Staffordshire Hundred Rolls: Totmonslow hundred (3 Edward I, 1275, fragment)

Hundred of Totmonslow.

An Inquisition made in the county of Stafford, concerning the Hundred of Tatemaneslowe, coram Inquirantibus of the Lord the King, viz., Sir Richard de Fokeram and Osbert de Berescote, by a jury of the same Hundred, viz., Sir Philip de Draycote, Roger de Verney, Richard de Acovere, Henry de Casterne, Benedict de Botertone, John de Beveresfort (Beresford) in Verselowe, Symon Basset, William Meverel in Ylum, Walter le Mareschal in Fenton, Richard de Stoke in Leye, Robert de Acovere in Denston, Robert de Chetelton, Robert de Gretewis, Richard de Rodeyert: who say that the Lord Edmund, the King's brother, holds the Manor of Uttokeshale (Uttoxeter) of the King in capite for one knight's fee; and John de Verdun held Crakemerch and Crethton for one knight's fee of the same Edmund and of the same manor; and Thomas de Ferars holds Lochesle of the same Edmund and of the same manor for one-fourth of a knight's fee, and the manor of Alveton is held of the King in capite for one knight's fee, and is now in the King's hands by the death of John de Verdun; (fn. 1) and Henry de Aldithelee holds of the same manor, i.e. (Alton), Aldithelee and Exedone. by the service of a knight's fee; and the Abbey of Rowecestre is held of the King in free alms and by feoffment of donors and by confirmation of the Lord King Henry, and it was of the fee of the Earl of Chester; and the Abbot of Deulacres holds the Manor of Lek of the King in capite, and it used to be of the liberty of Chester; and the Abbot of Hulton holds Mixene, and it used to be held of the King in fee farm, viz., by the service of 5s., and a cartload of hay, and an iron fork paid to the Manor of Penchul. Of the ferm of the Hundreds, they say that William de Kaversewelle holds the Hundred of Tatemoneslowe by charter of the King for £10 yearly, and it is worth £10, and he held the same Hundred sixteen years ago; and the Barons of Alstanesfelt, viz., Henry de Aldithelee and his other coparceners, give a mark annually to the Sheriff for view of frankpledge, and the Sheriff was accustomed to hold a court there annually, or receive a fine, and it was first withheld in the time of Hugh Despencer; and the Abbot of Rowecestre gives 10s. for view of frankpledge; and the Manor of Mathelefell (Mayfield) gives 20s. for the same; nevertheless the Sheriff entered the said Liberty after the Feast of St. Michael to hold a court there; and from Kingestone for view of frankpledge 3s. annually. Of ancient suits or other things withheld from the King, they say that the tenants of the lands, viz., William de Wythilehe, Lawrence de Charpeclif, William de Padewick, and three others named, used to be geldable to the Hundred, and it has been withdrawn for a long time, viz., from the time of Nicholas de Verdun, to his Liberty of Alveton; and other tenants, viz., Henry de le Athenehurst and four others named used to be geldable to the Hundred, but are now appropriated to the Liberty of the Abbot of Hulton, viz., to his Manor of Brademore, by the power and the force of Henry de Aldithelee; and the Grange of Dogge-Chedle used to be geldable to the Hundred, and has now been appropriated to the Abbey of Crokesdene for thirty years past; and the Grange of Felde (Field) used to be geldable, and is now appropriated by the Abbot of Deulacres; and it was alienated by Alina de St. Maur; and the above Grange of Chedle was alienated by John de Saucheverel and by Henry his son; and Henry de Aldithelee holds a free court at Horton, and it is not known by what warrant, and it used to be geldable.

Of those who claim to have the return of writs, etc., they say that Edmund the King's brother has gallows, and assize of bread and beer, at Uttokeshale, but it is not known by what warrant; and the Abbot of Rowecestre has gallows, etc., by charter of donors, and by confirmation of King Henry; and the Prior of Totteburi has gallows at Mathelefelt, it is not known by what warrant; and Geoffrey de Greselee has gallows at Kingeston, and assizes, etc., it is not known by what warrant; and the Lord of Alveton has gallows at Alveton, and assizes, etc., it is not known by what warrant; and Henry de Aldithelee, Hugh le Despencer, and Warine de Vernun (fn. 2) have gallows, etc., but it is not known by what warrant.

Of those who have liberties and use them otherwise than they ought, they say that the Abbot of Deulacres, Henry de Aldithelee, and the Lord of Alveton, have Sergeanties, and they take by force and unjustly passagium through their demesne lands and elsewhere. Of those who have newly appropriated to themselves chases and warrens, they say that Sir John de Verdun appropriated to himself, after the war, a wood called Rinthay and Yornburi to his warren and free chase at Alveton; and they used to be geldable to the Hundred, and answer with the vill of Chedle; and the same John appropriated to himself a warren at Romesovere (Ramsor), of the Bishop's fee; and it used to be a common chase for the whole country; and the same John appropriated to himself a warren at Vutton (Wotton), it is not known by what warrant.

Of military fees diminished, etc., they say that the Grange of Chedle and the Grange of Felde are alienated to the prejudice of the King.

Respecting Sheriffs who took money to conceal felonies, they say that John Bareil took of William the Provost of Bokenhale feloniously 100s., and John de Bromchulf, the Bailiff of the Hundred of Tatemoneslowe, took 20s. of Robert de Lebenet feloniously, and also of many others of whose names they are ignorant; and William Rome, the Bailiff of Henry de Aldithelee, has in his house at Alstonefeld, Yun a felon and outlaw, who is brother to the said William; and John Bareil took a mark from Robert Oviet feloniously to conceal the same; and John Bareil took 40s. from Robert Bente to conceal him. And they say that all the Sheriffs and sub-Sheriffs took money from men indicted at their Great Hundred Courts to admit them to bail, viz.: Hamon Lestrange and Leon his subSheriff, and William de Kavereswell and Walter de Hopton, and Urian de St. Pierre, Hugh de Mortimer, and Ralph de Mortimer; and Henry Owen, the Bailiff of the Lord Edmund, took William the gardiner, of Uttoxeter, and William de Deulacres of the same, under an indictment of the Magna Curia of Uttoxeter, and sent them to the prison of Bruge, in the time of John Bareil; and there they refused to receive them, and sent them back to Uttoxeter; and Henry Owen took from them 20s. to admit them to bail. And they say that John Bareil when sub-Sheriff took much money for removing men from assizes and juries, from many men of whose names they are ignorant; and John de Bromchulf took much money for the same whilst he was Bailiff; and he took 12d. from Henry de Northwode, and from Adam de Hugebruge he took (no sum named).

And of those who took fines from persons summoned to make inquisition, they say that John de Bromchulf took fines from many of whose names they are ignorant; and Hervey de Leys, junior, took for the same an infinite quantity of money.

And they say that William de Kavereswelle sublet the Hundred to John de Bromchulf for 20 marks annually, so that the said John had greatly vexed the people, to make avenas in Lent, and for reaping in autumn, and the said John had a bailiff, Richard de Stanton, who had greatly vexed the country in this way.

And they say that whereas the Sheriff ought not to make his Tourn but twice a year, John Bareil held his Tourn twice in one year, and in addition, Reginald the clerk of the same John held a Tourn, and John de Bromchulf the Bailiff of the Hundred held a third Hundred Court in the same year, to the damage of the whole Hundred. And of those who had acted maliciously under cover of their office, they say that Hamon Lestrange and Leo his sub-Sheriff took Ralph de Burgo (fn. 3) and imprisoned him at Stafford for a month and more, to the damage of the said Ralph of 20 marks; and the said Ralph was made to support six servientes of the said Hamon for that time, who had inflicted upon him other enormities (qui alia enormia ei intulerunt); and John Bareil the sub-Sheriff took Richard de Swineschoch and imprisoned him, and took from him 20s.; and John de Bromchulf was one of twelve journeymen, and their clerk, and at a certain great Tourn of the Hundred in the time of Ralph de Mortimer, he had indicted William de Acovere without the assent of his associate jurors, and had caused him to be imprisoned, by which he had been damaged to the amount of 20 marks. And Henry the Rector of the Church of Blore, the Bailiff of Henry de Aldithelee in Alstanefeld, took 10s. from William de Narendale; and John de Bromchulf took a certain maker of swords (fabrum gladiorum) and imprisoned him, and took from him three swords, and afterwards released him spontaneously; and Alan Pes, the Bailiff of John de Verdun of Alveton, took six oxen and cows from Richard de Ruddeyert, and retained four of them, and for giving up two of them, took a mark from the said Richard; and Hamon le Strange, when Sheriff, took £20 from the whole county; and the same Hamon and Leo his sub-Sheriff took forty head of cattle of the chattels of the Abbot of Hulton at Mixene, and drove them to Certeleye, and retained six of them there for the use of the Castle; and John Bareil took from the Abbot of Deulacres 6 marks, and from Henry de St. Maur 2 marks.

And they say that the Lord Edmund, the King's brother, took 2 marks from Thomas de Ferars to distrain him to take knighthood, by the hands of Robert de Waldechef, the constable of Tutteburi.

And they say that William de Bronichulf took a mark from Margaret de Elkesdon for a writ of "pone," which she ought to have had for half a mark.

And of those who took money for executing their office, or for not executing it, they say that William de Chetelton, Bertram de Burgo, Robert Selwein, John de Charnes, Coroners, took money for executing their offices, and were fined for it by the Justices Itinerant. And William Wyther the Coroner took 2s. at Alstanesfelt for the death of Mathew . . . and the other coroners took 2s. or half a mark or more for every homicide.