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East
Malham Court Roll - Nov 1577
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 transcript is typical of a manor court roll entry and shows the
type of local information you can find. It is just one of many available
for the the Manor of East Malham.
The
Manorial Documents Register lists 13 sets of records for the manor
of East Malham, with the largest number being deposited at Lancashire
Record Office in Preston, which holds the East Malham Manor Rolls
for: 1534, 1550, 1558-62, 1569-83, 1604-26, 1632-57, 1650-61, 1667-1680
as well as various estreats ( an extract of fines returned to the exchequer)
and verdicts. The Yorkshire
Archaeological Society has some 19th century verdicts and rentals
in the Bradfer-Lawrence collection.
You can find out more about the records in the National Archives research
guide Manor
and Other Local Court Rolls, 13th Century-1922 
Malhom
Este. |
The Court of John Lambart esqr held there the 18th day of November
in the year of the reign of Elizabeth by the grace of God of England,
France and Ireland queen defender of the faith, &c, the twentieth
1577. |
Free
tenants. |
John ffaldshay, present; William Proctor, present; the heirs of
Thomas Scothorp, absent (fined) iiijd ; the heirs of John (sic)
under age ; Ada Preston of Airton, appears by her son ; the heirs
of Richard Otterburne, absent (fined) iiijd ; John Lawson, absent,
iiijd , John Preston, absent iiijd ; the heirs of Thomas Hill, present,
but under age, and Henry Sclater, present.
These are free tenants and owe their suit at this court. |
Tenants
at will
|
John ffaldshay |
fa' oia |
id |
Henry Serjantson, bailiff |
|
|
Thomas Serjantson |
fa' oia |
id |
Thomas Thompson |
fa' oia |
iid |
Henry Anderson |
fa' oia |
id |
Henry Hirde |
fa' oia |
iid |
Richard Lawson |
fa' oia |
id |
The widow of Henry Hill |
fa' oia |
id |
The widow of John Hill |
fa' oia |
id |
William Lawson |
fa' oia |
iid |
Richard Knolles |
fa' oia |
id |
Richard Hodshon |
fa' oia |
id |
The widow of Thomas Bateson |
fa' oia |
0 |
The widow of William Airton |
fa' oia |
id |
Henry Leyland |
fa' oia |
id |
Thomas Preston of Scosthrop |
o |
0 |
Edward Spencer, absent |
o |
iiid |
Christofer Pickehan', absent |
o |
iiid |
William Browne |
fa' oia |
id |
Roger Spenser, absent |
o |
iiid |
Thomas Spenser, absent |
o |
iiid |
John Silverwoodd |
o |
0 |
John Shage |
o |
0 |
Henry Preston |
o |
0 |
Anthony Preston |
o |
0 |
Richard Holgayte |
o |
0 |
The widow of Wm. Thompson |
o |
0 |
John Tenant |
o |
0 |
These are tenants at the will of the Lord
(fa' oia - perhaps an abbreviation of
"facta omni," meaning that all services had been rendered.)
|
Jurors for the lord |
An Inquest taken at the same place on behalf of the lord by the
oaths of Thomas Serjantson, Thomas Thompson, Henry Hird, William
La\vson, Richard Knolles, Richard Lawson, Henry Leyland, Richard Hodshon, William Browne, John Silverwoodde, Richard Holgayte and
John Shay jurors.
|
Pleas. |
William Preston of Airton claims from Anthony Preston of the same
place in an action of debt concerning the delivery of 29/- which
he owes him and unjustly withholds, as he says, viz. for a black
cow, etc. Defendant comes into court and confesses the aforesaid
debt and is therefore in mercy iiijd.
A day is appointed to the Jury of this Court for the return of their
verdict (namely) until the and day of December next ensuing under
a penalty for each defaulter of 3/4 to be levied for the lord. |
Presentments of the Jury
|
The jurors say upon their oath that William Windsor has over stocked
the pasture called the Lyngs with one mare (and is) therefore in
mercy xiid ; and that Ada Preston xiid and Christofer Preston xiiid
are guilty of a like offence and are therefore in mercy as appears
above their names ; and that Christofer Todde is guilty of a like
offence as well in the fields as in the pasture aforesaid with his
horses and therefore in mercy xiid ; and that Richard Thomplynson
of Conysheton Coulde has depastured, trodden down and eaten the
grass and herbage growing on the pasture (called) the Lyngs aforesaid
with two mares and one foal, therefore in mercy IIIs ; and that
William Wetherhirde has not made (fecih) his walls and ditches (?
repaired his walls and opened his ditches) about the pasture called
the Wetes close according to the order of the Court, therefore in
mercy xiid ; and that the widow of Henry Hill has not made her walls
and ditches about the cross field according to the order of the
court, therefore in mercy xiid ; and that Christofer Todd has made
like default, therefore in mercy xiid ; and that the widow of Henry
Hill aforesaid has not made her walls and cleansed her ditches about
the new close, therefore in mercy xiid; and that Christopher Todde
has made default as above, therefore in mercy xiid ; and that Ada
Preston has trespassed within the fields of Malham aforesaid with
one ox wrongfully straying beyond the Wetes Close, therefore in
mercy IIIs iiijd; and that Christopher Preston IIIs iiijd, the widow
of John Hill IIIs iiijd and John Hurtley have similarly trespassed,
therefore in mercy as appears above their several names ; and that
the widow of John Hill has trespassed within the fields aforesaid
with her cows and lambs depasturing the grass and herbage there
growing, therefore in mercy IIIs iiijd ; and that John Preston of
Malham aforesaid has trespassed within Bunbye Head with his lambs,
therefore in mercy vid ; and that Henry Hirde has similarly trespassed
with one ox, therefore in mercy xii; and that Richard Hodshon has
overstocked the pasture (called) the Lynges with two cows, therefore
in mercy iiijd ; and that Thomas Smyth has been guilty of a like
offence with one cow, therefore in mercy iid ; and that Robert Barrow,
William Wyndsor and Ada Preston (? broke the common meadow without
deest and that William Wyndsor viij d, Henry Wyndsor iiijd, Robert
Barrow iiijd, Ada Preston viijd, Christopher Preston viijd, William
Wetherherd viijd, Nicholas Whitfield viijd, have trespassed in the
fields aforesaid with their cattle (averies) straying beyond the
close (called) the Riddyng, therefore in mercy as appears above
their respective names ; and that William Wetherhead aforesaid has
drivenone ox (? . . ) through the Hathorns contrary to the order
of the court, therefore in mercy xiid ; and that Thomas Patricke
has overstocked the pasture (called) the Lyngs with one cow, therefore
in mercy ijd ; and that John Tennant of Bordley the elder has depastured,
trodden down and consumed the grass and herbage growing within the
Crossefelde with his sheep contrary to his promise and to the order
of the court, therefore in mercy Xs ; and that the widow of William
Thomson has allowed her gate to be unfastened at Gordell Heade,
therefore in mercy iijs. iiijd ; and that Christopher Preston has not repaired a gate situate in Malhom Reykes, therefore in mercy
xiid ; and that the widow of Henry Hill has overstocked the aforesaid
fields with her stock in the season of fog (tempore foggei), therefore
in mercy iiijd ; and that Richard Preston of Malham aforesaid has
depastured, trodden down and consumed the growing grass (bladum)
of his neighbours of East Malhom with two pigs in a certain place
called Bunbye, therefore in mercy iis ; and that John Preston has
overstocked the New Close with iiij of his cattle, therefore in
mercy Xs ; and that Henry Atkinson of Malhom the elder has trespassed
consuming the grass of his neighbours of East Malham aforesaid with
one pig within the field (called) Bunby aforesaid, therefore in
mercy xijd ; and that Roger Lawson has similarly trespassed with
two of his pigs, therefore in mercy viijd (sic) ; and that Robert
Leyland has trespassed as above with one pig, therefore in mercy
iiijd. |
|
Afferers to the Court - Thomas S(e)riantson, Richard Lawson -
Jurymen
Total of this Court, vi £ xi s. xi d
Cost of the same o.
By me Roland Brashay,
Clerk to the Court aforesaid. |
Translation
by JW Morkill from his book "THE
PARISH OF KIRKBY MALHAMDALE"
|
Originally
published in 1933, this important local history work has now
republished in support of St Michael the Archangel, Kirkby Malham,
Restoration Campaign. Copies of this limited edition are still
available see the order
page for ordering details and pricing. |
|
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