The antiquities of Nottinghamshire extracted out of records, original evidences, leiger books, other manuscripts, and authentick authorities : beautified with maps, prospects, and portraictures / by Robert Thoroton ...

Elton. Doomsd. Ayleton.

IN Ayleton, before the Normans began th••e change, Morcar was Taxed for his Mannor to the Dane-geld at seven Bovats. The Land was four Carucats. There afterwards Raph, the Man (or Tenant) of Roger de Busli, whose Fee it was, had four Car. three Sochm. eleven Vill. having six Oar. There was a Church and twelve Acres of Medow. In King Williams time it kept the same value it had in King Edward the Confes∣sours, viz. 4^l.

In the year of our Lord 1088. 2 Willielmi Ruf. Roger de Busli, and Muriel his wife, amongst other things, gave all Elleton, and whatsoever belonged to it, to God and the Church of St. Mary at Blyth, and the Monks there serving God: to which Monastery it belonged till the dissolution; after which it was granted to ..... York,* 1.1 who sold it to Sir Iohn Lion, Citizen and Alderman of London, who dyed the seventh of Septemb. 6 Eliz. Richard Lion,* 1.2 son of Hen∣ry Lion, brother of the said Alderman, being then his heir, and aged thirty two years. In King Iames his time George Lion,* 1.3 Esquire, sold it to ... More, and Alexander his eldest son de∣ceased, whose widow was married to Peregrine Mackwor••••, left it to Gabriel More, Esquire, his son, the present inheritor, who is Nephew to Henry More, D. D. fellow of Christs Colledge in Cambridge, who was Nephew to Gabriel More, D. D. heretofore Fellow of the same House, and after Prebendary of Westminster.

I do not find exactly how the Sochmen (which we now call Free-holders) or the Villains (now Husbandmen) those that held Lands in bondage, and were with their whole off-spring totally at their Lords dispose, were increased in the time of two hundred years, viz. from the time that the Survey of this Mannor was made by King William, with the rest, till one I find made in the year 1283. which shows that the Rents in money were not much increased,* 1.4 amounting at that time in all but to 4^l. 13^s. 11^d. ob. and were paid by se∣veral small parcells, customarily at ten or eleven Feasts, or Seasons in the year unequally, viz. St. Mich. St. Martin, Ember in Advent, Pu∣rification, Ember after Ashwednesday, [quatuor temporum Cinerum], Annunciation, Easter, Pentecost, Trinity, St. Botulf, and Nativity of Mary. But the Monastery had other waies to make the utmost profits this Lordship was any way able to yield then, as well as the present owners do by the extremest rack Rents now paid, which I shall set down, that some comparison may be made of times, this being near upon four hun∣dred years from the former account, as that was two hundred from Doomsday; and this Lordship is as little altered in the use or husbandry of it, as any that I know in the whole County, for there is but 22^l. 13^s. 4^d. of inclosure now belonging to it in all the Territory.

To proceed then with the middle Survey, the Priory had besides the money,* 1.5 two Hens and a Cock at Michaelmas, and forty Hens and an half at Christmas, and two Capons at Whitsunday, and fourteenscore and three Eggs at Easter, besides an uncertain proportion of paunage of Hogs (or Swine feeding), and likewise their Summage (or Rent Corn) which was forty quarters and two bushels (which two bushels according to the continued phrase of this County, make half a quarter, or four London bushels) which here are called four Strikes, (whereof two make a bushel.) This Corn was yearly paid by eighteen several Tenants, whereof eight paid three quar∣ters apiece, and eight more half so much, viz. each one quarter and two bushels, and the other two Tenants, each of them, two quarters and one bushel. And each Bovat of Land ought yearly at Blyth the carriage of six bushels of Corn.

Another part of the profits was made out of the Services of the Tenants, in ordering the De∣mesne; and otherwise: as by an Inquisition taken in the Chappel of Elleton,* 1.6 the Thursday after the Feast of All Saints, in the year of our Lord 1283. by Robert de B••kyngham, then Steward to the Priory, concerning the Diets (or daies la∣bour) of the Bond-men of Elleton appeareth, which day William de Pavely, and Gilbert (prae∣positus) the Reeve being sworn, said upon their Oaths, That every Bovat (or Oxgang, as we now call them) of Land of the Bondmen of El∣leton ought two daies work in every Week, viz. in one Week Munday and Thursday, and in ano∣ther Munday and Saturday, and so of the rest; and he who h••ld two Bovats, ought four daies

work or diets, viz. Munday, Tuesday, Thurs∣day, and Saturday: and if any of those daies be∣tween Michaelmas, and Lammas, happened to be a Festival; it was quit, but from Lammas to Michaelmas another day was to be given for it in that Week. And they further said, that every Bovat ought to Plow halt an Acre through the year, and for that plowing it was freed that week from one Diet, or daies work. And (he, or those who held the Bovat) ought that same half Acre of Land [trahare, sarclare, metere, and cariare] to Harrow (or Clott) Weed, Reap, and Carry, and for every of those to be freed from half a daies work. They said likewise, that every Bovat ought (trahare) to Harrow one day in the time of Wheat; and another in the time of Pease, or Barley; and every Bovat was to make carriage thrice in the year to Blith, eve∣ry time half a quarter of Corn. The carriage made in Winter was for three daies; in Summer but for two daies work. And they said that he that held one Bovat (or Oxgang) of Land was to find half a Cart in Winter, to carry Wood out of the Forrest of Shirewode, and he who held two Bovats a whole Ca••t, and then they should be freed from one Diet, or daies work. Likewise every Bovat ought to carry half a Cart of Hay from Thorp, and as much from the Gore of Garnemer. Likewise they ought to Mow the common Medows and St••ple (of the Priory;) likewise every Bovat ought two Hens and a Cock at Christmas, and ten Eggs at Easter; likewise every Free-holder ought to find at the Bedripe three times in August, if there should be need, two workmen; and the Free-men themselves (these are evidently the Sochmen in Doomsday Book), ought to keep all to their work in the Bedripe, well and faithfully to the best of their skill and power. These we now call Boone daies in Harvest.

This servile tenure is now quite abolished, and hath been long wearing off, for the Lords as they had all the Services and Wealth of their Villains, if they had any, so they were liable to main••ain them and their sequel, and therefore the willinger to Manumit and make them free upon easie terms. Iohn Gaynesburgh Prior of Blyth,* 1.7 and the Co∣vent of the same, 6 H. 6. were bound to William Porter of Elton (whose Ancestors were here 1283.) in the summ of 400^l. that they nor their Successours should not seize, trouble, or disquiet the said William Porter, nor his issue begotten, or to be begotten, by reason of any Service or Villenage.

Roger Arch-bishop of York (who lived in the time of Henry the second) granted the Prio∣ry of Blide to impropriate,* 1.8 that is, to take to their own uses, the profits of their Churches of We∣ston and Elton, when they should happen to be next vacant; but it seems it did not succeed, for Walter, who was his Successour in the said Arch∣bishoprick, about the beginning of the Reign of Henry the third, granted them a Pension of two Marks per annum out of the Church at Elton; and likewise to have the Tythe of all the Corn growing on their Demesne Lands in the said Town.

The Rectory was 8^l. value, and the Prior of Blyth Patron.* 1.9 'Tis now 8^l. 5^s. 0. in the Kings Books, and Alexander More, Junior, Patron.

The Tythe is ordinarily valued at 70^l. per an∣num; and there is belonging to the Parsonage two Oxgangs 10^l. per annum. The utmost Rent of the whole Town besides is 288^l. 15^s. the Ox∣gangs or Bovats are now esteemed to be 55. ½. whereof the Marquess of Dorchester hath six: most of the rest are Mr. Mores, and Lett for 3^l. 6^s. 8^d. an Oxgang, besides 8^s. apiece rent Corn; and every three Oxgangs pay a Load of Coles at Grantham yearly, worth 16^s. and a Capon 12^d. The Mannor or Hall Farm is nine Oxgangs, and the Rent about 36^l. Five other Farms of six Ox∣gangs apiece, are each of them 24^l. yearly. There are three small Farms besides, and nine Cot∣tages, all Mr. Mores, and three Cottages Wil∣liam Bartrams, which is all the present state of this Town: so that it seems there is not much above half so many Farmers as in old time. Ingros∣sing Farms was the depopulation first complained on, as by the Statutes may be observed: but that is nothing comparable to inclosing, and conver∣ting Arable to Pasture.

Notes

• * 1.1

  B.
• * 1.2

  2 Lib seed. fo••. 2••3.
• * 1.3

  B.
• * 1.4

  Reg. de 〈◊〉〈◊〉 p. 33.
• * 1.5

  Ib.
• * 1.6

  Reg. d•• Blid. ••••.
• * 1.7

  Reg. Bli. 52••
• * 1.8

  Ib. 103.
• * 1.9

  Mss. I. M.