ID: MARG_326

TitleCourt of Lady Bridget Marney 1537 D/DRc M12
AbstractEast Mersea Book: Court of Lady Bridget Marney 1537 transcribed from Essex Record Office D/DRc M12

Transcriber Trevor Hearn October 2020
There is a translation to Modern English further down the page

1Eastm[er]sey : etc :
2At the Leet w[hic]h the Cou[er]t of Bridgitt Ladye de Marney
3houlden upon wedensday beinge the day of S[ai]nt Luke Evangill[ist]
4H.8.28
 
in the year of Kinge henrye the viij / the viij /
5The Jurie saye upon thir Oathes that they \dyd/ gyve unto the L[ady]
6Com[m]on Fyneof this man[er][i]u[m] for Com[m]on Fine for them selves & thir decenryes [Note 1]
7xixsbefor this day & Leet of Auncient costom - xxs
8Wherof now they Crave Allowance of ---- xijd
9Late Levieable & Contributarie to the sayd Com[m]on Fyne.
10Of and for thre tenement[es] Custom[er]ie Lyinge in Westdolyland
11Late p[ar]cell of this man[n]er Called, Bealds ad nothes &
12John Attewoods ; which by John Wentworthe thelder Esq.
13were Latlye Sould Allienated & Seperated from
14the mann[er], unto Thomas Audlie Knight. L : Chaunc[e]lor
15of Inglond / And therfor now do gyve for Com[m]on Finn[e]
16Afforsayd / Sartayne but --- xixs / As it appeareth
17in the hed of the same Roul[l]e /


18      Noat that j the residue of those . 37 . tena[u]nts, w[hi]ch ware chardged with
19gatheringe of the Lords rent[es] & of dyvers other workes & Customs
20formerlie due;. And in A[nn]o H. 8. the 10 year compounded & agreed w[it]h
21the Lord, to be exempte & exonerated of Collectinge the rent[es] & doing
22the work[es] & Customs. By the payinge yearlye of iijs viijd besyd[es] the
23iiijd an acre yerly in thir Lords rent[es]. As by the p[re]sedent[es] In the
24Roulls of the manner. in the hands of the Lord may Apeare; In
25regard of that Freeinge. (as they then thought) In the terme & tyme
26of those . 37 . years; The sum[m]e of money so yearly payed besydes the
27iiijd in the Lord[es] rent; Cometh to. vjli xijs in the tyme. ) which is
28farr more then the Reve liijs iiijd in the course as it doeth
29orderly come aboute /: As by readinge the president hear
30Followinge may Apeare
31      Then the Lords Bylie [ Note 2] oughte to collecte
32      & gather the rent[es] & Customs
33      by this composition.

Note 1 Decenary - according to the OED, quote as follows: 1881 T S. Frampton Hundred of Wrotham 36 All males.. should.. be enrolled in a tithing, or decennary, which originally consisted of ten free families.
Note 2 Bylie here means "bailiff"


Translation to Modern English by Trevor Hearn

East Mersea : etc

At the Court Leet of Bridget Lady Marney held on Wednesday 18th October 1537 [Note 1].

The jury swore upon their oaths that they gave to the Lady of the Manor by way of Common Fine [Note 2] for themselves and the fellow members of their tithing before this date and this Court of ancient custom, the sum of 20 shillings. They now request an allowance [Note 3] of 12 pence lately due and payable in respect of the aforesaid Common Fine on 3 tenements lying in West Donyland, known as Bealds, at the nothe and John Attwoods, all formerly part of this manor. These tenements were recently sold and transferred by John Wentworth, senior, esquire, to Sir Thomas Audley, Lord Chancellor of England. The amount payable for Common Fine is therefore 19 shillings only as stated in the same court roll.

Note that (1) the rest of the 37 tenants responsible for collection of the rents due to the Lord of the Manor, together with various other works and customs previously due, were relieved of such collection and performing the customary services by agreement with the Lord of the Manor in 1519. The payment of 3 shillings and 8 pence in addition to the rents of 4 pence per acre, as set out as precedent in the Rolls of the Manor held by the Lord, results (as they thought) in an annual payment over the 37 year term of such relief of collection and payment of 6 pounds and 12 shillings. This is far more than the Reeve of 53 shillings and 4 pence. The precedent states that: "the Lord's Bailiff by law ought to collect and receive the rents and customary services under these terms".

Note 1 The Feast of St Luke the Evangelist is 18th October; the 28th year of the reign of King Henry VIII is 1537.
Note 2 Common Fine is defined from the following quote: 1641   Rastell's Termes de la Ley  (new ed.) f. 68   Common Fine is a certain summe of money which the resiants in a Leet pay unto the Lord of the Leet, and it is called in some places Head-silver.
Note 3 "Allowance" according to the OED is: A sum recognized in an account; repayment, recompense, compensation; (hence) a rebate, deduction, or discount.

SourceMersea Museum / Sent as Court of Bridget Lady Marney.docx and Translation of Court Leet of Bridget, Lady Marney.docx.
Images of this doc are not available from ERO. Presumably Sue Howlett photographed it.
IDMARG_326