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Hec indentura testatur quod nos frater Johannes Abbas de Melsa et ejusdem loci Conventus dedimus Thome de Fisshelak

ad terminum vite sue duas cameras cum quadam sewera sub eisdem cameris quas idem Thomas sumptibus suis construxit ex parte boriali ecclesie nostre in Abbatia nostra cum quadam placea cimiterii ejusdem ecclesie extendente se in longitudine ex parte orientali usque quemdam murum lapidensium ex parte occidentali in latitudine ab eadem ecclesia ex parte australi usque ad quendam fossatum de novo erectum ex parte boreali, quas quidem cameras et seweram in coopertura et aliis necessariis sustentabimus et restituemus durante vite ipsius Thome. Concessimus et eidem Thome quod ipse respicere possit per tres fenestras vitreas in una camerarum predictarum. Ita quod per unam earundem fenestrarum respicere possit ad summum altare in eadem ecclesia et per alias duas fenestras ad altare Beate Marie Virginis et Sancti Michaelis ex parte boreali ecclesie nostre predicte et unam fenestram in cellario muro ecclesie predicte per quam respicere possit ad altare Beate Virginis et Michaelis predictum et nichil attemptabimus vel faciemus per quod visus ipsius Thome ad altaria predicta impediatur nec predicta sewera obstupet et si forte obstupet aliqua de causa illam statim ad rogatum ipsius Thome deobstupari faciemus. Concessimus et eidem Thome unum corrodium percipiendum ad terminum vite sue in Abbatia nostra videlicet qualibet septimana tresdecim panos conventuales et octo panos de secundo pane albo et quatuor panos griseos decem lagenas cervisie conventualis percipienda tempore portacionis nove cervisie ad pistrum vel ad cellarium pro voluntate ipsius Thome et cotidie de coquina Abbatis sicut servit duobus monachis in camera Abbatis in diebus carnum et piscium, exceptis Adventu Domini et Septuagesima quibus diebus capiet carnes sicut prius fecit et companagium pro garcione suo sicut servit uni de servientibus Abbatis ad stabulum quando predictus Thomas presens fuerit et ei placuerit quando absens fuerit vel ei non placuerit companagium sive in Adventu sive in Septuagesima sive in alio Quatuorque Temporum tunc pro companagio suo et garcione suo pro qualibet septimana qua ei non placuerit companagium predictum percipiet quindecim denarios. Concessimus et eidem Thome unam robam de secta clericorum cum furura se petente vel tres decim solidos et quatuor denarios argenti ad festum Sancti Andre annuatim ad totam vitam ipsius Thome percipienda Item quatuor petras casei duos petras butiri (sic) duodecim libras candelium de parys duos busscellos farine avene duos busscellos albari panis et duos busscellos salis ad rogationem ipsius Thome annuatim in tota vita sua percipienda octo carectatas turbarum de marisco de Waghen percipiendas infra Abbatiam predictam quatuor carectatas boni feni percipiendas ad littorarias aque de Hull apud le Fisshehouses ad provisionationem ipsius Thome quindecim diebus et hoc tempore carectationis

turbarum et feni. Concessimus et eidem Thome unam tunicam cum capucio pro garcione suo annuatim vel tres solidos et quatuor denarios cum stramine sufficienti pro omnibus suis necessariis et quinque solidos annuatim pro calciamentis ejusdem Thome. Item concessimus eidem Thome liberum introitum et exitum in Abbatiam predictam pro se et attornatis et amicis et servientibus suis (militibus tantumodo exceptis) ad cameras predictas per quandam portam in muro occidentali predicto constructam et per aliam portam vocatam Dadmandore pro voluntate ipsius Thome ad victualia sua querenda et alia necessaria facienda tempore opportuno. Concessimus et eidem, Thome quod sacerdos si que habuerit divina celebrare possit ad altare Beate Virginis predictum in ecclesia predicta singulis diebus cum vestimento calice libro pane vino candela et omnia alia necesaria ad missam celebrandam invenire teneamus. Concessimus et eidem Thome quod ipse possit corrodium predictum percipere pro se vel pro attornato suo et deferre sive in Abbatia sive extra Abbatiam ubicunque voluerit pro voluntate sua quemadmodum quibus statim vite elegerit annuatim usque ad terminum vite sue. Ad quod quidem corrodium fideliter eidem Thome vel suo certo attornato ut promittimus nos et successores nostros ac omnia bona nostra mobilia vel inmobilia cohertione et distructione cujuscunque judicis ecclesiastici vel secularis ubicunque fuerunt inventa per presentes. In quoque omnium singulorum fidem et testimonium damus nos predicta Abbas et Conventus. Sigillum nostrum commune quemadmodum presens Thomas sigillum suum presentibus indenturis alternatim apposuimus. Dat apud Melsam die Lune proximo ante festum Sancte Lucie Virginis anno Domini Millimo tricentessimo quinquagesimo tercio.

The next document is an abstract in English of the proceedings in the Court of Exchequer, in 1403, between the abbot of Meaux and the sheriff of Yorkshire as to the repair of a road.*

PLEAS BEFORE THE BARONS OF THE EXCHEQUER AT WESTMINSTER IN MICHAELMAS TERM IN THE 6TH YEAR OF KING HENRY IV. York. The Abbot of Meaux, plaintiff, against Richard Redeman, sheriff, defendant.

The Abbot of Meaux comes before the Barons of the Exchequer on the 5th November by William Skyren, his attorney, and complain by bill of Richard Redeman, Sheriff of the County of York, that, whereas at the tourn of the same sheriff, held at Midelton, next after the Feast of Easter, 5 Henry IV., certain presentments were made upon the aforesaid abbot, at the instance of the aforesaid Exchequer of Pleas, Plea Roll, 6 Henry IV., m. 6.

*

sheriff and his ministers, whereby it was supposed that a certain street (regia strata) in the vill of Skyren, called Sydegate, which leads to the manor of the Abbot of Melsa was so dug into (profunda) that no one can pass there, and also a certain way in Estgate in Hoton Crauncewyk is so dug into that no one can pass there, and which ought to be repaired by the said Abbot to give colour to the aforenamed sheriff to amerce the same Abbot extortionately at the will of the same sheriff, and to levy that amercement to his own use where the said Abbot has not any such street or common way in any of the said vills of Skyren and Hoton Crauncewyk, nor the Abbot or his predecessors ever ought to make there any such way or street as by the presentments aforesaid it is supposed. Whereupon the Abbot sued forth a writ out of Chancery directed to the aforesaid sheriff and the writ aforesaid was delivered to the aforenamed sheriff by the hand of Richard Tyrwhite in the Castle of York, on 16th June, to transmit the presentments aforesaid before the King in his chancery. And two other writs of a like nature were directed to the said sheriff. Notwithstanding the said sheriff and his ministers from day to day at Meaux, for five weeks after receiving the said writs, threatened the aforesaid Abbot, and drove away his cattle to the Castle of York, and there detained them, whereby the said Abbot was afraid to depasture his cattle upon the lands in the vills of Skyren and Hoton Crauncewyk, nor elsewhere within the bailswick of the aforesaid sheriff for the aforesaid five weeks and more, till the said Abbot made fine with the aforesaid sheriff for 100s., and paid the same to the aforenamed sheriff at Meaux, for fear of the threats aforesaid, and thereby the Abbot is damaged to the value of £40.

And the sheriff says that on 10th October 5 Henry IV. at the tourn before John Sayvyll, late sheriff, by Robert Mauleverer, the subsheriff, it was presented amongst other things that a certain street in the vill of Skyren, called Sydegate, which leads to the manor of the Abbot of Melsa, and a certain way in Hoton Crauncewyk, were so dug in and broken up that no one could pass by them without peril of death by default of the Abbot of Melsa, because the said street and way ought to be repaired by the said Abbot, as time out of mind the Abbot and his predecessors had been accustomed to repair the same, on account of which the said Abbot was then amerced and the same amercement was then affixed and assessed at £6, and afterwards it was enjoined to the same now Abbot that he cause the same street and way to be sufficiently repaired by the next Court, under a penalty of £12. And by default of making such repair the said Abbot incurred the said penalty of £12. And as to taking the said 100s., he says that the said Abbot came to the aforesaid Richard at the Abbey of Fountains on the last day of August 5 Henry IV., and there of his own free will and for friendship and aid to the said Richard on

divers matters touching the said abbot, and for having a copy of the first presentment, promised the said Richard 100s. payable at the feast of St. Michael then next to come. And as to the receipt and not returning the said writs he says that the said Abbot came to him at the City of York in the parish of Holy Cross on 12th August 5 Henry IV., and there required a certain William Ryllyngton to whom the said Richard had committed the said writs that neither he or the sheriff should return the said writs into the Chancery of the lord the King, and so the writs at the command of the said Abbot are retained.

The Abbot denies the pleas of the said Richard, and the case is adjourned to the octaves of Michaelmas.

A later document, much of which is given in full, is the complete return in the Minister's Accounts, 1540, of the annual value of temporalities and spiritualities of the recently dissolved monastery, and their disposal.* The farm of the site of the abbey, together with some adjacent lands and granges, was granted to Launcelot Alford. Of this it will be of some interest to give a transcript, with the abbreviations extended.

NUPER MONASTERIUM DE MELSA IN COMITATU EBOR. Compota omnium et singulorum ballivorum collectorum redditorum et firmarum ac aliorum ministrorum computabilium existentium de exitibus omnium et singulorum dominiorum maneriorum terrarum et tenementorum ac aliarum possessionum et reventionum tam temporalium quam spiritualium quorumcunque predicto nuper monasterio pertinentibus sive spectantibus. Que omnia et singula dominia maneria terre et tenementa cum aliis possessionibus predictis ad manus excellentissimi Principis nunc Henrici viij Dei gratia Anglie et Francie Regis fidei defensoris Domini Hibernie et in terra supremi capitis Anglicane Ecclesie devenerunt et in manibus suis existunt ratione libere resignationis et dissolutionis ejusdem nuper Prioratus in manus et disposicionem ejusdem excellentissimi Domini Regis, per Ricardum Stoope nuper Priorem dicti nuper Prioratus et ejusdem loci conventum xjmo die Decembris anno xxxjmo predicti Domini Regis sursum redditi et libere resignati computancium videlicet a festo Sancti Michaelis Archangeli anno regni dicti Domini Regis Henrici viij., xxxjo usque ad idem festum Sancti Michaelis Archangeli extunc proximum sequens anno regni Regis supradicti xxxijo, scilicet pro uno anno integro.

*

Exchequer Augmentation Office, Minister's Accounts, 31-32 Henry VIII., No. 177.

DIVERSE FIRME IN TENURA LAUNCELETT ALFORD.

Compotus Launcelett Alforde firmarii ibidem per tempus predictum. TERRE DOMINICALES CUM DIVERSIS GRAUNGIIS.

Sed reddit compotum de xxvijli. viijd. de firma scitus dicti nuper prioratus de Meux predicti cum omnibus edificiis columbariis ortis pomeriis gardinis stagnis et aliis commoditatibus ac cum uno parvo clauso vocato Chaple Garth infra murum et procinctum ejusdem continentibus per estimacionem inter se XX acras, xxs.; duorum clausorum pasture pariter jacentium ex parte occidentali scitus predicti vocatorum Litle Calgarth et Greate Calgarth continentium per estimacionem viginti acras, xxxs.; alterius clausi pasture jacentis versus orientem clausorum predictorum vocati Estwoodfeld continentis per estimacionem decem acras, xiijs. iiijd.; unius alterius clausi pasture vocati Burne Carre Felde continentis per estimacionem duodecim acras, xvjs. viijd.; unius domus sive cotagii vocati Le Shepe Cootta cum ij parvis clausis eidem domui adjacentibus vocatis Cotegarthes continentibus per estimacionem ij acras, iijs. iiijd.; unius clausi prati vocati Barkehouse Yngs continentis per estimacionem iiij acras, xs.; unius alterius clausi pasture vocati White Carre Feld continentis per estimacionem quadraginta acras, lxvjs. viijd.; unius clausi prati vocati Barnacle Yngs continentis per estimacionem quatuor acras, xs.; unius alterius parvi clausi pasture vocati Gryme Garth continentis per estimacionem ij acras, iijs. iiijd.; unius alterius clausi pasture vocati Cote Londe continentis per estimacionem duodecim acras, xxs.; unius alterius clausi pasture vocati Fogge Close continentis per estimacionem duodecim acras, xxs.; unius alterius clausi pasture vocati Hamlynge Feld alias Barley Close continentis per estimacionem duodecim acras, xxs.; unius alterius clausi pasture, in quo est unus magnus mons, jacentis prope clausum predictum continentis per estimacionem quatuor acras, vjs. viijd. ; unius parcelle prati jacentis juxta campum predictum continentis per estimationem ij acras, vjs. viijd.; unius parcelle prati jacentis ad introitum sive ante hosteum domus ibidem vocate Hamlyng House continentis per estimacionem ij acras, iiijs.; unius alterius parcelle prati jacentis juxta pratum predictum vocate Le Carre Grounde alias Hamlynge Pyttes continentis per estimacionem unam acram, iijs. iiijd.; unius graungie vocate Northgraunge cum pratis et pasturis eidem pertinentibus nuper in tenura Izabelle uxoris Denton, cs.; unius alterius graungie vocati Fewson Graunge cum omnibus terris pratis pascuis et pasturis eidem adjacentibus continentis per estimacionem. acras, cs.; unius clausi pasture vocati Marre Pasture cum una parcella prati adjacente vocata Marre Pasture Yngs continentis per estimacionem decem acras, xxs.; unius pasture communis vocate Beastes Gates in et super quandam communiam vocatam

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