The Stonor letters and papers, 1290-1483; ed. for the Royal historical society, from the origial documents in the Public record office, by Charles Lethbridge Kingsford.

45. THE INDENTURE FOR RICHARD AND AGNES FORTESCU 29 SEPTEMBER, 1424

This is a draft, on paper, of the deed which Thomas Stonor enclosed in the following letter. The original (Ancient Deeds, C. 3015) has some altera|tions which it was not worth showing. The last three lines are added in another hand. The deed has a certain interest as having been drafted by the famous Sir John Fortescue, then quite a young lawyer: it is perhaps too much to assume that any part of the draft is in his handwriting. Richard Fortescue was the third son of Sir John Fortescue, the father of the Chief Justice; he was killed at St. Albans in 1455 (Stow, Annales, p. 399); the deed shows that it was he who married Agnes, daughter of Richard Holcombe, and not his son as commonly stated (Works of Sir J. Fortescue, ii, 151-2, ed. Lord Clermont).

This Indenture was possibly the sequel of an earlier dispute, as to which there was a Petition in Chancery by Thomas Chaucer, John Golafre, John Hurlegh, "chapeleyn," John Warefeld, and Thomas Berdelegh, showing that they were seised of the manor and hundred of Ermington, till one Richard Fortescu of great malice and forethought made a forcible entry and broke down hedges and ditches. The Petition mentions "John Fortescu, pier a dit Richard, et John Bosan, son frier en ley" (Early Chancery Proceedings, 69/24 P.R.O.).

Hec Indentura facta apud Ermyngton in Comitatu Devon. in festo sancti Michaelis Archangeli, anno regni Henrici sexti post conquestum Anglie tercio, inter Thomam Chaucer, Johannem Golafre, Hamonem Belknap, dominos Manerii de Ermyngton predicto, ex parte una, et

Ricardum Fortescu et Agnetem uxorem ejus ex parte altera: testatur quod cum iidem Ricardus et Agnes, ut in jure ipsius Agnetis, clama|verunt communam pasturam in grosso ad omnia animalia sua temporibus apertis depascenda per totum dominium Manerii predicti in parte occidentali cujusdam fossati, quod vocatur la Yalthadych, quod vero fossatum jacet per divisa de aqua de Ermyn versus terram de Prutaston inter dominium de Ermyngton et sanctuarium ejusdem luci, et ultra linaliter a capite ejusdem fossati versus ad terram de Prutaston, ex con|cessione cujusdam Johannis Peverell, nuper domini Manerii predicti, facta cuidam Ricardo de Holecombe antecessori predicte Agnetis, cujus heres ipsa est, prout in eodem scripto inde confecto plenius continetur, ubi predictus Ricardus de Holecombe nec aliquis heredum vel assigna|torum suorum unquam aliquam communam pasturam in Manerio pre|dicto habuerunt seu de jure habere debuerunt, prout ex parte predictorum Thome Chaucer, Johannis Golafre, et Hamonis Belknap asseritur. Et pro eo quod iidem Ricardus Fortescu et Agnes renunciaverunt omne id quod eis pertinet seu quovismodo pertinere poterit in futurum in pre|dicta communa pastura virtute concessionis perdicte, et eciam remiserunt et relaxaverunt pro se et heredibus suis per presentes predictis Thome Chaucer, Johanni Golafre et Hamoni Belknap totum jus suum et clameum quod habent seu quovismodo in futurum habere poterint in Manerio predicto: ita quod nec predicti Ricardus Fortescu et Agnes, nec eorum heredes aut assignati aliquam communam pasturam in Manerio predicto aut in aliqua parcella inde de cetero habere vel clamare poterint, set inde per presentes in perpetuum sint exclusi: iidem Thomas Chaucer, Johannes Golafre, et Hamo Belknap tradiderunt et concesserunt et hac presente carta indentata confirmaverunt predictis Ricardo et Agneti duodecim acras et unam rod terre arabilis per perticam mensuratas, qualibet pertica continens sexdecim pedes et dimidiam, simul jacentes in longitudine inter viam legalem que ducit in Ermyn in parte boriali et abbuttant in longitudine in terram predicti Ricardi et Agnetis ex parte australi, et jacentes in latitudine inter Holecombeslad ex parte occidentali et viam regiam que ducit a Saneford usque Prutastoneslond ex parte orientali: habendas et tenendas predictas duodecim acras et rodam terre cum pertinenciis predictis Ricardo et Agneti et heredibus de corporibus eorum procreatis sub forma, condicionibus, et declaracione sub|sequentibus: reddendo inde annuatim predictis Thome Chaucer, Johanni, et Hamoni, heredibus et assignatis suis sex denarios ad festa sancti Thome Apostoli, annunciacionis beate Marie Virginis, nativitatis sancti

Johannis Baptiste, et sancti Michaelis Archangeli, equis porcionibus. Et si predicti Ricardus et Agnes, aut heredes sui predicti, aut eorum aliquis in aliqua Curia domini Regis, heredum aut successorum suorum, de recordo in futuro clamaverint aliquam communam pasturam in Manerio predicto vel in aliqua parcella inde vel aliqua pastura ibidem usi fuerint, vel predictas duodecim acras et rodam terre vel aliquam parcellam inde per judicium Curie Regis perdiderint, aut alicui alien|averint: quod tunc bene licebit predictis Thome Chaucer, Johanni Golafre, et Hamoni Belknap, heredibus et assignatis suis in predictas duo|decim acras et rodam terre cum pertinenciis reintrare et in pristino statu suo retinere, presentibus indenturis et sesina inde habita non obstantibus. In cujus rei testimonium uni parti hujus scripti indentati penes predictis Thoma Chaucer, Johanne et Hamone remanenti predicti Ricardus et Agnes sigilla sua apposuerunt: alteri vero parti hujus scripti indentati penes predictis Ricardo et Agnete remanenti predicti Thomas Chaucer, Johannes, et Hamo sigilla sua apposuerunt. Data loco et festo et anno supradictis.

Noverint &c nos Johannes Speke de Bramford in Com. Devon., Henricus Fortescu de Wodelegh in eodem Com., et Johannes Fortescu de Helewille in eodem Com. gentilmen.

Notes

• Probably an error for "loci".