The King to all to whom, etc., greeting. We have inspected a writing which Richard, sometime earl of Cornwall, made to his customary tenants of his manor of Corsham in these words:—
To all to whom the present writing shall come, Richard, earl of Cornwall, greeting. Know all of you that we have demised and granted and by our present writing confirmed for us and our heirs to all our customary tenants of our manor of Corsham all our manor of Corsham, with the rents, demesnes, meadows, feedings and pastures to the said manor pertaining, saving to us a third part of the meadow of Myntemede, which third part the said customary tenants shall mow, carry and cock at their own costs, saving also to us the site of our fishpond, our parks, our warren, pleas, perquisites and all escheats which can escheat to us or our successors; to have and to hold to the said customary tenants and their successors of us and of our heirs for ever, for 110 marks to us and our heirs or assigns yearly to be paid to our bailiff in the said manor at two terms of the year, to wit, on the octave of Easter 55 marks and on the octave of Michaelmas 55 marks, for all services and demands to us or to our heirs or assigns belonging, saving to us all the things aforenamed. And we will that our said customary tenants for ever be quit of tallage and view of frankpledge and all other customs and services to us or to our heirs pertaining. Our aforesaid customary tenants, however, have granted for them and their successors that, if they keep not this covenant according to the form of the present writing, all their tenements which they hold of us shall revert to us and our heirs without any contradiction, if it be through them that the form of this writing be not kept. We will also and we grant that if any of our said customary tenants of our said manor of Corsham be rebellious, contravening the form of this writing, our bailiff for the time being shall have power to distrain him by lands and chattels to observe more fully all the things abovesaid according to the tenour of this writing. And in witness thereof we have caused our seal to be set to this writing. These witnesses:—Sir Richard de Turry, Sir Sampson de la Bokxe, Sir Henry Crok, Sir Philip de Eya, Walter Galun, then bailiff, Martin de Hortham, Sir Gilbert, then prior of Corsham, Richard de Cumberwell, Ralph, then vicar of Corsham, and others.[127]
And we, ratifying and approving the demise, grant and confirmation aforesaid, grant and confirm them for us and our heirs, as far as in us lies, to the aforesaid customary tenants and their successors, as the writing aforesaid reasonably testifies, and as they now hold the manor aforesaid with the appurtenances, and they and their ancestors and predecessors have held that manor hitherto, and have reasonably used and enjoyed the liberties aforesaid, saving to us a third part of the said meadow of Myntemede and the site of the fishpond, the parks, warren, pleas, perquisites and all escheats abovesaid, as is aforesaid. In witness whereof, etc. Witness the King at Woodstock, 1 July. By a fine of 5 marks. Wilts.
[127] The date of the original deed must be earlier than 1272, in which year the earl died.
7. Lease of Manorial Holdings [Fine Roll, 10 Edward III, m. 7], 1332.
The King to all to whom, etc., greeting. We have inspected a writing which John late earl of Cornwall, our brother, now deceased, made in these words:
John, son of the illustrious King of England, earl of Cornwall, to all and singular who shall see or hear the present writing indented, greeting in the Lord. Know ye that, having regard to the no small decrease and decay of rents and farms pertaining to our manor of Kirton in Lindsey in times past, for that tenants of escheated tenements in the same manor, having no estate of the same tenements save from year to year or at least at the will of the lords, our predecessors there, have made no outlay or the least which they could on the maintenance of the buildings on the same tenements; and wishing to raise again the aforesaid rents and farms as much as we can for our advantage; we have granted for us and our heirs and by our present writing have demised to John of Westminster and Emma his wife and Thomas, son of the same John and Emma, those two parts of all those tenements with the appurtenances in the town of Kirton aforesaid which the same John before the making of this writing held of us during our pleasure, as of an escheat formerly in our hand of the tenements which were sometime of Thomas of Bromholm; to have and to hold to the same John and Emma his wife and Thomas, son of the same John and Emma, and each of them that lives the longer, for their whole life, of us and our heirs, rendering therefrom yearly to us and our heirs 100s. sterling at the feasts of Easter and Michaelmas by equal portions; and we, the aforesaid earl, and our heirs will warrant the aforesaid two parts of the tenements aforesaid with their appurtenances to the aforesaid John and Emma his wife and Thomas, son of the same John and Emma, for their whole life, as is aforesaid, against all people for the aforesaid rent. In witness whereof we have thought fit to set our seal to this writing. These witnesses:—Sirs John de Haustede, Thomas de Westone and William de Cusancia, knights, Sir William de Cusancia, rector of the church of Wakefield, our treasurer, and William de Munden, our clerk and secretary, and others. Given at York on Tuesday next after the feast of All Saints in the 6th year of the reign of King Edward the Third after the Conquest, our dearest brother.
And we, ratifying and approving the demise aforesaid, grant and confirm it for us and our heirs, as much as in us lies, as the writing aforesaid reasonably testifies, willing and granting for us and our heirs that the same John, Emma and Thomas have and hold the tenements aforesaid with the appurtenances for the whole life of each of them by the aforesaid service of rendering to us and our heirs yearly the said 100s. according to the tenour of the writing of the same earl abovesaid. In witness whereof etc. Witness the King at Leicester, 1 October.
By the King himself.
8. An Agreement Between Lord and Tenants [Duchy of Lancaster, Misc. Bks., 5, f. 103], 1386.