“Dunmow, Nuper Priorat.
At a court baron of the right worshipful Sir Thomas May, knt. there holden upon Friday the 7th day of June, in the 13th year of the reign of our sovereign lord William III. by the grace of God, &c. and in the year of our lord 1701, before Thomas Wheeler, gent. steward of the said manor, it is thus enrolled:
| Homage. | { | Elizabeth Beaumont, Spinster | } | Jurat. |
| Henrietta Beaumont, Spinster | ||||
| Annabella Beaumont, Spinster | ||||
| Jane Beaumont, Spinster | ||||
| Mary Wheeler, Spinster |
“Be it remember’d, that at this court, in full and open court, it is found, and presented by the homage aforesaid, that William Parsley, of Much Easton in the county of Essex, butcher, and Jane his wife, have been married for the space of three years last past, and upward; and it is likewise found, presented, and adjudged, by the homage aforesaid, that the said William Parsley, and Jane his wife, by means of their quiet, peaceable, tender, and loving cohabitation, for the space of time aforesaid, (as appears by the said homage) are fit and qualify’d persons to be admitted by the court to receive the antient and accustom’d oath, whereby to entitle themselves to have the bacon of Dunmow delivered unto them, according to the custom of the manor.
“Whereupon, at this court, in full and open court, came the said William Parsley, and Jane his wife, in their proper persons, and humbly prayed, they might be admitted to take the oath aforesaid; whereupon the said steward, with the jury, suitors, and other officers of the court, proceeded, with the usual solemnity, to the antient and accustomed place for the administration of the oath, and receiving the gammon aforesaid, (that is to say) the two great stones lying near the church door, within the said manor, where the said William Parsley, and Jane his wife, kneeling down on the said two stones, and the said steward did administer unto them the above-mentioned oath in these words, or to this effect following, viz.
You do swear by custom of confession,
That you ne’er made nuptial transgression,
Nor since you were married man and wife,
By houshold brawls, or contentious strife,
Or otherwise, in bed or at board,
Offended each other in deed or in word;
Or in a twelvemonth’s time and a day,
Repented not in thought any way;
Or since the church clerk said Amen,
Wished yourselves unmarried again,
But continued true, and in desire
As when you joyned hands in holy quire.
“And immediately thereupon, the said William Parsley, and Jane his wife, claiming the said gammon of bacon, the court pronounced the sentence for the same, in these words, or to the effect following—
Since to these conditions, without any fear,
Of your own accord you do freely swear,
A whole gammon of bacon you do receive,
And bear it away with love and good leave,
For this is the custom of Dunmow well known;
Tho’ the pleasure be ours, the bacon’s your own.
“And accordingly a gammon of bacon was delivered unto the said William Parsley, and Jane his wife, with the usual solemnity.