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HASELEY (Great). Institution of John Saumares, clerk, S.T.P. and dean of Guernsey , to the rectory of Haseley, vacant by the promotion of Francis Turner , on the presentation of K. Chas. II. Dated 28 Nov. 1684.

NUNEHAM COURTNEY. Indenture made 20 June, 14 Charles II, by which sir John Robinson, kt. and bart., lieutenant of the Tower, in consideration of the receipt of 5s., conveys to Gilbert, bp. of London , and others, certain lands in Nuneham Courtney, for the payment of an annual sum of £200, left to the towns of Wokingham, Wallingford, Windsor, and Henley-on-Thames, by William Laud, archbishop of Canterbury , for apprenticing boys and marrying maidens.

Indenture made [1615-16] James I. between Arthur Lake, D.D., the warden, and scholars of New College of the one part, and Edward Galland of the other, being a lease of a tenement with a shop in the parish of St. Martin, Oxford, for 40 years. [Mutilated.] .

Licence granted by the dean and chapter of Christ Church to Thomas Allwyn of the University of Oxford , that he may assign the three tenements he holds of them for 40 years, in the parish of St. Mary Magdalen, Oxford. Dated 15 January, 42 Q. Elizabeth.

WITNEY. Copy of an entry on the court roll of the manor of Witney. 7 October, 1640.

WOODSTOCK. Warrant of King Charles II for the payment to Edward, earl of Clarendon, of an annual sum of £80 out of the manor of Woodstock, namely, £40 for entertainment and £40 for hay for feeding the deer. Dated at Westminster, 7 January, 18 year of his reign (1667).

Enstone [Oxon.]. Transcript of MS. D. D. Ch. Ch. M. 84. ⟨Early 17 C.⟩

An abstract of a case in Chancery, by which Ch. Ch. claimed against William Napper, gent., the manor of Church Cowley, leased by Oseney to Henry Royse for 68 years at £12 rent (14 April 29 Hen. VIII). 1612–13.

A copy of a decree in Chancery [ff. 1 and 2 have been torn away and two or three lines are missing at the bottom of every folio] granting to Ch. Ch. a further ten acres of common land in Shotover Forest. Charles II, wishing to enclose part of the forest had compensated the inhabitants and landholders of Cowley and elsewhere, who had common rights in the forest. In 1661 the then lord Treasurer authorized Sir John Clerke to treat with the Commoners. Consequently the land bounded on the South by [blank], on the North by Sir Eimoth Tirrell ’s coppice, on the East by Horsepath coppice, and on the West by Magdalen College Woods, was let out to the Commoners. This was carried out in Trinity Term 17 Chas. II, when 30 acres was allotted to Ch. Ch., as was plainly shown by the Auditor’s certificate. But a decree in Chancery of 2 November, 18 Chas. II gave Ch. Ch. legal title to only 20 acres, through a clerical error, thus making necessary the present decree.

A plan of Sandford [St. Martin] wood dated 15 June 1636.

Letters patent (Latin) of John Perrott of Drayton (Oxon.), gentleman, granting to Ch. Ch. (i) an acre of meadow in S. Aldate’s (Berks.) between the Thames on the West and Frideswide Mead on the East, (ii) a second piece similarly situated. 11 Nov. ⟨1600.⟩ Sealed and delivered in the presence of us, (signed) William Denye , Richard Benott , Henry Ravenscrofte , Richard Rye[r] (?). Signed by John Perrot .

Lease by Ch. Ch. to Thomas Burneham, of Oxford, gent., of a tenement and garden in St. Aldate’s, [as in MM. 55.]. For 40 years from the Annunciation last past. Rent: 13/4, and at or in the Audit of the dean and chapter, a couple of good fat capons, or 5/-. 10 June ⟨1670.⟩ Endorsed ‘Examinatus per nos’ (signed) Rich: Gardiner . Edw: Pococke . Jasper: Mayne . Rich: Allestree . Geor: Croyden Thes:

The case truly stated betwixt the dean and chapter of Christs Church in Oxford, and William Adkins butcher, concerning Frideswides Medow near Oxford. The Dean and Chapter of Christs Church in Oxford were seised in fee, in right of their Church, of a certain Medow called Frideswides Medow, lying near unto Oxford, and the said Medow lying near unto Oxford was, during the time that Oxford was a Garrison for the late King, very much turfed and digged, and had several Bulworks made upon it, and the Rivers of Charwell and Thames were by His Majesties souldiers turned in upon it, and lay all over it during the late wars, the better to keep the enemy from the Garrison; by reason of which digging, turfing and floating, and the long lying of the waters upon it, the same was almost altogether spoiled, and did bear nothing but Flags and Sedge, and did become marshy ground, so that after the wars the same was very little worth. Whereupon Dr. Reynolds (now Lord Bishop of Norwich ) the Dean, and the then Chapter of the said Church, conceiving that they were not enabled by any Charter of Grant to hold the said Medow in their own hands, and to their own uses, but that according to their trust they were obliged to let the same at an improved rent in Com for the benefit of the whole Society, which consists of a 100 Students and divers other Scholars, and being desirous that the said Medow should be improved and made good again for the benefit of themselves and their successors, did by their Indenture under their Common Seal, bearing date the 20 day of Feb. in the year of our Lord 1649. demise the same unto the said Will. Adkins for 21 years thence next ensuing, at and under an improved rent in Money and Corn, according to the Statute of the 18 Eliz. and also finding by old rent rolls and records, that the old rent of the said Medow was £10. 6s. per an. or thereabouts, they did improve the same in Money and Com, which now usually amounts Communibus annis to £35 per an. which hath been since paid and employed for the benefit of the whole Society, according to the intent of the founder, and the said Will. Adkins did also then pay to the said Dean and Chapter for a fine for the said Lease the summe of £560. That afterwards the said Will Adkins was at very great charges for several years together, in throwing down the Bulworks which were upon it, in dreining, scouring and trenching the Rivers and Ditches, in laying soil and Compost upon the same, and in planting many trees thereupon, and in other good husbandry, which cost the said Will. Adkins at least £800 in so much that he did thereby improve the said Medow to be worth yearly as much more as it was worth when the said Will. Adkins did first enter upon it. That after this the said Will Adkins did renew the Lease from the Dean and Chapter again, who by their Indenture under their Common Seal, bearing date the 10 day of March 1654. did demise unto the said Will. Adkins for 21 years thence next ensuing, at and under the said former improved rent in Money and Com, for which said new Lease Adkins did pay unto them the summe of £300. for a Fine whereby it appears that the said Adkins did disburse in Fines and the said other Charges for improving the said Premisses, the sume of £1600 at the least. That the said Medow after all his said Charges upon it, not being worth above £100 per annum, the Profits thereof hitherto have not near satisfied unto him the yearly Interest of his money, and the Colledge yearly Rents and Taxes, that he hath paid for the same. And yet notwithstanding, after the Restitution of his Majesty, Dr. Fell being made Dean of Christ Church, he and the present Chapter being desirous to have the said Medow to their own uses again, and pretending that the said Adkin’s Lease was void in Law, in regard that the said Medow had not formerly been demised, did without allowing any satisfaction to the said Adkins about two years since Commence an action of Ejectment in the name of one Thomas Hudson Gentleman, as their Lessee for the term of five years, to recover the possession of the same from Adkins, and the said Cause coming to tryal at the same Assizes for the County of Oxford, in the year 1661 the said Defendant Adkins did then make proof of all the matters of fact, and the Jury were then ready to have given a Verdict for Adkins, but Dr. Fell the Dean, and Dr. Dolben the Treasurer of the said Colledge, being both present in the Court, perceiving the same, did move the Judge that the matters in difference betwixt the said parties should be referred to the determination and award of an Arbitrator of their own choosing, and thereupon it was ordered at the said Assizes, that a Verdict by consent should be found for the Plaintiffs, and that all the differences betwixt the parties should be referred to the said Arbitrator, and that the Postea should remain in the hands of the Clerk of the Assizes, untill Mr. Justice Windham should give order to the contrary, as by that order may appear. Upon which reference the said arbitrator did take much pains to settle the differences betwixt them, but could not; and did therefore at last (to prevent the ruin of the said Adkins and his family) on his own award in writing, bearing date on the 28. day of October, 1661. betwixt the said parties, award that the said Dean and Chapter should pay to the said Adkins, towards the satisfaction of all his Monies and Costs, the summe of £600 at our Lady-day then next following; and that in case the said Monies should be then paid, that then the said Adkins should surrender up his possession and Lease to them; but in case that the Monies should not be then paid, that then the said Adkins or his Assignes should hold and enjoy the said Medow for the term of 7 years only then next ensuing, and that at the end of the term of 7 years deliver up his Lease and possession to the said Dean and Chapter, as by the Award may appear. And although the said Arbitrator did not award unto Adkins one half of the Monies due to him, or that in case the said Monies should not be paid to him, did award to him but one half of the term, he having 14. years to come in his term at the time of the said Award; yet the said Dean and Chapter did refuse to stand to the Award made by the said Arbitrator of their own choosing; and yet notwithstanding all the said premisses, the said Dean and Chapter did in the last Mich, term commence a new action of Ejectment in the name of the said Thomas Hudson their former Lessee, against the said Adkins for the recovering the possession of the said Medow from him, and the Cause did come to tryal this last Assizes at Oxford, and a Jury did appear, which were returned by the Prothonotary the last term by order of the Court of Common-pleas. And the Defendant Adkins having made full proof of all the Monies disbursed by him for the benefit of the Inheritance of the said Colledge, and all the said before mentioned matters of fact, the Jury after a long and full evidence given on both sides, did find their Verdict for the Defendant Adkins. And yet notwithstanding it is endeavoured that a Proviso be added unto the Act for confirming of Colledge Leases, that the said Act shall not extend to confirm any Leases made of any Lands which were not let or dimised for eleven years or more before the year of our Lord 1640, which Proviso, if it should passe, would destroy the said Lease of Adkins, and many more Leases, which this Dean Fell, and the present Chapter of Christs Church have confirmed of Lands never let before in Lease, till Bishop Reynolds let them at that time when Adkins took his Lease of him. And likewise at All-souls Colledge in Oxon they have renewed severall Leases of Lands that were never put in Lease, till much about the time that Adkins took his Lease of Bishop Reynolds, and at New Colledge in Oxford they have renewed with many Tenants with in this year and a half, and confirmed their Leases of Lands that were never put in Lease before about twelve years ago by those that were then Governours in that place. And yet Adkins doubts not but to prove and make it appear that the said Medow hath been in ancient times demised at an old Rent, and the said Lease is good by the Laws of this Land, if it be not avoided by the said Provise. And it is manifestly known that Dr. Fell who lays claim to half this Medow for himself, as he is now Dean of Christs Church, was never formerly invested in any part of it, nor those five Canons likewise who seek to take the other from Adkins, and the improved Rent from the Students, which likewise were not formerly invested in these Lands. And the other two old Canons are those that were there when Bishop Reynolds let the Lease to Adkins, and took their Fines, and remain established Canons there still. The premisses considered, it is humbly submitted to judgment what these Leases can he worth to those Tenants who have paid great Fines, and have renewed their Leases within these two years, with these Governours, if they he called away, and other Governours put in their places. And therefore the said Adkins humbly prays and hopes that the said Proviso shall not passe, but that his Lease may be confirmed as well as other Colledge Leases, and that the Law may determine the Title of the same betwixt him and the said Dean and Chapter.

Seventeenth-century transcripts of (i) a lease by Ch. Ch. to William Kirkman and Alece his wife of two closes lying outside Oseney gate in the parish of S. Nicholas, called the Horse Close (now held by the said William) [except all wood underwood and growing trees]. For 20 years. Rent: 40/-. 2 Aug. ⟨1547.⟩ (ii) A grant (Latin) appointing for life David ap Robert, yeoman, their bailiff, collector of rents, and ruler of all their possessions temporal and spiritual in Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Montgomeryshire, after the death of William Coxe , now possessed of the office. Salary: £16/16/8. [Here the transcript ends: it is followed by fragments of business memoranda, in the same hand.]

Lease to Robert Linke of the sixth tenement of Roger Cumner . [In Oseney Cart. ii. 544, Rewly Lane, 4th tenement.] 22 March 1603.

View of Frankpledge held for Ch. Ch. at Oseney. 11 Oct. 1604.

Presentments of a Court held at Ruly, belonging to the manor of Oseney. (Chiefly for encroaching upon the river and not undertaking repairs) (with signatures.) 30 Nov. 1664.

‘The Amarsments of the Jury of a Court held … in the parish of S. Thomas att Ruley House in the Names of the Lords of the Mannor of South Oseney.’ (Signatures and marks of the jurors.) 25 Oct. 1670.

View of Frankpledge and court of the dean and chapter held at their manor of Oseney (tempore John Fell ) by John Willis, steward. 26 Oct. 1674. Also notes of a few leases made 1671–5.

Edmund Waller Esq., by a fine, grants to Lady Waller the manor of Tyddington for £600, 10 messuages, 10 tofts, and 10 gardens, 250 acres of land, 60 acres of meadow, 150 acres of pasture, 20 acres of fields. ⟨25 May 1646.⟩

William Oliffe and Alice his wife convey, by a fine, to William Day for £60 34 acres of meadow and free fishing in Tyddyngton. ⟨27 Jan.⟩ 1657.

BANBURY (Hundred of). A roll headed 'Oxon,' Banbury hundred, March, 1607, being the amount at which the inhabitants were assessed for a subsidy in lands and goods. Signed " Richard de Bay and seal, Thomas Chamberlyn " .

BLOXHAM (Hundred of). Subsidy roll for the hundred of Bloxham. Dated March 1607. Signed "Richard Bay and seal, Tho. Chamberlayn" .