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) |
| 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, Richard Snooke, John Carter, William Milles, Robert Langman, Nicholas Farvis, Thomas Serjeant, William Kember, Edward Hellier, Henry Snooke, Robert Hobbs, 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, Thomas Hobbs |
| Did not Attend | 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) Tenants: Andrew Loder, Francis Cooke, William Browne, Lucy Thornhull (widow), Melior Snooke (widow), Eleanor Clarke (widow), John Loder, Thomas Bingham, Jane Lambert, Joan Lock (widow), Joan Chamberlaine (widow) |
| AffeerersAn affeerer was a manor court official who assessed and adjusted amercement amounts. Selected from among the manor's tenants, affeerers... In full. | Richard Snooke, George Jolliffe |
Property Transactions
| Transaction | Individuals, Relationships and Roles | Premises & Land |
|---|---|---|
| SurrenderSurrender was the formal procedure of returning a copyhold tenancy to the lord of the manor. It served several purposes:... In full. Mary Hellier surrendered into the hands of the Lord of the Manor some land and rights in the possession of Robert Hobbs. | Mary Hellier (tenant) Robert Hobbs (occupier) | A barn and some land nine goads long by one and a half goads wide. Both part of the customary tenementA tenement was any holding of land with at least one building. A customary tenement was held according to the... In full. of Mary Hellier. The right to use a spring and the way to and from the barn and spring. |
| Agreement of a heriotHeriot was a duty the lord of the manor collected at the end of a tenancy. It traditionally consisted of... In full. when her copyholdA form of land tenure where the tenant held land 'by copy of court roll'. The manorial court roll recorded... In full. tenancy for widowhood ends. Heriot 40s | Mary Hellier | |
| Agreement of a heriot when his copyhold tenancy for life ends. Heriot 40s | John Carter | |
| Surrender and AdmissionAdmission was the legal process granting a new tenant rights to copyhold property. The court 'admitted' someone following a previous... In full. for 3 lives. Thomas Hobbs surrendered a tenancy and was readmitted as the first of three lives, with his sons Laurence and John. Rent 6s 2d Heriot 20s FineA fine was a customary payment made to the lord of the manor upon changes to tenancy arrangements. It acknowledged... In full. £20 10s | Thomas Hobbs (father of Laurence and John, surrendering tenant, admittedAdmission was the legal process granting a new tenant rights to copyhold property. The court 'admitted' someone following a previous... In full. first life of new copyhold tenancy) Laurence Hobbs (son of Thomas, second life), John Hobbs (son of Thomas, third life) | The Bakehouse or Kitchen and a parcel of land to the west of it, Three enclosures of pasture called the West Grounds of approximately eight acres, One enclosure called Paddock of about one and a half acres, One enclosure called The Iridge of about two acres, One enclosure called Little Eastwood of about one acre, the right of use of the spring and the way to and from the barn. |
| Surrender and Admission for 2 lives. Thomas Cooke surrendered a tenancy and was readmitted as the first of two lives, with his son John. Rent 3s Heriot 15s Fine £6 | Thomas Cooke (father of John, surrendering tenant, first life of new copyhold tenancy), John Cooke (son of Thomas, second life). | One enclosure called Woolland. Communal pasture for ten sheep. |
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. | Tenants are 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 commonLand over which manorial tenants held shared rights. These typically included common of pasture (grazing), turbary (cutting turf for fuel),... In full. 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 Repair | Mellior Snooke | Her ditch at Estop Lane is still not repaired. |
| Trespassing AmercedAn amercement was a monetary penalty imposed by the court for breaching custom. The origin of the word reflects the... In full. 20s Assessed at 2s 6d | Joseph Cobb of Candle Stourton Lord Stourton | To drive his sheep off Stalbridge Weston common and to pen them in Stourton manor. |
| Overpressing Amerced 20s Assessed at 5s | Thomas Thornhull of Wooland Lucy Thornhull (widow) | Thomas Thornhull guilty of overpressing, on the pretense of using the right of Lucy Thornhull |
| 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. Amerced Assessed at 3d | William Browne, Francis Cooke, John Loder and others entered in the list |