Reference
RO5/407
Title
Tithe Book
Date free text
[1502/3]; 17 Aug 44 Eliz. I [1602]
Production date
From: 1502 To: 1602
Scope and Content
"Houghton Franchise and Houghton Gildable. Twoe moyeties or portionaries in one church and both ar to have ther severall Institution, and Induction
A booke making mention of how the tythes of the personages of Houghton Conquest, videl. Houghton Franchise and Houghton Gildable Ar to be divided and sett out. Begining at Greenland hedg uppon the North till ye come to the land of John Nicol to longe Furland.
Compiled and made Anno Regni Regis Henrici Septimi post Conquestam decimo octavo [1502/3]
How when ther were twoe personns in esse they receyved and gathered ther Tythes. As also how the prior of Chicstons and his Farmours payd Tyth in kyne of all ther Arrable Land Lying in the Common Filds of Houghton and unto what person, as you may observe in the booke folowing.
Chicston payd Tythes in kynd to the persons or ther farmour.
The Abbot of Reading payd Tyth in kynde to the persons For the tyme being as you may see in this booke or to ther farmours.
The Pryor of Cawdell and the Hospitall payd tyth in kynde to the persons for the tyme being or to ther Farmours as appeare by this booke.
The Ladie Radcliffe being owner of that which now is in the occupation of Mr Richard Conquest Esquiar in Chappel end, payd Tyth in kynd to the persons of Houghton, So also did Edmond Stratton, John Adderton, Ralph Sam, John Cockerell, Nicholas Cawne And Nicholas Harrison, Mr Lewys Conquest and Mr Richard Conquest to his father, the last seven payd Tyth in kynd since I Thomas Archer was parson to my Farmours.
Arrable land of Houghton Franchise
Person Underhill
Churche land, Underhill"
[there follow 11 pages describing the division; arranged topographically this list gives names of holders of land and the amount held]
the following note appears on page 10
Sir John Underh...
Houghton in anno...
Henrici Septimi; ...
vicesimo quarto,,,
fuit Magister Co...
which Wellingworth is...
with in sum sixe or e...
of Oxford...
[John Underhill, rector of Houghton Conquest 1491-1509 was Master of Wallingford College in Berkshire]
on the last page: A Field Book this book belongs to Edmund Wylde, it once belonged to Francis Clearke, knight
[see note in Archer's Commonplace Book (P.11/28/1/pg.67) where he refers to two field books extant in Houghton Conquest, "one remaining in the custody of Sir Richard Conquest, knight senior, being an old book in parchment with a cover of board and having
2 clasps. The other was in the custody of one Edward Williams who some time dwelled in the parsonage house of Houghton Franchess alias Haughton Conquest which I have seen"
the following lease forms the cover of the foregoing book:
Lease for Years
i) Francis Clark of Houghton Conquest, gentleman
ii) William Mathewe of Wotton Pillinge
-messuage or farm house in Wotton Pillinge wherein ii) now dwells with all appurtenances
-close adjoining said messuage and pightle adjoining said close and another pightle lying by Burye Lane, two leyes in Salters and a pightle lying by the dwelling house of Robert Crowley
-all arable lands, leyes and haydons, 90 acres
-all meadow belonging to said messuage and now in occupation of ii)
-cottage with yard and garden belonging, lately erected in the hempland, together with said hempland
reserves to i)
-10 acres arable in Cleefield
-little coppice or spring of wood lying near Rowsewood, 1 rood
-all wood etc. on all the premises
-mead in Broadmead
-fishing
-free passage to the farmhouse for the keeping of courts there*
-free passage to cut timber on the premises
to hold for 3½ years from Lady Day last
paying £35 per annum for the first 2½ years at Michaelmas and Lady Day
peppercorn rent for last year
i) may have again on Lady Day before end of term all meadow on Southmeade, Denmead and Meade Hayes and all fallow land and sheep commons and on feast of Nativity of St John the Baptist may enter again on all barns and hayhouses 17 Aug 44 Elizabeth I [1602]
[* Francis Clark was lord of the Manor of Pilling Rowsberry in Wootton, although according to the Victoria County History (volume III page 332) he did not acquire it until 1605]
[The reason for the presence of this book in the collection is not clear; it was found with the manorial records of Conquest Bury. From internal evidence, it once belonged to Sir Francis Clark and subsequently to Edmund Wylde, his son-in-law. Francis Clark was the son-in-law of Sir Richard Conquest who is mentioned by Archer to have custody of an old field book, of which this could well be a copy. Presumably the book was later returned to the Conquests, possibly after the unification of the moieties of the rectory, both by then in the hands of the family]
[the book is of paper and the cover of parchment]
Level of description
item