Kirkby Malham & Hanlith Manor Court Roll 1460

Kirkby Malham and Hanlith Court Roll 1460

Manor Courts were originally created in the medieval period but continued in places right up to the 20th century. By the 16th century a manor was essentially an area under the jurisdiction of a private court, a form of local government. The Manor Court rolls are the records of these courts and they contain a wealth of information concerning local issues, the most significant of which was the administration of copyhold tenure (a form of customery tenure where the tennant paid an entry "fine" and then an annual rental to the court and "held a copy of the entry in the court rolls") which was abolished in 1922. The Court's other function was to create and enforce bye-laws and in an area like Malhamdale these invariably concerned agrarian matters such as good stock management and regulation of the common fields, although they did concern other nuisance issues too.

This court roll is one of three 15th century documents passed to KirkbyMalham.info which are now in the North Yorkshire Record Office at Northallerton, and it was transcribed from the Latin and translated by Mike Spence.

The most important manorial record is the court roll, usually a series of handwritten parchments documents, which up to 1733 (except for the period 1649-1660) were written in abbreviated Latin. The Manorial Documents Register lists the available court records for the manors of Hanlith and Kirkby-in-Malhamdale and indicates which Record Office holds them.

You can find out more about the records in the National Archives research guide Manor and Other Local Court Rolls, 13th Century-1922

Court of Kyrkby [Malham]
held there on the thirteenth day of May in the 38th year of the reign of Henry VI  
[Tuesday, 13th May 1460]

fine	3d	for the Abbot of Dereham because he does not come to do suit of court
fine	2d	for John Mallom for the same
fine	2d	for Richard Banaster for the same
fine	1d	for William Plebischer for cutting vert*
fine	1d	for Henry Robynson for the same
fine	1d	for Richard Rilay for the same
fine	1d	for Thomas Calton for the same
fine	1d	for James Robynson for the same
fine	6d	John Atkynson for trespass with his cattle in the pasture, reported by his brother Robert
fine	6d	Robert Atkynson for the same reported by [blank]
fine	6d	William Lawson for the same reported by the forester
fine	6d	Thomas Lawson for the same reported by the forester
fine	1d	William Deene for the same reported by the forester
fine	1d	William Deene for the same reported by the forester
fine	3d	Thomas Deene for the same reported by the forester
fine	6d	William Serchaunt for the same reported by the forester
fine	6d	William Ayreton for the same reported by the forester
fine	6d	John Lawson for the same by the forester

foremen of the Court     Miles Wilkynson         

Jurors on behalf of the lord

Richard Rilay                        

Inquisition taken on the oath of William Plebacher Guy Ellesley John Sclater William Monke Thomas Paxton Henry Robynson Richard Rilay Thomas Calton William Rakes Robert Husband William Robynson Miles Wilkynson James Robynson and Thomas Crambok, who say that the water of Kirkgilbek has damaged the soil of the lord in several places and unless it is more swiftly repaired, more damage will result

[Who say:]		Item they say that Henry Talliour overburdened the pasture and common field with six cattle
		Item they say that Robert Tennant had two cattle in the pasture without communal assent
		Item they say that Roger Proktour had two cattle in the pasture without communal assent
		Item they say that Richard Fishe had three horses in the pasture without communal assent
fine	8d	Item they say that William Page had six cattle and ten sheep there without communal assent, reported by the forester
fine	1d	Item they say that Richard Jackson had one cow there without communal assent
fine	4d	Item they say that Richard Atkynson had three horses there without communal assent
fine	2d	Item they say that Christopher Bateman had two oxen there without communal assent
fine	2d	Miles Wilkynson for [keeping] his pigs unringed
fine	2d	James Robynson for the same
fine	1d	Thomas Crombok for the same
fine	1d	Guy Ellesley for the same
fine	1d	John Sclater for the same
fine	1d	Thomas Paxton for the same
fine	1d	Henry Robinson for the same
fine	1d	Richard Rilay for the same
fine	1d	William Rakes for the same
fine	2d	John Henrision for the same
fine	1d	Thomas Carter for the same
fine	2d	Henry Couere for trespass in the pasture with his cattle

             Sums [charged at] this Court 7s 8d

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Court of Hanlith
held there on the thirteenth day of May in the 38th year of the reign of Henry VI   [Tuesday, 13th May  1460]

fine	3d	for the Abbot of Dereham because he does not come to do suit of court
fine	2d	for John Mallom for the same
fine	2d	for heir/s of John Serchiaunt senior for the same
fine	2d	for Thomas Preston for cutting vert*
fine	2d	for William Hogeson for the same
fine	1d	for William Pacok for the same

Item they say that Thomas Hogeson of Calton, Christopher Page, William Preston, John Lancaster, John Dawson, John Rakis, John Naylor, John [L.yne], John Porter, John Nodder, Thomas Rakes, Robert Husband and Henry Cour[er] dug a turbary on the ground of the lord without common assent or licence

Nobody is to cut wood in the waste or common near Hanlyth bridge before the feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist  [24th June] on penalty of 12 pence

Nobody shall fell any green wood in Esegill on penalty of 2s however often

Nobody shall plough Raanes in the openfield nor mow nor reap the waste against the ordinance of the bylaw and manor court on penalty of 6d  Nobody shall breach the ordinance of the bylaw on penalty of 40d

foremen of the court     Thomas Preston     Jurymen for the lord

Inquisition taken on the oath of Thomas Preston William Hogeson John Sallay John Diconson

John Pacok William Serchauntson and Thopmas Smyth who say that the water[s] of Ayre seriously damaged the ground of the lord in three places namely at Esegilfote Semer and Bellardcroke and unless remedied quickly will cause further damage

fine	2d	Item they say that John Cotere Robert Preston Richard Thomlynson William Nunfrere Thomas Porter and Richard Wyndesouer kept their cattle on the demsne of Hanlyth without communal assent
fine	6d	Roger Williamson for trespass with his cattle in the pasture and openfield in the winter season
fine	6d	John Wyndesour for a similar [offence] reported by the forester
fine	2d	Thomas Snell for a similar [offence] reported by the forester
fine	4d	Matilda Hurtliff for a similar [offence] reported by the forester
fine	4d	John Sallay for a similar [offence] reported by the forester
fine	4d	Robert Atkynson for a similar [offence] reported by the forester
fine	4d	Thomas Atkynson for a similar [offence] reported by the forester
fine	4d	Thomas Hyne for a similar [offence] reported by the forester
fine	4d	Christopher Preston for a similar [offence] reported by the forester
fine	2d	Robert Stakhous for a similar [offence] reported
fine	2d	John Ayrton and William his son for a similar [offence] reported by the forester
fine	4d	Christopher Wylkynson for 120 sheep in the pasture without communal assent
fine	2d	William Page for trespass with his cattle in the openfield of Hanlyth

             total of this court 6s 1d

* Vert : Green wood, presumably taken for animal fodder

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View the Hanlith & Kirkby Malham Manor Court Roll for 1554

View the Hanlith & Kirkby Malham Manor Court Roll for 1607