Plea Rolls for Staffordshire: 33 Edward I (1)

Assizes taken before the same Justices at Lychefeld on the Thursday the Vigil of St. Vincent. (4th April, 1305.)

Staff. An assize, etc., if Idonia formerly wife of Matthew le Clerk of Longedone and Thomas son of Adam le Wodeward of Bloreton, had unjustly disseised Margaret daughter of Matthew le Clerk of Longetone of a messuage, twenty-four acres of land, and two acres of meadow in Longetone near Bloretone. Margaret afterwards withdrew her claim. m. 15.

Vincent de Hulton not prosecuting his writ of novel disseisin versus Hugh le Ridere and Letia his wife, respecting tenements in Little Curburgh, is in misericordiâ, and the suit was dismissed. m. 15.

Staff. An assize, etc., if Alianora formerly wife of John de Houton, John son of the said Alianora, William de Mere, Joan de Venables, Robert le Mareschal of Aston, Gilbert de Aston, Roger le Verdon of Darlaston, John Geffrey of Aston, Henry his son, Hugh son of Richard, Geoffrey son of the said Hugh, Henry Lutemay, Robert le Palmere, Thomas Cuche, Adam son of Hugh, William son of William son of Thomas de Aston, Richard of the Milnehouses of Sondon, William the Abbot of Cumbermere, and Thomas Prior of Stone, had unjustly disseised Robert son of Hugh le Wayte of an acre of meadow in Aston near Stone. The defendants all appeared except Alianora, and Robert le Mareschall answered for her as bailiff, and for himself as tenant, and denied that any injury had been done to the plaintiff. The jury found that the said Alianora had unjustly disseised Robert son of Hugh vi et armis, and they taxed his damages at 5s.; and the said Alianora is to be arrested, and Robert is in misericordiâ for a false claim against the others. Alianora afterwards made fine with the King for 20s., for which Robert de Severle and John de Houton are her sureties. m. 15.

Staff. John son of William le Bonde recovers a messuage and five acres and half a virgate of land in Bilynton versus Richard le Bonde Chaplain, and Roger his brother and John le Bonde. m. 15.

Staff. An assize., etc., if John de Prestewode had unjustly disseised Richard de Locwode of common of pasture in thirty acres of wood and pasture in Prestewode. John stated he was lord of the vill of Prestewode, and had approved the pasture as was lawful. Richard stated that John could not claim the benefit of the statute because he had not enclosed the pasture. The jury found that John had unjustly disseised Richard of his common of pasture in a part of the tenement, but that he, Richard, was in seisin of eighteen acres of it, and had his common of pasture in it. m. 15, dorso.

Staff. An assize, etc., if Jordan de Swerkeston father of Stephen de Swerkeston was seised, etc., of six acres of land in Penkhull when he died, and of which Roger de Swerkeston holds three acres, and William de Swerkeston three acres. Verdict for Stephen, as nearest heir of Jordan. m. 15, dorso.

Staff. An assize, etc., if Thomas atte forde of Bissebury, the brother of Richard atte forde, was seised, etc., of ten acres of land in Covene when he died, and if Richard was his nearest heir, and which land Ralph de Wyvereston holds, who called to warranty Peter de Joneston and Roes his wife, and Richard de Flossebrok and Pavia his wife. Ralph eventually admitted the claim of Richard. m. 15, dorso.

Staff. An assize, etc., if Amice formerly wife of Stephen son of Ralph de Falede, the mother of Milisant the wife of William le Fakener of Thurkeceston, was seised, etc., of a messuage and a bovate of land in Falede (Fauld) near Tuttebury, when she died; and if Milisent was her nearest heir, and of which Alice formerly wife of Stephen de Wodeward held a messuage and the third part of a bovate, and Adam son of Stephen le Wodeward two parts of a bovate. Alice stated she held the tenements claimed against her in dower of the inheritance of the said Adam, and she called him to warranty, who warranted them to her, and called to warranty Stephen son of Stephen de Curzun the lord of Falede, who is to be summoned for the Sunday next after three weeks from St. John the Baptist. m. 15, dorso.

Staff. Geoffrey de Tamworth recovers five acres of land in Lychefeld versus William son of Hugh Gurnotte, and Avice daughter of William de Frodeleye as nearest heir of his aunt Avice de Tamworth, who had died seised of the tenements. m. 15, dorso.

Assizes taken at Lichefeld before the same Justices on the Vigil of St. Vincent, 33 E. I. (4th April, 1305.)

Staff. Saer de Harecurt recovers common of pasture in a part of thirty acres of wood and pasture in Prestwold (Prestwood), in a suit against John de Prestwold. m. 16.

Staff. An assize, etc., if Jordan de Flossebrok of Oldynton (Oulton) had unjustly disseised William Walemon of common of pasture for all cattle except goats in eighteen acres of waste and heath in Northbury (Norbury), appurtenant to his freehold in the same vill. Jordan pleaded that in the case of ten acres he held the land conjointly with one Walter de Morton, who was not named in the writ, and he produced a deed which testified to this; and as regarded the residue he stated he only held six acres, and he had entered into these by Philip de Marmioun. The jury found that there had been no disseisin as stated, because Philip de Marmion the lord of the vill had approved the said six acres of waste in such a way that the said William every two years in the open season could common in them with all manner of cattle, and every third year for all the year, and he had afterwards demised the said six acres to Jordan. William is therefore in misericordiâ for a false claim. m. 16.

Staff. An assize, etc., if William the Parson of the Church of Hambury, John Pipe of Hambury, and John his son, had unjustly disseised William de Neuton of Hambury of a messuage and a bovate of land in Hambury. The jury say that the tenements were formerly in the seisin of William the Parson, who enfeoffed in them one Adam de Bullereston to hold for the life of Adam, and Adam enfeoffed the said William de Neuton of them in fee, and William held them by this feoffment for five years; and being asked where William the Parson was at the time of the said feoffment, they answered that he was at that time beyond the seas; and as soon as he came to England, and that notice of the above feoffment came to him, he removed the said William de Neuton by his proctor the said John de Pipe. A day was given to the parties to hear judgment at Westminster; but William afterwards withdrew his writ. m. 16, dorso.

Staff. An assize, etc., if William son of Robert le Cartere and Alice his wife, and William de Jargonville, had unjustly disseised Isolda daughter of Adam de Hambury of a messuage, three and a half acres of land and a rood of pasture in Tatenhulle (Tattenhill). William de Jargonville answered for himself as tenant, and for the others as bailiff, and stated the tenements were formerly in seisin of one Matilda daughter of William de Tatenhulle, the mother of Isolda (sic, Alice), and the said Matilda enfeoffed in them the said Alice, and Alice and the said William her husband had enfeoffed him, William de Jargonville, and had put him into seisin of them. And Isolda stated that the said Matilda her aunt held the said tenements and died seised of them, and after her death she had entered as her nearest heir, and was in good seisin until ejected by the defendants. The assize was respited till three weeks from St. John the Baptist at Stafford, when a jury stated that the tenements formerly belonged to Matilda the mother of the said Alice, and Matilda made a deed of feoffment of them to her, and had put her into seisin of them by the hasp of the door (per haspam hostii domûs), and she then left with the said Matilda, and they arrived together at the door of the messuage, and Matilda asked permission of Alice to stay in the house, and she returned to it and died in it; and after the death of Matilda, Alice remained in the tenements for nearly half a year, when the said Isolda came and asked to be allowed to stay in them; and after she had stopped a night in them, she claimed them by inheritance from the said Matilda her aunt; upon which Alice immediately expelled her, and the jury being asked if Isolda was nearest heir of Matilda, said that Matilda had a nephew William, who it was believed was still alive. A day was given to the parties to hear judgment on the morrow of St. Margaret, and Isolda was told to certify to the Court in the interim if the said William was dead, and Alice was told to do the same if she thought it expedient to do so. m. 16, dorso.

Staff. An assize, etc., if Thomas Creye of Cumpton, the father of Thomas Creye, was seised as of fee, etc., of ten acres of land in Overpenne, when he died, and if Thomas is his nearest heir, and which Magister Richard Walrand the Parson of the Church of Overpenne and William de Fynchenesfeld and Emma his wife hold. William and Emma stated they held the whole tenement conjointly with Henry their son; and they produced a deed which testified to this; and as Thomas could not controvert it, the suit was dismissed. m. 16, dorso.