The English register of Oseney abbey / by Oxford, written about 1460. Ed., with an introduction and indexes, by Andrew Clark.

[XXV. Of Ledwell]

[168.] A Sentence diffinitife agaynste Drue of Preaus of þ^e tithis in ledwell.

1239/40, March 5. Suit by Oseney, against the rector of Great Tew, decided by papal com|missioners, said rector allowing Oseney ⅔rds of the tithes and parish dues from two holdings in Ledwell, Oseney re|mitting arrears and asking no costs in the suit.

TO all cristen pepull to whome this presente writyng schall come Robert dene [Robert de Hertford, dean 1238-57.] & A. chaunceler of þe church of Salisbury euerlastyng helth in owr lorde. Þe maundement of owr lorde pope In-to þese wordes Gregorius [Gregory IX, pope 1227-41. The commission was issued June 8, 1239.] seruus seruorum dei, et cetera. Our Beloued Soones thabbot and Couent of Oseney, et cetera. By the auctorite of this maundement we haue i-cited Drue [Drogo.] , person of þe church of more Tywe, at þe Instaunce of þe saide Abbot and Couent, et cetera. vppon the tithis and all parisch ryȝght þe which þ^e same Drue, In the name of his church of Tywe, whas i-woned to take within the Bondes of theme ['infra limites parochie eorum de Bar|thona.'] of Barton, þe which of commune ryȝght þay axid, þe parties By procuratours In Jugge|ment comperyng, et cetera. At þe laste, procuratour of þe saide Drue, of þe Entent of the saide Abbot and Couent in Juggement fully confessid, bothe þe saide tithis & parisch ryȝght, that þe saide Drue of þe parisshens of theme at ledewell (that is to say, of William of Dichelle and Adam of Hide) to take whas i-wooned, ffrely and quietly to þem hee grauntid, And that to þem oony Impediment here-after vppon þe same he schall not procure,

noþer þem let schall that they mow not all the saide thynges take, In goode feithe he be-heete ['promisit.'] . þenne, þe Entente of þe saide Abbot and Couent i-harde and confession of þe contrarie partie, þe forsaide tithis and parisch ryȝght to þe forsaide chanons, By cawse of there church of Barton, sentencially whe haue i-Juggid for Euer, silence to þe saide Drue to all þe saide thynges puttyng: to þe Execucion of þe same sentence to Be do, to Archedecon of Oxonforde decreyng to Be Demaundid or axid. And þ^e procuratour of þe saide Abbot and couent of Oseneye to þe forsaide Drue arrerages and Expensis in þe strife relesid vtterly, þe which were made vppon this mater. And we, of the consent of the parties, have reserved to vs Jurisdic|cion [for] Euer to þe constreynyng of þe parties to Be doo, if eyþer partie (that god forbide) wille Begynne agayne. And to witnesse of this thyng, to this writyng owr seales we haue i-putt to, et cetera., with the seale of the procuratour of the saide Drue: the Date, ffro þe Incarnacion of owr lorde In the ȝere M^oCC xxxix, at Newe Salysbury, þe [iii.] Nonas marcij.

[169.] ffor þ^e heth of ledewell.

1413, Dec. 28. Survey, by the neigh|bours, of the boun|dary-marks of the Heath and L'in|land belonging to Oseney, with a view to their being en|closed. Verdict that there exist no rights of common in said lands, and no rights of way over them.

ÞE þundurday ['die Iovis.'] nexte after the ffest of þ^e Birth of owr lorde In the ȝere of the Reyne of Kynge Henry the v. after the con|queste j^o Come John Wilcotys, [folio 37b] squier, and all his tenauntes of þe Moore Barton, ledewell, and Saunforde (were [Omit the bracketed words, brought in, in error, from below.] well i-sett and stiked) [to ['ad videndum quod mete et meer|stones . . .'] see] that þe Bondis and merestones Bitwene j. felde i-called þe heth ande linlonde and þe londe of þe tenauntes and also þe Demayne londe of þe lorde of ledewell and Saunforde where [well] i-sette and stiked ['fuerunt bene assesse et fixe.' Is this 'stike' for 'stick,' or an early example of the diphthongation of 'stake,' which is now found, e. g. in Essex.] . And at þat tyme, In the presence of þe forsaide John Wilcotes, of the parte of Sir Sencleres ['ex parte domini Senclers' = 'on behalf of the lord of Senclers manor.'] þere Beyng, and of John langston of the parte of thabbot of Oseney and of þe Couent, þe forsaide Bondis and Merestones where i-stiked and i-sett By the tenauntes vndur|write and moony othir þere i-examined and i-swore to þe

trowght þere-of to Be saide and to Be i-performed, þat is to say, By John Duke, Richard Webbe, Geoffrey plestow, Richard Cow|per, William Ȝorke, Richard plestow, Symond Wesey [Veysy.] , John tailour, Thomas Kyng, John cockes, Thomas ffox, Thomas Collys, John Bosseby, Richard Boveton, and moony other þenne þere Beyng present. And then John langston, after þe strikyng [Read 'stiking'; 'post fixionem.'] of þe foresaide Boundis and Merestones, declared to all þe tenauntes aforesaide þat thabbot and Couent above-saide purposenne and Entende to close ['ad includendum.'] all þ^e forsayde ffelde of le heth and lynlonde as here seuerell in all the tymes of þ^e ȝere, And he axid of þe tenauntes and oþer þere Beyng if [any] of þem wolde ['vellet vel sciret aliquid dicere.'] or knewe oony thyng to say why that he ofte not to close þe saide felde and heth as his seuerell, and all saide that he myȝght well and neuer saide þe contrarye. And for Euidence þey say that þ^e forsaide feld sumtyme was parcelle of þe Demayne londe of the lorde [MS, has 'londe,' by a slip: 'dominice terre domini ibidem.'] there, and þey say þat all the Demayne londe is seuerell ['separalis.'] thorowgh þe ȝere. And ffurþermore þe forsaide John langston axid of them if they or oony of them oony waye or pathe in þ^e forsaide ffelde or in oony parcelle of þ^e same in oony tyme of þ^e ȝere wolde chalenge or [claim [Blank in MS.: 'calumpniare' in Latin.] ], And they answered all nay; But þay saide that þe forsaide Abbot and Couent and his pre|decessours had A Grene waye fro the towne of ledewell unto þe forsaide felde to Dryue all his maner of Bestis þere to Be ffedde and to Be i-Browght agayne whenne-so-Euer hit plesid them, and none oþer But by the leve of them, et cetera.