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.

A.D. 1314 TO A.D, 1320. 49
"It may be here observed," says Mr. FROST,' "that until the fourteenth century this
country possessed no regular navy, the maritime force of the kingdom consisting only of
merchant ships and vessels which were pressed into the service whenever any extraordinary
occasion rendered their assistance necessary. An instance of this kind occurred so early as
the year 1314, when about thirty ships were required to assemble at Kingston-upon-Hull preparatory to an expedition against Scotland. On this occasion two ships (naves) were to be
furnished by Hull, and one each by Ravenser, Grimsby, Barton, and BOSTON; Yarmouth
being the only port which was to provide three." 2
William de Cublande gave to the Abbot and Priory of Revesby, in 1314,
a messuage and its appurtenances in St. Botolph, worth half-a-mark annually,
which the said William held of the Earl of Richmond by the annual payment
of 2d. for all services.3
In the returns made in 1316 for effecting the military levies ordered by the
Parliament at Lincoln (9 Edward II.), those for the county of Lincoln are
wanting, owing to the Sheriff not having had sufficient time to make the full
returns. He, therefore, sent only the names of the towns, and not those of the
lords of the manors and proprietors.4
Courts were held in Boston in 1316, in which seizures, &c., were recovered.5
The county of Lincoln was directed this year to raise 2000 foot-soldiers to assist
the King against the Scots, Of these 1000 were levied from Lindsey, 500 from
Holland, and 500 from Kesteven.6
In 1317 (10 Edward II.), the King assigned to Margaret, the widow of
Thomas de Cayllis, sundry lands and tenements in St. Botolph's in dowry.7
William de Huntingfield held property in Boston; also Robert de Willoughby
and Margaret his wife, and
" A cottage in Boston, and sundry cottages there, in a place called the Green Yard; and
41. 6s. 8d. annual rent belonged to the heirs of Thomas de Cayllis." s
Disturbances very generally prevailed in the kingdom in 1318; and Roger
de Coppledyk, Gilbert de Boothby, Walter de Friskney, and Robert de Mablethorpe, were appointed justices for this neighbourhood, 16th March. Writs
were issued August 12th (12 Edward II.), purporting, "that considering the
general obligation to contribute towards the defence of the kingdom, the
mayors, aldermen, &c., of various cities and towns were required to raise
2075 able-,bodied foot-soldiers, armed with aketons, bacinets, and iron breastplates." Of this number Boston furnished 15, Lincoln 100, Stamford 15,
Grimsbv 10, Grantham 10.9
In 1320, William de Bruly, an English subject residing in the King's service
at Paris, petitioned the King on behalf of his brother Gilbert, also an English
subject, residing in the city of Bordeaux. The petition states that Gilbert de
Bruly had shipped wines from Bordeaux for England, to be unladen at St.
Botolph's; but that the Flemings, " through their great malice, took and stole
1 Notices of the Early History of HIull, p. 132. the army was at this time so great, that in York2 Rot. Scot. vol. i. p. 122. shire, Lancashire, Westmoreland, and Cumberland,
3 Inquis. ad quod damnum, 7 Edward II. No. 57. an order was issued, August 24th of this year, for
4 Parliamentary Rolls, vol. ii. part 3, p. 301. raising and arming all the inhabitants between the
5 Rot. Orig. Abbreviatio, vol. iii. p. 231. ages of twenty and sixty.-Ibid. p. 211. The orders
6 Parwliamentary Rolls, vol. i. p. 195. The entire wvere still more imperative the next year. The shelevy was 18,000 foot-soldiers. riffs for the northern counties were directed to sllm7 Rot. Orig. Abbreviatio, vol. ii. p. 234. mon all persons between twenty and sixty to repair
s Ibid. vol. ii. pp. 255, 281, and 286. to the King atYork, properly armed, and all excuses
9 Hull furnished 20 men, Newark 10, Derby 10, laid aside, underpenalty of life and limb, in order to
Nottingham 40, Huntingdon 20, Bury St. Ed- advance with the King against the Scots. The
munds 100, Beverley 30, York 100, Norwich 100, sheriff to spare no one, as he tenders the King's
Shropshire 40, Staffordshire 40.-Parliamentary honour, the salvation of the kingdom, and his own
Rolls, vol. i. p. 210. The pressure for the service of safety, 28 October, 1319.-Ibid. p. 236.
LI: