Township of Thornborough.—The abbot of Biddlesdon holds 6 hides of land and a virgate in Thornborough, to wit, of John de Hastings one hide of land, and John himself holds of Sir John son of Alan, and Sir John himself holds of the lord the King in chief.
Again, the said abbot holds a half hide of land and a virgate of Alice daughter of Robert de Hastings, and she holds of Sir John son of Alan, and he holds of the King in chief, and the said abbot renders to the said Alice 30s. a year.
Again, the same abbot holds of Hugh de Dunster 2½ hides of land and a virgate, and renders for the said land to the nuns of St. Margaret of Ivinghoe 40s. a year, and maintains the chapel of Butlecote for the aforesaid land. And Hugh held of John de Bello Campo a hide and a virgate of land, rendering to John de Bello Campo 4d. a year, and John himself holds of Sir John son of Alan, and he holds of the lord the King in chief.
Again the same abbot holds of the gift of Roger Foliot a half hide and a virgate, and Roger himself held of Reynold de Fraxino, and Reynold held of John son of Alan, and he of the lord the King in chief.
Again, the same abbot holds of the gift of William de Fraxino and his ancestors a hide of land, and they held of John son of Alan, and he of the lord the King in chief.
And it is to be known that all the aforesaid land used to render foreign service,[62] except the land which the said abbot has of the gift of John de Hastings and Alice daughter of Robert de Hastings, but John son of Alan and his heirs will acquit the said abbot towards the lord the King and all other men, to wit, of the ward of Northampton, of scutage, of a reasonable aid to make the king's son a knight and to marry his daughter, for ever, and of all services pertaining to them.[63]
[62] i.e., service due to the King, a permanent burden upon the land. See Bracton, f. 36. "Item sunt quedam servitia que dicuntur forinseca ... quia pertinent ad dominum regem ... et ideo forinsecum did potest quia fit et capitur foris sive extra servitium quod fit domino capitali."
[63] The process of subinfeudation was brought to an end by the Statute of Quia Emptores, 1290. "Our lord the king ... has ... enacted that henceforth it be lawful for any freeman to sell his land or tenement or any part thereof at his pleasure, so always that he who is enfeoffed thereof hold that land or tenement of the same chief lord, and by the same services and customs, whereby the enfeoffor formerly held them."
10. Licence for the Widow of a Tenant in Chief To Marry [Fine Roll, 10 Edward II, m. 19], 1316.
The King to all to whom etc. greeting. Know ye that by a fine of 100s. which our beloved John de la Haye has made with us for Joan, who was the wife of Simon Darches, deceased, who held of us in chief as of the honour of Wallingford, we have given licence to the same Joan that she may marry whomsoever she will, provided that he be in our allegiance. In witness whereof etc. Witness the King at Westminster, 11 July.