Court Rolls 77 to 80a

Introduction to Willington Manor Court Rolls

Index to Willington Court Rolls

Court Roll 77

October 11 1609

View of Frankpledge With Court held before Edward Rolfe Esquire, Steward there.

It is interesting to note that the early part of the roll is written in Latin; the orders are in English apart from the final paragraph which is in Latin; the text on the reverse is in English

• Three men were excused attendance at court.
• There was a jury of 13 men and two constables are named.
• The 'residents and Inhabitants within the aforesaid view gave 8s 11d to the lord as Common fine for Land-silver and Head-silver, on this day following the ancient Custom usual there' but it seems that 2d of this was paid to the officers who collected the fines.
• Three men kept geese and ganders against the orders and were each fined 12d. one man let his seven pigs go unringed and was also fined 2s 4d.
• There follow 18 by-laws making it clear what is expected from the tenants when keeping animals, cultivating fields, clearing ditches, gleaning in the fields, and listing the penalties for not doing so.
• Four men were elected as supervisors of the orders and Bailiffs of the Fields.
• A detailed list follows of the common fines paid by 27 tenants and the number of animals which they were allowed to keep in the common.

Full transcript of Court Roll 77 (pdf)

Court Roll 78

September 20 1633

View of Frankpledge with court, of Edward Gostwick, Baronet

In 1630 Sir Edward Gostwick died and his heir, also named Edward, was deaf and dumb. Sir Edward's wife died in July 1633 just a few weeks before this court. It had been arranged that the estate should be managed by a board of trustees. The unusually detailed list of tenants, suggests this change of management. Only the beginning of the roll is in Latin. The heading 'Orders' and the text which follows it is in English.

• Fourteen tenants did not come to court but were pardoned. Four of them said that tey did not have time to prepare. Fifteen men were sworn in as jurors.
• Nine bylaws relating to the clearing of ditches, ploughing of land and keeping of animals, and the reinstating of the three gates of the manor, were passed.
• The manorial officers are named as Constables: Robert Hancock, William Mason.
• Supervisors of the fields: William Hill, John Osmond, Richard Morgan, Richard Piseley, John Crouch, Thomas Manton.
• Five names are wriiten very faintly below. A list of 27 tenants and the common fines which they paid, amounting to 9s 2d, is written on the back.

Full transcript of Court Roll 78 (pdf)

Court Roll 79

September 22 1635

View of Frankpledge with Court.

• Four tenants did not attend, but were not fined.
• Fifteen men sworn in as jurors.
• Inhabitants of Moggerhanger and Cople have encroached on the manor, by ploughing along some of the lord's land.
• Four by-laws about the keeping of animals on the common fields were passed.
• In this roll the order made in roll 77 (11th October 1609) which ruled that lambs should be counted as sheep from Michaelmas, that is, September 29th, was reversed.
• The manorial officers are given as Constables: William Hill and William Mayes.
• Supervisors of the Fields: John Osmond, Thomas Manton, Robert Hancock, John Crouch, Heward: John Richardson, alias Guye.

Full transcript of Court Roll 79 (pdf)

Court Roll 80

September 27 1637

View of Frankpledge with Court Baron

• Seventeen men sworn in as the jury.
• There is the use of terms 'servaner' and servando' the meanings of which are unclear.
• Two men are accused of keeping sheep unlawfully and seven by-laws about keeping animals on the manor were written in English and passed.
• The manorial officers are listed as: Constables: John Osmond, William Day.
• Supervisors of the fields: Richard Morgan, Richard Silby, Richard Pisley, John Richardson, alias Guy.
• The Heward was John Richardson, alias Guy.
• The text goes on to say, in English, 'Doles still continue'

Full transcript of Court Roll 80 (pdf)

Court Roll 80a

April 20 1674

The King's View of Frankpledge with Court Baron of Sir William Gostwick, Knight and Baronet.

• Ten men were excused from attending court.
• Seven tenants did not come to court and were each fined 12d.
• Twelve men sworn in as the jury.
• Eight young men were sworn into tithings.
• No other business.
• The record was signed by Augustine Titford Esquire and William Hancock and William Moody, Supervisors of the high roads.

Full transcript of Court Roll 80a (pdf)