IN

Inskip deposit re. Arlesey

Deposited by The Hon. Lady Inskip the Chantry. Abbots, Leigh, near Bristol Widow of Sir John Inskip K.B.B.

INTRODUCTION The deeds The series has a number of gaps. One of the deeds looks as if it has been rescued from a fire. Much is revealed by recitals in later deeds. They are concerned with several properties: Property of the Browne Family of Arlesey : Eatonsbury Manor in Arlesey with advowson. Manor of Langford A farm in Wilstead and Hougaton Conquest Manor of advowson of Little Barford Manor and advowson of Astwick Property of the Edwards Family of Arlesey : -Manor of Arsley Bury. (with Arlsey Lanthony) Both the Arlsey manors merged in the hands of the Edwards family in about 1820. The Manor of Arlsey Bury pre- Conquest - Arlesey Bury was part of the original endowment of Waltham abbey by King Harold. 1543 -Thos. hemmyng (V.C.H. says Henneage) purchased it from the Crown (Letters Patent : IN 1) 1559 -Manor of Arlesey Lanthony merges with Arlsey Bury. [See Edwards pedigree] The first 4 deeds in this collection (IN 1-4) are concerned with Arlesey bury. In 1543 it was known as Arlesey Bury Farm. Only one farm Fuller's, is mentioned in the 1632 settlement : at the time the open field arable measures. 91 ac.. but in 1659 this is increased to 110 ac. ano'ther sizeable farm. Chancellor's is mentioned in 1659 ( 120 ac. open field arable) besides 7 houses, a gentlemen's house and other oddments. After 1659 there is no other deed of this property until the 1820 Recovery ( IN 23 ), at about which time purchased the Eatonsbury property.and the two thenceforward merged. The Manor of Eatonsbury in Arlesey (see V.C.H. ii p. 261 Overlordship : Wm. D' Eu (1086 ) --> Earl Marshal --> Talbot Family Henry Earl of Kent and wife Eliz. daughter of Gilbert Earl of Shrewsbury (1636) Tenants : Before 1086m - Alestan of Boscombe 1086 - late 13th cent. Burnard (1270 : grant of fair to Stephen Burnard) 1306? Walter de Langton, Bishop of Covenrty 1503 Wm. Tanfield inherited ( see descent of Everton) 1566-7 Tanfield sold to H. Cylberd, goldsmith of London (the Survey, IN 174, was made about this time) 1567-8 J. Andrews 1596 Thos. Emery d. 1636 Florence = ( 1 ) H. Goodvin 5 other daughter ( 2 ) J. Farwell 1646 Florence Farewell sold to Sam. Brown The deeds in this collection are concerned with the 18th and 19th century history of the Browne Family and Eatonsbury Manor. [see Browne pedigree] The first description of the property attached to Eatonsbury Manor -apart from the 1566 Survery (IN 174) - is in 1749 (IN 6), when, besides the mansion house in which Dr. Thos. Browne has lived there was a water-mill about a dozen cottages and four farms ( The manor of Langford and a farm at Wilstead were also mentioned. ) the second marriage of Mary, daughter of of Samuel Browne and niece of Dr.Thos.Browne to J. Schutz, was unhappy. They had no children, separated, fell into debt. Inheritance and transfer of copyheld Land could be held at will of the lord or by custom of the manor, On some manors, (as on Sutton and Potton) the difference these two tentures was watched very carefully by both lord and tenants : evidently it was better for the tenant to hold by the custom of the manor than at will of the lord . There is no record of any quarrels arising from this distinction in Arlsey, but the distinction was made, at least in the early registers. The form of transfer of copyhold was always by surrender and admission. In the earliest entries here the form is "X surrenders the property into the hands of the lord, and the lord grants seisin to Y," to who the lord grants seisin" On the death of a copyholder his heir must come and claim the property, otherwice it will be taken into the lord's hands : he must pay a fine for admission to the property. A copyholder could always make certain that his land should be property divided at his death by making a surrender out of court on his death- bed ("languens in extremis"). he would have to do this in the presence of reliable people, but the earliest references do not say exactly how it was done. In 1396-7/4 Wm. Smyth the bailiff is first mentioned as taking a surrender out of court, and from other references it looks as though it was always the bailiff who acted on behalf of the lord for this purpose. Only in the 16th century did it become common for other tenants than the bailiff to take surrenders . In 1495-6 the presence of one or two tenants (besides the lord's deputy) at a surrender begins to be noted. In 1496-7 the "per manor's from is largely replaced and only the" in presencia of one or two tenants is noted, but this is on aberration. I have not noted the presence of other tenents from IN 63 onwards, for it has become common form. There are some cases of surrenders in court in the hands of the beiliff: "and hane curian venit et cureum reddit in manus ballivi ...." (1442) :it may be that the bailiff sometimes took the court instead of the lord's normal deputy, the steward ? In the 18th century is became common to surrender to the uses to be declared in a will, long before death, but earlier it was apparently only permitted on the death bed. On the death of a copyholder his wife might claim "free bench"- liberum bancum or francus bancus, says Jacob who gives the folowing defintion : "An estate of conyhold which a wife has on the death of her husband for her dower according to the custom of the manor ..... Generalty she may have part or all of her late husband lands "cum sola et casta fuerit" Butif she commits incontinency she forfeits her estate. Yet nevertheless (in some manors) on her coming into the court of the manor riding backwards on a Black Ram with his tail in her hand and saying the words following, the Steward is bound by the custom to readmit har to her Free Benah: the world are there: Here I am And for my Tyle's Game; Bining of a Black Ram Have done worely Shame; And for Crancum Crancum Therefore pray Mr. Steward, let me I have lost my Pinkum Bankum Have my land again." There is no example of this "kind of Penence amona jocular Tenures and Customs" in the Arlsey rolls. Some widows lost their fresbench through remarriage (1410-11/1), but one retained , it on her second marriage and at her death settled it on her daughter (1406-7/12). Indeed, free-bench could also apparently be alienated (1402-3/8). The ladies of Arsley were perhaps too prudent to have to recite Jacob's rhyme. But on the hand there is some evidence about bastard children. Bond is the late 14th century had at least two bastard daughters to whom bequeathed land (1377-8/2,14). The custom was that if an illegitimate heir died withhout heirs of the body, the promerty eacheated to the lord : the bastard had no "right heirs." J.Smith and Mariot Rawkdich had at least two children born to them before they eventually decided to marry (1382-3/2 and 1387-8/9). It may be coincidence or it may indicate a traditional laxity in the Smith family, that Anne Smith, spinister , of Arlsey, was accused at the winter Assizes in 1660 of strangling a bastard child. (This incidently, is the only reference to Arlsey in H.S.A. besides the indictment of Jas. Deare in 1666 re an ale house) ... Villein Tenure wa still a great disability in the mid 15th century. Land could be only be held villeinage by one who dwelt within the lordship. Giles Raugedich was bondsman by birth (nativus de sanguine) He apprenticed his son to a Dunstable mercer. J. Banham : the son therefore dwelt outside the manor and ordered to be bought back. That was in 1452-3/6, but by 1461-2/11 Giles had died, the son Thomas still not been fetched back, and so the property fell into the lord's hands " pro defectn heredum." Two other bondsmen, Ja . Quarrer and John son of John Syward, went away to London lived in Candellwykstret and woked as pewterers. They were ordered to be bought back (1397-8/4), but Quarrer came and exhibited his charter of manumission which he had obtained from the Abbot of Waltham, dated 20 Dec. 1398,(6?) which was then enrolled (1399-1400/8). A "nativus" of one manor could in practice hold freeland of another lord. But when Roger Bond alienated a tiny piece of land held freely of lord de Grey it caused some concern to the Arlsey Bury officers : they seem to have felt that the bondsman ought not to do this and enquired what was to be done about it (1387-8/7), but nothing more is heard about this case. In 1411-2/3 a bondsman Roger Halibred was distrained for marrying his daughter without the lord's permission and had to do fealty and pay a fine 40d, to put himself in the lord's grace. Rents are generally paid to thelord, who at Arlsey Bury before the dissolution of the monasteries was the abbot of Waltham, but some were paid to varios officers of the abbey, presumbly in accordance with an obedientiary system: there are references to the pitancer's rent (almoner?) cosyner (?) and coquinarius (cook?). When Hemmyng purchased the manor the abbot's and the cosyner's rents were accounted due to him. (IN 121) A rent is frequently paid in lieu of labour services. There is I think, only one direct report of a commutation of labour services : in 1931-2/18 Roger Bond's a services were committed for life only, to a money rent of 18s, and so autumn boon work and rents in kind were expected. Other comnutation of labour services , in 1391-2/18 Roger Bond's services were commited for life only, to a money rent of 18s, and so autumn boon work and rents in kind were expected. Other comnutations are referred to in the record of rents payable at the admission of a new tenant. It seems that rentsin lieu of services were paid to the manor , that is to the farmer of the demesne, the bailiff, while the assessed rent , rent of assize ("redd'. ass' ") went "ad communem burs' " which is presumably the conventual treasury. In 1935-6/5 part of the rent went "ad manerium." Rent collectors were appointed by the lord and tenants together in the coutrs of 5 Nov. 1465 the jury put forwad two names and the lord chose one of them to be rent collector. Fines: There is a curious note in 1466-7/3 : "fin' nul quia nul valet ultra redd'." Mortgages There is little evidence of mortgages before the seventeenth century. The early rolls were probably copied up every few years and since they were records of only the permanent transaction they would be little point in extering those mortgages which had lapsed through repayment.* On the other band although the rolls become more detailed from 1559, the earliest entry of a conditional surrender is in 14 April 1636, and therefore mortages of this type are very commonly recorded But whether copyhold mortages themselves or only the recording of them increased in difficult to say. In Charles I's reign and during the interrenum the number of recorded defaults in suit of court in enormous. There may be several explanations: the manorial system was becoming less important and the inhabitants of the manor were perhaps simply not findings it worth while to appear; perhaps some were at the wars: the lord may have suddenly become stricterim this matter; or it may be that many of these defaulters were mortgages who did not dwell within. The manor but could suit of court by their manorial titles to mortaged property. * c.f. Customs of Cranfield manor, B.S. 1761 : mortage need not be presented at court unless unredeemed. It is interesting to see that a mortgage was used in the original paper draft on 1502 (IN 103), but it never reached the enrollment stage (IN 62). There are two curious transactions in the 15th century. In 1409-10/5 there is a transfer of copyhold with provision for payment by installments (hire purchase !), which is called, presumably in error a "mortgage" in a marginal note. Then in 1499-1500/5 two tenements with 1 1/2 virgates apoear to be mortgaged for 60s. by creating a life estate in the mortgage ?? Occupations Occupations are not generally noted in the rolls (as they would be in deeds of freehold by virtue of the law.) and it seems that they are mentioned only when there were a number of people of the same name in the parish who might be confused : in 1636, for example, there were two Michael Baldocks, one of whom was distinguished as a "fowler" and the other as a "yeoman." In the early 15th century a John Hammond was distinguished as "ysshere." Jonh Knott was called "bocher" : he was bailiff, farmer of the manor, and he must have grazed his breasts on the demonse pastures. The two most interesting occupations have already been mentioned - the pewterer in London, a villein who obtained a charter of monumission in the late 14th century, and the merchant of Dunstable who took a villein as an apprentice in the mid 15th century. Barber-surgeon IN 86- 28 March 1661/6 – Edw. Grange, barber surgeon and citizen of London Blacksmith IN 74 – 14 April 1636 - Edw. Willson IN 134 – 6 9 April 1698 - Rich. Sare IN 97 7 Oct. 1729. Edw. Saunders of Stotfold Butcher IN 60 1423-1460 (passim ) J. Knott IN 102 1423- 1460 IN 81 5 April 1647 Rich'd Baldock, junior Chapman IN 60 1432-3 Robt. Asshewoll Clothworker IN 87 16 April 1662 J. Kilby of Ickleford, Herts. Collar Worker IN 88 12 Oct. 1662 Robt. Willson Combmaker IN 134-6 April 1698/21 Richd. Lawndey citizen and combmaker of London Cordwainer IN 81 5 April 1647 Wm. Wilson 83 2 Oct. 1657 Wm. Walton IN 118 15 Oct. 1697 J. Bennet of Stotfold IN 134-6 9 April 1698 T Baldock Fisher IN 60 1428-9/5, 1434-5/4 J. Hammond, fysshere Fowler IN 74 14 April 1636 Michael Baldock Grocer IN 83 21 Oct. 1657 Thos. Baldock apprentice to Edw. Highley of Baldock, grocer Locksmith IN 79-80 3 April 1644 Edw. Willson, junior 75 Mason? 84 5 Oct. 1659 Thos. Saunders of Cadwell Mercer 60 1452-3/6 J. Bonham of Dunstall takes a bondsman, Thos. Raugedich, as apprendice Sawyer 62 1507-9/24 J. Smyth of Hitchin Shepherd 97 8 Oct. 1744 Mich. Kirke of St. Martin's in the Fields Middx. Stringer 58 1377-8/6 J. Sparewe Surveyor 61 1473-4/8 Wm. Jacob Tailor 174 1566 Draper of Hitchen 60 1450-1/5 J. Anbry IN62 1504-5/11 William Smith 1509-10/13 J Smith IN97 5 Oct 1739/7 James Slunnet Tanner IN91-2 12 Oct 1672 Richard Baldock of Hitchin 29 Sep 1673 Daniel Rich of Bedford 30 Sep 1674 Richard Shadbolt [Shotbolt] of Arlesey IN62 1501-2/8-11 William Roberts of Hitchin Wright IN60 1422-3 J Knott (= Carpenter) 1424-5/4 1461-2/14 J Smyth Manorial Officers mentioned in Arlsey Bury Rolls Ale Tasters 1396-7/10 Thomas Stringer 1456 William Payt and William Clayton 1475,6 Thomas Loryng and Richard Hemmyng 1477 Thomas Smyth Rent 1456 Thomas Loryng Collectors 1465 William Smyth 1499-1500//3 J Wren Constables 1475 J Baldock 18 May 1559 Thomas Mortymer 8 Oct 1561 Edward Burbye 30 Sep 1567 Leonard Hammond relieved; Thomas Mortimer appointed 13 Oct 1576 Edward Burbye and Leonard Grave 28 Oct 1581 Michael Baldock junior 16 Oct 1583 Thomas Mortymer 19 Apr 1591 Edmund Emerie and Samuel Sympson 14 Nov 1603 Samuel Sympson and J Youge 7 Oct 1605 Hugh Squire and Edward Wallis 25 Apr 1615 Michael Baldock and Ralph Randall 19 Sep 1632 William Baldock 25 Sep 1634 Daniel Baldock Stewards 18 Apr 1565 William Hals 28 Apr 1596 Humphrey Winch 7 Oct 1605 to Richard Taylor 28 Sep 1637 Bailiffs and farmers of the demesne of the Manor of Arlsey Bury J Smyth? Pledge of a fine 1379-80/3 William Smyth Receives surrender 1400-1/8 Thomas Norwode? Tenant of the demesne (or the lord?) 1400-1/1 William Bocher Farmer of the demesne 1402-3/1, 1406-7/9: receives surrender as bailiff, 1408-7/7 and is trustee for sale 1407-8/2. Has not paid rent for 8 years and bailiff is ordered to distrain 1411-12/1 J Wellys Farmer of the manor 1413-4/5 Bailiff 1416-7/1. Is dead 1417-8/2 J Knot Bailiff 1426-7/1, 4 (butcher-"bocher") A day is appointed for the homage to report about the repair of the manor houses (citii manorii) in the time of Thomas Campyon 1426-7/3 As father of demesne J Knot assents to a lease by the Abbott to Lely of 10 acres of the demesne 1428-9/7 H Waryn 1459-60/1, bailiff J Knot Receives surrender as "farmer" 1442-3/1, as "bailiff" 1442-3/6 A Waryn Bailiff receives surrender, 1450-1/6, 1459-60/2 J Wylcok Bailiff receives surrender 1471-2/4, 1483, 1484-5 (bailiff and farmer) (H Waryn is dead by 1472-3/1) Thomas Lawrence Bailiff receives surrender, 1492-3/3; makes seizure 1499-1500/3 Michael Kirke 13 Oct 1576, 31 Mar 1595

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