Historical antiquities, in two books the first treating in general of Great-Brettain and Ireland : the second containing particular remarks concerning Cheshire / faithfully collected out of authentick histories, old deeds, records, and evidences, by Sir Peter Leycester, Baronet ; whereunto is annexed a transcript of Doomsday-book, so far as it concerneth Cheshire, taken out of the original record.

Altrincham.

ALtrincham is of the ancient Fee of the Barons of Dunham-Massy. In the Reign of Edward the First, Hamon de Massy, Lord of Dunham-Massy, Instituted Burgesses in this Town, and granted them a Gild-Mercatory here, that is, a Society for free Traf∣fick and Merchandize, about the Year of Christ 1290. as appears by this following Deed, the Original whereof is now in the custody of John Coe, the present Mayor of Altrincham, Anno Domini 1667.

OMnibus Christi fidelibus hanc praesentem Chartam inspecturis vel audituris, Hamundus de Massy Dominus de Doneham salutem sempiternam in Domino: Noveritis me de∣disse, ac hâc praesenti Chartâ meâ pro me & Haeredibus meis confirmâsse Burgensibus meis de Altringham, quòd Villa mea de Altringham sit Liber Burgus & quòd Burgenses mei ejusdem Burgi habeant Gildam Mercatoriam in eodem Burgo cùm omnibus Libertatibus, & Liberis Con∣suetudinibus ad hujusmodi Gildam pertinentibus, secundùm Consuetudines Burgi de Maccles∣field: Et quòd quieti sint per totam Terram meam, tàm per aquam quàm per Terram, de Tolneto, Passagio, Pontagio, Stallagio, Lastagio, & omnibus aliis Servis* 1.1 consuetudinibus: Concessi etiàm praedictis Burgensibus meis Communam Pasturam† 1.2, Turbariam bruariam, infrà Limi∣tes de Doneham, Altringham, & Tymperlegh; salvis mihi & Haeredibus meis approviamentis nostris, & salvâ mihi & Haeredibus meis Clausturâ de Sunderland ad voluntatem nostram sinè contradictione aliquorum, quandocunquè illud claudere voluerimus: Ità quòd praedicti Burgenses mei habeant Communam Pasturam sempèr & ubique ad omnia animalia sua infrà metas de Sunderland, dummodo praedictus locus de Sunderland non clausus fuerit, salvo mihi & Haeredibus meis toto tempore Pessonis in praedicto Sunderland: Ità quòd eodem tempore praedictum Sunderland in defensionem ad voluntatem nostram habere poterimus sinè contradi∣ctione aliquorum: Et cùm clausum fuerit praedictum Sunderland, praedicti Burgenses mei ha-Beant Communam suam usquè ad hayam praedicti Sunderland, & non ultrà. Volo etiàm, quòd omnes Burgenses mei, qui porcos habuerint tempore Pessonis, in Burgo meo vel infra Festum beati Jacobi & tempore Pessonis dent rectum Takcum quandò Pasturant infrà praedictas Communas, & alibì cùm porcis suis ejusdem Burgi tempore Pessonis non ibunt: Concessi etiàm praedictis Burgensibus meis Housebold & Haybold in omnibus boscis praedictorum locorum, exceptis Hayis & defensis boscis meis: Concedo etiàm praedictis Burgensibus meis, quòd non implacitentur extrà Portimotum ejusdem Burgi, nèc in aliquo Placito extrà Bur∣gum suum tractentur de transgressionibus infrà Burgum factis: Et si aliquis eorum in misericordiâ pro aliquo forisfacto incidit, amercietur per Pares suos; & hoc secundùm quan∣titatem delicti. Volo etiàm quòd Burgenses mei molent omnia blada sua supèr Terram de Al∣tringham crescentia, vel in eâdem Villâ Herburgata* 1.3, ad molendina mea pro octavo-decimo vase multurae: Concedo etiàm quòd praedicti Burgenses mei faciant sibi Praepositos & Ballivos per Commune Concilium mei, vel Ballivorum meorum & ipsorum: Et nullum Placitum in dicto Burgo teneatur, nèc determinetur, nisi coràm me vel Ballivo meo: Et quod unusquisque Burgensis tenèat singulum Burgagium suum duarum Perticarum Terrae in latitudine, & quin∣que in longitunine, cùm unà Acrâ Terrae integrâ in Campis, pro duodecem Denariis ad tres Terminos anni mihi & Haeredibus meis annualìm Solvendis per aequales Portiones; videlicèt ad Nativitatem Sancti Johannis Baptistae, ad Festum omnium Sanctorum, & ad Annunciati∣onem beatae Mariae; liberè, quietè, pacificè, & integrè, cùm omnibus libertatibus praescriptis: Et quòd singulus Burgensis Burgagium suum possit vendere, invadiare, dare, vel in Testamento assignare cuicunquè vel quibuscunque voluerit, exceptis Ministris Domini Regis & Viris Reli∣giosis, sinè contradictione alicujus vel aliquorum; salvâ mihi & Haeredibus meis libertate Furni nostri in eodem Burgo: Ego verò praedictus Haniundus & Haeredes mei praedicta Bur∣gagia, cùm acris Terrae eis adjacentibus, & omnibus libertatibus suprascriptis, praedictis Bur∣gensibus meis, & Haeredibus suis & assignatis, contrà omnes Gentes in perpetuùm Warrantiza∣bimus: In hujus rei testimonium huic praesenti Chartae Sigillum meum apposui. Hiis Testibus, Dominis Reginaldo de Grey tùnc Justiciario Cestriae, Humfrido de Bello campo, Ricardo de Massy Militibus, Gilberto de Aston, Thomâ de Actone, Hugone de Baggelegh, Matthaeo de Hale, Henrico de Doneham, Johanne de Bowdon, & aliis.

Charta 18 Edw. 1. memb. 3. Rex concessit Hamoni de Massy unum Mercatum per diem Martis apud Manerium suum de Altringham, & unam Feriam per tres dies duraturam, vide∣licèt, in Vigilia, die, & crastino Festi Assumptionis beatae Mariae* 1.4. Lib. C. fol. 260. q.

The Tuesday Market continueth at this day; but the Fair is kept now on the twenty fifth day of July, and the later Fair-day on the eleventh day of November.

Although we usually stile the chief Officer here, Mayor of Altrincham, yet in truth he is no more than a principal Officer, without any Magisterial Authority.

In a Rentall of Dunham-Massy, dated 3 Hen. 4. 1402. I find there were about forty Freeholders or Charterers in Altrincham, the rest of the Tenants of Altrincham, then not above eighteen in number, were Tenants at Will. And it appears by that Rentall, as well as by another of my own in Henry the Seventh's time, that in those Ages till Hen. 8. the ancient Tenants in our County had generally no Leases for Lives, as now they have: and the Rents which at this day we call Old Rents, were in those former Ages the utmost value of such Tenements on the Rack, so much have these late Ages outstripped the former for value, as well for Land as other Commodities.

At this day, 1669. there are above twenty Charterers in this Town, whereof Robert Parker 's of Oldfield-Hall in Altrincham Gentleman is of greatest value, next to which is that belonging to William Leycester of Hale-Lowe Gentleman. Most of all the rest are very small Parcels, not worth the reckoning up; the chief Lord being George Booth of Dunham-Massy, Lord Delamere.

There are so very many small Cottages erected here by the permission of the Lords of Dunham-Massy, that it is now become a Nest of Beggars.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Id est, Sla∣vish Customs.
• † 1.2

  Common of Pasture, and Flaw-Turf, or Heath-Turf.
• * 1.3

  Id est, Hos∣pitio Expensa.
• * 1.4

  15 Die Au∣gusti.