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Court Rolls 61 to 68

Court Roll 61

September 27th 1515

View of Frankpledge with Court of Thomas, Duke of Norfolk

  • More than twenty tenants are named as having buildings to repair; at least 16 halls, 18 barns, 1 kitchen, 12 bakehouses, 7 stables; and a hayhouse. 
  • Two bakers are fined but there is no mention of brewers of ale.
  • Two horses, a sheep and a lamb are listed as strays.
  • The villagers are ordered to scour their ditches next to the Rabbit Warren and the lane as far as the mill, and no-one is permitted to put his pigs in the common pastures of the manor without sufficient rings.  

Full transcript of Court Roll 61(pdf)

Court Roll 62

March 8th 1520

View of Frankpledge with Court of Lord Thomas, Earl of Surrey

According to the Account roll of Newnham Priory (in BHRS XL1X p. 30) from March 25th 1519 to the same date 1520 the Priory paid an amercement of 4d to the Duke of Norfolk for the manor at Willington, but it is not recorded in this court roll.

  • Two brewers and two bakers are fined.
  • Each tenant was ordered to ensure that his ditches drained his fields, or pay a fine of 10s.
  • Six tenants had made enclosures outside their tenements and were to pay an annual fine.
  • Tenants were ordered to repair their holdings.
  • At the next court tenants were to prove what lands they held from the lord by copy or at the Lord's will, or pay a fine.

Full transcript of Court Roll 62 (pdf)

Court Roll 63

March 12th 1522

View of Frankpledge with Court of Lord Thomas Duke of Norfolk.

  • Six tenants, including the Prior of Newnham, owed suit of court but did not come. They were fined for non-attendance. Two bakers and two brewers were fined.
  • Three young men, all aged 12 and two of them servants, had not sworn service to the king (or joined a tithing). They would be sworn in at the next court or fines would be due.
  • The document becomes very faint and difficult to read, but some roofs and buildings need repair. There is an order about the use of the commons.
  • Some cottages and lands, including two tofts and eighteen acres of land and separate meadowland in Bedford, changed hands. It seems that a certain Robert Cooper or Cowper increased his holding by taking several cottages, tofts etc. Both he and another tenant, Robert Johnson, paid entry fines.

Full transcript of Court Roll 63 (pdf)

Court Roll 64

December 10th 1522

View of Frankpledge with Court held there of Lord Thomas Duke of Norfolk.

  • William Gostwyke died after the last Court and his son and heir is his son John Gostwyke 'aged xxvj [26] years and more.' This does not seem to be John Gostwick who was knighted in 1540, but may have been his cousin.
  • Three bakers and two brewers were mentioned and fined. The miller took excessive toll and was also fined.
  • Five men, including John Gostwyke, were fined for assaulting others.
  • William Feyrey, one of the servants mentioned in the roll above, and another young man were sworn into a tithing.
  • It was agreed a previous tenant should pay 2s 9d towards the repairs of the house which he had surrendered.
  • It was ordered that each tenant should ring his pigs before the next Christmas or pay penalties for each offence.

Full transcript of Court Roll 64 (pdf)

Court Roll 65

October 2nd 1537

View of Frankpledge with Court of John Gostwick Esquire and Joan his wife.

  • The Prior of Newnham, Walter Luke knight, and William Gascoign', knight, did not come to court and were fined.
  • Walter Luke, William Gascoign', the Wardens of the Fraternity of the Holy Trinity of Blunham and John Bennett had each taken over pieces of land, the positions of which on the manor are described; but the jurors did not know what customary services they owed.
  • A castrated bay horse came as a stray.
  • Despite the changes which must have resulted from John Gostwick buying the manor in 1529, and making his home there, the tenants continued to pay taxes of head silver and land silver as they had at the View of Frankpledge, usually in October, since the end of the fourteenth century.
  • Four bakers were listed and John Glynne's wife was the brewer.

It is ordered that:

  • no-one may keep any ducks or drakes after the quarter fair at the start of Lent, that is from Ash Wednesday.
  • no tenant shall cut or lop any trees called Elms neither Ashes unless the twigs and branches of these trees should be of sixteen years growth.
  • each tenant who holds free Tenements and lands shall bring and show 'evidences of his intentions to the next Court that he may divide his free lands from the lord's lands.'

Full transcript of Court Roll 65 (pdf)

Court Roll 66

October 8th 1538

View of Frankpledge view with Court of the aforesaid.

  • The Prior of Newnham and the four tenants who took lands at the previous court did not come to court, and were fined.
  • Taxes of head silver and land silver continued to be paid.
  • A black horse came as a stray.
  • The two constables accused the brewer's husband, John Glenne, of attacking the common shepherd. Another man, Robert Smalwood, perhaps a member of the miller's family, assaulted two tenants. Both John Glenne and Robert Smalwood were fined.
  • A widow holds a cottage and a garden and pays free rent of 2d a year.
  • Four bakers were listed and John Glynne's wife was the brewer.
  • 'Each Tenant shall ring his pigs from time to time when it shall be necessary. Also that none shall root upon pastures, neither those held in severalty nor upon common pastures within this demesne.'

Full transcript of Court Roll 66 (pdf)

Court Roll 67

October 27th 1539

View of Frankpledge with Court of John Gostwick Esquire and Joan his wife.

  • Three tenants are excused from attending court and three were fined for not doing so.
  • Four bakers were listed and John Glynne's wife was the brewer.
  • Taxes of head silver and land silver continued to be paid.
  • A red bullock had come as a stray.

It was ordered that:

  • each tenant shall ring his pigs from time to time when it shall be necessary, also they shall not root either upon pasture held in severalty or upon common pasture within this demesne.
  • no-one shall trespass in the lord's wood by cutting down either wood or underwood or the boughs called hazel rods without permission.
  • no-one may kill any rabbits in the warren called the Conyngre nor in the Close, neither shall he take any rabbits in the holes called rabbits' nests.

Full transcript of Court Roll 67 (pdf)

Court Roll 68

November 10th 1540

View of Frankpledge view with court of the aforesaid John Gostwyck.

Taxes of head silver and land silver continued to be paid.

  • William Gascoigne, knight, had died and his son John was his heir. He is more than 26 years of age.
  • John Yarwey, who held lands including Copte Hall, had died and his son John is his heir. He is more than 24 years of age, and paid 2 capons as relief/entry fine.
  • Three bakers were listed and John Glynne's wife was the brewer.

It was ordered that:

  • 'No keeper of sheep within this demesne shall keep his sheep in the Deans nor in any other pasture called the several pasture grounds before Michaelmas.'
  • 'Each tenant shall ring his pigs from time to time when it shall be necessary. Also that they shall not root upon pasture held in severalty nor upon common pasture within this demesne.'

John Gostwick, gentleman, is named as one of the constables and one of the assessors of fines. It is not clear whether he was the owner of the manor, who was knighted before the end of 1540 and became Sherriff of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire in 1541, or whether it was his cousin, or his nephew.

Full transcript of Court Roll 68 (pdf)