Court Officials and Attendance
| Lord of the ManorThe Lord of the Manor was the landowner with legal and economic control over a manor. They collected rents, administered... In full. | William Whitchurch (merchant) |
| Free suitorIn the manorial system, a tenant's obligation to attend the manor court was called 'suit of court'. Suit of court... In full. | William Weston (Esquire) |
| The HomageHomage referred to the sworn body of tenants who served as the jury of a manor court. Selection for the... In full. | William Loder (foreman), Thomas Cooke, John Carter, William Miles, Robert Langman, Thomas Serjeant, Andrew Loder, William Kember, Robert Bullen (by marriageJure uxoris ('by right of wife') was how a husband gained rights over his wife's property. In the English property... In full.), Robert Chaffey, George Jolliffe |
| Did not Attend | Tenants: Nicholas Farvis, Francis Cooke, Henry Snooke, Robert Hobbs, Thomas Hobbs, Lucy Thornhull (widow), Joan Locke (widow), Joan Chamberlaine (widow), John Loder, Edward Hellier, Thomas Bingham, William Browne, Jane Lambert, Melior Snooke (widow), Mary Hellier (widow), Eleanor Clarke (widow) |
| AffeerersAn affeerer was a manor court official who assessed and adjusted amercement amounts. Selected from among the manor's tenants, affeerers... In full. | Robert Chaffey, Robert Bullen |
Property Transactions
| Transaction | Individuals, Relationships and Roles | Premises & Land |
|---|---|---|
| AdmissionAdmission was the legal process granting a new tenant rights to copyhold property. The court 'admitted' someone following a previous... In full. in ReversionThe automatic transfer of a tenancy upon the termination of the current tenant's interest. In manorial practice, reversions were commonly... In full. for a single life Margaret Miles takes the reversion of property on the financial terms below, to take effect at the end of the current tenancy of Robert Kember. Rent £12 HeriotHeriot was a duty the lord of the manor collected at the end of a tenancy. It traditionally consisted of... In full. unspecified FineA fine was a customary payment made to the lord of the manor upon changes to tenancy arrangements. It acknowledged... In full. 12s | Margaret Miles (admittedAdmission was the legal process granting a new tenant rights to copyhold property. The court 'admitted' someone following a previous... In full. in reversion, daughter of William Miles) Robert Kember (recent tenant) | One cottage and adjoining garden on the wasteThe lord's waste referred to uncultivated land within a manor not held by tenants. These were typically open, unimproved lands... In full. of the manor in Eastop Lane. |
| SurrenderSurrender was the formal procedure of returning a copyhold tenancy to the lord of the manor. It served several purposes:... In full. and Admission (CopyholdA form of land tenure where the tenant held land 'by copy of court roll'. The manorial court roll recorded... In full. for 3 lives) Mary Hellier surrenders property together with rights in Weston CommonLand over which manorial tenants held shared rights. These typically included common of pasture (grazing), turbary (cutting turf for fuel),... In full. which are then taken by Henry Snooke to hold with William Snooke and Susannah Duffett for their joint lives in succession on the financial terms below. Henry Snooke is admitted as the first life. Rent 6s Heriot 40s Fine £65, paid | Mary Hellier (widow, existing tenant, surrenderer) Henry Snooke (first life, admitted) William Snooke (second life, son of William Snooke) Susannah Duffett (third life, daughter of William) William Snooke (father of William) William Duffett (father of Susannah) | Five enclosures of land or pasture called the West Ground, about 23 acres. One enclosure of meadow called West Mead of about 2 acres. One enclosure called Watts Yate of about 7 acres. Pasture for 20 sheep in Weston Common. |
presentments by the Homage
| PresentmentPresentments constituted the formal declarations and findings submitted by the Homage at each sitting of the manor court. The Homage... In full. | Individuals, Relationships and Roles | Premises & Land or Rights |
|---|---|---|
| Customary RightsThe rules, rights and obligations by which a particular manor was governed/administered. These customs acquired legal force through long usage... In full. | To have firebootBoot (or Bote) was a customary right allowing tenants to take timber for designated purposes. Categories included: Fireboot (deadwood for... In full. without assignmentManorial custom might require agreement (assignment) to use common resources, such as wood for building or repairing houses (houseboot). In full. and housebootBoot (or Bote) was a customary right allowing tenants to take timber for designated purposes. Categories included: Fireboot (deadwood for... In full. with assignment. | |
| Customary Rights | No tenant is allowed to take any agistmentAgistment was an arrangement whereby landowners or tenants permitted others to pasture their livestock on lands for a specified fee.... In full. sheep to the common and let them lodge or couchIn manorial usage, 'to lodge or couch' on the common means that animals grazing there remain resting or lying, typically... In full. there. They are to be penned, and if not penned by the tenant who allowed them onto the common, any other tenant is free to pen them. | |
| Maintenance and Repairs | Edward Hellier | The repair of his barn is outstanding. |
| Maintenance and Repairs | Lord of the manor | Repair of the pound door remains outstanding and the lord of the manor is responsible |
| Death Heriot 40s | Mary Hobbs (deceased) Thomas Hobbs (husband of Mary) | Mary Hobbs, wife of Thomas Hobbs has died and a heriot of 40s is due. |
| Tenancy Change | Thomas Hobbs junior (son of Thomas Hobbs) Thomas Hobbs | Thomas Hobbs the son of Thomas Hobbs to be the next taker following the death of Mary Hobbs |
| Maintenance and Repairs | Andrew Loder | His hedge has been repaired. |
| Maintenance and Repairs | Mary Hellier | The bridge and watercourse at Wates Gate is in default and ought to be repaired by the first of October next on pain of'On pain of' was a phrase in presentments specifying the penalty for non-compliance with a court directive. When the court... In full. 10s. Noted as not done. |
| Failure to do SuitIn the manorial system, a tenant's obligation to attend the manor court was called 'suit of court'. Suit of court... In full. Assessed at 3d | Thomas Hobbs, Edward Hellier, Henry Snooke, Robert Hobbs, William Browne, Francis Cooke, John Loder | |
| Maintenance and Repairs | William Kember | His barn is in need of repair. To be repaired by 1st October on pain of 10s. Noted as done in part. |
| Maintenance and Repairs | Mary Hellier | Her ditch at Eastop Lane in need of maintenance. To be repaired by 1st October on pain of 10s. Noted as done. |
| Maintenance and Repairs | Melior Snooke | Her ditch at Eastop Lane in need of maintenance. To be repaired by 1st October on pain of 10s. Noted as done. |