Abstract | East 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
1 | Eastm[er]sey : etc :
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2 | | At the Leet w[hic]h the Cou[er]t of Bridgitt Ladye de Marney |
3 | | houlden upon wedensday beinge the day of S[ai]nt Luke Evangill[ist] |
4 | H.8.28 | in the year of Kinge henrye the viij / the viij / |
5 | | The Jurie saye upon thir Oathes that they \dyd/ gyve unto the L[ady] |
6 | Com[m]on Fyne | of this man[er][i]u[m] for Com[m]on Fine for them selves & thir decenryes [Note 1] |
7 | xixs | befor this day & Leet of Auncient costom - xxs |
8 | | Wherof now they Crave Allowance of ---- xijd |
9 | | Late Levieable & Contributarie to the sayd Com[m]on Fyne. |
10 | | Of and for thre tenement[es] Custom[er]ie Lyinge in Westdolyland |
11 | | Late p[ar]cell of this man[n]er Called, Bealds ad nothes & |
12 | | John Attewoods ; which by John Wentworthe thelder Esq. |
13 | | were Latlye Sould Allienated & Seperated from |
14 | | the mann[er], unto Thomas Audlie Knight. L : Chaunc[e]lor |
15 | | of Inglond / And therfor now do gyve for Com[m]on Finn[e] |
16 | | Afforsayd / Sartayne but --- xixs / As it appeareth |
17 | | in 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 |
19 | | gatheringe of the Lords rent[es] & of dyvers other workes & Customs |
20 | | formerlie due;. And in A[nn]o H. 8. the 10 year compounded & agreed w[it]h |
21 | | the Lord, to be exempte & exonerated of Collectinge the rent[es] & doing |
22 | | the work[es] & Customs. By the payinge yearlye of iijs viijd besyd[es] the |
23 | | iiijd an acre yerly in thir Lords rent[es]. As by the p[re]sedent[es] In the |
24 | | Roulls of the manner. in the hands of the Lord may Apeare; In |
25 | | regard of that Freeinge. (as they then thought) In the terme & tyme |
26 | | of those . 37 . years; The sum[m]e of money so yearly payed besydes the |
27 | | iiijd in the Lord[es] rent; Cometh to. vjli xijs in the tyme. ) which is |
28 | | farr more then the Reve liijs iiijd in the course as it doeth |
29 | | orderly come aboute /: As by readinge the president hear |
30 | | Followinge may Apeare |
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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.
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