taken had and sued out of the Kings hands by the person or persons to whom they shall be so disposed willed or devised in like manner as hath been used by any Heir or Heirs before the making of this Statute Every person having Mannours Lands c. of Estate in Inheritance holden of the King in chief by Knights-service or of the nature of Knights-service in chief hath power by his last Will in writing or by any other Act executed in his life to give dispose will or assign two parts thereof in three parts to be divided or else so much thereof as shall amount to the yearly value of two parts thereof in three parts to be divided in certainty and by speciall divisions that it may be known in severalty for the advancement of his Wife preferment of his Children and payment of his debts or otherwise at his pleasure Here also the custody Wardship and Primer Seisin or any of them as the case shall require of as much of such Mannours Lands c. as shall amount to the clear yearly value of the third part thereof as also all fines for Alienations upon such alteration of the Free-hold or Inheritance are saved to the King Every person having Mannours Lands c. of Estate of Inheritance holden of the King in chief by Knight-service and having other Mannours Lands c. holden of the King or any other by Knight-service or otherwise hath power to give dispose or will or assign by Will in writing or otherwise by Act executed in his life two parts thereof in three parts to be divided or so much thereof as shall amount to the yearly value of two parts thereof to be severed as aforesaid for the advancement of his Wife preferment of his Children and payment of his Debts or otherwise at his pleasure Here likewise the Custody Wardship Primer Seisin and Fines for Alienation are saved to the King as before Every person having Mannours Lands c. of estate of Inheritance holden of any other Lord by Knight-service and other Lands in Socage or of the nature of Socage may give dispose assure by will or otherwise by Act executed in his life two parts of the Knight-service Land or so much thereof as shall amount to the yearly value of two parts as aforesaid and also all the Socage Land at his pleasure saving to such Lord for his Custody and Wardship so much of the Knight-service Land as shall amount to the yearlyly value of the third part thereof Every person having Mannours Lands c. holden of the King by Knight-service and not in chief or any Mannours Lands c. holden of the King by Knight-service and not in chief and other Mannours Lands c. holden of any other person by Knight-service and also other Mannours Lands c. holden of any other person in Soccage or in the nature of Soccage may give dispose will devise and assure by his last Will or otherwise by Act executed in his life two parts of the said Knight-service Land or so much thereof as shall amount to two parts of the yearly value thereof as aforesaid all the Soccage Land at his will and pleasure Howbeit here also the Custody and Wardship of so much of the said Knight-service Mannours Lands c. as shall amount to the yearly value of the third part thereof are saved to the King and other Lords respectively and if the King or other Lord have not in this case a full third part set out for them they may respectively take into their possession so much of the other two parts as will make it a full third part Provided that all persons shall sue Liverie for Possessions Reversions or Remainders and pay Reliefs and Heriots as they did before the making of this Act. Fines for Alienations shall be paid in Chancery upon Writs of Entry in the Post for common Recoveries suffered of any Mannours Lands c. holden of the King in chief in like manner as upon Alienations of such Mannours Lands c. by Fine or Feoffment Howbeit no other Fine shall be paid there for any such Writs but only such Fines for Alienations Where two or more hold any Mannours Lands c. of the King by Knight-service joyntly to them and their Heirs of one of them and he that hath the Inheritance dieth his Heir being within age the King shall have the Ward and Marriage of such Heir the life of Free holder or Free holders notwithstanding saving to every Woman her Interest of Dower in such Lands to be assigned out of the two parts thereof severed from the third part as abovesaid and not otherwise and saving also the King the Reversions of all such Tenants by joynt-Tenure and Dower after the death of such Tenants in case they happen to die during the Nonage of the Kings Ward CHAP. LIV. Matrimony and Marriage ALl Marriages shall be adjudged lawfull which are not prohibited by Gods Law What marriages shall be lawfull Spirituall persons may marry 32 H. 8.38 All Laws Canons Constitutions and Ordinances which prohibit Marriages to spirituall Persons who by Gods Law may marry and all forfeitures therein shall be void 2 3. E. 6.21 Bigamus is Felony A Bigamus shall suffer death as a Felon unless he or she have had no notice that the Husband or Wife was living within seaven years before or the Marriage be severed by Divorce This Felony shall cause no corruption of blood Bigamy causeth no corruption of blood c. or loss of Dower or inheritance 1 Jac. 11. CHAP. LV. Of Voucher VOucher is when a Praecipe quod reddat of Land is brought against a man What Voucher is and another ought to Warrant the Land to the Tenant then the Tenant shall Vouch him to Warranty and thereupon he shall have a Writ called Summoneas ad Warrantizandum And if the Sheriff return that he hath nothing by the which he may be Summoned then there shall go forth a Writ called Sequatur sub suo periculo and when he cometh he shall plead with the Demandant and if he come not or if he come and cannot barre the Demandant then the Demandant shall recover the Land against the Tenant and the Tenant shall recover as much Land in value against the Vouchee and thereupon shall have a Writ called Capias ad valentiam against the Vouchee CHAP. LIV. Voucher and Connter-Plea of Voucher WHen any demandeth Land against another A Tenant impleaded voucheth the vouchee denieth the Warranty and the party that is impleaded Voucheth to Warranty and the Vouchee denieth his Warranty in this case like as the Tenant should loose the Land in Demand in case where he Vouched and the Vouchee could discharge himself of the Warranty In the same wise shall the Vouchee loose in case where he denieth his Warranty and if it be found and tryed against him that he is bound to Warranty And if an Enquest be depending between the Tenant and the
the Feoffer held so that no man can hold in Frank-almoigne but by force of a grant made before the said Statute only the Kings Majesty excepted for he is out of the compass of the Statute Finally ye shall note That whereas a man shall hold in Frank-almoigne his Lord is bound by the Law to acquit him of all manner of service that any other Lord can have or demand out of the said Lands so that if he doth not acquit him but suffer him to be distrained then he shall have against his Lord a certain Writ called a Writ of Mesne Writ of Mesne and shall recover against him his damages and costs of his Suit CHAP. XXXV Of Burgage A Tenure in Burgage is where an antient Borough is of which the King his Lord and they which have Tenements within the same Borough Socage Tenure held the same of the King paying a certain Yearly Rent which Tenure in effect is but Socage Tenure likewise it is whereas any other Lord Spirituall or Temporall is Lord of such borough Here ye shall note Custome that for the most part such antient Boroughs and Towns have divers Customes and Usages which other Towns have not for some Boroughs have a Custome that the youngest Son shall Inherit before the Eldest which custome is commonly called Borough English Dower by Custome Also in some Borough by the Custome the Woman shall have for her Dowrie all the Lands and Tenements whereof her Husband was seized at any time during the Matrimony and Coverture Moreover Devise by Custome of Borough in some Boroughs a man may bequeath or devise his Lands or Tenements by Testament at the time of his death and by force of such devise or Legacy he to whom the bepuest is made after the death of the Testator which made such Testament may by force of this Antient Custome enter into the Land so to him bequeathed or devised without any Livery of Seisin to him made or further Ceremony of Law Howbeit how and in what manner a man may at this day devise his Lands by his last will and Testament by force of a certain new Statute it shall be hereafter declared Divers other Customes in England there be contrary to the course of the Common Law which if they be any thing probable and may stand with reason are good and effectuall notwithstanding they be against the Common Law And note That no Custome is allowable but such Custome as hath been used by Title of prescription or time out of mind CHAP. XXXVI Of Villinage or bond Service A Tenant in Villinage is properly when a Villaine that is to say a bondman holdeth of his Lord whose Bondman he is certain Lands or Tenements according to the Custome of the Manour or otherwise at the will of his Lord and to do his Lord Villane service as for to bear and carry the dung of his Lords out of the City or out of his Lords Manour and to lay it upon the Demeane Lands of the Lord or to do such like Service and Villanies Service Howbeit Free-men in some places hold their Tenements and Lands of their Lords by Custome by such sort of Service and their Tenure is called Tenure in Villinage and yet they themselves be no Villaines nor of servile condition but Freemen for the Land holden in Villinage maketh not the Tenant a Villaine but contrariwise a Villaine may make Free Land to be Villaines Land unto his Lord as if a Villaine purchaseth Land in Fee-simple or Fee-tayl the Lord of the Villaine may enter into the Land so purchased by his Bondmen and put him and his Heirs out for ever and this done the Lord if he will may Lease the same Land to his Villaine to hold of him in Villenage And here ye shall understand That Servitude or Villenage is the ordinance not of the Law of nature but of that Law which is called jus gentium by which a man is made subject contrary to nature unto another mans Dominion for he that is a Villaine or Bondman either he is so by Title of prescription that is to say he and his Ancestors have been Villains time out of mind or else he is a Villaine by his own confession in some Court of record so that all Villaines either they be born Villaines or else they be made so they be born Villaines when their Father being a Bondman himself begetteth them in Lawfull Wedlock either of a Free Woman or of a Bond Woman for so that the Father be Bond the Issues of him Lawfully begotten must needs be Bond by the Laws of England having no regard to the Condition of the Mother whereas in the Civill Laws of the Romanes it is clean contrary for there Pars sequitur ventrem that is to say the Servitude or Bondage of the Mother maketh the child Bond and not the Bondage of the Father Bastard Howbeit the Bastard Son of a Bond man shall not be Bond and the reason is because a Bastard is nullius filius in the Law that is to say no mans sonne They be made Bondmen or Villaines two waies either by their own proper act as when a Free Person being of full age will come into a Court of Record and there confesseth himself Bond to another man Or else by the Laws of Arms called jus gentium as when a man is taken prisoner in wars and is compelled to serve and become the Thrall and Bond man of him that took him the Law calleth such a Person a Villaine that is to say a slave and Thrall And ye shall note Definition of Villaines That Villaines be properly called in Latin Servi because that when they be taken in warre the Captains be wont not to kill them but to sell them and so to save their lives So that they be called Servi a servendo that is to say of serving They be called Mancipia a manu capiendo because they be taken by hand and power of their enemies Now as I said by the Law of Nature we are all born free but after that by the Law of of Gentility servitude or bodage did press and invade the world then ensued the bene-of Manumission Manumission is Quasi de manu emissio that is to say Manumission a giving out of the hand or power For so long as a man is in bondage and servitude he is subject to the hand and power of another and when he is Manumissed he is made free and delivered from the said power So that a Manumission is to say a Writing testifying that the Lord hath infranchised his Villain and all his off-spring and Sequell Also if the Lord maketh to his bondman an Obligation of a certain summe of money What acts maketh Manumission in Law or granteth to him by his Deed an Annuity or yearly Pension or leaseth to him by Deed Lands or Tenements for terme of years any of these acts do imploy an Enfranchisement Likewise if
this Rent is but Rent Seck because John at Stile that hath the Rent hath nothing in Reversion of the Land But if he granteth the Reversion of the Land to John at Noke for term of life and the Tenant Atturneth accordingly then hath John at Noke the Rent as Rent Service because he hath the Reversion for term of his life Likewise it is If a man giveth Lands or Tenements in tayle Rent is incident to a reversion Reserving to him and to his Heirs certain Rent or maketh a Lease of the Land for term of life Reserving certain Rent if he granteth the Reversion to another and the Tenant Atturneth accordingly the whole Rent and Service shall pass by this word Reversion because the Rent and Service in such case be Incident to the Reversion and do pass by the grant of the Reversion But if he had Granted the Rent only it had been Rent Seck CHAP. XXXIX What remedy a man hath to recover his Rent when it is behind I Shewed you before that for a Rent-service if it be behind you may distrain in the ground even of Common right though there be no such Clause of distress mentioned in the Deed of Feoffment Grant or Lease Also for a Rent-charge ye may distrain or bring your Writ of Annuity at your choice and election as before is declared But of a Rent Seck if you were never seized of it nor of any Parcell thereof ye be without remedy by course of the Common Law for ye cannot distrain for it nor yet bring your Writ of Annuity but if you were once seized of it or of Parcell thereof and it is eft-soones behind then your remedy shall be this ye must go either by your self or by your Deputy to the Land or Tenement out of which the Rent is coming Disseisin of Rent Seck and there demand the Arrerages of the Rent which if the Tenant denyeth to pay this deniall is desesin of the Rent Also if the Tenant be not then ready to pay it this countervaileth a deniall which is a disesin Moreover if neither the Tenant nor no other man be remaining upon the ground to pay the Rent when ye demand they Arrerages this also is a deniall in the Law Assize and is in very deed a diseisin And for these diseisins you may have an Assize of Novel diseisin against the Tenant and shall recover seisin of the Rent and the Arrerages and your Dammages and Costs of your Writ and of your Plea And if after such Recovery and Execution had In Rediseisin double damages the Rent be again at another time denied you then you may have a Writ of Rediseisin and shall recover your double Dammages It shall therefore be wisdom for a man Therecauses of disseisin of Rent service when a Rent is granted by any person unto him to take of the Tenant of the Land a Penny or half Penny in name of seisin of the Rent and then if at the next day of payment the Rent be denied him he may have an Assize of Novel diseisin And ye shall note That there be three Causes of diseisin of Rent-service that is to wit Rescous Replevin and Inclosure Rescous is when the Lord upon Land holden of him distraineth for his Rent behind and the distress be rescued from him or if the Lord cometh upon the Land to distrein and the Tenant or any other man for him will not suffer him that is called Rescous Replevin is when the Lord hath distrained Replevin and Replevin is made of the distress by Writ or by Plaint Enclosure is where Lands or Tenements be so enclosed Enclosure that the Lord cannot come within the Lands or Tenements for to distrain And the chief case why such things so made be diseisin to the Lord is forasmuch as the Lord is by this way disturbed of the mean and remedy whereby he ought to come and have his Rent that is to wit by distress And there be four Causes of diseisin of Rent-charge Four Causes of Diseisin of Rent-charged that is to wit Recous Rplevin Enclosure and Denier For Denier or deniall is as well a diseisin of a Rent-charge as it is of a Rent-secke Finally You shall understand that there be two cases of deseisin of Rent-secke that is deniall and Inclosure And it seemeth that there is yet another cause of diseisin of all the three Rents aforesaid that is to wit And two of Rent-secke this when the Lord cometh to the Land holden of him or when he that hath a Rent-charge or a Rent-secke cometh to the Land to distrain for the Rent behind or to demand the Rent and the Tenant hearing this encountreth him and forestalleth him the way with force and Arms and menaceth him in such sort as he dare not come to the ground for to distrain for his Rent behind for fear of death or mutilation of his members This is a Diseisin because the party is disturbed of his mean and lawfull remedy whereby he ought to come to his Rent Finally Ye shall observe and mark That by an Act of Parliament made in the 22th year of our Sovereign Lord King Henry 8 it is lawfull for the Executors and Administrators of Tenants in Fee-simple Tenants in Fee-tayl Tenants for terme of life of Rent-services Rent-charges Rent Seckes and of Fee-farmes for Arrereages of such Rents as were due to the Testators in their lives either to distrein for the same or at their Election to bring an Action of debt except in such Lordships in Wales Distress or Action of Debt or in the Marches thereof whereas the Tenants have useed time out of mind to pay unto every Lord at his first entry into the Lordship any summe of Money for the redemption of all manner of Outcries and Penalties incurred at any time before their Lords entry Also by force of the said Act the Husband which was seized in the right of his Wife may after the death of his Wife either distrein or bring an Action of Debt for the Arrerages of such Rents as were due and unpaid in her life Likewise it is of him that hath a Rent for the term of another mans life if he for term of whose life he hath the Rent dieth yet by vertue of the said Act he or his Executors and Administrators may either distrein or bring an Action of Debt for the Arrerages due before the death of him for term of whose he had the Rent CHAP. XL. How Recoveries ought to be made of Rents and Services UPon a Replevin sued an Avowry may be made by the Lord or Conusance and Justification by his Bayliff or Servant upon the Land holden of the said Lord without naming any person certain to be Tenant thereof The like Law is also upon every Writ sued of second deliverance In any Replegiare or second deliverance for Rents Customes Services or dammage Feasant if the Avowry Conusance or Justification be found
not Knights Service whereas the other is called Escuage uncertain Finally Escuage Uncertain ye shall understand that Escuage uncertain is alwaies adjudged to be Knights Service and draweth unto it Warde Marriage and Relief but Escuage certain is not Knights Service but is of the Tenure of Sucage as shall be hereafter more amply shewed CHAP. XXVI Of Warde Marriage and Relief EVery Knights-Service draweth unto it Warde Marriage and Relief wherefore it is now right expedient somewhat to entreat of them Ye shall therefore be admonished Warde that when the Tenant which holdeth his Lands by Knights-service dieth his Heir male being at that time within the age of twenty one years the Lord shall have the Warde that is to say the custody or keeping of the Lands so holden of him to his own use and profit till the Heir cometh to the full age of twenty one years For the Law here presumeth that till he cometh to his age he is not able to do such Service as is of his Tenure required Furthermore Marriage if such Heirs be unmarried at the time of the death of the Tenant then the Lord shall have also the Warde and the bestowing of the Marriage of him But if a Tenant by Knights-service dieth The full age of a woman his Heir Female being of the age of thirteen years or above then the Lord shall have the Warde neither of the Land nor yet of the Body of such an Heir and the reason hereof is because a woman of that age may have a Husband able to do Knights-service that is to say To wait upon the Kings Majesties Person when he goeth into Scotland with his Army Royal. But if such an Heir Female be within age of fourteen years and not married at the time of the death of her Ancester then the Lord shall have the Wards of the Land holden of him till such Heir Female cometh to the age of sixteen years by force of an Act of Parliament in the Statute of Westminster 1 Cap. 12. Note that there is a great diversity in the Law between the ages of Females Diversity of age and of Males for the Female hath these many ages appointed by the Law Age of a woman First At seven years of age the Lord her Father may distrein his Tenants for aid to marry her Secondly At nine years of age she is dowable Thirdly At twelve years she is able to assent to Matrimony Fourthly At fourteen years she is able to have her Land and shall be out of Warde if she be of this age at the death of her Ancester Fifthly At sixteen years she shall be out of Warde though at the death of her Ancester she was within the age of fourteen years Sixthly At twenty one years she is able to make alienations of her Lands or Tenements whereas the man hath but two ages the one at fourteen years to have his Lands holden in Socage The age of a man and to assent to Matrimony the other at twenty one to make Alienations Ye shall understand that by the Statute of Merton 6 Chap. it is enacted That if in case the Lord do marry their Ward to villains or others whereby is disparagement if such Heirs so married be within the age of fourteen years or such age that the said Warde cannot consent to the marriage then if the friends of this Heir complain and feel themselves grieved with this unmeet marriage the next of kinne to the Heir unto whom the Heritage cannot descend may enter into the Lands and put out the Lord which is Gardian in Chivalry And if the next Kins-man will not thus do another Kins man of the Infant may do it and shall take the Issues and Profits to the behoof and use of the Heir and yeeld account thereof unto him Account given when he cometh to his full age And there be divers other disparagements which be not expressed in the said Statute Divers Disparagements as if the Heir being within age of consent and in Ward be married to a decreped Person or Creeple as to one that hath but one foot or one hand or that is a deformed creature or having any horrible disease or continuall infirmity All these and such like be disparagements But here also ye shall understand that it shall be said no disparagement unless the Heir be so married when he is within age of discretion that is to say within the age of fourteen years For if he be of that age or above and assenteth to such marriage it is no disparagement neither shall the Lord for such marriage loose his Ward because it shall be reputed and assigned to the folly of the Heir being of age of discretion to consent to such marriage Now if the Lord then being a Gardian after to the Heir being his Ward a convenient marriage without disparagement and the Heir refuseth it Value of Marriage as he may at his choice and election very well do then the Lord shall have the value of the marriage of such an Heir when he cometh to his full age But yet if he marry himself being so in Ward against the will of his Gardein then he shall pay the double value Double value of Marriage by force of the said Statute of Merton before remembred And ye shall Note that if Lands holden by Knights-service One shall not be Ward living his Father descend to an Infant or Child within age from his Mother or from any of his Ancesters his Father being yet alive in this case the Lord shall not have the marriage of his Heir for during the life of his Father the Sonne shall be Ward to no man Finally it is to be known that he which is Gardian in Chivalry in right may before he hath seised the Ward grant the same either by Deed or without Deed to another man and then he to whom such a grant is made is called Gardein in Fait Now as touching Relief ye shall know that if a man holdeth his Land by Knights-service and dyeth his Heir being of full age the full age of the Male is twenty one years of the Female fourteen then the Lord of whom the Land his holden shall have of the Heir Relief Note ye that all Earls Barons or other the Kings Tenants holding of him in chief by Knights-service which die their Heir being of full age at the time of their deaths that is to say twenty one years of age they ought to pay the old Relief for their Inheritance that is the Heir or Heirs of an Earl for an whole Earldome 100l the Heir or Heirs of a Baron for an whole Barony an 100 Markes the Heir or Heirs of a Knight One 100 Shillings and he that hath less shall give less according to the old Custom of Fees Like Law is observed of all others that hold of any other Lords immediately Vt supra Also a man may hold Lands of a Lord
by two Knights Fees and then the Heir being of full age at the death of his Ancester shall pay to his Lord for Relief ten Pounds CHAP. XXVII Service of Castle-Guard YE shall understand that a man may hold by Knights-service and yet not hold by Escuage nor shall pay any Escuage for he may hold by Castle-Guard that is to say by service to keep a Tower of his Lords Castle or some other place upon a reasonable warning when his Lord heareth that enemies will come or be already come into England This service is also Knights-service Ground in the Law and draweth to it Ward Marriage and Relief as in all Cases the common Knights-service doth CHAP. XXVIII Of Grand-Serjeanty THere is also another kind of Knights-service which is called Grand-Serjeanty that is where a man holdeth his Lands or Tenements of the King by such service as he oweth in proper person to do as to bear the Banner of our Sovereign Lord the King or his Spear or to conduct his Host or to be his Marshall or to be the lower Carver or Butler at the Feast of the Coronation or to be one of the Chamberlains of the receipt of his Exchequer or to do like service to the King in proper person Such manner of service I say is called Grand-Serjeanty that is to say A great or high Service And the cause why it is so called is because it is the most honourable and most worthy Service that is The most high Service For he that holdeth by Escuage is not appointed by his Tenure to do any other more special Service then another is bound that holdeth by Escuage but he that holdeth by Grand-Serjeanty is bound to do some speciall service to the King Also if he that holdeth of the King by Grand-Serjeanty dieth Relief of the Tenant by Grand-Serjeanty his Heir being of full age then the Heir shall pay to the King for Relief not only a 100s as he that holdeth by Escuage shall do but moreover the clear yearly value of these Lands and Tenements which he so holdeth of the King by Grand-Serjeanty Tenure by Cornage Furthermore ye shall observe that in the Marches of Scotland some men hold of the King by Cornage that is to say blowing of a Horn to the intent to warn the men of the Countrey when they hear that the Scots or other their Enemies be coming or be already entred into England which service is also a kind of Grand-serjeanty Grand-Serjeanty therefore is as much to say in Latin as Magnum-servitium Definition of Serjeanty that is to say A great or high Service Like a Petty-Serjeanty is called Parvum servitium that is to say A little or small service But to revert again to the matter Ye shall Note that if any Tenant holdeth of any other Lord then of the King by such service of Cornage then it is no Grand-Serjeanty but yet nevertheless it is Knights service and draweth to it Ward Marriage and Relief For this is a Rule infallible That none can hold by Grand-Serjeanty but of the Kings Majesty only Rule in the Law Finally Ye shall understand that all they which hold of the King by this Service called Grand-Serjeanty do hold of the King by Knights-service and by virtue of his Tenure the King shall have of them Ward Marriage and Relief but Escuage yet he shall not have of them unless they hold by Escuage of him by express speciall words CHAP. XXIX Petty-Serjeanty TEnant by Petty-Serjeanty is he that holdeth his Land immediately of our Sovereign Lord the King by this manner of service to pay to the King yearly either a Bow a Spear a Dagger a pair of Gauntlets a pair of Spurres of Gold a Shaft or such other small things appertaining to the Warre And this service is in effect but Socage because that such a Tenant is not bound by his Tenure to go nor do any thing in his own proper person touching the Warre but only to render and pay yearly certain things to the King as a man ought to pay a Rent Wherefore this Service of Petty-Serjeanty is no Knights-service but yet ye shall note That a man cannot hold neither by Petty-Serjeanty neither by Grand-Serjeanty but of the King only CHAP. XXX Homage Ancestrell TEnant by Homage Ancestrell is he which holdeth his Land of his Lord by Homage and both he and his Ancesters whose Heir he is have holden the same Land of the said Lord and of his Ancesters time out of mind by Homage and have done unto them Homage And this is called Homage Ancestrell by reason of the long continuance which hath been by title of prescription Warranty because of Homage Ancestrel as well concerning the Tenancy in the blood of the Tenant as concerning the Lordship in the Lord. And this service of Homage Ancestrell draweth unto it Warranty that is to say if the Lord which is now in life hath once received the Homage of his Tenant he ought to warrant the same Tenant what time soever he shall be impleaded or sued for such Lands so holden of him by Homage Ancestrell Moreover such service of Homage ancestrell draweth unto it acquitall that is to say the Lord ought to acquit the Tenant against other Lords that can demand any manner of Service of the Tenancie Wherefore if in this case the Tenant which holdeth by Homage ancestrell be impleaded of his Lands and voucheth or calleth his Lord to Warrantie who cometh in by Process and demandeth of the Tenant what he hath to binde him to the Warrantie and the Tenant sheweth how he and his ancestors whose Heir he is have holden his Lands of him and of his ancestors time out of minde surely the Lord if he cannot deny this and if he hath received the Homage of such a Tenant is bound by the Law to warrant him his Land so that if the Tenant lose his Lands in default of the Lord thus vouched that is to say called to warrantie he shall recover against him as much in value of these Lands and Tenements which the Lord had at the time of calling to warranty or at any time after but if the Lord never received the Homage of his Tenant then he may very well when he is thus vouched disclaim in the Lordship or Seignory and so put out the Tenant of his warranty Wherefore ye shall note that in every case where the Lord disclaimeth in his Seigniory in Court of Record his Seigniory or Lordship is extinct and the Tenant shall hold from henceforth of the next Lord to him that thus disclaimeth Thus ye perceive that Homage ancestrell is a long continuance as well in the blood of the Tenant in respect of his Tenancy as in the blood of the Lord in respect of his Seigniory wherefore if the Tenant doth once alien his Lands to another although he purchase the same again yet he shall not hold any longer by Homage ancestrell because of his
the Lord maketh a Feoffment to his Villain and maketh unto him Livery of seisin this also is an Enfranchisement and secret Manumission Briefly to speak wheresoever the Lord compelleth his Villain by the course of the Law Causes of Infranchisem to do that thing that he might otherwise enforce him to do or to suffer without the authority and compulsion of the Law he doth by implication Enfranchise his Villain as if the Lord will bring against his Villain an action of debt an action of account of Covenant or of trespass These and such like be in the eye of the Law Enfranchisments and Manumissions because that the Lord in all these cases may have the effect and purpose of his sute that is to say the Goods Chattels and correction of his bondman without the compulsion of that Law even by his own proper power and authority which he hath upon his Villain But if the Lord doth sue his Villain by an appea of Felony the Villain being lawfully indicted of the same before this is no tacite Manumission or Enfranchisement For the Lord though he have power to beat his Villain and to spoyl him of his goods yet he cannot by the Law of this Realm put him to death Ye shall also understand that if a mans bondman purchase Lands or acquit and get unto him any other thing the Lord may forthwith enter and seize the same into his own hands Wherefore if the Lord will bring against his Villain a Praecipe quod reddat by which he demandeth against his Villain any Lands or Tenements this implieth an Enfranchisement for as much as he bindeth himself to the Prescript and Authority of the Law whereas he might use his own Authority by entring and seizing the said Lands Finally Ye shall mark that some Villains be called Villains in gross and other some be called Villains regardant In gross be they of which the Lord is severally seized and not by reason of any Lordship or Mannour but they be called regardant which do belong to a Mannour of which the Lord is seized And the said Villaines have been regardant that is to say exspectant and attendant time out of mind to the Lord of the said Mannour in doing unto him such services as to a Villain appertaineth CHAP. XXXVII Of antient Demesne THere is also a certain kind of Tenure which is called antient Demesne and these Tenants which hold by their service be Fee-holders and by Charter and not by Copy or Court-Roll or by the Verge after the Custom of the Mannour at the will of the Lord And these Tenants be such as hold of those Mannours which were S. Edwards the King or which were in the hands of King William the Conqueror and these Mannours be called the antient Demesnes of the King or the antient Demesnes of the Crown of England And to such Tenants which hold of such Mannours be many and divers Liberties given and granted by the Law as to be quit of tolé and passage and such like Impositions which be demanded of men for their Goods and Chattels sould or bought in Faires and Markets by them also to be quit and free of Tax and Tollage granted by Parliament except that the Kings Majesty do Tax antient Demesne as to him only appertaineth when he thinketh good for great and urgent Considerations Tenants also of antient Demesne ought to be quit of payments to the Expences and Charges of the Knights which came to the Parliament Also they ought not to be impannelled nor put in Juries and Enquests in the County out of their Mannours or Seigniory of antient Demesne for the Lands which they hold of such Mannour unless they have other Lands at the Common Law for which they ought to be charged And if such Tenants or any of them which hold of the Mannour of antient Demesne bedistreined to do unto their Lord other Services or Customes then they or their Ancesters have used to do Writ of Monstraverunt then may they sue a certain Writ called a Monstraverunt directed to the Lord commanding him that he distrein them not for to do other service or Customes then they have been accustomed to do And for further knowledg hereof you shall understand that in the Exchequer there is a Book called Dooms-day which Book was made in the time of the said S. Edward and all the Lands that were in the Seisin and in the hands of the said S. Edward at the time of the making of the said Book by antient Demeane But the Lands which then were in other mens hands Frank-fee though they be written in the said Book be frank Fee and no antient Demesne Finally It is to be noted that Tenants of antient Demesne shall not be impleaded for their said Lands out of the Mannour whereof they so hold and if they be Abatement of Writ they may shew the matter and abate the Writ But if they once Answer to the Writ and Judgment given then the Lands have lost the nature and benefit of antient Demesne and are become frank Fee that is to say Pleadable at the Common Law for evermore And thus have we spoken of the Diversity of Tenures CHAP. XXXVIII Of Rents FOr as much as upon every Tenure there is commonly reserved one Rent or other therefore I think it good somewhat to treat of Rents but ye must understand that there be sundry sorts of Rents There is one kind of Rent which is called Rent-service Division of Rent-service another which is called Charge and the third which is named in French Rent Secke that is to say in Latine Redditus siccus a drie Rent Now Rent-service is so called because it is knit to the Tenure and is as it were a service whereby a man holdeth his Lands or Tenements or at the least way when the Rents be unseverably coupled and knit with the service As for an example where the Tenant holdeth his Land of the King or of any other Lord by Fealty and by certain Rent or by any other sorts of services and by certain Rent this Rent is called Rent-service Distress of common right And here ye shall note That if this Rent-service be at any time when it ought to be paid behind and unpaid the Lord of whom the Land or Tenement is so holden whether it be in fee-simple fee-tayl for term of life for years or at will may of common right enter and distrein for the Rent though there be no mention at all nor cause of distress put in the Deed or Lease I said before that the Nature of this Rent-service is to be coupled and knit to the Tenure For where no Tenure is there can be no Rent-service And therefore if at this day I be seized of Lands of Fee-simple and make a Deed of Feoffment of the same to another in Fee-simple reserving by the same Deed a Rent this can be called no Rent-service because there can be now no Tenure between
remembred Finally Every person shall sue forth his Patent for his Livery within three Moneths next after the assignment of his Bill or else his Bill assigned to be void and of none effect Hereafter ensueth the Fees Accustomed of the Generall Liveries FIrst to the Clerks of the Petty bog for the respect of Homage and Fealty the writing and inrolling fourteen Shillings two Pence to the Lord great Chamberlaine fourtie Shillings to the Master of the Rolles three Pound to the Clerks of the Liveries for writing of the Indentures and Obligations twenty Shillings besides Councell The Fees of the special Livery accustomed to be paid by these following That is to say for the signet three Pound ten Shillings for the Privy Seal thirtie Shillings for the great Seal fourty four Shillings eight Pence to the Clerks of the Petty-boggs fourty Shillings to the Master of the Liveries Clerks fourty Shillings for inrollment of the knowledge of the Indenture twelve Shillings to the Lord great Chamberlaine of England fourty Shillings for the Writ of the Allowance for the same Livery ten Shillings six Pence And note ye that sometime in speciall Cases the Fees be more and sometime less as the case and matter doth require Hitherto have we briefly touched all kinds of Knights-Service and things incident to the same Now will we with like briefness declare the other kind of Services which commonly be comprized under the generall Name of Socage For all Lands or Tenements either they be holden by Knights-Service or else by Socage Tenure or at least by the Nature of Socage Tenure which in effect is all one Wherefore first we shall define what Socage is in the proper signification which done we shall peruse the other kinds of Services which be of the nature of Socage Tenure CHAP. XXXIII Socage SOcage is properly where the Tenant is bound to come with his Yoke that is What Socage Tenure is with his Plow to Ear and Sow a parcell of the demeane Lands of his Lord which service in antient time was very common but now by the mutuall consent both of the Lord and the Tenant it is converted for the most part into a yearly Rent howbeit the name of Socage abideth still Wherefore now all that is not Knights-service is called by the Name of Socage so that if a man holdeth by Fealty only or by Fealty and Homage For all manner of service it is but Socage Tenure For Homage alone maketh not Knights-service as I have said heretofore He holdeth in effect but by Socage Gardian in Socage Now where a man holdeth his Lands by Socage and dieth his Heir being within the age of fourteen years the Lord shall not have the Ward but the next of kinne to the Heir to whom the Heritage cannot discend shall have the Title and Wardship as well of the Land as of the Heir till the Heir come to the age of fourteen years And such tutor or Gardian is called Gardian in Socage and shall render accounts to the Heir of the Issues and Profits that he hath received of the Lands during such time deducting his reasonable Costs and Expences So that he shall not have the Wardship to his own use and profit as the Lord which is Gardian in Chivalry hath And in case the Gardian in Socage dieth before he hath made his account the Heir is without remedy because no Writ of account lyeth against the Executors but for the King only Finally Ye shall understand that when a Tenant in Socage dieth Rent the Lord of whom the Land is held shall have Relief That is to say Distress the value of the Rent that is yearly due unto him of the Tenancy beside the yearly Rent So that in effect after the death of his Tenant he shall have of the Heir two Rents save that for the Relief he may distrein forthwith but for the accustomed Rent he cannot distrein till the usuall day of payment become CHAP. XXXIV Frank-Almoign TEnant in Frank-Almoign that is to say The first foundation of Frank almoigne in free Alms is where a Bishop Deane or any Ecclesiasticall Person holdeth of his Lord in pure and perpetuall Alms And such Tenure began first in old times after this manner When a man was seised in atient times of certain Lands or Tenements in his demesne as of Fee and of the same Tenements enfeoffed an Abbot and his Covent or a Pryer and his Covent or any other Person Ecclesiasticall as a Deane of a Colledge Master of an Hospitall and such like to have and to hold the same Lands to them and to their Successors for ever in pure and perpetuall Alms or in Frank-almes in these two cases the Tenements should be holden in Frank-almoigne By force of which Tenure they that hold in Frank-almoigne after this sort be bound of right before God to make Orisons and Prayer and to do other Divine Services for the Souls of their Granters and Feoffors and for the Souls of their Heirs which be dead Tenant in Frank-almoigne shall do Fealty and for the prosperous Estate of them and their Heirs whilest they be alive and because of right they be bound to this Divine service they be discharged by the Law to do any other Prophane or Corporall Service as Fealty or such like But nevertheless such as hold their Tenements in Frank-almoigne do omit and leave undone these Divine services whereunto they be bound before God the Lord cannot distrain them nor yet compell them by any other means by the course of the Common Law but the only remedy is to complain of them to their ordinary who of right ought to compell such Ecclesiasticall persons to do the Divine service due as afore said But here ye shall note Tenant by Divine Service That if a Parson of a Church or any other Ecclesiasticall Person did before the Statutes of dissolution of Abbies Monastries c. hold of the Lord by certain Divine Service to be done as to sing Mass every Friday or placebo dirige or to find a Priests to sing Mass or to distribute in Alms 100. pence to a hundred men at such a day Distress for Divine Service in all these cases if such Divine service be undone the Lord may very well Distrain because the service is here put in certain Now as I said before that if in old time a man did Enfeoffe such Ecclesiastiall Person after such sort he should hold his Lands in Frank-almoigne but at this day it is otherwise for by reason of the Estatute called Quia emptores terrarum Westmin 3. Cap. 1. No man can Alien nor grant Lands or Tenements in Fee-simple to hold of himself So that now if a man being seized of Lands in Fee-simple granteth the same by Licence to an Ecclesiasticall Person in Frank-almoigne These words Frank-almoigne be void and the Ecclesiasticall Person shall hold them immediately of the Lord of the Feoffer by the same services that