Staffordshire Hundred Rolls: Introduction

The Staffordshire Hundred Rolls.

The Hundred Rolls are inquisitions taken by a jury of knights and freeholders of each Hundred, in pursuance of special commissions issued by the King.

The earliest Hundred Rolls extant are those of 39 H. III., i.e., A.D. 1255. Of these, the Annals of Burton (printed) contain an account, including the articles of enquiry, taken evidently from the original writ, and which are not to be found elsewhere. The Chronicle says:—

"Eodem tempore, missi sunt per regnum Justiciarii ad inquisitionem faciendum, super articulis subsequentibus. Dominus Henricus de Bathonia cum sociis suis sedit apud Notingham, qui ibidem se bono modo et curialiter habuerunt; similiter et alii per totum regnum, Dominus Phillipo Lovel apud Staffordiam durius et asperius se habente, etc."

It then proceeds to detail the articles of enquiry as follows:—

The rights or liberties of the Crown, abstracted or diminished.

Of suits, i.e., service due to the County and Hundred Courts by the respective manors, and which had been withdrawn.

The demesne manors of the King, and suit of mills within them, and any purprestures (encroachments) upon them.

On the state of the King's forests and Hayes, and waste and destruction, or encroachment within them.

Of those who held pleas of forbidden distress, or view of frankpledge without the Sheriff, and without warrant to that effect.

Of churches in the King's gift, and of widows and infants at the disposal of the King, etc.

Another special commission, calling for similar information, was issued by Edward I. in the second year of his reign. Under this commission the articles of enquiry were further extended, including, in addition to usurpations on the rights of the Crown, a return of knights' fees and Sergeanties, and an account of any source of revenue diminished by alienations made without license to religious bodies or other persons. Also, all excesses of Sheriffs, Coroners, Escheators, or other Bailiffs of the King.

The Record Commissioners printed all the Hundred Rolls which were known to exist at the date of their publications; but a further search of the Old Chapter House Records has brought to light additional rolls of this description, including amongst them a complete Roll of the Seisdon Hundred of Staffordshire of 39 H. III., and a fragment of a Roll of Totmonslowe, of 3 E. I. These two latter documents (translated into English) are now printed for the first time.

The Hundred Rolls of Staffordshire therefore now available for historical purposes are:—

1. The Cuttlestone Hundred Roll, of 39 H. III., printed by the Record Commissioners: "Rotuli Hundredorum," Vol. II.

2. The Seisdon Hundred Roll, of 39 H. III.; printed in the present volume.

3. The Offlow Hundred Roll, of 39 H. III.; printed by Shaw in the appendix to his "History of Staffordshire," and taken from one of the Harleian MSS. [K. 10] in the British Museum.

4. A fragment of the Roll of 3 E. I. for Totmonslowe; printed in the present volume.

5. A fragment of the Roll of 4 E. I. for Offlow; printed by the Record Commissioners: "Rotuli Hundredorum," Vol. II.

It is impossible to overestimate the value of the Hundred Rolls for local history; they show at a glance the owner of every manor, or part of a manor, if it should be divided; the chief lord of whom it is held; the service by which it is held; its hidage, i.e., the value at which it is assessed for taxation, (fn. 1) and many other particulars of use to the historian.

Nor is their value confined to historical purposes only: the manor, township, or villa of former days was the fiscal unit, the Sheriff and his bailiffs collecting the taxation by means of the Reeves or Provosts of the manor. The townships thus separately assessed corresponded to the ancient manors, and the Hundred Rolls in this way afford important legal evidence when manorial rights are in question.

It is not considered necessary as a rule to reproduce in these Collections matter which has already appeared in print elsewhere; but as many of our subscribers may not have ready access to the volumes above mentioned, I append below a list of the lords of manors 39–40 H. III., as given by the three Hundred Rolls of Cuttleston, Offlow, and Seisdon:—

The Bishop appears to have obtained the suppression of all mention of his manors in Cuttleston Hundred, and no details are given of his manors in Offlow Hundred. Bishop Hugh had taken advantage of Henry III^rd's need of money to purchase from him several franchises, and amongst these was one to the effect that all his manors and all his vassals should be quit of all suit to County or Hundred, and of the Sheriff's aid, etc., see the deed at p. 155. It was owing, I think, to this privilege that so slight a notice of the Bishop's manors occurs on these Rolls.