The history and antiquities of Boston, and the villages of Skirbeck, Fishtoft, Freiston, Butterwick, Benington, Leverton, Leake, and Wrangle; comprising the hundred of Skirbeck, in the county of Lincoln. Including also a history of the East, West, and Wildmore fens, and copious notices of the Holland or Haut-Huntre fen ... sketches of the geology, natural history, botany, and agriculture of the district; a very extensive collection of archaisms and provincial words, local dialect, phrases, proverbs, omens, superstitions, etc. By Pishey Thompson. Illustrated with one hundred engravings.

462 SKIRBECK.
the same parish.1 The Abbot of York also held twelve bovates of land of the
honour of Richmond.2 In 1274, William son of Walter of Skirbeck, was a
juror at an inquisition held before the King's Justices at Sleaford.3 In 1281,
John, son of John de Tasker, of Skirbeck, and Andrew, son of Peter, of Skirbeck, were summoned to respond to Simon de Pinchbeck, of St. Botulph, on a
charge of taking certain horses belonging to the said Simon, and injuriously
detaining them, contrary to right. It was complained, that on the Friday before the gule (lst) of August, 1280, the aforesaid John and Peter took the
said horses from a place called Horsecroft, in Skirbeck, and detained them
during the eight following days, when they were returned by the precept of the
King, but much injured by having been so detained, and the damages were laid
at 40s.4 In the same year, Ralph, the son of Richard de Oyller, slew William
Godeyr, in St. Botolph's, with a sword, and took refuge in the church of the
Hospital of St. Egidius,5 without St. Botolph, and answered to the Sheriff for a
fine of 10s., the town was fined a mark on account of the hospitalf6 Also, in
1280, John Scaumpennys,7 of Skirbeck, was taken for the death of William, a
miller in Norfolk; and William de Kakethorp, of Freiston, taken for a robbery
and burglary in the house of Richard Copeman, of Wrangle. They both
said they were " clericos," and were allowed their benefit of clergy.8
John de Savoy's property, in Skirbeck, escheated to the Crown, 10 Edward I., 1282.9 In 1287, the manor called Beausolas was held by Thomas de.Multon.10 The families of Grant, Kent, Fendyck, Percerie, Gahan, and Cade,
resided in Skirbeck in 1295, in which year individuals bearing those names
were parties to a deed conveying three acres of land, in a part of that parish
called Stampedeyl, to John Buning, of St. Botolph, and Alicia, his wife."l
When a subsidy of the none, or ninth, was levied upon the kingdom in 1297,
the farming stock and produce of the parish of Skirbeck was assessed at
51. 12s. 8cl., and the tax raised was 12s. 6Id., which was paid by three persons,
whose property and its value are thus stated:NICEOLAS LE GRANT is assessed for 1 packhorse, 5s.; 2 oxen, 6s. 8d. each;
1 stirk, 2s.; 10 sheep, Is. each; 1 sow, ls.; 1 quarter of wheat, 3s.; 5 quarters
of mixtell or maslin, 2s. 6d. each; hay and fodder, 3s.; I cart, Is.
ALAN PERCERIE is assessed for 1 packhorse, 5s.; 2 quarters of maslin, at
2s. 6d.; 1 quarter of oats, is. 6d.; 1 quarter of beans, 2s.; 3 herring or small
fishing-boats, 6s, each: hay and fodder, 6d.
LAWRENCE CUTPA is assessed for 1 packhorse, 5s.; 4 quarters of beans at 2s.;
a vacellurm (cow-house?) and its stock, 15s.; hay and fodder, Is.; 1 cart, 10d.
Thus the whole stock assessed in Skirbeck was 3 packhorses, 10 sheep, 2
oxen, I stirk, and 1 sow: the agricultural produce was 7 quarters of maslin
corn, 1 quarter of oats, 5 of beans, and 1 of wheat. There was a cow-house and
its stock, 2 carts, and 3 fishing-boats, in the parish, and the hay and fodder was
valued at 4s. 6d.12
About 1300, William de Barewell, baker to William de Percy, parson of the
church of Skirbeck, when shooting at a mark, struck Elizabeth de Wrangle on
Additional MSS., British Museum, No. 6118. 9 Inqis. post Mortem, vol. i. p. 76.
2 Testa de Nevill, p. 314.'lo Ibid. p. 93.
3 Rot. Hundred, vol. i. p. 348. " This deed is in the possession of Mr. William
4 Assize Rolls, 8 Edward I. Brown of Bardney. It resembles very much in
5 So in the original (St. Giles is also called St. form a specimen of an ancient deed appended to the
Egidius). We know not what hospital this was, second volume of BLACKSTONE'S Commentaries.
but it was evidently in the parish of Skirbeck. There is no consideration mentioned in it, nor is it
6 Assize Rolls, 8 Edward II. corroborated by ally signatures. The seal of the
7 The CHAMPENEYS were an influential family devising parties, "Richard, the son of Petronella of
in Skirbeck at this time; one of them was fined a St. Botolph, and Isabella his wife," is affixed in the
mark in 1300 for not attending an inquisition. presence of twelve witnesses.
s Assize Rolls, 8 Edward I. 12 Subsidy Roll, 1297.