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.

598 WRANGLE.
for goods, in 1591. The rate of the subsidy is not stated. Francis Reade was
assessed 201., John Reade 81., Widow Stevenson 91., and John Goodrick 91., for
land, and William Willdie 101., for goods.1 Another subsidy was levied in
1593, to which Wrangle paid 101. 9s. 4d.A Wrangle also paid 91. to a subsidy
in 1597, to which John Reed paid 41.3
In 1602, Robert Stephenson, Queen's farmer of the demesnes of her manor of
Wrangle, brought suit against Edward Gough and Thomas Ward, for illegally
taking the profits of fishing within the precincts and limits of the town.4 The
parish of Wrangle paid 51. 4s. to a subsidy in 1610, and 61. 16s. to one in 1624,
and 91. 8s. to one in 1629.5 To a subsidy, levied in 1642, 89 persons in
Wrangle paid 321. 7s. 7-d.; but this included non-resident owners of land;
Dame Anne Lady Read, widow, paid 11l. 5s., Ellen Stephenson, 21. 8s., Nicholas Clipsham, 11. 15s. 6d., and Richard Bailey, for his spiritual living, assessed
at 51. per annum, 10s. 6d. The names occur of Gough, Brookes, Hobster,
Pickering, Francis, Margeson, Swift, Porrell, Bailey, Lawes, Bolland, Westland, Harwood, Harrison, Dowse, Waltham, and Edward Pinchbeck, clerk.6
In 1661, 37 persons subscribed 121. Os. 8d. to a voluntary grant to the King.
The name of Reed does not occur in the list. Mr. Henry Cuning7lam (Conington), clerk, subscribed a pound, William Carden the same, lMr. Robert
Stephenson, 21. lOs., and Captain Lawrence Pickering, 31. 6s. 8d.; and, in
1673, the parish paid 41. 4s. to a subsidy.7
The MANOR of WRANGLE, or, at least, a manor in Wrangle, was in the possession of Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, in 1282 and 1294:8 it was confirmed to
him for life in this latter year by Edward I., and after his decease, to Thomas,
the son of Edmund, the King's brother, who had married Alexia, the daughter
of the Earl of Lincoln, and his heirs.9 In 1327, the manor was held by Thomas
Earl of Lancaster,10 and in 1348 by Alicia Countess of Richmond." In 1426,
Ralph Earl of Westmoreland held a manor, or claimed manorial rights in
Wrangle, for his manor called Bulrteshall.12
The preceding narrative shows that there was considerable litigation about
manorial rights in this parish in 1548 and 1549. The manor had then been
long in the hands of the Crown, as parcel of the Duchy of Lancaster, into which
the honour of Richmond had merged in the year 1342, by the transfer of it by
Edward III., to his son, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster.13 In 1558, John
Lord Sheffield claimed manorial rights in Wrangle.14 In 1560, the Queen held
the manor as portion of her Duchy of Lancaster.15 It was farmed in this reign to
John, and afterwards to Robert Stephenson, who brought many suits in the
Duchy Court to protect their rights. The following petition was presented by
John Stephenson to Sir Francis Walsingham, chancellor of that court at the
time; it gives some curious information relative to the parish:"Humbly sheweth unto your honor, your pore and daily orator, John Stephenson of
Wrangle, in the county of Lincoln, her majesty's farmer of all the demesne, or demean lands,
of her highnesses mannor or lordship of Wrangle aforesaid, part of her highnesses Duchy of
Lancaster. That whereas her majesty by her highnesses letters patente, and under the sceale of
her highnes' Duchy of Lancaster, bearing date aboute the towe and twentyte day of NovemHarleian MSS., No. 366, p. 191, &c. ]o Inquis. post Mortem, vol. ii. p. 7.
2 Subsidy Rolls. 3 Ibid. 1 Ibid. p. 143. 2 Ibid. vol. iv. p. 103.
4 Calendar of Proceedings in the Duchy Court of 13 Reiiquiae Galeane, p. 253. This grant was conLancaster, vol. iii. p. 475. firmed by Parliament in 1360, and by release of all
Subsidy Rolls. 6 Ibid. 7 Ibid. claim to it by John IV., Duke of Brittany and
s Abbreviatio Rot. Orig., vol. i. p. 83 Richmond.
o Charter Rolls, 22 Edward I., No. 4.'4 Bibl. Harleian, 4135. l" Ibid.