A Common-place book of the fifteenth century, containing a religious play and poetry, legal forms and local accounts. Printed from the original ms. at Brome Hall, Suffolk, by Lady Caroline Kerrison. Edited with notes by Lucy Toulmin Smith.

THE CORTE BARUNE. [folio 51a]

[Charge by the Steward to the Homagers, of Articles to be enquired by them].

Ye schall treuly enquere and forth presente on my lordys be-halffe all ye pointys yat longeth to the Corte, and to ye plasse [Plasse, pleas.] betwyx party & party, and for no thyng spare, but yat ȝe schall so do; so helpe you god and hullydum, [Hullydom, halidom, the company of saints.] & be this boke.

Fyrst ye schall enquere of all y^o yat owe sute to this Corte, yf they be here, and all they that make defawte present ther namys, be the otthe that ye haue take.

Also ye schall do us to wete if ther be ony tenaunte ded sithe the last Corte, and ye schall do us to weete what he hylde of my lord, and be what serwyce he is, his nexte eyur, and of what age; what profyte my lord may haue after his deth, as ward, mariage, releeffe, harryet, [Harryet, heriot, a gift due to the lord on the death of a tenant.] other eschete [Eschete, escheat, that which falls in due to the lord.] or ony oyer proffyte; do us to wet what proffyte he owte for to haue, be ȝower othis.

And also be well awysed whether he ware a [folio 51b] fre tenaunte or a bonde, for ȝeffe he ware a fre tenaunte yan must ȝe enquere be what seruyce he helde of this lordscheppe, whether he hylde be skwage [Skwage, escuage, knight's service.] or be sokage, for if they holde be skwage, that is knytes serwyce, and ȝeffe he died sesyd in the lond and his eyur with-in age, my lord schall haue the ward of ye lond and the maryage of the chylde. And if the chylde be of full age yat holdith be yat tenuer of knyte serwisse, whan his fadyr is ded the eyur schall enter the lond and pay a releeff, and do his omage and sewte, and althow it be sokage lond ȝet ye eyur schall pay a releffe and do his sewte; and ther-for ȝeffe ony sweche be, do us to wete.

Also ȝe schall enquere ȝef ony manne be owte-lauyd of feloney, convycte or atteynte of felonye, do us to wete what he heelde of my lorde, and wheyer he helde frely or bondly. For if he helde frely the kyng [folio 52a] schall hawe the wauntege and the profyttes a yer and a day, and after yat it hath be in ye kynges hande a yer and a day, my lord schall serve it owte of the kynges honde be a wryte of eschete; and ȝeffe it be bond lond it is a cleer eschet to my lord of this lordscheppe and to no oyer manne.

Also ȝe schall enquere yf ony manne dyed sesyd of

ony lond or tenement of this maner, and if he ware a basterd borne, and hath non eyur of his body in wedlok, his lond schalbe eschetyt to my lord be it fre or bond.

Also enquere ȝefe yer be ony manne or woman dyed sesyd of ony londys or tenementes yat is helde of this maner, and yf he haue non eyur of his body noyer non eyur colaterall, his lond shall be eschetyd to my lord, be it fre lond or bonde lond.

Also ȝe schall enquere ȝefe ony lond befall [folio 52b] be desent of ye faderes syd, and if yer be non eyer forth of ye faderys syd it schall neuer turne to ye eyurs of the moderys syd, and if it be ye enherytauns of the moderes side it schall neuere turne to ye eyurs of the faderes syde, but it shalbe eschettyd to yis lordscheppe: thus cum eschettes into lordscheppys; ȝeeffe ony sweche be, do us to wete be [ȝ]owre othis.

Also ȝe schall enquere if ony mann yat wasse bond tenaunt of this lordscheppe, and dyed sesyd of ony bond lond, ȝe schall enquere of how meche he dyed sesyd of, and how is his neste eyer, and what auauntage my lord may have after his tenaunttes deth, as fynne or haryet, lyke as the custom of the maner wyll.

Also ȝe schall enquere ȝeef ony man hath pur|chasyd ony lond yat is holde of this maner frely, and be what seruyce it is holde ȝe schall enquere, and wee schall warde owte a dussces [A Writ of Duces tecum was one commanding a person to appear in the Court of Chancery, bringing certain evidences or writings. From the above it appears that the steward and homagers in the Court Baron could make the same kind of order.] a-ȝens heme yat haue purchased this lond, to schowe how they be entryd in-to my lordes

fee, that they may do homage and sewte to my lord, a-cordyng to the custom of this lordscheppe.

Also ȝe schall enquere ȝef ony man hath [folio 53a] bowt or sold ony bond lond sythe ye last corte, or be for, and hath nowte be presentyd, present yt [MS. has presentyd.] nowe.

Also ȝe schall enquere ȝef ony man or woman hath ocupyed ony of my lordys demen landys, medowis, or pastures, with owte lysens of the lord or of his offeser, or ony bond lond after tyme it hath be sesyd be the omage of ye corte in to my lordys hande, do us to wet, how it is, and how longe he hath ocupyed it so, and of what walew it is be yer, be the othe that ye haue made.

Also ȝef ther be ony man hath lete ony bond lond to ferme for terme of lyffe, or for terme of yerres, with owte lysens of the lord and fynne-makyng in the corte, do us to wete ther-of and of ther namys.

Also ye schall enquere ȝef ony man hath alyenyd ony bond lond be chartre or crafte for terme of lyff or for terme of yerys, the wheche here-after may be in preiudyce to my lorde or hurtyng to his eyurs in tyme cummyng.

Also ȝe schall enquere yef ony bond mane [folio 53b] or bond womane of blood of this lordscheppe be dwelyng ouȝte of this lordscheppe with ouȝt lycens of my lord or chewache [Chewache, i.e., chevage or chiefage, head or poll money, paid by the bond man or woman in sign of the link between lord and tenant, of right due from the tenant, and of protection due from the lord.] paying yerly of record in the Cort Rollys, do us to wet how it is.

Also ȝe schall enquere ȝef ony bond manne of

blood hath sete his sone to skole, [Perhaps with a view to taking holy orders, cf. art. 3, p 161; the eccle|siastic being exempt from military and feudal services, the lord was so far a loser by him. But it appears elsewhere that a villein was forbidden to send his son to school.] or hath maryed his douter with ouȝte lycens of my lord, or ȝef ony bonde woman hath hade chylde ouȝt of wedloke, my lord not hawyng 2^s. 8^d. of gersom, [Gersom. A fine or amercement.] or agre with my lord; ȝef ony sweche be, presenttyd [I.e., present it.] be youre othis.

Also ȝe schall inquere ȝef ony mane or womane hath made ony stryppe or waste in my lorddys bond tenmenttes, as lat fall doun ony howses or hewyng ony tymmber wheche [This word is contracted w^t in the MS.] ouȝt to be to repare the same tenment with-thall,—do us to wete.

Also ȝefe ther be ony mane with-holdith ony rent, sute, or seruice of this maner, be it coke, henne, gosse, pyge, egges, wyntir worke, or summer worke, or ony other rent or serwisse, as peper, gynger, clow, [folio 54a] gilofre, or red-roffe, or ony other dewte, with|holdyng & wil not pay,—do us to wete,—ho it is, and how long it hath be with-holde, and wher the fee lyth, yat ye baly may destreyne ther-for, ȝef nede be.

Also ȝe schall enquere ȝef ony manne hath made ony rescous [Rescous. Rescue of the goods distrained by driving away the officer.] up-on ony officer of my lordes, what tyme yey cume to take ony dystresse, oyer atte sute of partye or for rent, sute, or servyce, or for ony other dute longyng to my lord, and so takyng the dystresse fro the offycer in contempt of my lordys lordscheppe; and if ony man hath broke my lordys pounde, and stolyn, takyn, and drewyn a-wey his

bestes with owȝte lycens of my lord or his officer,—do us to wete ther-of be ȝouer othis.

Also ȝeffe yer be ony mane vsurpyth upon my lord in this lordscheppe, claymyng free boole [Boole, bull.] or fre bore, or fre foldage other-wysse yan ther ouȝte for to haue of rygth, or hath be acustumed of olde tyme,—do us weete be the othe that yew haue made.

Also ȝeff ony mane hath huntyd or hawkyd [folio 54b] in my lordis wareyn, takyng hare or cony, larke, ffesant, or partrych, or any oyer best or fowell of warenye,—presente ther namys be ȝoure othis.

Also ȝef ony mane hath fisshed my lordys seuerall wateres, as pondys, pyttes, or reueres,—do us to wete how they be and what fisshe they haue takyne, be [ȝ]owre othis.

Also ye schall enquere ȝef ony custumable scathe [Skathe, injury, damage.] be done in my lordys londys, medowis, pasturys, or woodys, with hors, nete, or schepe, or ony other beeste,—do us to wete.

Also ȝe schall enquere ef ony bonde mane of blod hath purchasyd ony free lond be chartre, or ony free lond be falle to hyme be desent of erytage, and that land hath nate be sesyd to my lord and takyne aftyr of my lord be copy, and be encres of rent;—do us to wete be the othis that ye haue made.

Also ye schall enquere ȝef ony mane [folio 55a] hath done ony skathe [Skathe, injury, damage.] in my lordys woodys, or in his undurwoodys, hewyng dong ony tres or roddys, brekyng

dong ony heggys, and beryng a wey the wood, presentith be[ȝ]oure othys.

Also ȝe schall enquere ȝef ony strayes be comyne in to this lordschepe, be it horsse, nete, or schepe, or ony oyer catell, and no mane knowith hos ye propirte is, ȝe schall do us to wete. For ȝef it hath be with in this lordschippe twelmoneth and a day it schall be forfete to my lord, and ȝef it hath not be so long ȝe schall tell us how long it hath be in this lordschepe, and proclamaschone schall be made ther-of; and ȝef ony mane come and make lawfull pruf, he schall haue his best aȝene, and ȝef he pay my lord for the pasture for the tyme ther beyng.