Parishes: St Mary Woolchurch

Newchirch otherwise Wolchirch

467. [1253–4] Grant of Eustace son of David de Stanford to John Scharp, woolmonger, and Alice his wife of land with houses built thereon in the parish of St. Mary Newchirch; abutments, the land that was of Solomon de Basing on the west and other land and houses of the grantor on the east containing in breadth along the king's street 11¼ ells 3 ins. and in breadth alongside the land of John son of Adrian 19 ells 6 ins. with half a privy (camere necessarie) and in length against the church of St. Mary Wolmarichirch 22¼ ells 5 ins.; all in buildings etc. with half the chamber to hold freely in fee; rent 26s. 8d. p.a.; grantees and their heirs are not to pull down or to allow the houses to deteriorate but to repair (emendare) them; [f. 89v] warranty against the lords of the fee; gersuma 2 marks; witnesses, John Tolosan, mayor, John Northampton, Richard Pycard, sheriffs, Alexander Ferrum, alderman of the ward. (fn. 1)

468. Note: Eustace de Staunford gave to Holy Trinity the 26s. 8d. p.a. as appears in Charter Twenty (fn. 2) of several parishes.

469. [List of those paying quit rent]: John Sharp; his widow; Richard Sharp who conceded that the prior was allowed to distrain both in the house and in two houses which he had in the parish of St. Leonard Estchep [See also after 470] as appears in the following charter.

470. [1261–8] Grant of Richard son of Thomas Sharp of 18s. of quit rent to Gilbert prior and convent of Holy Trinity.

469 contd. John Page, 1 Ed. II and 6 Ed. III; Stephen Caundych, 30 Ed. III; John Frensch, 44 Ed. III; John Mortymer, 45 Ed. III who bequeathed the tenement to the church of Wolchirch as appears in his will (fn. 3) enrolled 6 Nov. 1368 and the churchwardens paid until 5 Hy. IV; Stephen Sewale, 7 Hy. IV; John He(n)ore as appears by indenture made between him and Holy Trinity and the tenement is situated on the south side of Berbynderyslane.

471. [1170–97] Grant of Stephen prior and convent to Gilbert the clerk of land which immediately before him was held by his uncle Malgerus, namely a forge and land belonging thereto; rent ½ mark of silver p.a.; swore fealty; gersuma ½ mark and 3s. for pittances; witnesses, John the chaplain of the Bailey (de ballio), John our [Holy Trinity] chaplain of St. Michael.

C.A.D., iv, A 7298.

472. [List of those paying rent]: Gilbert the clerk; Walter the Woolmonger who had two sons Simon and Gilbert and thus the land was divided and each paid 3s. 4d. p.a.; Emma Sibilyn; John Shippe; Godwin Phelipper; Thomas Godewyn, 1 and 19 Ed. II; Nicholas [f. 90] Godewyn, 1 and 7 Ed. III [See also after 473] as the following plea shows.

473. Common plea held in the Husting, Mon. 22 Feb. 1333.

Nicholas Godwyne, skinner, complained that on Mon. 8 June 1332 the prior came to his free tenement and took naam worth 72s. until by gage and pledge of Andrew Aubrey, one of the sheriffs, etc.; and the prior came and said the naam was taken from two tenements made into one shop and that it was lawful because it was held of him at a rent of 6s. 8d. p.a. and that it was 10s. in arrears, ½ mark for one year and 40d. for a half year; Nicholas said he had no interest except by reason of his custody of Stephen son of Thomas Godwyne and that nothing was in arrears of the ½ mark from the shop and as to the other tenement he has a free tenement in the same and he asks that it should be enquired into by jury; in 11 Ed. III Nicholas Godwyne in the chamber of the Guildhall recognised that he owed to Thomas Heron, prior, 72s. and that he ought to pay the arrears as appears in an inquisition taken before Gregory atte Shire, alderman, and Thomas de Maryns, chamberlain, Fri. 23 May 1337.

472 contd. Then the tenement was divided for Walter Foster paid 3s. 4d. for one part and Stephen Godwyne 3s. 4d., 23 Ed. III; and these paid 3s. 4d. after Walter Foster; the prior of the Carthusians, 49 Ed. III until the writing of the cartulary: and these paid 3s. 4d. after Stephen Godwyne which Stephen granted the tenement to William Bakere who paid 3s. 4d. as appears in their charter (fn. 4) enrolled 27 Ed. III; William Ferbourne, 49 Ed. III; John Donyngton, 8 and 16 Ric. II; Lettice Caundissh, 1 Hy. IV; John Megre, 1 Hy. V; John Trenowthe, 37 Hy. VI; (fn. 5) Richard Da(n)ers, 5 Hy. VII, (fn. 5) and these two tenements are adjacent between Lumbardstrete on the south and Cornhull on the north and the king's way on the west and the tenement of John Shipp, now [1425–7] of the prior of the Carthusians on the east.

474. [f. 90v] Note: Ralph Blount bequeathed to the prior and convent 4 marks of quit rent from a tenement of the late John Shipp as appears in a will (fn. 6) enrolled Mon. 12 Feb. 1296 and contained in the First Will (fn. 7) of several parishes.

475. [List of those paying quit rent]: John Shipp; Godwin Phelipper; Thomas Godwyn, 1 Ed. II; John Yweyn, 6 and 30 Ed. III; Walter Forster, 34 Ed. III; the prior of the Charterhouse, 49 Ed. III; and the tenement is situated on the south side of the great street of Cornhull between the tenement of the prior in which Holy Trinity has a rent of 3s. 4d. on the west [incomplete].

476. [1254–5] Grant of John prior and convent to Alan de Wodekot of land with houses which Eustace son of David gave to Holy Trinity; abutments, the house of John Sharpp on the west and the house of Roger Goueyre on the east; rent 20s.; the grantee not to deteriorate the houses but to repair and maintain them; if he wishes to sell, the prior and canons to have an advantage of a bezant of 2s. over other buyers; swore fealty; gersuma ½ mark; chirograph sealed; witnesses, Ralph Hardel, mayor, William Eswy, Richard de Ewelle, sheriffs.

477. [List of those paying rent]: Alan de Wodekot; Roger de Cumbe; Walter le Hore, 1 and 19 Ed. II and 1 Ed. III; John de Wrestelyngworth [See also after 478] as appears by the following plea.

478. Common plea held in the Husting, Mon. 16 June 1354.

The sheriff is ordered to inform John de Wrestlyngworth and Juliana his wife [f. 91] to be at the next court of Common Pleas to say why judgment of scharford against them should not be returned for the prior of Holy Trinity concerning a messuage which the prior recovered against them at a court held Mon. 12 Mar. 1352, by writ, and by custom held for a year and a day as gavelet according to the custom of the City. At a court held Mon. 28 July 1354 the prior by his attorney Alan de Horewode appeared against John and Juliana and they did not come and they were declared by the sheriff to have been summoned by John Botiller, draper, and Thomas Nolyf, draper, and the prior holds the messuage in perpetuity as (tanquam) scharford and John and Juliana in mercy.

477 contd. John Longe, 49 Ed. III [See also after 479] as appears by the following plea.

479. Common plea held in the Husting, Mon. 21 May 1375.

John Longe, fishmonger, in person sought against Nicholas prior and convent three messuages and one shop of which a certain William Ostage, citizen and fishmonger, was seised as appears in his will (fn. 8) proved in the Husting Mon. 4 May 1349, which tenement he and his wife Matilda had acquired from Walter le Hore and Berta his wife in Berebynderslane and which he left to Juliana his daughter and her lawful heirs by virtue of which Juliana was lawfully seised; John Longe as her son and heir seeks that after the death of Juliana the shops and land should descend to him; and the prior through John Aschewell said that this was only one messuage and that the rent was in arrears and that he had brought a writ of gavelet and recovered it [as in 478] [f. 91v] and that as the arrears had not been paid he had recovered the messuage as sharford; judgment is sought whether John Longe can have an action therein against the above-named recovery; and John Longe says that because the prior does not deny that William Ostage bequeathed the messuage to Juliana his daughter and heir nor that John Longe is the son and heir of Juliana in which case the prior cannot recover finally to the exclusion of the issue of Juliana and he seeks judgment and seisin of the land and it is judged that John Longe should recover against the prior his seisin of the three messuages and one shop and the prior is in mercy and John Longe recovered the tenement paying therefrom 20s. p.a.

477 contd. Thomas Restwolde, 8 Ric. II and 1 Hy. IV; James Coke, 9 Hy. IV as appears by the following plea.

480. Pleas of assize held at the Guildhall, Sat. 5 May 1408, before Henry Halton and Henry Pountfreit, sheriffs, the presence of the coroner not expected.

The assize comes to recognise whether William Hert, citizen and cutler, William Parker, John Whytebred, William Thirlewell, James Cok, cutler and Joan his wife unjustly disseised William prior of Holy Trinity of his free tenement in the parish of St. Mary Woolchirch; the prior by Richard Foster his attorney complains that he is disseised of 20s. of rent and William Hert and the others were summoned but did not come; therefore the assize is taken against them by default; the prior shows that the rent is a quit rent of which he and all his predecessors were seised and the above refused to pay the rent; recognitors summoned, Adam Smalstrete, Robert Marchall, Stephen Herdy, William Fynch, John [f. 92] Lemman, William Weston, John Gedeney, Robert Markele, John Megre, Robert Twyer, Richard Storme, Richard Coroner and elected triers (triatores) and they swore that the prior and his predecessors were so seised and assessed damages beyond the payment of arrears at 6s. 8d. and the rent was 1½ years in arrears; the defs. did not resist by force and arms (vi et armis) but refused to pay; no fraud or collusion between the parties under the statute of mortmain be cause the priors had been seised of the tenement since the time of Henry III for Prior Richard was so seised; and the prior to recover his seisin of the rent and the arrears of 30s. and 6s. 8d. damages; William Hert and the others in mercy and afterwards the prior released all except 22s. and this tenement is situated on the south side of Berbyndereslane.

London possessory assizes, no. 225.

481. [f. 92v] Note: William de Blemonte to Richard prior and convent of 20s. p.a. of quit rent from certain land in the said parish as appears by Charter Thirteen (fn. 9) of several parishes.

482. [List of those paying quit rent]: Robert son of Bartholomew; Simon Blund; Andrew Blund and then the land was divided for Thomas Box paid 12s. and Richard Cook 8s.: after Thomas Box; Richard Lymbrennere; Richard Hoddesdon, 1 Ed. II; his widow, 19 Ed. II: after Richard Cook; John de Ware or de Woodford who granted this tenement to Adam Broun who paid 8s. to Holy Trinity as appears in their charter (fn. 10) enrolled 18 Oct. 1316: afterwards Richard Hoddesdon son of Richard above paid the whole sum of 20s., 30 Ed. III; John Marys, 49 Ed. III; Stephen atte Halle, 8 Ric. II; Edmund Hoddesdon alias Barnet, throughout Hy. IV.

483. Total of this parish £6 6s. 8d. and it is tithed at this as appears in the king's exemplification.