Westburies Manor Court (1602)

Post date: Nov 07, 2019 1:39:7 PM

Transcription and translation from Latin in List and Index Society Vol 46, Kent at Law, 1602, Vol II Local Jurisdictions (edited by Louis A. Knaffa). Although recorded in Latin the actual proceedings would have been in English. Apparently based on CKS U71/M78 but noted that not on index of Kent Archives. References 3793 to 3798 are internal references of this volume. This is only described as a Court rather than a Court Baron as other Westbury courts but this does not seem to be an issue of substance.

3793 29 Sep 1602 The Court of Roger Twisden⁶ esq. held on Wednesday at Westburies. No tenants are excused.

3794 The homage²: William Dane and John Moyse³ (both sworn).

3795 Tenants: They say upon their oaths that William Underwood (heir) <2d>, Antony Sherrow (heir),2d. and John Moon <2d> are tenants of this manor, owe suit of court and have defaulted on this day. Therefore, each of them is put in mercy and is taken and recorded. [Marginated} In mercy 6d.

3796 Item: They say on their oaths that William Moyse is a tenant of this manor, and appears on the rolls of this court 6 Edward VI-showing that he held a measure of land of the lord of this manor at a yearly rent of 4d. Whereby he is heard, he has his homage affirmed here in court with a rent of 4d. that is paid to the bailiff [Thomas Crowhurst], and thus is satisfied.

3797 The heir Antony Sherrow⁴ is of age⁵.

3798 Thomas Crowhurst¹ is affirmed by the homage as the lord’s bailiff.

Notes:

1. Thomas Crowhurst also serves as the court’s clerk (folio 2r). There is a farm in East Peckham called Crowhurst Farm.

2. The homage : the tenants who attended court were known as the homage. It also meant the formal public acknowledgement of a tenant’s allegiance to the lord of the manor.

   1. John Moyse: for more about John see Warlike Riot in Wateringbury (1596), Quarter Session (1609), Westburyies Manor Court (1591) Westburyes Manor Court (1594).

   2. Anthony Sherock is referred to in the Westburies Manor Court (1601)-possibly an alternative spelling Anthony Sherrow.

3. Usually the definition of being of age was the age of 12.

4. Roger Twysden, residing at Roydon hall, East Peckham, was lord of several local manors including both Chart and Westbury in the parish of Wateringbury plus Eastmere, Albans, and Lomewood,. Roger was a recurring name in the Twysden family but this one lived from 1542 to 1643 and, according to Hasted, had bought Westbury 8 years earlier (1583) from Sir Thomas Browne of Beechworth castle.

For other courts see Westburyies Manor Court (1591) Westburyes Manor Court (1594), Westburies Manor Court (1601), Westburies Manor Court (1614), Westbury Manor Court 1715.