The antiquities of Warwickshire illustrated from records, leiger-books, manuscripts, charters, evidences, tombes, and armes : beautified with maps, prospects and portraictures / by William Dugdale.

Page 487

BARLICHWAY HVNDRED.

THAT all this tract, which is now re∣puted Barlichway Hundred, was in the Conquerors time stiled by the name of Ferncumbe Hundred, I have alrea∣dy, elswhere, manifested; though where it is that the particular place, then called Fernecumbe, lyes, I am yet to learn: but that it is in some deep valley, the late syllable, viz. Cumbe, doth sufficiently declare. The first mention that I meet with, where it is called Barlichwei Hundred, is in a 21 H. 2. the Shiriff accounting viii. marks for murder, then payd to the King out of it. In b 24 H. 2. vii s. x d. is reckoned for the like offence, it being then written Barlingewei Hundred. In c 29 H. 2. xl s. for the like: But in King Iohn's time the Ferm d thereof was x. marks; the Shiriffs Aid vi li. xii s. and the Warth-money half a mark. And in the 21 H. 3. William de Luscy, then Shiriff of this County and Leicester-shire, accounted e for the Ferm thereof x. marks; For the Shiriffs Aid vi li. For the profits of the Leet xliii s. iv d. and for Warth-silver half a marke, all for the Kings use; in whose hands it hath continued ever since.

But there is no place whereof this Hundred takes the name, other than a little plot of ground, about eight yards square, now inclosed with a Hedge, and situate upon the top of a Hill in the middle way between Haseler and Binton (being about a m••le distant from each of those towns) and about half a mile from Temple-Grafton; which is reputed to be the very place where those three Parishes do meet; the Court being there kept for part of this Hundred twice a year; scil. the wedns∣day after Easter, and the wednsday after Michael∣masse, by antient custome, and the stile thereof Barlichway-Greve, parcell. Hundredi de Bar∣lichway; but by the vulgar called Barly-Greve-Court: Howbeit at this time there are no more than these Towns that do owe suit thereto; (di∣vers other, which formerly have appeared thereat, having had Court-Leets granted to the Lords of them, to be kept within their severall Mannours; viz. Binton, Morton-Bagot, Norton-Limsi, Wolvardington, Langley, Offord, Wawens∣more, Alne-magna, Haseler, Walcote and Upton (juxta Haseler) and one Tenement in Temple-Grafton.

For the rest of this Hundred there is also a Court-Leet kept twice in the year; viz. on the Saturday after Easter, and Saturday after Michael-masse, at a place called Bredon-Crosse in the Pa∣rish of Ipsley, scil. on the outside thereof neer to Red Ditch in Worcester-shire, where the basis of the Crosse yet remaineth; the stile of this Court being Bredon-Crosse parcell. Hundredi de Bar∣lichway, and the Towns that owe suit thereto, no more than Abbots-Salford, Donington, Cock-Bevington, Wood-Bevington, Wetheley, Kin∣nerton, Studley, S^t Iohn's in Studley, Ipsley, and Bickmersh. Which Courts are held in the name of the High Shiriff for the time being, who keeps a Court-Baron at the severall places abovementio∣ned, as well as a Leet, in respect that many doe hold of the King as of those particular Mannours. But through the corruption of the Bayliffs of the Hundred, who have frequently taken money of divers to spare their appearance, there is now such a neglect in resorting to them, that except it be the Constables, or Thirdboroughs of those Villages, scarce any one else comes thither.