to be passed the Lordship of Whichenour then shal all they retorne except hym to whom apperteigneth to make the carriage and journy withoutt the Countye of Stafford at the costys of his Lord of Whichenour And yf the seid Robert Knyghtley doe not cause the Baconne and Corne to be conveyed as is rehersed the Lord of Whichenour shal do it to be carryed and shal distreigne the said Robert Knyghtley for his default for one hundred shillings in his Manoir of Rudlowe and shale kepe the distresse so takyn irreplevisable Bridshall Moreover the sayd Sir Philippe holdeth of his Lord the Erle the Manoir of Briddeshalle by theis services that att such tyme that hys sayd Lord holdeth hys Chrystemes at Tuttebury the sayd Sir Philippe shal come to Tuttebury upon Chrystemes Evyn and shall be lodged yn the Town of Tuttebury by the Marshall of the Erlys house and upon Chrystemes day he hymself or some other Knyght his Deputye shal goe to the Dressour and shal sewe his Lordys Messe and then shal he kerve the same mett to his sayd Lord and this service shall he doe as well at Souper as at Dynner and when his Lord hath eryn the sayd Sir Philippe shal sit downe in the same place their his Lord satt and shall be served at his Table by the Steward of the Erlys House And upon Seynt Stevyn day when he haith Dyned he shal take leve of his Lorde and shal kisse him and for his service he shal nothing take ne nothing shal gyve And all theis Services to fore rehersed the sayd Sir Philippe hath doo by the space of xlviij years and hys Ancestors before hym to his Lordys Erles of Lancastre Tatenhul and Drycot Item the sayd Sir Phelippe holdeth of his seid Lorde the Erle his Manoirs of Tatenhull and Drycotte en Parcenerye by theis services that the seid Sir Phelippe or his Atturneye for hym shal come to the Castle of Tuttebury upon Seynt Petyr day in August which is call Lammesse and shal shew the Steward or Recever that he is come thither to hunt and catch his Lords Greese at the costages of his Lord. Whereupon the Steward or the Recever shal cause a Horse and Sadyl to be deliveryd to the sayd Sir Phelippe the price fifty shillings or fifty shillings in mony and one hound and shal pay to the seid Sir Philippe everyche daye fro the seid day of Seynt Petyr to Holyroodeday for hymself two shillinges six pence a day and everyche day for his Servant and his Bercelett duryng the seid tyme twelve pence And all the Woodmasters of the Foreste of Nedewode and Duffelde with all the Parkers and Foresters shal be commanded to awatte and attend upon the seid Sir Phelippe while theyr Lordys Greese be takyn in all places of the sayd Forestys as upon theyr Master duringe the sayd tyme. And the sayd Sir Phelippe or his Atturney shal deliver to the sayd Parkers or Foresters that which shal belonge to their Lordys Lardere commanding them to convey itt to the Erlys Lardyner abiding at Tuttebury and with the remanant the seid Sir Phelippe shal do his plesoure And upon Holye-rood day the sayd Sir Phelippe shall returne to the Castle of Tuttebury upon the sayd Horse with his Bercelett and shal dyne with the Steward or Receyver and after dynner he shal deliver the Horse Sadyle and Bercelett to the Steward or Receyveour and shal kisse the Porter and depart Hopton To the heyes male of the Hopton laufully begotten To me and to myne to thee and to thine While the water runs and the Sun doth Shine For lack of heyrs to the King againe I William King the third year of my reign Give to the Norman Hunter To me that art both Line and Deare The Hoppe and Hoptoune And al the bounds up and downe Under the Earth to Hell Above the Earth to Heaven From me and from myne To thee and to thine As good and as faire As ever they myne were To witness that this is sooth I bite the white Wax with my tooth Before Jugg Marode and Margery And my third Son Henery For one Bow and one broad Arrow When I come to hunt upon Yarrow This Grant made by William the Conqueror to the Ancestor of the antient family of the Hoptons I copied out of an old Manuscript and John Stow has it in his Cronicle but in both it wanted the four First Lynes which seem to create that Estate Tayle by which Richard Hopton Esquire a Gentleman of low fortune but haply may be the right heir of the Familye hath of late years by vertue of this Charter made several Clayms and commenced divers suites both for this Mannour of Hopton in the hole in the County of Salop and for divers other the Mannours and Lands of Raph late Lord Hopton but hitherto for ought I hear without any successe Cholmer and Dancing in Com. Essex Carta Edwardi Confessoris Iche Edward konyng Have geven of my Forest the keping Of the Hundred of Cholmer and Dancing To Randolf Peperking and to his kindling With Heort and Hynd Doe and Bock Hare and Fox Cat and Brock Wild Fowell with his Flock Partridge Fesant Hen and Fesant Cock With green and wyld stob and Stock To kepen and to yemen by all her might Both by day and eke by night And Hounds for to holde Gode and swift and bolde Four Greyhounds and six Braches For Hare and Fox and Wildcats And thereof iche made him my Book Witness the Bishop Wolston And bock ycleped many one And Sweyn of Essex our Brother And to ken him many other And our Stiward Howelyn That bysought me for him Comitatus de Ewe King Henry the Fifth by his Charter dated 10 Jun. 7. regni granted to Sir William Bourchier the whole County of Ewe in Normandy Reddendo dicto Regi haeredibus suis apud Castrum Rothomagi unum Gardebrache ad festum Sancti Georgii singulis annis c This Gardebrace is otherwise called vambrace and signifies Armor for the Arme. Coringham In the Third year of King Edward the First Sir William le Baud Knight made a signal Grant to the Dean and Canons of St. Pauls London of a Doe yearly on the feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul and of a fat Buck upon the Commemoration of the same Saint to be offered at the high Altar in St. Pauls by the said Sir William and his household-family and then to be distributed among the Canons resident which said Doe and Buck were so given by him in lieu of 22 acres of Land lying within the Lordship of Westlee in Com. Essex belonging to the said Canons and by them granted to him and his heyrs to be enclosed within his Park of Coringham But about the certain time and formality in offering the said Buck and Doe there growing afterwards some dispute Sir Walter le Baud Knight son and heyr of the said Sir William by his Deed dated on the Ides of July 30 Edward 1. for the health of his Soul and of his Progenitors and heyrs confirmed his said Fathers Grant and obliged himself and his heyrs his Lands and
gave Sir Ralph de Pichford the little Burgh near Bridgnorth to hold by the service of finding dry wood for the great Chamber of the Castle of Burgh i. Bridgnorth against the coming thither of his Sovereign Lord the King Whittington Beneath Whittington in Shropshire one Wrenoc Son of Meuric held Lands by the service of being Latimer that is Trucheman or Interpreter between the English and the Welshmen Kinwaldmersh Nicholas filius haeres Nicolai de Longford Chivalier tenet quatuor Messuagia 40 acras terrae deeem acras prati lx s. redditus cum pertinentiis in Kinwaldmersh de Rege in Capite per Servitium inveniendi unum Equum unum Saccum unum Pryk in guerra Walliae quandocunque contigerit Regem ibi guerrare Langewath Vniversis Capitulum Beati Petri Ebor. concessisse ad firmam J.S. totam Hayam nostram de Langewath cum solo ejusdem Hayae bruera marisco omnibus aliis pertinentiis Reddendo inde annuatim nobis tempore Pinguedinis unum damum Fermisonae tempore unam damam c. Dat. 13. Calend. Januar. Anno M CC LXXIX Brokenerst Petrus Spileman finem fecit cum Rege pro terris quas dictus Petrus tenuit per Seriantiam inveniendi unum servientem cum Hambergello per 40 dies in Anglia inveniendi Literam ad Lectum Regis faenum ad Paleefridum Regis quando Rex jacuerit apud Brokenerst in Com. Southampton Rodeley Certain Tenants of the Mannor of Rodeley in Com. Glocester do pay to this day to the Lord thereof a Rent called Pridgavel in duty and acknowledgment to him for their Liberty and Priviledge of fishing for Lampreys in the River Severn Plompton In King Henry the third's time Walter de Plompton held certain Lands in Plompton in the Parish of Kingsbury and County of Warwick by a certain Weapon called a Danish Axe which being the very Charter whereby the said Land was given to one of his Ancestors hung up for a long time in the Hall of the Capital Messuage in testimony of the said Tenure Hildesley Ad istam Curiam Johannes Rede fecit finem cum Domino pro Tenemento suo Per servitium octo solidorum unius Bederip in Autumno Stamford William Earl Warren Lord of this Town in the time of King John standing upon the Castle Walls saw two Bulls fighting for a Cow in the Castle Meadow till all the Butchers Doggs pursued one of the Bulls madded with noise and multitude clean through the Town This sight so pleased the Earl that he gave the Castle Meadows where first the Bulls duel began for a Common to the Butchers of the Town after the first Grass was mowed on condition that they should find a mad Bull the day six weeks before Christmas day for the continuance of that sport for ever Homet King Henry the fifth granted to Sir Walter Hungerford the Castle and Barrony of Homet in Normandy in special Tail rendring to the King and his Heirs one Lance with a Fox-tayl hanging thereat yearly upon the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and finding ten men at Arms and twenty Archers to serve him or his Lieutenant during his Wars with France Nedding and Kettilherston William de la Pole Marquess of Suffolk had a Grant from King Henry the Sixth of the Mannors of Nedding and Kettilberston in Com. Suffolk to hold by the service of carrying a Golden Scepter with a Dove on the head of it upon the Coronation day of the Kings heirs and Successors As also a Scepter of Ivory with a Golden Dove on the head of it upon the day of the Coronation of the Queens of England Isle of Man Sir John Stanley of Hen. IV. had a Grant in Fee of the Isle of Man with the Castle Pele Pelam Patronage of the Bishoprick with all the Regalities and Franchises thereto belonging To be held of the King his Heirs and Successors by Homage and the service of two Falcons payable on the day of his or their Coronation Brayles In King Edward the Firsts time Adam Vnderwood held one Yard land in Brayles in Com. Warwic of William Earl of Warwick paying therefore seven bushels of Oats yearly and a Hen and working for the Lord from Michaelmas till Lammas every other day except Saturday viz. at Mowing as long as that season lasted for which he was to have as much Grass as he could carry away with his Sythe and at the end of Hay-harvest he and the rest of his Fellow-Mowers to have the Lords best Mutton except one or xvj d. in money with the best Cheese saving one or vj d. in money and the Cheese-Vat wherein the Cheese was made full of Salt From Lammas to Michaelmas he was to work two days in the week and to come to the Lords Reap with all his houshold except his Wife and his Shepherd to cut down one Land of Corn being quit of all other work for that day That he should likewise carry 2 Cart-loads and an half of the Lords Hay and 7 Cart-load of Stones for 3 days and gather Nuts for 3 days And in case the Lord kept his Christmas at his Mannor of Brayles to find three of his Horses meat for three nights That he should plough thrice a year viz. 6 Selions and make 3 Quarters of Malt for the Lord and pay for every Hog he kept above a year old j d and for every one under a halfpeny And lastly that he and the rest of the Tenants of this Mannor should give 12 Marks yearly to the Lord at Michaelmas by way of Ayd and not marry their Daughters nec filios coronare i. nor make their Sons Priests without license from the Lord. Bainton In 2. Ed. 2. Peter de Manley was found to be seized of the Mannor of Bainton with the Advowson of the Church by the service of finding two Knights and four Esquires in the Kings Army for 40 dayes in time of War and to provide a Steward to do suit for him at the Kings Court at York from six Weeks to 6 weeks Wiltshire The County of Wilts antiently paid to the King ten pounds for a Hawk twenty shillings pro Summario a Sumpter Horse one hundred shillings for Hay and in Money five Ores Fernham The Barons Furnival held Fernham in Com. Bucks now called Farnham-Royal by service of finding their Sovereign Lord the King upon the day of his Coronation a glove for his right-Hand and to support his right Arm the same day whilst he held the Regal Verge or Scepter in his Hands From the Furnivals this Mannor came to the Talbots who though they exchanged it with King Hen. 8. Yet they reserved this honourable Office to them and their heirs for ever Fingrey and Wulfelmelston The Earls of Oxford by the heir of Sandford antiently held the Mannors of Fingrey and Wulfelmelston in
yearly and carrying it up and down the Town in great jollity on Midsomer Eve to which they added the Picture of a Giant was in all likelyhood first instituted Ensham It has been the Custom at Ensham in Oxfordshire for the Towns people on Whit-Monday to cut down and bring away where-ever the Church-Wardens pleased to mark it out by giving the first Chop as much timber as could be drawn by mens hands into the Abby-yard whence if they could draw it out again notwithstanding all the impediments could be given by the servants of the Abby and since that by the Family of the Lord it was then their own and went in part at least to the reparation of their Church And by this Custom as some will have it they hold both their Lammas and Michaelmas Common Bosbury W.M. Tenet novem acras terrae Custumariae in Bosbury in Com. Heref. quoddam Molendinum aquaticum ad voluntatem Domini debet quasdam Consuetudines viz. Tak Toll Faldfey sanguinem suum emere Lodebrook In the Mannor of Lodebrook in the County of Warwic whereof the Catesbyes were heretofore Lords each Tenant paid Swarf-money yearly which was one peny half-peny It must be paid says the Rental before the rising of the Sun the party must go thrice about the Cross and say The Swarf-Money and then take witness and lay it in the hole And when he hath so done he must look well that his witness do not deceive him for if it be not paid he giveth a great forfeiture thirty shillings and a white Bull. Chester In the time of King John Randle the third sirnamed Blundevil Earl of Chester having many Conflicts with the Welch was at last distressed by them and forced to retreat to the Castle of Rothelent in Flint shire where they besieged him who presently sent to his Constable of Chester Roger Lacy sirnamed Hell for his fiery spirit that he would come with all speed and bring what forces he could for his relief Roger having gathered a tumultuous rout of Fidlers Players Coblers and other debauched persons both men and Women out of the City of Chester for 't was then the Fair there marched immediately with them towards the besieged Earl The Welch perceiving a great multitude coming raised the siege and fled The Earl coming back with his Constable to Chester gave him power over all the Fidlers and Shoemakers of Chester in reward and memory of this service The Constable reteined to himself and his heirs the authority and donation of the Shoemakers but John his Son conferred the Authority over the Lechers and Whores on his Steward which then was Dutton of Dutton by this his deed Sciant praesentes futuri quod ego Johannes Constabularius Cestriae dedi concessi hac praesenti Carta confirmavi Hugoni de Dutton haeredibus suis Magistratum omnium Leccatorum Meretricum totius Cestershiriae sicut liberius illum magistratum teneo de Comite Salvo jure meo mihi heredibus meis Hiis testibus Though this original Grant makes no mention of giving Rule over Fidlers and Minstrels yet ancient Custom has now reduced it onely to the Minstrelsey for probably the Rout which the Constable brought to the Rescue of the Earl were debauched persons drinking with their Sweethearts in the Fair the Fidlers that attended them and such loose persons as he could get Anno 14 Hen 7. a Quo Waranto was brought against Laurence Dutton of Dutton Esquire to shew why he claimed all the Minstrels of Cheshire and the City of Chester to appear before him at Chester yearly on the Feast of Saint John Baptist and to give him at the said Feast quatuor Lagenas Vini unam Lanceam i. Four Flagons of wine and a Lance and also every Minstrel then to pay him four pence halfpeny and why he claimed from every Whore in Chesshire and the City of Chester Officium suum exercente four pence yearly at the said feast c. Whereunto he pleaded prescription The heirs of this Hugh de Dutton enjoy the same power and Authority over the Minstrelsy of Cheshire even to this day and keep a Court every year upon the Feast of Saint John Baptist at Chester being the Fair day where all the Minstrels of the County and City do attend and play before the Lord of Dutton upon their several Instruments He or his Deputy then riding through the City thus attended to the Church of St. John many Gentlemen of the County accompanying him and one walking before him in a Surcoat of his Arms depicted upon Taffata And after Divine Service ended holds his Court in the City where he or his Steward renews the old Licences granted to the Minstrels and gives such new ones as he thinks fit under the Hand and Seal of himself or his Steward none presuming to exercise that faculty there without it But now this Dominion or priviledge is by a Daughter and heir of Thomas Dutton devolved to the Lord Gerard of Gerards Bromley in Staffordshhire And whereas by the Statute of 39 Eliz Fidlers are declared to be Rogues yet by a special Proviso therein those in Chesshire Licenced by Dutton of Dutton are exempted from that infamous Title in respect of this his ancient Custome and priviledge Esseburn Juratores dicunt quod in principio quando Mineratores veniunt in Campum Mineria quaerentes inventa minera venient ad Ballivum qui dicitur Berghmanster petent ab eo duas Metas si sit in novo Campo habebunt unam scil pro inventione aliam de jure Mineratorum unaquaeque meta continet quatuor Perticatas ad foveam suam septem pedes unaquaeque Perticata erit de 24 pedibus c. dicunt etiam quod Placita del Bergmote debent teneri de tribus septimanis in tres septimanas super minerias in Pecco c. Berk-holt Homines de Berkholt in Com. Suffolk dicunt quod tempore Regis Henrici Avi Domini Regis nunc solebant habere talem Consuetudinem Quod quando maritare volebant filias suas solebant dare Domino pro filiabus suis maritandis duas Oras quae valent xxxij Denarios Warham By the Custom of Warham in the County of Dorset both Males and Females have a right equally in the partition of Lands and Tenements Tenementa in Warham sunt partibilia inter Masculos Faeminas says the Record And is so unusuall a Custom that perhaps it may be hard to find the like elsewhere in England Honington The Tenants of the Mannor of Honington in the County of Warwic were by antient Custom to perform several services to the Lord every other day from Midsummer to Michaelmas To pay six shillings and eight pence yearly for maintenance of the Lords Corn-Cart and none of them to sell his Horse-Colt without licence from the Lord. Hampton Tenentes de
Tenements That every year for ever on the day of the Conversion of St. Paul there should be a good fat Doe brought by one of his fitting Servants and not the whole family at the hour of Procession and through the midst thereof and offer'd at the High Altar without exacting any thing for the said service of the Dean and Canons And on the day of the Commemoration of St. Paul in Summer a fat Buck by some such Servant attended with as many of the Family as had heretofore been usual and so carryed through the midst of the Procession and offer'd at the high Altar the said Dean and Canons after the Offering thus performed giving by the hands of their Chamberlain one shilling to the persons bringing the Buck for their entertainment And to this grant were witnesses Sir Nicholas de Wokyndon Sir Richard de la Rokele Sir Thomas de Mandevyle Sir John de Rocheford Knights with divers others The reception of which Doe and Buck was till Queen Elizabeths days solemnly performed at the steps of the Quire by the Canons of St. Pauls attired in their sacred Vestments and wearing Garlands of Flowers on their heads and the horns of the Buck carried on the top of a Spear in Procession round about within the body of the Church with a gr 〈…〉 noise of horn blowers as the learned Camden upon his own view of both affirmes Bure Ferrers Johannes de Ferrers Chivalier tenet de Honore Castri de Tremanton in Comitatu Cornubiae xxj Feoda militum in Bure Ferrers alibi per servitium militare reddend ad Festum Sancti Michaelis quatuor Virones ad Batellos Passagii de Esse sustinend xxj Kernella Castri praedicti sumptibus suis propriis Clymeslond A. B. Nativus de stipite quondam tenuit unam Messuagium cum pertin in Clymeslond in Com. Cornubiae respondet inde per annum ad quatuor terminos ij s. iiij d. Et Berbiagii ad sestum Apostolor Philippi Jacobi xvj d. Et faciet Sectam ad Curiam Domini de tribus Septimanis in tres Septimanas erit Praepositus decennarius Bedellus cum electus fuerit Et cum Dominus Princeps fuerit apud Launceston cariabit quotiens dictus Dominus Voluerit unum Cariagium per diem de Bosco de Clymeslond usque Launceston ad custum proprium Et filius ejus novissime natus quem reliquerit superstitem habebit terras suas per Finem quem fecerit cum Domino ad voluntatem suam non amovebitur a terra sua pro tota vita sua Non mittet filium suum ad Scholas nec filiam suam maritabit sine licentia Principis Et cum obierit Dominus habebit omnia Catalla sua Aslaby Richardus filius Wydonis de Aslaby in Com. Ebor. tenet duas Carucatas terrae per servitium aptandi unum canem liverium Domini Regis Cheshire William the Conqueror created Hugh Lupus Earl of Chester and Swordbearer of England with these words Habendum tenendum dictum Comitatum Cestriae sibi haeredibus suis ita libere ad Gladium sicut ipse Rex totam tenebat Angliam ad Coronam Halton Hugh Lupus Earl of Chester created Nigel or Neal Baron of Halton in Chesshire Constable and Marshall of Chester by condition of service to lead the Vauntguard of the Earles Army when he should make any Expedition into Wales so as the said Baron should be the formost in marching into the Enemies Countrey and the last in coming back Wallingford Tainus vel miles Regis Dominicus moriens pro Relevamento Dimittebat Regi omnia Arma sua equum unum cum Sella alium sine Sella quod si essent ei Canes vel Accipitres praesentabuntur Regi ut si vellet accipiet Acton The Lord Grey of Wilton held the Manour of Acton in Com. Buckingham by Serjanty of keeping one Gerfalcon for their Sovereign Lord the King Whereupon that Family of the Greys had for their Badge or Cognisance a Falcon Sejant upon a Glove Shorn Antiently Sir Roger Northwood held the Manour of Shorn in Kent by service to carry with other the Kings Tenants a White Ensigne forty dayes at his own charges when the King should make warr in Scotland Tachebroke Roger de Wellesburne tenuit medietatem unius Hidae terrae in Tachebroke in Comitatu Warwici veniet ad magnam Precariam in Autumpno cum omnibus messoribus suis ad Puturam Domini bis in die Grenocle Mathew de Hastings held the Manour of Grenocle in the County of Sussex of the King by this service that he shouid find an Oare for the Kings use when he should passe over the Sea at the Haven of Hastings Sciredun and Siplegh David de Sciredun held lands in Sciredun and Siplegh in Com. Devon of the King by the service of finding two Arrows when the King his sovereign Lord should come to hunt in the Forest of Dertmore Shrewsbury In William the Conquerors time this City for so it was then called paid yearly seven pounds sixteen shillings and eight pence de Gablo they were reckoned to be two hundred fifty two Citizens whereof twelve of the better sort were bound to Watch about the Kings of England when they lay in this City and as many to attend them with Horse and Arms when they went forth a hunting Which last service the Learned Camden believes was ordained because not many years before Edric Streon Duke of the Mercians a man of great impiety lay in wait near this place for Prince Afhelm and barbarously murder'd him as he rode a hunting Servitia et Libertates Roberti Fitz-Walter de Castro Baynardi in London Ces sont les droicts que appendent a Robert Fitz-Wauter Chastellein de Loundres Seigneur de Wodeham en la Citee de Loundres Cestascavoir que le dit Robert et ces heirs deivent estre a sont chief Banoors de Londres de fee pour la dicte Chastelrie que ces auncestres et luy ont du Chastel-Baynard en la dicte Citee En temps de guerre doit le dict Robert et ces heirs servir la Ville en la manere desouz escript Que le dict Robert doit venir sus son Destrer covert montant soi Vintisme des hommes as Armes as chevaulx coverts de teyle ou de fer tanque al graund huis de Mynstre de S. Pol ove sa Banere desploye devant luy de ses Armes Et quant il est venuz a graund huis du Mynstier avantdit mountez et apparaillez si come il est avantdit si doit le Maire de Loundres Venir ove touz ses