for some duity due to him as an action of det vpon an obligation aÌ„nuity Rent Couenant warde goods trespas or such like And because they are thinges wherof a man is not possessed but for recouery of them is driuen to his actioÌ„ they are called things in action those thinges in action that are certen the Quéene may grauÌ„t the grauÌ„tee may vse an actyon for them in hys owne name onely But a common person cannot graunt his thing in actioÌ„ nor the Queene her felâ—e cannot grauÌ„t her thing in actioÌ„ which is vncerten as trespas such like Circuit of action CIrcuite of action is when an actyon is rightly brought for a duetie but yet about y e bush as it were for y â— it might as well bene otherwise aunswered and determined that suit saued and because that theÌ„ same actioÌ„ was more then néedful it is called circuite of action As if a manne graunt a rent charge of x. li. out of his manner of dale and after the grauntee disseise y â— grauÌ„tour of the same maner of dale and hée bringeth an assise and recouereth the lande and xx li. dammages which xx li. being paied the grauntee of the rent sueth his action for x. li. of his rent due duringe the time of the disseison which if noe disseisin had bene hée must haue had This is called circuit of action béecause it might haue bene more shortly aunswered for where as the grauntour should receyue xx li. dammages and pay x. li. rent he might haue receiued but the x. li. onely for the dammages and the grauntee might haue cut of and kept backe the other x. li. in his handes by way of detayner for his rent and soe thereby mought haue saued his action Claime CLaime is a challenge by any man of the propertie or ownershippe of a thinge which he hath not in possession but which is with holden froÌ„ him wrongfully Clergie CLergie is an auncyent libertye of the popishe Church which hath also béene confyrmed with vs in dyuers Parlyamentes And it is when a priest or one within holy orders as they terme it or any other whoesoeuer in whome is noe impedyment or impossibilitye to bée a priest is arraigned of felonye or such lyke
in grosse is where I by my déede graūt to an other that he shal haue cōmon in my lande Common appendaunt is where a man is seised of certaine lande to the which hée hath common in anothers grounde al they that shalbée seysed of that lande shall haue the sayed common onely for those Beastes which compeste that lande to which it is appendaunt exceptinge géese gotes hogges And alwaies this cōmon is by prescription of common right and it is appendaunt to erable lande onelye and not to any other lande or house Comon appurtenāt is in the same maner as common appendant but it is w t al manner of beastes as well hogges goates and such lyke as horses kyne oxen shéepe and suche as compeste the grounde And such common may bee made at this day and may be seuered frō y ◠land to which it is appurtenant but soe cannot cōmon appendāt Common by cause of neighbourhode is where the tenants of two lords which he seised of two townes where one lieth nigh another and euery of them haue vsed from y e time whereof no minde runneth to haue comē in the other towne with al maner of beastes comynable But the one may not put his cattel in y e others ground for so they of the other towne may dystreine thē damage fesāt or may haue an action of trespas but they may put thē into their owne féeldes if so they straie into the feeldes of the other towne they there ought to suffer thē And y e inhabitāts of y e on towne ought not to put in as many beastes as they wil. but hauinge regarde to y ◠inhabitants of the other towne for otherwise it were noe good neighborhoode vppon which all thys matter dothe depende Condition COnditiō is a restraint or bridle annexed and ioyned to a thing so that by y e not performance or not doinge thereof the party to y e condition shal receiue preiudice losse by the performance and doing of y ◠sāe cōmodity and aduantage And al conditiōs are either conditions actual expressed which be called conditions in deede orels they be cōditiōs implied or couert not expressed which are called conditions in lawe Also al condicions are either conditions precedent and goinge before the estate and are executed or els subsequent following after y ◠estate executorie The condicion precedent doth gaine gette the thing or estate made vppon condicion by the performance of y ◠same The condicion subsequent doth kéepe continue the thing or estate made vpon condiciō by y ◠performance thereof Actual and expressed condition which is called a condition in déede is a condition knit annexed by expresse words to the feoffement leas or graunt either in writing or w tout writinge as if I enfeffe a man in lands reseruing rēt to be paied at such a feast vpō conditiō that if the feoffée faile of payment at the day y t then it shal be lawful for me to reēter Condition implied or couert not expressed which is called a condition in lawe is when a man graūteth to one the office to be keeper of a parke Steward Bedle Bailife or such like for terme of life though there be no condition at al expressed in y ◠graunt yet y ◠lawe speaketh couertly of a condicion which is that if the graū tée doe not execute all points apperteininge to his office by himselfe or his sufficiēt deputy thē it shal be lawful for y ◠grātor to enter discharge him of his office Cōditiō precedēt goinge before is when a leas is made to one for life vpon condition that if the lessee for life wil pay to the lessor xx li. at such a day y ◠then he shall haue fée simple here y ◠conditiō precéedes goeth before the estate in fée simple and vppon the performaunce of the conditiō doth gaine and get the fee simple Condition subsequent following after is when one graunts to I. S. his maner of dale in fée simple vpon condition that the graūtée shal pay to him at such a day xx li. or els y t his estate shal cease here y ◠cōdition is subsequēt following y e estate in fée simple and vpon the performaunce thereof doth kéepe and contynue the estate Confiscate goodes COnfiscate goodes are goods to which y e lawe intitleth the Queene when they are not claymed by any other As if a man be indited that he feloniously stole the goodʒ of I. S. where in truith they are his owne goods and they are brought into the court against him as a maineur and then it is demaunded what hée saith to those goodes and he denieth thē nowe by this denyinge of them he shal lose those goodes although that afterward he be acquited of the felony and so in other like cases Contract COntract is a bargaine or couenant betwéene two parties where one thinge is géeuen for an other which is called quid pro quo as if I sell my horse for money or if I cauenant to make you a lease of my manner of Dale in consideration of xx li. that you shal gyue mée these are good contracts because there is one thinge for an other But if a manne make promise to mée that I shall haue twenty shillinges and that he wil be debtour to mée thereof and after I aske the xx s. and he will not deliner it yet I shall neuer haue any accyon to recouer this xx s. for that that thys promise was no contract but a bare promise and ex nudo pacto non oritur actio but if any thing were geuē for y e xx s. though it were not but is y ◠value of a peny then it had bin a good contract Conusance COnusaunce of plée is a priuiledge that a city or Towne hath of the kinges graunt to holde plee of all contracts and of lands within the precinct of the fraunchise whē any mā is impleaded for any such thynge in the Court of Westminster the Maior and baylifes of such fraunches or their atturney may aske conusaunce of the plee that is to say that the plée the matter shalbée pleaded and determined before them But if the Court at Westminster be lawefully seised of the plea béefore conusance be demaunded then they shal not haue conusance for y ◠suite because they haue negligētly surcessed their time of demaund but this shal bee no barre to them to haue conusance in an other accion for they may demaūd conusance in one accyon and omit it in an other accion at their pleasure And note that conusance lieth not in prescription but it behoueth to shewe the kinges letters Corody COrodye was a reasonable allowaunce of Meate breade Drinke money clothinge Lodging and such like sustenance which of comon right euery founder of Abbeies Priories Nūries other houseʒ of religiō had in y e same house whē any were stāding for his
father brother cosin or other man that he wolde appoint should take it if it were a house of Monkes and if hée were founder of a house of Nuns or women theÌ„ the same for his mother Sister Cosin or other woman that hée would direct thither And alwaies this was prouided for that hée that had Corody in a house of Monkes might not seÌ„d a woman to take it Nor where Corody was due in a Nunry there it was not lawful to appoint a man to receiue y â— same for in both cases such presentation was to bée reiected And this Corody was due as well to a coÌ„mon person y â— was foundor as where the kinge him selfe was foundor But where the house was holden in frankalmoign there the tenure itselfe was a discharge of Corody against al menne Except it were afterward charged voluntaryly as when the kinge woulde send his writ to the Abbey for a Corody for such a one whoÌ„ they admitt there the house should be charged for euer whether the kynge were foundor or not Crowner CRowner is an auncient officer of trust and of great aucthoritie ordayned to be a principal conseruator or kéeper of the peace to beare recorde of the pleas of the Crowne and of his owne sight and of diuers other things many in number c. But at this day either y e aucthoritie of the Coroner is not so great as in fore tyme it was whereby the office is not had in like estimation Or els the Shirife and those y â— haue aucthoritie to choose the Coroner are not so careful as they should be in their election therefore it is nowe almost come agayne into that plight that it was in king Edward the firsts daies when this statute followinge was made Forasmuch as meane menne and vndiscréete nowe of late are commonly chosen to the office of Coroner where it is requisite that wyse men lawfull and able should occupie such offices It is prouided that through all Shires sufficient mâ—n shoulde bee chosen to bée coroners out of the most wyse and discréetest knightes c. And although the letter of this statute be not precisely obserued yet at the least the entend should be followed as nigh as might bée that for the default of knights GeÌ„tlemen furnished with such qualities as the statute setteth downe of whych sort there bee many might be chosen with this addicioÌ„ that they be vertuous good knowne Christians Corporation COrporation is a permanent thing y â— may haue succession And is an assembly and ioining together of many into one fellowshipp brother hoode and minde whereof one is hedde chéefe the rest are the body this hedde body knitte together make the corporation And of corporatyons some are called spiritual and some temporal and of those that are spiritual some are corporations of dead persons in lawe and some otherwise and some are by aucthoritie of the kynge onely and some haue byn of a mixt aucthoritie and of those that are temporal some are by aucthoritie of the kynge also and some by the common lawe of the Realme Corporation spiritual and of deade persons in lawe is where the corporation consisteth of an Abbot and Couent and these had beginninge of the kinge and the man of Roome when he had to doe here Corporation spiritual and of able persons in lawe is where the corporation consisteth of a Deane and chapter and his corporation had béeginninge of the Kynge onely Corporation Temporal by the king is where there is a maier and coÌ„minalty Corporation Temporal by aucthoritie of the coÌ„mon law is the asseÌ„ble in parliament which coÌ„sisteth of the Quéene the hedde of the corporation and of the Lordes spiritual and temporal and the comons of y e realme y â— body of y â— corporation Bodies politike BOdies politike are Bishops Abbots Priors Deans persoÌ„ of a church and such like which haue succession Corruption of Blodde COrruption of blodde is when the father is attaynted of felonye or treason then his blode is sayed to be corrupt by meanes wherof his children cannot bée heires to him nor to any other auÌ„cestour And if hee were a noble man or gentlemanne before hee and al his chyldren thereby are made vnnoble vngentle hauinge regarde to the nobilitie or gentrye that they clayme by their father which cannot bée made hole againe without aucthority of parliament Couenant COuenaunt is an agréement had béewéene two personnes where euery of them is bounden to the other to parfourme certeyne couenauntes for hys parte Couerture COuerture is when a man a woman ar maried together Nowe the tyme of the contynuaunce of this mariage betwene them is called couerture and the wife is called a woman couert Couin COuin is a secret assent determined in the hartes of ij or more to the preiudice of any other As if tenaunt for terme of life wil secretly coÌ„spire with an other that y â— other shal recouer against the tenaunt for lyfe the lande whiche hée holdeth c. in preiudice of him in the reuersion Counterplea COunterplee is where one bringeth an actyon and the tenaunt in his aunswere and plee voucheth or calleth for any manne to warraunt his title or praieth in aide of an other which hath better estate then hée as of hym that is in the reuersion or if one that is a straunger to the action come and pray to bee resceyued to saue his estate if the demaundaunt reply thereto and shew cause that he ought not to vouche such one or that hée ought not of such one to haue ayde or that such one ought not to bée resceyued this plée is called a counterplée Cinque portes CInque portes be certein hauen townes fiue in number to which haue bene longe since graunted manye libertyes that other porte Townes haue not and that first in the time of king Edward called y â— coÌ„fessor who was before y â— coÌ„quest hath beÌ„ encreased since chiefly in y e dates of y e ij Edwards the first second since y â— conquest as appereth in the booke of Domesday other olde monuments which in this worke beinge to longe to cite I meane bro. N. to omit set you here downe y â— copy of an auncient record in freÌ„ch which y e worship full our louing and very good father master Iohn Tvvine of Caunterbury gaue me out of his booke called W. Biholt sometime a monck of y â— abbey of Saynt Augustines wherein you shal learne which were auÌ„cieÌ„tly accoÌ„pted y â— v. ports their memberz what seruices they ow where their court ought to be kept before whom and of what matters they may hold plee w t such like worthy to be knowen thereby you shal perceiue also y â— y e olde rude verse doth falsely name y e v. ports in reckninge them vp after this sort Douer Sandwicus Rye RuÌ„ney Frigmareuentus Douer Sandwich Rie Rumney Wichelsey which is meÌ„thy FrigmareueÌ„tus c. which recorde
I will english as well as my smale skil in y ◠old french wil geue me leaue And thus it is These are the chiefe townes of the Cinque ports 1 Mastinge 2 Romney 3 Meth 4 Douer 5 Sandwich The members of the ports of Mastinge are these 1. Peuenese 2 Bolewareheth 3 Petite James 4 Bekesborne 5. Breneth 6 Rie 7 et Winchelse Some adde to these the Seashore in Sefford Hydeney and Northye The chiefe port of Hastinge with the mēbers aforesaid ought to finde to the kinge from yere to yere if neede bée vppon the sea twenty one ships That is to say the towne of Hastinge thrée ships Peuenese one shippe wole worcherye and Petite Ihāme one shippe Bekesburne one shippe Greneshe ij men with two armours with them of Hastinge The Towne of Rye fyue Shippes the Towne of Wynchelsce Tenne shippes The mēbres of y ◠port of Romney are 2. 1. Olde Romney and 2. Lyde Some adde to these Prormhell Oswardestone Denge Marreis Romney with the afore said members oweth to the kinge as is before said fiue shippes whereof Lyde oweth one ship The port of Heth with the member west Heth ought to finde fiue ships to the kinge as is aforesayde The members of the port of douer are these 1. Folkestone 2. Fauersham Sōe adde Meregate c. This part of Douer with the aforesaid members ought to find to the kinge 21. shippes that is to say Douer 19. ships Folkestone one shipe Fauersham one ship The members of the port of Sandwich are these 1. Stonor 2. Fordwich 3. Dale 4. Seire Sōe adde Reaculure This port of Sandwich with the memberz aforesayd ought to find in the kinges seruice as is before sayde fiue shippes Some lvii shippes When the king would haue his seruice of the aforesaid ships they shal haue xl daies sūmons they shal find to y e king in euery ship 20. men and the master wel armed and well appoynted to doe the kynges seruice And the shippes shal goe at the proper costes of the Cinque portes thither whether they shalbée summoned And when the shyppes are thither come they shall continue xv daies in the kinges seruice at the proper costes of the Cinque portes And after the 15. dayes are past they shalbée at the charges of the kinge if hee haue any thing for thē to doe The master of the ship shall take sixe pence a day the Constable sixe pence and euery of the other mariners thrée pence And it is to be knowē that the court of Shipwaye which is the chief court of y ◠Cinque ports where euery Maior of euerie port or 12. 10. 6. or 4. and the Maior of euerie port as they by letters of the warden of the Cinque ports haue byn sūmoned and as the port is greater or lesser without essoyne ought to come ought to bee sūmoned by the letters of the said warden to al the ports that ought to doe sute there And the sūmons ought to be vppon sute made to sūmon any comminalte to aunswere to any of any plée containing 40. dayes from the day of the receyte of the Letters of the sayed warden And the aforesayde Court ought to bée sūmoned chieefelye for Treason done agaynst the kynge or kynges for counterfaytynge of the kynges seale or of hys money for treasure founde vnder the ground For the kynges seruice denied or withholden for fals Judgement giuen by any cōmunaltie And no commoner to any plea against him brought shall aunswere but at the court aforesayd And pleas there had against any Baron of the Cinque portes beinge challenged by the Bailife of the same port of which the said Baron is ought to bée adiourned vnto the port wherof the same Baron is if it be not for trespas don agaynst the kynge because that the said Barōs haue conusance of all manner of pleas except pleas of the Crowne And when those Barons haue fayled to doo right The said warden at the complaynt of hym to whom they haue fayled to doe right shall goe to the same port to doe right as is contayned in the Charter Moreouer the aforesaied court ought not to bée holden from the feast of the natiuity of saynt Mary vntill the feast of saint Andrewe because of the martes of Germany Also when the Barōs of the Cinque ports are in the Kynges seruice vppon the Sea or at the kings summons or at the kinges commandement Furthermore it ought not to bée holden but one day And one Essoine onely yeth in the aforesayed Court in euery plea. O f sute no Essoigne lieth as is before sayde and therefore if the maior whoe béecause of sicknesse or other sodeine infirmitie cannot come thither an other may at that day keepe his place so notwithstandynge that returne bée made by hys Baylife Nor others principally ought to bée charged of any iudgement gyuen in the same Court but those names whoe by the Baylifes there haue byn returned Besides all this prouision of shippes men as is aforesayde I haue séene in an other recorde shortly written that euery shippe ought to haue a boy whych there is called a Gromet so y ◠in some the Cinque portes are charged with 57. ships 1197. men 57. boyes or Gromets Damage fesants DAmage fesauntes is when a straungers beasts are in an other mans ground wythout aucthoritie of the lawe or licence of the tenant of the grounde and there doe feede treade or otherwyse spoile the corne grasse woods or such lyke in which case the tenaunt whom they hurt may therefore there take distreigne impoūd them as wel if it be in y e night as in the day time But in other cases as for rent and seruices such like none may distreine in y e night season Danegelde DAnegelde that is to be quite of a certein custome which hath runne some tymes which the Danes did leuie in Englande This beganne first in kinge Etheldreds daies who beinge sore distressed by the continual inuasions of the Danes to purchase peace was cōpelled to charge his coūtrey and people wyth importable payements for hée first gaue them at v. seueral paies 113000 li. and afterwarde graūted thē 48000. li. yerely Deane and Chapter DEane chapter is a body spiritual corporate consisting of many able persons in lawe as namely the deane whoe is the chiefe and the prebendes and they together make the corporation And as this corporation may iointly purchase landes and tenements to the vse of their Church and successours Soe likewise euery of them seuerally may purchase to the vse of hym selfe his heires as wée dayly sée them doe most abundantly Declaration DEclaratiō is a shewing forth in writing of the griefe and complaynt of the demaundant or plaintife against the tenant or defendant wherein he supposeth to haue receyued wronge And thys declaratyon ought to be plaine certen both because it impeacheth the defendaunt or tenant also compelleth him to make aunswere
vntyll at the last and that chiefely in the time of Kinge Henry the first by agréement the reseruation of victuals was turned into redy mony so hitherto hath coÌ„tinued amonge most men Fee farme FEe farme is when a tenaunt holdeth of his lorde in fee simple payinge to him the value of halfe or of the third or of the fowerth part or of other part of the lande by the yere And he that holdeth by fée ferme ought to doe noe other thinge then is conteyned in the feoffement but onely fealtie for that belongeth to al kinde of tenures Feoffement FEoffement is where a maÌ„ geueth lands to an other in fee simple and deliuereth seiuÌ„n and possession orthe land that is a feffement Feoffor et feffee FEoffor is hée that infeffeth or maketh a feoffement to an other of landes or tenements in fée simple And feoffee is he who is infeffed or to whoÌ„ y â— feffement is so made Fireboote FIreboote is necessarye woode to burne which by the common lawe lessâ—e for yeares or for lyfe may take in hys grounde although it be not expressed in his leaseâ— and although it be a leas by woorde onely without writinge But yâ— sake more then is néedefull he shalbée punished in wast Fledwite FLedwite that is to be quite from amercements when an outlawed fugitiue coÌ„meth to the kinges peace of hys owne will or beinge licenced Flemeswite FLemeswit that is y â— you may haue the cattel or amercementes of your man or fugitiue Fletwie Fletwit or Flitwit that is to bée quit froÌ„ contention and conuiets and that you may haue plea therof in your court the amercements for Flit in english is Tensone in french Forstal FOrstal that is to bée quite of amercemeÌ„ts cattelles arrested w tin your lande the amercements therof coÌ„ming Forstaller FOrstaller is hée that buieth Corne Cattel or other marchaundize whatsoeuer is salable by the way as it commeth to markets faires or such like places to bée sold to the intent that he may sel the same againe at a more high and déere price in preiudice hurt of the common welth people c. The paine for such as are conuict thereof c. is the first time amercemeÌ„t and losse of y e thing so bought the secoÌ„d time iudgment of the pillory The third tyme imprysonment and RauÌ„some The fowerth time abiuratioÌ„ of the towne c. Franches Royall FRanches Royall is wher y e Quéene graÌ„ts to one and to his heires that they shal be quit of Tolle or such like Free mariage FRée mariage is when a man seised of landes in fee simple giueth it to an other man to hys wife whoe is daughter Sister or otherwyse of kinne to y e donor in frée mariage by vertue of which words they haue an estate in special tayle and shal hold the land of the bonor quit of al maner of seruices vntill the fowerth degree bée past accomptynge themselues in the first degree except fealtie which they shal doe because it is incident to all tenures sauinge frée almes And such gift may bée made as wel after mariage solemnized as before And a man may gyue landes to his sonne in frée mariage as well as to hys daughter by the opinion of master Fitzh in hys writ of Champertie H. But it appeareth otherwise in master Litt ' and in M. Brooke ti FraÌ„kmariage P. 10. And so it was holden cléere in Graies Inne in leÌ„t An â–ª 1576. 18. El. by y e right worshipful master Rhodes then Reader there Freeholde FRéehold is an estate y t a man hath in landes or tenements or profit to bée taken in fée simple taile for terme of hys owne life or for terme of an others life And vnder that there is no frée hold for hée that hath estate for yeares or holdeth at wil hath no frée hold but they are called Chattels And of fréeholds there are ii sorts that is to say fréeholde in deede fréehold in lawe Fréehold in déede is wheÌ„ a man hath entred into lands or tenemeÌ„tes and is seysed therof really actually in déede as if the father seysed of lands or tenementes in fée simple dieth and his sonne entreth into the same as heire to his father then he hath a fréehold in déed by his entry Fréehold in lawe is wheÌ„ lands or tenemeÌ„ts are disceÌ„ded to a maÌ„ he may enter into them when he will but hath not yet made his entry in deede as in the case aforesayd if the father being seysed of lands in fée simple die seysed they disceÌ„d to his sonne but y e sonne hath not yet entred into them in déede nowe before his entrie he hath a frehold in law Freshsuit FReshsuit is wheÌ„ a maÌ„ is robbed the party so robbed followeth the felon immediatly taketh him with the manner or otherwise and then bringeth an appeale against him and doth coÌ„uince him of the felony by verdict whych thing being inquired of for the Quéene and found the party robbed shall haue restitution of his goodes agame Also it may be sayd y â— the party made freshsute although he take not the theese presently but that it be halfe a yeare or a yeare after the robbery don before he bee taken ifso bée that the partie robbed do what lyeth in him by diligent inquire search to take him yea although hée bée taken by some other body yet this shalbée sayde good freshsuit And so freshsuit is wheÌ„ the lord coÌ„meth to dystreine for rent or seruice the owner of y â— beastes doth make rescous and driueth them into other ground that is not holden of the Lord and the lord followeth presently and taketh them thys called fresh suit and so in other like cases Gager of deliuerance GAger of deliueraunce is where one sueth a repleuin of goods taken but hée hath not deliuery of the goodes and the other auoweth and the plaintife sheweth y â— the def is yet seysed c. and prayeth that the def shal gage the deliueraunce then he shal put in suerty or pledges for the deliuerance a writ shal go foorth to the sherife for to redeliuer the goods c. but if a man claime propertie hée shal not gage the deliuerance Also if he say that the beasts bée dead in the pound hée shall not gage c. Also a man shal neuer gage the deliueraunce before that they be at issue or demurrer in the lawe Warde WArde is when an infant whose auncester helde by knights seruice is in the warde or keepinge of the Lorde of whom those lands were holden And if the tenaunt holde of dyurrs Lordes diuers landes the lorde of whome the land is holden by prioritie that is to saye by the more elder tenure shall haue the wardshippe of the infant but if one tenure bée as olde as the other then hée that first happeth to haue y â— warde of the bodie shall kéepe it but in that case euery lord shal
haue the warde of y â— lande y â— is holden of him but if the tenaunt holde of the Quéene in chiefe then shée by her prerogatiue shal haue the warde of the bodie and of al the land y â— is holden of her and of euery other lorde VVarden WArden most properly is he that hath y e ward shippe or kéepinge of an heire and of land holden by knights seruice or of one of them to his owne vse duringe the nonage of the heire and within that time hath the bestowinge of the bodie of the heire in mariage at his pleasure w tout disperagment And of wardens there be ij sorts namely garden in right garden in déede Garden in right is hée that by reasoÌ„ of his sâ—ry is seised of the wardship or keepinge of the lande and of the heire duringe the nonage of the heire Garden in déede is where the lorde after his seisin as aforesaid grauÌ„teth by déede or without déede the wardshippe of the lande or of the heire or of both to an other by force of which granÌ„t the grauntée is in possess â—â—â— is y e grauntée called garden in déede And this garden in déede maye graunt the heire to an other also bâ—â— that other is not preperlye called garden in déede for that is y â— graunt tée of the garden in right onely and here you may sée Brother Nicholas what misery followeth that tenure by knightes seruyce if the tenaunt die leauinge hys heire within age howe the poore childe may bée tossed and tumbled chopped and chaunged bought sold like a Jade in Smithfild y â— more is maried to whome it pleaseth his gardeÌ„ wherof ensue many euels VV arning WArninge is when an action of detynue of charters is brought agaynst one and the defendaunt saith that the charters were delyuered to hym by the playntife and by an other vpon certaine conditioÌ„s and prayeth y â— the other may be warned to plede with the pleintife whether the conditions bée perfourmed or noe and thereuppon a writte of Scire facias shal go foorth against him And that is called warninge Gauelate GAuelate is a specyall and auncient kynd of Cessauit vsed in Kent where the Custome of Gauelkind continueth whereby the tenant shal forfeit his lands and tenementes to the lord of whom they are holden if he withdrawe froÌ„ hys Lord hys due rents and seruyces after this maner as followeth If any tenant in Gauelkind withholde hys rent hys seruices of y â— tenement which he holdeth of his lord let the Lord séeke by the award of his court froÌ„ 3. wekes to 3. wéekes to find soÌ„e distresse vppon the tenement vntill the sowerth court alwaies with witnesses And if within y â— time he can find noe distresse in that tenement whereby hee may haue i 〈…〉 of his tenaunt TheÌ„ ar y â— fowerth court let it be awarded y â— hée shall take that tenement into his hand in y â— name of a distresse as if it wer an oxe or a cowe and let him kéepe it a yere a day in his hand without manuring it w tin which terme if y â— tenant come and pay his arrerages and make reasonable ameÌ„des for y â— w tholding TheÌ„ let hi haue enioy his tenemeÌ„t as his auncest ours and hée before helde it And if he do not come before the yeare and the daye past then let the Lorde goe to the next Countye Courte with the witnesses of his owne court pronounce there thys processe to haue further witnesse by the award of his court After y â— Countye court holden hée shall enter and manure in those laÌ„ds and tenements as in his owne And if the tenant come after ward and wil rehaue his tenements holde them as he did before let him make agreement with the lorde according as it is aunciently said Hath he not since any thing geuen nor hath hée not since any thing payd TheÌ„ let him pay v. pouÌ„d for his were before he be coÌ„e t'or holder againe There be some copies y â— haue the first verse thus written Nisith yelde and nisith gelde And others thus Nighesith yelde and nighesith gelde But these differ not in signification other coppyes haue it after thys sort Nigondsith selde and nigondsith geld That is to say let him ix times pay ix times repaye Gauelkinde GAuelkinde is a custome annexed goinge with lands in Kent called Gauelkind lands holdeÌ„ by auncieÌ„t Socage tenure And is thought by the skilfull in Antiquities to be called Gauelkind of Gyue all kyn that is to say to all the kyndred in one lyne according as it is vsed among the Germans froÌ„ whom wée Englyshmen and chiefely of KeÌ„t come Or els it is called Gauelkynd of gyue all kynd that is to say to all the male children for kind in dutch signifieth a male child and dyuers other like coÌ„iectures are made by them of y e name Gauelkind which I omit of purpose for shortnesse sake because that here you looke Brother Nicholas as you desired me that I should speake som what largly concerninge other more needefull matters for your purpose which you are desirous to know as touching Gauelkind lands both because you were borne in kent also are most abiding there and therefore you think to be ignorant of y â— maners or customes of your natiue coÌ„trey were a foul shaÌ„e To satisfie your request in this I haue therefore set you here downe the auncient customes of Kent as they haue very truely carefully of late bin published with some cases vpon them gathered out of those bookes that make any mencyon hereof which will I thinke coÌ„teÌ„t your desire at ful And first you must knowe that these gauelkind customes are of good antiquytie brought in hither by y â— Saxons Intes Angles Germans from whom wée Englishmen discend as is aforesaied and were by them vsed and left here and so continued in force vntill WilliaÌ„ duke of Normandy conquered al EnglaÌ„d KeÌ„t onely excepted which he had by composition and not by conquest And in this composition the valyant Kentishmen obtained a graunt of the continuation of their customes of Gauelkynde which euer sins thei haue vsed in the same countrey and thus they are as followeth The customes of Kent THese are the vsages and customes the which the coÌ„munalty of kent claimeth to haue in the tenementes of Gauelkynd and in the men of Gauelkynd allowed in Eire béefore John of Berwike and his companions the Justices in Eire in kent y â— 21. yere of king Ed. the sonne of king Henry That is to say y â— all y â— bodies of KentishmeÌ„ be frée as well as the other frée bodies of England This things hath byn since confessed to be true as it appereth in 30. E. I. in Fitzh titulo Uillenage placiâ— 46. where it is holden sufficient for a man to auoyde the obiection of bondage to say y t hys father was borne in Kent But whether it
y â— hundreth or in the court of his lord where essoine lyeth and that aswell in case of common sute as of plea. Moreouer they clayme by an especiall déede of kinge Henry the father of kinge Edwarde that of the tenements which are holden in Gauelkinde there shal no battayle bée ioyned nor graund assise taken by xii knightes as it is vsed in other places of y e Realme y t is to wit where the tenaunt demaundant hold by Gauelkind But in place of these graund assises let Juries be taken by xii men being tenaunts in Gauelkind so y â— four tenaÌ„ts of Gauelkind choose xii tenaunts of Gauelkynd to be Jurors And y t Charter of the king of this especialty is in the custody of Sir John of Norwood the day of S. Elphey in Caunterbury the yeare of king Edward y e sonne of king Henry the xxi These be the vsages of Gauelkind and of Gauelkindmen in Kent which were béefore the conquest and the CoÌ„quest and euer since till nowe The end of the customes Hauinge thus ended y e custoÌ„es as you sée Brother Nicholas there remayneth nowe to bée shewed what lands w tin this Countrey of Kent be of the nature of Gauelkind and what not First therefore it is to be vnderstanded y t all y â— lands w tin this Shire which be of auncieÌ„t Socage tenure as was said at the béegynnynge be also of the nature of Gauelkind And y â— lands holden by auncient tenure of knightes seruice be at the coÌ„mon lawe are not departible after the order of this custome except certen which béeing holden of old tyme by knyghtes seruice of the Archbishop of CauÌ„terbury are neuer the lesse departible as it may appere by y e booke 26. H. 8. 4. And that grewe by reason of a graunt made by kynge John to Hubert the Archbishoppe there the tenor of which is as followeth John by the grace of God Kyng of Englande â–ª Lorde of Ireland Duke of NormaÌ„dye of Aquitane and Earle of Angieu To all Archbyshoppes Bishops Abbots Earles Barons Justices Shirifes Gouernours and officers and al Bailifes and his faithful subiects gréeting Knowe yée y t wée haue graunted and by this our preseÌ„t Charter haue confirmed to our reuerend and déerely beloued father Hubert Archbishoppe of Caunterbury and hys successors for euer that it shall bée lawfull for them to conuert those laÌ„ds which menne of the fée of the Church of Caunterbury do hold in Gauelkind in to knightes fee. And y t y e same Bishops their successours haue the like power and libertie for euer ouer those men and their heires that shal hold those laÌ„ds so â—â—uerted into knights sée which the Archbishop hath his successors after him shall haue ouer other knights of y e sée of the Church of Caunterbury their heires And that those men and their heires haue the same al such libertie for euer which other knightes of the sée of the Church of Caunterbury and their heires haue Prouided alwayes y t neuerthelesse their accustomed rent of pence be holy payed out of their landes as before time their giftes auerages and other seruices which issued out of the same landes be conuerted into a reÌ„t of pence of like value And y â— y â— same rent be paied as y â— other reÌ„t of pence is Wherefore we wil straightly coÌ„maund y â— whatsoeuer the aforenamed Archbishop and his successours after him shall doe concerninge those landes which are to bée conuerted into knightes fée accordinge to the forme manner aboue written abide ratified and coÌ„firmed for euer Forbiddinge any person to presume against the déed of the Archbishoppe or hys successors in this behalf Witnesse E. Bishop of Ely S. of Bathe G. y â— sonne of Peter Earle of Essex WilliaÌ„ Marshall Earle of PeÌ„brooke Ro. of Harecourt Garine y â— soÌ„ne of Gerald Peter of Stoke Ric. of Reuers Rob. of Tateshal yeuen by y â— haÌ„d of S. Archdeacon vnto WilliaÌ„ at Rupem auriual y â— 4. day of May the third yeare of our raigne But for asmuch as it is disputable whether this Charter of Kynge John be of sufficieÌ„t vertue to change y e nature of Gauelkynde land or no and for that the certeintie of the landes so conuerted into knightes fée doth not any where appere saue onely that in the booke of Aide leuied in this shire Anno 20. E. 3. it is foure or fiue tymes noted that certeine lands in Kent bee holden in knightes seruice by the newe licence graunted to the Archbishoppe this shall suffise for that and it shall followe to be proued that al the landes of auncient tenure in knightes seruice be subiect to the ordinary course of discent at the common lawe And that may sufficiently be done both by the expresse wordes of a note in 9. H. 3. abridged by master Brooke ti Customes 57. and in master Fitzherb ti Prescription 63. And by the opinion of the Justices 26. H. 8. 4. as also by pleyne recital in the act of parliament made 31. H. 8. ca. 3. by which statute the possessioÌ„s of certen gentelmen there were deliuered from this customary discent and incorporated to the common lawe for amongest other thinges in that act it is saied That from thence forth such their landes shal be chaunged from the saied custome and shal discend as lands at the commoÌ„ lawe as other lands being in the said couÌ„ty of kent which neuer were holdeÌ„ by seruice of Socage but alwaies haue bene holden by knights seruice do discende By which words it is very euident that y â— makers of that estatute vnderstoode al lands holden by knights seruice to be of their proper nature discendable after y â— comoÌ„ lawe that Socage tenure was the onely subiect in which thys our custome of Gauelkinde discent preuailed helde place But when mencion is here made of Socage knightes fée it must alwayes be vnderstanded a tenure longe since and of auncyent tyme contynued and not nowe newely or lately created for so it may fal out otherwise then is alreadye reported As for example if land auncieÌ„tlye holden by knightes seruice coÌ„e to y â— Quéens hands whoe afterwarde giueth y e same out againe to a coÌ„on persoÌ„ to be holdeÌ„ of her manor of East Grene within Socage this lande not with standinge the alteration of y â— tenure remaineth disâ—â—dable to y â— eldest sonne only as it was before as also in like sort if lands of auncient Socage seruite come to y e Crowne and be deliuered out agayne to be holden either of the Quéene in Capite or by knightes seruice of any manor it ought to disceÌ„d according to y â— custde not w tstanding y t y e tenure be altered if this be true in the grauÌ„t of y e Quéene her selfe then much lesse may the Archbishope by a newe creation of tenure make to his tenants any alteratioÌ„ of this olde custome maner For as the
pleadinge is That the landes aforesayed are of the tenure and nature of Gauelkynde euen so the truith is that the present tenure onely guideth not the dyscent but that the tenure and the nature together doe gouerne it And therefore as on the one side the custome cannot attache or take holde of that which was not béefore in nature subiect to the custome that is to saye accustomably departed So on the other syde the practise of the custome longe time continued may not bee interrupted by a bare alteration of the tenure as it was holden by the Justices Annd 4. et 5. Phi et Mary as Judge Dalison hath left reported And also as it appereth by the booke 26. H. 8. 4. where it is saied that if a man seysed of Gauelkinde land holden in Socage make a gift in taile and create a tenure in knights seruice that yet this lande must descende after the custome it did before the change of the tenure Moreouer as y â— change of the tenure cannot prenaile against thys custome Soe neyther the continuance of a contrarie vsage may alter this prescription For it is holden 16. E. 3. in Fitz. ti Prescription 52. that albeit the eldest sonne only hath and that for many discents together entred into Gauelkind laÌ„d and occupied it w tout any coÌ„tradiction of the yonger brothers that yet the lande remaineth partible betwene them when soeuer they will put to their clayme Agaynst which assertion y â— which is said 10. H. 3. in Fitzh titulo Prescription 64. namely of the issue taken thus Whether the lande were parted or no is not greatly forceable For al though it be foe that the lande were neuer parted in déede yet if it remayne partible in nature it may bee parted whensouer occasion shal bée ministred And therfore euen in the fourme of pleadinge vsed at this day That the land alwaies c. was partible and parted it is playnelie taken that the worde partible onely is of substaunce and that the worde parted is but a worde of forme and not material or trauersable at al yea so inseperable is thys custome from the lande in which it obtaineth that a contrarye dyscent contynued in the case of the Crowne it selfe cannot hinder but that after such tyme as the land shall resorte agayne to a common personne the fourmer olde custome shall gouerne it As if landes of Gauelkind nature come to the quéens haÌ„ds by purchase or by Eschete as holden of her manor of Dale nowe after her death al her sonnes shall inherite and deuide them But if they come to her by forfaiture in treason or by gift in parliament soe y â— her grace is seised of theÌ„ in right of the crowne then her eldest sonne only which shalbée kinge after her shall enioye them in which case although those laÌ„ds which the eldest sonne beinge kinge did possesse doe come to his eldest sonne after him beinge kinge also and soe from one to an other by sundrye discentes yet the oppinion of Syr Anthonye Browne was 7. Elizabeth that if at any time after the same landes be grannted to a common person they shall reuolt to their former nature of Gauelkynde and be partible amongst his heires males notwithstanding that they haue runne a contrary course in dyuers the discentes of the kings before But much lesse may the vnity of possession in the Lorde frustrate the custome of Gauelkind discent as it may appere 14. H. 4. in y â— loÌ„ge Recordare abridged by master Brooke tit Auowry 46. and tit Customes 19. Nowe followeth to bée spoken howe farre this custome extendeth it selfe within this our Countrey of Kent c. It is commonly taken that the custome of Gauelkynde is generall and spreadeth it selfe throughout the whole Shire into al lands subiect by auncient tenure vnto the same such places only excepted where it is altered by act of parliament And therefore in 5. E. 4. 18. and 14. H 4. 8. it is said that the custome of Gauelkynde is as it were a common lawe in Kent And the booke 22. E. 4. 19. affirmeth that in demaunding Gauelkind land a manne shall not néede to prescribe in certeine and to shewe that the Towne Borough or Citie where the laÌ„ds bée is an Auncyent Towne Borough or Cytie and that the custome hath byn there tyme out of mynde that the landes wythin the same Towne Borough or Citie should discend to all the heires males c. But that is sufficyentlye inough to shewe the Custome at large and to say that the land lieth in Kent and that all the landes there bée of the nature of Gauelkynd For a writ of partition of lands in Gauelkynde sayth M. Littleton shall bée as generall as if the lands were at the common lawe although the declaratyon ought specyally to contayne mencion of the Custome of the Countrey Thys vnyuersalytie consydered and also the strayte bonde whereby the custome is so inseperably knit to the land as in maner nothinge but an act of parliament canne clerely disseuer them it followeth that no place Citie Towne or Borough within this shire can bée exempt from this custome although the same hath not at any tyme byn there put in vre no more then the Eldest sonne in the case before may for the like reason prescribe agaynst his youÌ„ger Bretheren c. Thus much béeyng spoken touchynge the name tenure nature generalty and order of Gauelkynde it shall nowe bee shewed of what quality the rents remaynders actyons and such other thinges of the which some bâ—e issuing out of these laÌ„ds some bée annexed vnto them and some bée raysed by reason of them shalbée And of theÌ„ some shal ensue the nature of the land and other some shal kéepe y â— same course that common lawe hath appointed And therfore if a rent be graunted in fée out of Gauelkynde land it shal discend to all the males as the land it selfe shal do as appereth in 14. H. 8. 5. 26. H. 8. 4. 4. E. 3. But if ii iointenantes of land in Gauelkynde grant a rent charge out of that land to I. S. to his heires And I. S. dieth hauinge issue ii sonnes this reÌ„t shal not disceÌ„d to both y â— sonnes of I. S. but to the heire at the common law because that the custome is in suspence during the ioynture by the opinion of the right worshipfull Christopher Yeluerton Esquire at hys readyng in Grayes Inne in lent An. 1573. So if a tenauncy bée of Gauelkynde nature yet the rent seruyce by which it is holden may discend according to the common lawe as Ald ' Chart ' in 7. E. 3. were of opinion If a remainder of Gauelkind land bée tayled to the heires males they altogether shall inherit as Fitzherbert Norwich thought 26. H. 8. 4. But that is to bée vnderstoode of a discent onely for if landes of Gauelkynde nature be leassed for life the Remaynder to the ryght heires of John Style which hath issue
fower sonnes and dieth and after the lessée for lyfe dyeth nowe the eldest sonne onely of I. Stile shall haue thys land for hée is right heire and that is a good name of purchase 37. H. 8. in master Brooke ti Done et Remaynder 42. But if the landes had byn gyuen to John Stile for lyfe the remaynder to hys next heire male thys had byn an estate taile in John Stile him selfe and then the lande should haue discended to al his sonnes in so much as in that case y e wordes next heire male be not a name of purchase Howbeit it was greatly doubted 3. 4. Phil. et Mariae as Justice Dalison reporteth if a remainder bée deuised by testament to the next heire male whether in that case the eldest brother onely shal haue it in so much as in the vnderstandinge of the lawe whych is a iudge ouer al customes he is the next heire male and therefore inquire of it As touching vouchers it appeareth 11. E. 3. that al the heires in Gauelkynd shal be vouched for the warraunty of their Auncester and not the eldest onely But the opinion of Master Littleton li. 3. cap. 13. and of the Iustices 22. E. 4. is clere y t the eldeâ—â— sonne onely shal be rebutted or barred by the warranty of the auncestour to be short the eldest sonne onely shal enter for the breache of a condition But the rest of the brethren shalbée ioyned with hym in suinge a writte of Attaynt to refourme a false verdict or Errour to reuerse an erronious iugement And they al shal be charged for the debt of their auncestour if so be y t they al haue assets in their handes But if the eldest onely haue assets remayninge and the residue haue aliened their partes then he onlye shal be charged after the mind of the booke 11. E. 3. c. And thus much for this part shal suffice Nowe a woorde or ij of other thinges confusely yet apertaininge to this matter notwythdinge not soe necessarie for your purpose to bée knowen as those aforesayde It appereth in a written report at large of 16. Edwardi 2. which is also partlye abridged by master Fitzherbert titulo Prescription that it was tryed by verdicte that noe manne ought to haue common in Landes of Gauelkinde howbeit the contrarye is well knowen at this day that in many places y e same booke saith y t the vsage of Gauelkinde is that a man may lawfullye inchase or driue out into the high waye to their aduenture the beastes of any other personne that hée shall fynde doynge dammage in his lande and y t he is not compellable to impounde them which thing is practised at this day The parlyament 15. Henrici sexti cap 3. mindinge to amplifye the priuiledges of Gauelkynde graunted to the tenauntes of that lande exemption in Attaints in such sort as the inhabitaunts of auncyent demeane and of the fiue portes before had But within thrée yeares after vppon complaynt of some of the Countrey which enfourmed the Parlyament house that there was not in the whole Shire thirtye or fortye personnes that holde to the value of xx pounde lande out of Gauelkinde who in default of others and by reason of that exemption were continuallye molested by returnes in Attaintes that act was vtterly repealed The statute 14. H. 8. cap. 6. gyueth libertye to euery manne hauing highwaie through hys lande in the welde that is worne déepe and incommodious for passage to lay out another waye in ome such other place of hys lande as shalbée thought méete by the vyewe of two Justyces of the peace and twelue other men of wysdome and discretion The general law made 35. H. 8. 17. for the preseruation of Copeises woodes thorough out the Realme maketh plaine exception of all woodes within this wealde vnlesse it be of such as bée common c. And here an ende of thys matter sauinge that I wil make master Litteltons annswere to such as happelye wil demaunde what reason thys custome of gauelkinde discent hath thus to deuyde lande a monge al the males coÌ„trary to the manner of the whole Realme béesides The yonger sonns sayth he be as good gen telmen as the elder and they beinge a like déere to their common auncestour from whom they claime haue so much the more néede of their freÌ„ds helpe as thorowe their minority they be lesse able then the elder Brother to helpe theÌ„selues c. Gelde GElde that is to bee quite of seruile customes which were woÌ„t to be geeuen and are yet giuen as hornegelde and such like Grithbrech GRithbrech that is the kinges peace broken because Grith in English is pax in latin Hangwite HAngwite that is to be quite of a théefe or relon haÌ„ged without iugement or escaped out of your custody Hariot HAriot is in ii sortes the one hariot Custome the other haryot seruice Hariot seruice some fay is alwaies expressed in a mans graunt or déede that hée holdeth by such seruyce to pay hariot at the time of his death and thys hariot is payable after y e death of the tenaunt in fée simsimple Hariot Custome is where hariotes haue byn payed tyme out of mynde by custome And thys may bée after the death of tenant for lyfe c. But to speake therof generally Hariot is the best beast whether it be horse Oxe or Cowe that the tenaunt had at the tyme of his death And may bée either seysed or a distresse taken for it whether it be hariot seruyce or hariot custome to the Lordes vse of whom the tenaunt held by hys Bailife or other officer béelonginge to hys manour But of right the Lord nor hys officer should not take hariot before it bée presented at the next court holden that the tenant is dead and that such a beast is due to the Lord for his hariot Haybote or Hedgebote HAybote or hedgebote is necessarie stuffe to make and mend hedges which lessée for yeares or for lyfe of common right may take vpon the ground to him leased although it bée not expressed in his lease and although it bée a lease by woordes without wrytinge Haybote also may bée takeÌ„ for necessary stuffe to make Rakes forkes and such like instrumeÌ„ts wherewith men vse in sommer to tedde make hay and so a lessée for yeares tooke it it was allowed him by hys lessor the rather as I suppose for that such instruments are commonly made of slender vnder wood which by the common lawe lessee for yeres may cut and take as is aforesaid Hidage HIdage that is to bée quit if the king shal taxe al the land by hides Note that a hyde of land is a whole ploweland And this kynde of taxinge by hides was much vsed in old tyme as well for prouision of armour as paymentes of money that chefely in kinge Etheldredes daies a kinge in thys Countrey before y e conquest who in the yeare of Christ 1006. when as the Danes landed
great discretiō take the helpe and opinion of some skilful Surgeon to consider thereof before they determine vpon the case Mainprise MAinprise is when a mā is arrested by capi as then the Judges may deliuer his bodie to certeine menne for to keepe and to bringe him before them at a certaine daye and these be called mainpernours and if the partye appeare not at the daye assigned the mainpernoures shal be amerced Mannour MAnnour is a thinge compounde of diuers thinges as of a house lande arrable pasture meadowe woode rent auowson court baron and such like make a manor this ought to be by longe contynuaunce of time to the contrary◠whereof mans memory cannot tel for at this day a manor cānot be made because a court baron cānot nowe be made and a manour cannot be w tout a court baron suters or fréeholders two at the least for if all the fréeholdes except one escheate to the lord or if he purchase al except one there his manor is gone for that it cannot bée a mannor without a court Baron as is aforesaid and a court baron cannot bée holden but before suters not before one suter therfore where but one fréehold or fréeholder is there cannot bée a mannour Manumission MAnumission is in ii sortes the one is a manumission expressed the other a manumissiō implyed or secreat Manumission expressed is when the Lord maketh a déed to his villen to enfraunches hym by this word Manumittere which is as much to say as to let one goe out of an other mans hands or power The manner of manumittinge or infraunchising in old time most vsually was thus The Lorde in presence of hys neyghbours toke the bonde manne by the heade saying I wil that this manne be frée and therewyth shewed him forwarde out of hys handes and by this hée was frée without anye more a doe Manumissyon implyed wythout this woode Manumittere is when the lorde maketh an obligation to his villē to pay him money at a certein daye or suith him wher he might enter without sute or graunteth vnto his vyllen an annitie or lesseth lande to him by déede for yeres or for life in dyuers such like cases y e villen thereby is made frée Maximes MAximes be the foundations of the lawe the conclusions of reason and are causes efficient certein vniuersall propositions soe sure and perfect that they may not bée at any time impeached or impugned but ought alwaies to bée obserued and holden as strong principalles and aucthorities of thēselues although they cannot be proued by force of argument or demonstratiōs logicall but are knowen by enduction by y e way of sence memory As for example it is a maxime that if a man haue issue 2. sonnes by diuers women and the one of them purchase landes in fée and dieth wythout issue the other brother shall neuer be hys heyre c. Also it is an othermaxime that lāds shal discēd frō the father to y e sōne ▪ but not frō the sōne to y e father for that is an ascention c. diuers such like there be Maynour MAynour is when a théefe hath stolne and is followed with hue and cry and taken hauing y t founde about him which he stole that is called the maynour And so we cōmonly vse to saye when we finde one doing of an vnlawfull act that wée tooke him with the maynour or maner Misprision MIsprision is when on knoweth that an other hath committed treason or felony and will not discouer him to the Q. or to her councell or to any magistrat but doth conceale the same A chapleine had fixed an olde seale of a patent to a newe patent of non residence and this was holden to bée misprision of treason onely and noe counterfeiting of the Q. seale Also if a man knowe mony to be counterfet bringe the same out of Irelād hither into England and vtter it in payment this is but mysprision of treason and no treason soe it is in diuers such like cases And in al cases of misprision of treason y e partie offendor shall forfayt his goods for euer and y ◠profets of his landes for terme of his life and his body to prison at the Q. pleasure And for misprision of felonie or trespas y e offēdour shalbée committed to prison vntill hée haue founde suerties or pledges for his fine which shal be assessed by y e ducretion of y t Justices before whom he was conuict And note that in euerie treason or felonye is included misprision and where any hath cōmitted treason or felony the Q. may cause y e sāe to be indited and arramed but of misprision onely if she will Shewinge of deedes or Recordes SHewinge of déedes or Recordes is as if for example an actyon of dette be brought against one vppon an obligation or by Executors c. there after that the pleyntife hath declared he ought to shewe his obligatiō or y ◠executour the testamēt to the court and soe it is of Recordes And the diuersitye béetwene shewing of deeds or Recordes hering of déeds or records is thus he y ◠pleades the deede or record or declares vppon it to him it doth appertaine to shewe the same And the other agaynst whom such déede or record is pleaded or declared and is thereby to bée charged may demaunde hearing of the same déed or record which his aduersarie brigeth or pleadeth against him Mortgage or Morgage MOrtgage or Morgage is whē a mā maketh a feoffement to another on such condition that if the feoffour pay to the feoffée at a certaine day xl li. of money that then the feoffour may reenter c. In thys case the feffée is called tenaunt in morgage And as a mā may make a feoffement in fée in morgage so hée may make a gift in tayle or a lease for terme of life or for term of yeares in morgage And it seemeth that the cause why it is called morgage is for that it standeth in doubt whether the feoffor will pay the money at the day appointed or not and if hée fayle to pay then y ◠land which hée layed in gage vppon condition of paymēt of y e money is gone from him for euer so dead to him vpō cōditiō But if he pay y ◠money then is the gage dead as to y ◠tenāt y t is to say the feoffée for this cause it is called in latin mortuum vadium as master Littleton sayth or rather mortuum vas as I thinke Mortmaine MOrtmaine was whē lands were geuen to a house of religion or to a cōpany which be corporat by y e kings graūt then the land is cōe into mortmain that is to say in English a dead hand and the kynge or the lord of whō y e lād to holden may enter into thē Mulier MUlier is a word vsed in our lawe but howe aptly I cannot tell nor doe wel knowe howe
the name offyce is not altogether forgotten And is in effect that which nowe euery Bailife of a mannour practiseth Although the name of Bailise was not then in vre amonge vs being since brought in by the Normans But the name of Réeue auÌ„ciently called Gereue which particle Ge in continuance of tyme was altogether left out and lost came from the Saxon woord Gerefa which signifieth a ruler And so in déede his rule and aucthoritie was large wythin the compas of his Lordes manour and amonge hys menne and tenauntes as well in matters of gouernement in peace and warre as in the skylfull vse and trade of husbandry For as hée did gather his Lordes rentes pay Reprises or duetyes issuings out of the manner set the seruants to worke fel cut down Trées to repaire the buildinges and enclosures with diuers such like for his Lordes commoditity So also he had aucthority to gouerne and kéepe the tenants in peace and if néede required to leade them foorth in warre Reuersion REuersion of lande is a certen estate remayning in the lessour or donour after the particuler estate and possession conueyed to an other And it is called a reuersion in respect of the possessioÌ„ seperated from it so that hée that hath y â— one hath not the other at the same time for béeinge in one body together there cannot be said a reuersion beecause by the vnitinge the one of them is drowned in the other And so the reuersion of lande is the land itselfe when it falleth Riot RIot is where 3 at the least or more doe some vnlawfull act as to beat a manne Enter vppon the possess of an other or such like Robbery RObbery is when a maÌ„ taketh any thing from the parson of an other feloniousely although the thinge so taken bée not to the value but of a peny yet it is felony for which the offendor shal suffer death Rout. ROut is when people doe assemble themselues together and after doe procéede or ryde or goe foorth or doe moue by the instigation of one or more who is their leader This is called a Rout béecause they do moue and procéede in Routes and numbers Also where many assemble them selues together vpon their owne quarrels and braules as if the inhabitaunts of a Towne wyll gather them selues together to breake hedges wales ditches pales or such like to haue coÌ„moÌ„ there or to beate an other that hath done to them a coÌ„mon displeasure or such like that is a Rout and agaynst the lawe although they haue not done or put in executyon their mischeuous entent Sake SAk this is plea and correction of trespas of men in your court because Sak in English is Acheâ—oÌ„ in french and Sak is put for Sik as to say for sik sak also for what hurt and Sak is put for forfait Scot. SCot that is to be quite of a certen custome as of common tallage made to the vse of y â— shirife or his Bailifes Shewinge SHewing that is to bée quit with attachment in any court and before whomsoeuer in plaintes shewed not auowed Sok SOk this is suit of meÌ„ in your court according to the custome of y â— Realme Sokmans SOkmans are the tenants in auncient demesne that holde their lands by Socage that is by seruice with y â— plough and therefore they are called Sokmans which is as much to say as tenants or meÌ„ that hold by seruice of the plough or plowmen For Sok signifieth a plough And these Sokmans or tenants in auncieÌ„t demesne haue many and diuers liberties gyuen and graunted to them by the law as wel these tenants that holde of a common person in auncient demesne as those that hold of the Quéene in auncient demesue as namely to bée frée from payinge tolle in euery Market Faire towne and Cytie throughout the whole Realme as well for their goodes and cattels that they sel to others as for those thynges that they buy for their prouision of other And thereuppon euery of them may sue to haue letters patentes vnder y e Quéenes seale directed to her officers to y e Maires Bailifes other officers in the Realme to suffer them to bée tolle frée Also to bée quit of poÌ„tage murage and passage as also of taxes and tallages grauÌ„ted by parlyament except that the Quéene taxe auncien demesne as shée may at her pleasure for some great cause Also to bée frée froÌ„ payments towardes the expenses â–ª of the knightes of the Shire y t come to the parliament And if the shirife will distreine them or any of them to bée contributory for their lands in auncyent demesne then one of theÌ„ or all as the case requireth maye sue a writ directed to the shirife coÌ„maunding him that hée doe not compell them to bée contrybutories to the expenses of the knightes and the same writte doth commaunde him alsoe that if he haue alreadye dystrayned them therfore that hée redelyuer the same distresse Alsoe that they ought not to bée impanelled nor put in iuries and enquestes in the countrey out of their manner or lordship of auncyen demesne for the lands that they holde there except that they haue other laÌ„ds at the common lawe for which they ought to be charged and if the sherife doe returne them in panelles then they may haue a writ against him de non ponen dis in assisis et iuratis And if he doe to the contrarye then lieth an attachmeÌ„t vpon y t against him And so it is also if the bailifes of fraunchises that haue returne of writtes will returne any of the tenauntes which holde in auncieÌ„t demesne in assises or iures And also to be exempt from leetes and the shirifes turne wyth dyuers other such like lyberties Spoliation SPoliation is a suit for the fruites of a church or for the church itselfe and is to bee sued in the spyrytuall Court and not in our courtes And thys suyt lyeth for one incumbent against an other incumbent where they both claime by one patron and where the ryght of the patronage doth not come in question or debate As if a parsonne be created a Bishoppe and hath dispensation to kéepe his be nefice still and afterwarde the patron presents an other incumbeÌ„t which is instituted inducted Now y e Bishop may haue agaynst that incumbent a Spoliation in the spiritual court because they clayme both by one patron and the ryght of the patronage doth not come in debate and béecause that the other incumbent came to the possessioÌ„ of y e benefice by the couse of the spirituall lawe that is to say by institutyon and induction soe that he hath couler to haue it and to bee person by the spiritual lawe for otherwise if he be not instituted and inducted c. spoliatyon lieth not against hym but rather a writ of trespas or an assise of nouel disseisin c. Soe it is alsoe where a person doth accept an other benefice by
fouÌ„d then y â— reconisée may haue a writ of the chauncery which is called Extendi sacias direct to al shirifs where hée hath landes to extende hys landes and goods to deliuer y e goods to him and to seise him in hys landes to holde them to him and to hys heires and his assignes til that the debts be leuied or payed and for that tyme hée is tenaunt by statut merchaunt And note wei that in a statute merchaunt the reconisée shall haue executyon of al the landes which the reconisour hadde the daye of the reconisaunce made and any tyme after by force of the same estatute And note well that when any waste or destruction is made by the reconisée his executors or by him that hath estate the reconisour or his executours shal haue the same lawe as is before sayd of the tenant by Elegit And note wel if the tenaunt by statut merchaunt holde ouer hys terme he that hath right maye sue against him a venire facias ad computandum or els enter by by as vppon tenaunt by Elegit ¶ There be thrée maner ofrents that is to saye rent seruice rent charge and rent secke Rent seruice is where a manne holdeth of an other by fealtie and for to doe suit to his court and yelding to him a certaine rent by the yere for all manner of seruices ¶ And note wel that if the Lorde be seised of the seruice rent before said they be behinde and he distraine and the tenant rescue the dystresse hée may haue Assyse or a writte of rescous but it is more necessarye for hym to haue assyse then a writ of rescous for that by assise he shal recouer his rent his damages but by a writte of Rescous hée shall not recouer but the thynge and the dammages ¶ And note well that if the lorde be not seysed of the rent and seruyce and they bée behynde and hee dystrayne for them and the tenaunt take againe the distresse hee shall not haue assise but a wrytte of Rescous aud shal not néede to shewe bys right And note wel that if the Lord distreine his tenaunt in socage for knights seruice whiche is not denyed him auowe for y â— same seruice in court of record he shal be charged by the same seruice by Fynch termino Hillarij Anno xlvj And note well y â— if the Lord may not find a distresse by two yeare hée shal haue against the tenaunt a writte of Cessauit per biennium as â–ª it appereth by the statute of Westm 2. cd 21. And if the tenant dye in the meane time and his issue enter the Lord shal haue against the issue a writ of entre vpoÌ„ y â— Cessauit or if the tenaunt alien y â— lord shall haue against the alienée the foresayd writte But if the Lorde haue issue and dye and the tenaunt bée in arrerages of the sayde rent and seruice in the time of the father of the issue not in the time of the issue he may not distrain for y â— arrerages in y â— time of his father and hee shal haue none other recouery agaynst the tenaunt or any other for that that such aduantage is géeuen by the lawe to the tenaunt And note well that rent seruice is that to the which belongeth fealtie but to rent charge rent seck belongeth not fealtie but it belongeth to reÌ„t seruyce of common right Rent charge Rent charge is where a man grauÌ„teth certaine rent going out of hys lands or tenemeÌ„ts to another in fée simple or in fée taile or for terme of life by déede vpoÌ„ condition y t at what time the rent bée beÌ„ehinde it shall bèe wel lawefull to the grauntée to hys heires or assygnes or distrayne in the same laÌ„ds or tenementes And note wel that if the rent be behind it is wel lawful to the grauntée at his election to haue a writte of annuiâ—y or els he may distraine and if the distresse bée taken agaynst his will from him and he was neuer seised béefore he hath noe recouery but by writ of Rescous for y e distresse first taken geueth not to him seysin onely if hee haâ— the rent beefore for if he were seysed of the rent before and after the rent bée behind and hée dystraine rescous to hym bée made hee shall haue assise or a writte of rescous And note wel that in euery assise of reÌ„t charge and annuell rent or in a wrytte of annuitie it béehoueth to him that bringeth the writte to shewe forth an especialty or els he shall not maintaine the assise but in a Mordauncestour or formedon in the discender or other writs in the which title is geuen or comprised brought of rent charge or annuell rent it néedeth not to shewe especialtie And note well that if a maÌ„ grauÌ„t a reÌ„t charge to an other y â— grauntée purchase the halfe of the land whereof the rent is going out all the rent is extinct and if the grauntée release to the grauntour parcell of the rent yet al the rent is not extinct But in reÌ„t seruice the lawe is otherwyse for notwithstandinge y â— y â— Lorde hath purchased y â— halfe of y â— laÌ„d wherof y â— rent is going out yet y â— rent is not extinct but for the halfe the cause of the diuersity is that rent seruice may bée seuered to one portion but not rent charge And note wel that if rent charge be graunted to two ioyntly and the one release yet the other shall haue the halfe of the rent And also if one purchase the halfe of the lande whereof the rent is goyng out the other shall haue the halfe of the rent of hys companion And if the disseysour charge y â— land to a straunger and the disseisie bringe an assise and recouer the charge is defeated But if hée that hath right charge the lande and a straunger faine a false action against him recouer by defaut the charge abydeth And note wel that in case that purparty bée béetwéene two parceners and more land bée allotted to one then to the other and shée that hath more of the lande chargeth her land to the other and shée happeth the rent shée shal mainteyne assyse without especialty And if y â— grauÌ„tée haue in fée simple or in fée tayle and hath issue and dieth if the issue bringe a formedon or assise of mordauncester hée shall neuer bée charged to shewe an especialty Rent secke Rent secke is where a man holdeth of me by homage fealty other seruice yeldyng to mée a certaine rent by y e yere and I graunt this rent to another reseruinge to mée the seruice And note wel that in rent seck if a man be seised of the rent and the rent bée behind hée may not dystrayne but hee shall haue assise of nouel disseisin And note well that if rent secke be graunted to a manne and to hys heires and the