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.

596 WRANGLE.
There is evidence of the importance of Wrangle in the fourteenth century,
in the fact, that when Edward III. raised his navy for the invasion of France in
1359, this village was one of the eighty-two places in the kingdom which were
assessed to furnish it; Wrangle's assessment being one ship and eight men.'
Roger l'Estrange and Richard Harold, both merchants of the Staple, resided in
Wrangle in 1360.2
In 1377, Katherine, the widow of William, son of John de Wrangle, recovered
her seisin against Robert de Rye of Wrangle, in five acres of land in Wrangle,
and also against the said Robert, in the half of two messuages and seventeen
acres of land in Wrangle.3 A subsidy of 12d. upon each beneficed clergyman,
and 4d. on those not beneficed, was levied in 1377. Peter, the vicar, paid is.
Nicholas, the chaplain of the parish; John, celebrating in the chapel of St. Peter;
and five other unbeneficed clergymen, paid each 4d.4
A subsidy was granted by the clergy in the Parliament held at Northampton,
in 1381, of twenty groats each, upon all clergymen, beneficed or unbeneficed, to
this subsidy. Peter, the vicar, Nicholas, the chaplain, and four other chaplains,
paid 6s. 8d. each.5 There is no chaplain of the chapel of St. Peter mentioned;
but in the list of the Boston Clergy we find Edmund, chaplain of Isabella Rede.
At the end of the list is given,-"; as not included in the Bishop's List," —Hugh
Cole, clerk, in Wrangle, Is. Every other clergyman paid 6s. 8d.
Richard II. confirmed to the abbot and convent of Waltham, in 1389, the
grant of free warren, made to them by Henry III. in 1253.6 John Halyday,
perpetual vicar of Wrangle, and Hugh Cole,7 Master of the Chantry of Multon,
in Leake, granted, in 1410, to John Harold of Wrangle, two pieces of land
called Wylintoft and Gybintoft.8 Walter Pedwardine held forty-seven acres of
land and pasture-ground in Wrangle and Friskney, in 1431.9
In 1453, the vicar of Wrangle was charged 10s. in a subsidy of one-tenth, the
church being assessed at 51.'~0 In 1506 and 1510, Thomas Gyldon had a suit
with Adam Penyngton, feodary of the Duchy Court of Lancaster, respecting a
claim to fish-royal, wrecks of wine, and other wrecks of the sea, and goods of
felons, outlaws, &c.ll The Guild of the Blessed Mary, of Wrangle, is mentioned
in 1576.12 The King brought suit against the abbot of Waltham, on a disputed
title to land, rents, and services, and a right of fishing in 1519.13
In 1523, a grant was made to the King, to which Richard Rede of Wrangle
subscribed 61.14 To a subsidy levied in 1544, and in which we observe, for
the first time, the principle of a graduated pro rata tax, in proportion to the extent of taxable property, seven persons in Wrangle were charged 41. 10s. 8d.
John Rede was taxed 21. Of the others, named Griggby, Stevenson, Whitbred,
Watson, Malson, and Hobster, various sums from 6s. 8d. to 13s. 4d.15
The abbot and convent of Kirkstead had property in Wrangle of the annual
value of 41. 13s. 4d., in 1535; the monastery of Croyland also had quit-rents
valued at 7s. 2d. annually. The property belonging to the abbot of Waltham
was rented with the land belonging to the rectory, to Richard Rede for
381. 7s. 6d.16
Though this may appear an insignificant por- 8 Old deeds in the archives of the Boston Corpotion, yet it was more than was supplied by Liver- ration.
pool, which was assessed (under the name of 9 Inquis. post Mortem, vol. iv. p. 103.
Mersey) one ship and five men only. Wainfleet'o Subsidy Rolls.
and Saltfleet were each assessed two ships and u Calendar of Proceedings in the Ducchy Colurt of
forty-nine men. Lancaster, vol. ii. p, 40.
2 Inquis. ad quod damnzurm. 2 Compotus of St. Mary's Guild, Boston.
3 Abbreviatio Rot. Orig., vol. ii. p. 352. 13 Proceedings in the Duchy Court of Lancaster,
4 Subsidy Roll. 5 Ibid. vol. ii. p. 24.
6 Chcarter Rolls of Richard II. 14 Subsidy Roll. 15 Ibid.
7 See the preceding paragraph. 16 Valor Ecclesiasticus, pp. 35, 87, and 89.