Westburyes Manor Court (1591)

Post date: Nov 29, 2019 2:37:49 PM

Translated from Latin by Elizabeth Finn of Kent Archives (Nov 2019). Although recorded in Latin the actual proceedings would have been in English. Notes thereto by Terry Bird. Held in Kent Archives as U71/36. See also Westburyes Manor Court (1594), Westburies Manor Court (1601), Westburies Manor Court (1602), Westburies Manor Court (1614), Westbury Manor Court (1715).

Notes:

1. Court baron is the regular manor court often held every 3 weeks.

2. 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.

3. Steward (senecallus in Latin): in a small manor the lord of manor would preside in person, but Roger Twysden owned many manors so his steward presided. Whether Thomas Tuttesham was associated with Tutsham in West Farleigh is not known. In 1594, and 1614 the name of the steward is not recorded but in 1601 the steward is Francis Raworth.

4. Essoin: means an excuse for nonattendance with a proxy nominated.

5. Homage: the tenants who attended were collectively known as the homage.

6. In mercy: fine imposed.

7. William Moyse: appears in a Churchwardens 1610 list of "foreigners" who nevertheless owe poor rates.

8. John Moyse: For more about John Moyse see Warlike Riot in Wateringbury (1596) Westburies Manor Court (1602) and Quarter Session (1609)

9. William Underwood: is mentioned as a landowner in the Westbury Manor Lease (1623). There are 3 Underwoods (among 19 contibutors in total) on the list of the 1586 poor rate. As well as William Underwood there is an Anthonie and James

10. Free tenants : generally paid rent as a fixed sum of money rather than in services. In some manors free tenants were obliged to attend all courts but in others only periodically.

11. Heriot : a due payable to a lord when a new tenant inherits. A horse was traditional as a lord would often have lent tenant a horse during his military service but by this time the original rationale was no longer but the custom continued.

12. John Munn(e) or his heirs are referred to in each of the following courts of which we have a record. By 1594 the heirs were essoined by John Hopper, in 1601 John Munn was essoined by William Hopper so would have escaped any fine for non-appearance. However in 1614 John Munn now described as a "gent" is again in mercy and fined 2d.

13. John Sherocke did not appear at the court of 1594 and so was "in mercy". By the 1601 court the heirs of Antony Sherock default on attending so are fined. Sherrocke also defaults in 1614.

14. Anthonie Underwood in the 1586 poor rate was due to pay 10d. a month, one of the higher assessments in the village.

15. Alienation in law means the transfer of the rights to property.

16. George DelaHay was the owner of Wateringbury Place. In 1586 he paid the highest amount of poor relief by some distance in the village. In 1596 he was prosected in Maidstone for warlike riot at Westbury. Greensted records Nevil-de-la-Hay had issue George-de-la-Hay who,about the latter end of Queen Elizabeth’s reign (who died Ano 1602), passed away Wateringbury to Wilkinson of Lenham in this county and Chart and Fowls to Roger Twysden of Royden Hall in the parish of East Peckham in this county.

17. Relief is the terminology used for a fine payable when the new tenant was not an heir (in which case it was heriot) at a level which was a matter of local custom.

18. James Danne. The Danne family appear throughout Wateringbury 's history and it may be after them that Dann's Lane (to the north off the Tonbridge Road and in the west of the village). A James Dann is referred to in the will of William Burlestone of Wardens (who died in 1719) but given the date presumably not the same person. A John Danne is also referred to in this document.

19. Messuage means a house and the immediately surrounding land and outbuildings (or curtillage).

20. George Codde's is recorded in the Feet of Fines (1507-1547) as acquiring in 1529 with Nic Moyce and Thomas Rowe, a messuage and 7 acres land in Wateringbury for £40.

21. Skyntes Garden also referred to at Westburries Manor Court (1614).