The history and antiquities of Boston, and the villages of Skirbeck, Fishtoft, Freiston, Butterwick, Benington, Leverton, Leake, and Wrangle; comprising the hundred of Skirbeck, in the county of Lincoln. Including also a history of the East, West, and Wildmore fens, and copious notices of the Holland or Haut-Huntre fen ... sketches of the geology, natural history, botany, and agriculture of the district; a very extensive collection of archaisms and provincial words, local dialect, phrases, proverbs, omens, superstitions, etc. By Pishey Thompson. Illustrated with one hundred engravings.

REPAIRS OF THE WALLS OF BOSTON (1285). 43
When the Liber Feodorum, or Testa de Neville, was taken (temp. Edw. I.
and II.), the Earl of Richmond held the whole town of St. Botolph on the east
side of the river of the king in capite, except the twelfth part, which the Abbot
of York held in Frank-almoigne of the said Honour. Alan de Derby held on
the west side of the river the one-and-twentieth part of a knight's fee of the
Honour of Croun. Also, Robert de Tateshalle held there
" The one-and-twentieth part of a knight's fee of Lambert de Moleton, but it is not known
of what honour the said Lambert holds."
In 1281, a jury presented that John, son of John le Croter of Fenne, had
constructed a certain ditch in the common way between Fenne and Skirbeck,
in length 40 feet; and the town of Boston had extended the said ditch in the
common way in the said town the length of 200 feet; and others, the inhabitants of Boston, had thrown a bridge across the road which leads from Deppoll
to the bridge at Boston, which bridge was too narrow for two carts to pass, and
that the said bridge should be 20 feet in breadth. Also, that Thomas Peyt
ought to cleanse a certain gutter between the hospital and St. Botolph's.2 All
which works the Sheriff directed to be done.3 In this year also,
" Bernard Dernagill complained that Adam de Northburgh, of Lincoln, unjustly detained
from him 11. of money (argentum), which he ought to have paid to him at the feast of
St. Michael last past, for wine sold and delivered to him at the market of St. Botolph;
whence, he says, he is injured to the amount of the said 111. He produced testimony of
this assertion, and obtained a verdict to levy upon the land and goods of the said Adam for
the 111. and damages as taxed by the Justice." 4
In 1282, twenty-one dolia (?) of wine, which were in the keeping of Matthew
de Columbarii, keeper of the King's wine at St. Botolph, and were destroyed by
the great fire which took place there in 1281, were allowed him in the settlement of his account with the Exchequer, by order of the King dated May 4.5
In 1283, John Tylle, of Boston, recovered his seisin against Thomas, Abbot of
Tupholme, of a messuage and three acres of land with the appurtenances in
Boston.6
The town of Boston appears at this time to have been surrounded by a wall,
for, in 1285 (13 Edward I.), a grant was made by the King to the bailiffs and
burgesses, and other good men of the town of Boston, of a toll in aid of repairing the said walls, at the instance of John de Brittany, Earl of Richmond.
This toll was granted for one year, and was as follows:"For every weight (256 pounds) of cheese, fat, tallow, and butter for sale, one farthing;
for every weight of lead for sale, one farthing; for every hundredweight of wax for sale,
one halfpenny; for every hundredweight of almonds and rice, one halfpenny; for every
hundredweight of pepper, ginger, white cinnamon, incense, quicksilver, vermilion, and
verdigrease for sale, one farthing; for every hundredweight of cummin seed, alum, sugar,
liquorice, aniseed, picony roots, or pimentum, one farthing; for every hundredweight of
sulphur, potter's earth, bone of cuttle-fish, rosin and copperas, one farthing; for every great
frail of raisins and figs for sale, one farthing; for every hundredweight of cloves, nutmegs,
mace, cubebs seed, saffron, and silk for sale, one penny; for every 1000 yards of the best
grey cloth for sale, one penny; for every 1000 yards of Russet cloth, one farthing; for every
hundred of rabbits for sale, one farthing; for every timber (40 skins) of fox-skins for sale,
one farthing; for every dozen of leather for sale, one halfpenny; for every dozen of whetstones for sale, one farthing; for every ton of honey for sale, one penny; for every tun of
wine for sale, one halfpenny; for every sack of wool, one halfpenny; for every sieve of salt,
1 WTormgate was formerly called Deppol, or Deep- 3 Placita de Julratis et Assisis, 9 Edward I. (1281)
pool Gate, from a deep pit or pool formerly at its For an account of FENNE, see Fishtoft; and for
north end. DEPPOL, the Walk therough Boston.
2 This gutter was a natural sewer or drain, which Pleas of the Crown, 9 Edward I.
ran from Cowbridge before Maud Foster's drain was 5 Close Rolls, 10 Edward I. Membrane, 5.
cut in 1568. It fell into the Scirebeck near Pedder's 6 Assize Rolls.
or Peter's Bridge.-See Walk through Boston.