Page images
PDF
EPUB

Thus, by Magna Carta, cap. XXXII.

"Nullus liber homo det de cætero amplius alicui, vel vendat (alicui) de terra sua quam ut de residuo terræ suæ possit sufficienter fieri domino feodi servitium ei debitum quod pertinet ad feodum illum."

"No freeman from henceforth shall give or sell any more of his land but so that of the residue of the lands the lord of the fee may have the service due to him which belongeth to the fee." (Co. 1 Inst. 65.)

And by the statute Quia emptores terrarum, 18 Edw. I, A.D. 1290.

"De cætero liceat unicuique libero homini terras suas seu tenementa sua, seu partem inde ad voluntatem suam vendere, ita tamen quod feoffatus teneat terram illam seu tenement'. illud de capitali domino feodi illius per eadem servitia et consuetudines per quæ feoffator suus illa prius tenuit."

"Henceforth it shall be lawful to every freeman to sell at his own pleasure his lands and tenements, or part of them, so that the feoffee shall hold the same lands or tenements of the chief lord of the same fee by such services and customs as his feoffor held before." (Co. 2 Inst. 500.)

Before the statute of Quia emptores terrarum in case where the tenure was of a common person, the tenant might have made a feoffment of a parcell of his tenancy, to hold of him; but at the common law he could not have given a part of his tenancy to be holden of the lord, for the tenant by this Act could not divide the seignory of the lord, which was entire. But the tenant might have made a feoffment of the whole tenancy to be holden of the lord, for that was no prejudice at all to the lord. (Co. 2 Inst. 65.)

As matters of historical as well as of legal curiosity, I insert three antient charters of feoffment, in my possession, two of which are before, and the third is subsequent to the statute of Quia emptores. From these the reader will learn that before the statute, lands were granted to be holden of the feoffor, but after the statute, of the chief lord of the fee.

"Vetus Carta Feoffamenti (sans date, penes auctorem.)

"Sciant p'sentes futuri quod ego, Radulfus, filius Ricardi de Deram, dedi 7 concessi y hac p'senti carta mea confirmavi Will'o filio meo cl'ico unam acra t're mee, scilicet illa acra qua hemi de Will'o filio Osb'ti le Frankelyn in campo de Grettewirthe, videlicet una dimidiā acrā in campo borial. que iacet sup'. la More ad q'.reram int t'ram Will'i le Poter 7 t'ram Nicholai filii Bernaldi, 7 una dimidiam acra in campo haustral. que iacet ante Crakeburne int. t'ram Gilb'ti filii Joh'is t'ram Hugonis filii Hugonis, habendam habendam tenēdam p'dictă acram t're cũ. caputib3. p'ti ptinētib. 7 cu. pasturis p'dicto Vill'o heredib3. suis ul suis assignatis de me heredibus meis libere 7 quiete, bene 7 i. pace. Reddendo inde annuatim ip'e Will's 7 heredes sui ul sui assignati michi 1 heredib3. meis unu par albaru cirotecarū p'cii unius oboli ul unu obolu ad Pascha pro omni seculari s'vicio demanda. Et ego p'dictus Radulfus heredes mei p'dictam acram t're cu caputib3 p'ti 7 pasturis adiacentib3 p'dicto Villelmo 7 heredib3. suis uel q'b3cunq. illam dederit uel uēdiderit aut legav'it p. s'viciū p'nominatu, cont'. omnes homines 7 feminas imp'petuu. warentizabimus, aq'etabimus, 7 ab omni secta cuiuscumq. curie defendemus. Pro hac aute donacione, concessione, p'sentis carte mee cöfirmatione dedit michi p'dictus Will's octo solidos arge'ti p'. manib3. 7 ut hec mea donacio, concessio, 1 p'sentis carte

"Know all men present and to come, that I Ralph, the son of Richard de Deram, have given and granted, and by this my present charter have confirmed to William my son, clerk, one acre of my land, to wit, that acre which I bought of William, the son of Osbert le Frankelyn, in the field of Grettewirthe; videlicet, one half acre in the North Field which lies upon the moor at [......?] between the land of William le Poter and the land of Nicholas, the son of Bernald and one half acre in the South Field which lies before Crakeburne, between the land of Gilbert, the son of John, and the land of Hugh, the son of Hugh, To have and to hold the aforesaid acre of land with the headlands of meadow appertaining, and with the pastures, to the aforesaid William and his heirs, or to his assigns of me and my heirs, freely and quietly, well and in peace. Yielding therefore yearly the same William and his heirs or his assigns to me and my heirs, one pair of white gloves of the price of one halfpenny, or one halfpenny at Easter, in lieu of all secular service and demand. And I, the aforesaid Ralph and my heirs, the aforesaid acre of land with the headlands of meadow and with the pastures adjacent, to the aforesaid William and his heirs, or to whomsoever he shall give, or sell, or bequeath it, by the service before named, against all men and women, will for ever warrant, acquit, and from all suit of

mee confirmatio rate stabiles imp'petuu p'maneant, hanc cartam sigilli mei inp'ssione roboraui, Hiis testib. Johanne p'sona de Grettewirthe, Nicholao vicario de Catesbye, Galfrido cardun de Karnigho, Gilberto de Grettewirthe, Will'o le Cornvaleýz, De Rodestone, et multis aliis."

court whatsoever will defend. And for this gift, grant, and confirmation of my present charter the aforesaid William hath given unto me eight shillings of silver in hand. And that this my gift, grant, and confirmation of my present charter may for ever remain firm and stable, I have corroborated this charter with the impression of my seal, these being witnesses: John, parson of Grettewirthe, Nicholas, vicar of Catesbye, Geoffrey Cardun de Karnigho, Gilbert de Grettewirthe, William the Cornishman, De Rodestone, and many others.'

[ocr errors]

To this charter is appended an oval seal of green wax, bearing a fleur-de-lis, with the legend "SIGIL. RADVLFI. DE. DERAM." scarcely legible. It is some proof of the great antiquity of this charter, that the letter y is throughout dotted, as in Saxon-thus, ý.

"Vetus Carta Feoffamenti, 49 Hen. III, a.D. 1264.

"Sciant p'sentes fut'i qu ego

[ocr errors]

Thomas fil'. Simonis Aldremanni dedi, concessi, h'c p'senti carta mea conf'mavi Egid'. de Laforstalle unam ac'm dimid'. tres dey w'cas t're mee cu toto bosco sup'. p'dcam t'ram crescentem que jacet in tenur'. Templi, tenend'. 7 possidend'. de me 7 h'dib3. meis d'co Egid'. 7 hedib3. suis vel suis assignat'. seu cuicuq'. p'dcam t'ram cũ bosco sup'. crescent'. dar'. vender'. legar'. aut assig'r'. voluer't lib'e, q'ete, bene in pace jur. h'ditar'. imp'petuu. Faciend'. ind. capitalib3. d'nis feodi omne s'c'lar. s'viciu. ind'. annuatim debit'. 7 9suetu. et

[ocr errors]

Know all men present and to come, that I Thomas, son of Simon the alderman, have given, granted, and by this my present charter have confirmed to Egidius de la Forstalle one acre and an half and three......(?) of my land, with the entire wood upon the aforesaid land growing, which lies in the tenure of the Temple, To hold and possess of me and my heirs to the said Egidius and his heirs, or his assigns, or to whomsoever the aforesaid land with the wood thereupon growing he will give, sell, bequeath or assign, freely, quietly, well and in peace, in hereditary right for ever. Yielding therefore

[graphic][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][subsumed]
[graphic][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][ocr errors][merged small][subsumed]
« PreviousContinue »