[105]. They appear together as witnesses in many deeds. Two deeds bearing the name of William Christmas as witness can be dated with certainty 1257–8 and 1276.
[106]. Blott’s statement that here “stood the mansion house of the Christmasse family, with its pasture land and orchard bordering the King’s Highway, Oldborne, the domain reaching to Ficquet Fields,” goes beyond the evidence, and his imaginative history, based on an identification of “John of Good Memory,” late chaplain of St. Giles, mentioned in Henry II.’s Charter (not the original foundation charter, as Blott says), with a John Christmas = John de Cruce the elder = John de Fonte the elder (all equally hypothetical persons) is absolutely unjustifiable (Blemundsbury, pp. 333–4).
[107]. Augmentation Office, Deeds of purchase and exchange, E. 19.
[108]. The premises, together with a cottage and Purse Field with the pightells, were farmed to her on 6 June, 1524, by the Master of Burton Lazars, and it is stated that she was then living there. (Patent Roll, 7 Elizabeth, pt. 3, Grant to Thos. Jordayne.)
[109]. “Et de liijs iiijd de Willelmo Hosyer pro redditu cujusdam messuagii vocati le White Harte in Hamelett Sci Egidii et xviij acr’ pasture ac unius parvi clausi vocati Pale Close.” (Ministers’ Accounts, 2101, Henry VIII.)
[110]. Uncertainty on this point and on the date of the period of his tenancy unfortunately stands in the way of accepting the following note as a contribution to the history of The White Hart. “Will. Hosyer, of St. Giles-in-the-Fields, London—Licence (he having had his house burnt down 9th Oct. last [1539] and lost all his goods therein to the value of £200) to collect alms in England and Wales for his relief.” (Patent Roll, 32 Henry VIII. pt. 4.)
[111]. Close Roll, 9 Eliz. (733)—Indenture between Lord Mountjoy and Geo. Harrison; and Close Roll, 24 Eliz. (1129)—Indenture between Jas. Briscowe, etc., and Jas. Mascall. Cockshott was apparently there in 1579, for the piece of ground or garden plot which 12 years before had been used as “a greate garden belonginge to ... the White Harte,” (Close Roll, 9 Eliz. (742)—Indenture between Lord Mountjoy and Edward Kyngston) was in that year described as “then or late in the tenure of Richard Cockeshute.” (Close Roll, 21 Eliz. (1058)—Indenture between Ed. Kyngston and James Mascall.)
[112]. Parton, Hospital and Parish of St. Giles-in-the-Fields, pp. 131–2.
[113]. See Land Revenue Enrolments, Book IV., No. 52, p. 120.