Search

Indenture dated 3 December, 3 Henry VIII, between Richard the prior and convent of Tunbrege of the one part, and William Borowe and William Geffrey , clerks, William Barentyne , Edward Ferrers , and others, of the other part, witnessing that the prior and convent demise to the said William Borowe and the others their rectory of Brenchesle in co. Kent, for 60 years; paying annually 4 marks sterling. [Slightly mutilated.]

Thomas Bowsar of the city of Canterbury, cook, grants to John Harryson of the same city, pewterer, a messuage and garden in the parish of St. Mary's, Northgate, in the said city. Dated 2 May, 4 Ed. VI.

CANTERBURY (Ch. Ch. priory). Indenture made 20 April, 16 Hen. VIII, between Thomas, the prior, and the convent of Ch. Ch., Canterbury, of the one part, and Edward Ryngeley of Knolton co. Kent , and Jane his wife, of the other part, witnesseth that the said prior and convent demise to the said Edward and Jane all houses, land, meadows, marshes, and pastures, of their manor of Lyddecourte in Kent; with certain reservations to hold the same for 21 years at an annual rent of £36 13s. 4d., with clauses for re-entry in case of death, and regulations as to the store conceded to them by the prior and convent for the time.

CHARRING, PETTE and WESTWELL. Hewe at Hatche, gent., grants to Laurence Caldocke and others all his lands, &c. in Charring, Pette and Westwell. Dated 22 May, 8 Hen. VIII.

Decree of the privy council in a cause between John Harrys and Jone his wife as in the right of the said Jone, Thomasyn Fowler , Thomas Bateman and Alice his wife, as in the right of the said Alice and Robert Savage and Jone his wife, as in the right of the said Jone, Rauffe Lawreaunce and Richard Lawrence , cousins and next heirs to Richard Tubbe , complainants against William Johnson , defendant, concerning 2 messuages and lands in Charyng, Westwell, Little Chart, Stawesfeld and Pevyngton co. Kent. Signed by Nicholas [Heath] bishop of Worcester and Robert Bowis . Dated Michaelmas, 36 Hen. VIII.

HOWMARSHE near ROCHESTER. Robert Freke , gent., John Walter , and Henry Goldefynche alias Fynche , for certain considerations, quit-claim to Thomas Fane of Buston, co. Kent , all right in a marsh, lands, tenements, &c., in Howmarshe near Rochester formerly belonging to the monastery of Dertford. Dated 12 October, 5 Q. Eliz.

Robert Freke, gent., and John Walker of London , sell to Richard Goldefynche alias Fynche of Feversham and Robert Giles of the Middle Temple the whole of a marsh called Howmarsh with all that belongs to it, situated and known as Howmarsh near Rochester. Dated 15 February, 6 Q. Eliz.

LENHAM. Indenture made 16 October, 17 Hen. VIII, by which Markys Downe of Lenham, husbandman, in consideration of the receipt of £16 3s. 4d., sells to Edward Wotton of Bocton Malherbe, esq., all his part of howsys, lands, &c., called Downe court, in the parish of Lenham.

NORTHFLEET. Final concord, made at Westminster, 26 Eliz., before Thomas Meade and others by which William Browne and Katherine his wife acknowledge the right of Robert Childe to a messuage, garden, and 15 acres of land in Northflete, for which the said Robert gave to the said William and Katherine 130 marks of silver.

SPELDHURST and HARWARTON. Indenture made Christmas Day, 10 Hen. VIII, by which Richard Roston., LL.D., master, and the brethren of Corpus Christi College, nigh the parish of St. Lawrence Poultney, London, demise unto William Waller of Growmbrigge (i.e. Groombridge) co. Kent their manors of Spelhurst and Harwarton for 20 years, at an annual rent of 56s. 8d.

UPCHURCHE. Thomas Elmeston of Raynham, co. Kent , quitclaims to Thomas Butt of Raynham all right to a garden and nine pieces or parcels of land in Upchurche, Kent. Dated 6 Oct., 12 Queen Elizabeth.

WORTH. John Swanne , son and heir of John Swanne late of Canterbury , acknowledges to have received of sir Thomas Lovell, kt., 100 marks in full payment of certain lands, &c., called Upton in the parish of Worth. Dated 20 March, 20 Hen. VII.

YALDING and BRENCHESLEY. Deed by which sir Thomas Scott, kt., Charles Scott , Henry Scott , George Scott , gentlemen, brothers of the said Thomas and Reginald Scott, son and heir of Richard Scott, esq., deceased, remit and quit-claim to Robert Byng, esq. for ever all their right, &c. in all those lands and tenements, and other hereditaments in Yalding and Brenchesley in the county of Kent, which the said Robert Byng lately acquired, i.e. 14 Aug., 19 Elizabeth, as parcel of the tenements, &c. of Winifrid Raynesford , deceased, together with other lands by divers instruments of the dates of 19 Elizabeth, and the 4th of Dec., 20 Feb., 20 Elizabeth, in Brenchesley and Horsmonden. To hold the same to him and his heirs for ever. Dated 28 Aug., 20 Elizabeth.

21 July ⟨1534.⟩ Letters patent of Hen. VIII inspecting (i) George Lord Burgavenny’s bill in Chancery against Thomas Cumberforth . The plea is that T. C. acquired the manor of Wyggynton for £580, but on condition that he should restore it to G. lord B. if the latter repaid the purchase money, with a sum to be decided by the arbitration of Sir John Aston and Sir Edward Ferrers , kts., for improvements, within 6 years. On his refusal to do so G. lord B. filed this complaint. (ii) the sub poena summoning T. C. (6 Nov. 10 Hen. VIII). (iii) The answer of T. C., who denied that the sale had been conditional. They had made the bargain about the 8th of May 5 Hen. VIII, and the indentures had been drawn up on the 10th., but lord B. would not seal them until he had received £100 in part payment from T. C., and when this had been done he still refused to seal, demanding the £100 as a loan until his return from France. T. C. replied that this was impossible, as he had pledged his lands to the clear yearly value of £32/13/4 in order to raise the £580, but lord B. would not return the £100. Lord B. then went to France. Afterwards one Doctor Roote, ‘being of Counseille with the seid lord, movyd unto the seid’ T. C., that if lord B. repaid the £580 he should have back his manor. Thomas disagreed, but not knowing how he should come to the perfection of his bargain nor to the repayment of his money, sealed the bill which lord B. had drawn up containing the above mentioned condition. The deposition of Dr. Roote (doctor in decrees and parson of Bukstes in Sussex , age 49) examined 30 Nov. 10 Hen. VIII, said that the Easter before the king went abroad, he, John Roote his brother, Walter Myles , Antony Fitzherbert sergeant at law &c. were with lord B. in his place at Paternoster Row in London, when the said bargain was made. John Roote drew up the bill containing the conditional clause there on 6 June 5 Hen. VIII, and T. C. sealed it without any compulsion. ‘Which bill was then made in great haste because the king was in preparyng him toward Canterbury and had ywyn knowledge to lye at the seid lordes place at Birlyng.’ William Leicester of Coffeton (Worcs.) gentleman, age 78, said that about 5 years ago, when he gave up his office of Receivership in Staffordshire under lord Burgavenny, he was present in Paternoster Row and heard the terms of the conditional sale, and the fact that the condition was sealed before the indentures. John Roote of Litlyngton (Sussex), gentleman, 60, also present, and wrote the bill. Walter Myles , receiver to part of the lands of the lord B., gent., aged 47. For T. C. Rychard Covert of Slagham (Sussex) Esq., age 54, examined 9 Feb. 10 Hen. VIII, said that 4 Hen. VIII there had been ‘a variaunce’ between T. C. and lord B. by reason of their two manors adjoining in Staffordshire, and that T. C. asked him to approach lord B. about leasing the manor to T. C. John Lucas servant of T. C., 33 yrs., said that Antony Babyngton had in Westminster Hall, on May 12, reported to him his lord’s willingness to sell the manor. He was present at the bargain, in Lord B.’s place ‘beside the pollis’, in London. His master was under the impression that he had made a clear purchase. William Sabyn, servant of T. C., age 30, remembered that his lord had told him that he had ‘smitten a pleyn bargayne’ with lord B. Antony Babyngton, examined 21 Feb. 11 Hen. VIII (adds nothing). A memorandum follows, to the effect that Lord B. produced in Chancery the bill containing the 6 years clause. The result was that lord B. recovered the manor, and the arbitrators [ Cuthbert Tunstall, Master of the Rolls, Robert Brudenell, kt., Lewis Pollerd, kt.] were ordered by a certain date to give judgment on the amount of damages.

Customs of the manor of Thorney Lesons, co. Suffolk, &c. and copies of charters; (beg. 16th century)

(a) Customs of the tenants of the manor, whether free or native, concerning their tenures.

(b) Avelina de Lucye grants to the church of St. Thomas the martyr of Lesnes and the canons there, for the health of her soul and for the souls of Richard de Luci her father and Richard Munfichet her son, 40s. of rent from her marriage-dowry of Thorney.

(c) Note of the appropriation of the church of Rammesden Belhouse to the abbot and convent of Lesnes.

(d) Notes of annual rents in Clopton, 50s. Pension of 26s. 8d. from the church of Rammesden Belhouse and 13s. 4d. from Steple Morden.

(e) Walkeline de Greinwyche grants to the abbot and convent of Lesnes one part of his land lying between the land of the church of St. Alphage, Greenwich, on the east, and one wall which descends to the cemetery in the way which extends to the Thames at the gate of St. Alphage; also one acre of land in Mulefelde between the land of the prior of Southwarke and of Adam, son of Gunnora ; and 2 [blank] and one parcel of land behind the church of Greenwich.