Westburyes Manor Court (1594)

Post date: Nov 30, 2019 4:43:44 PM

This document was translated from the Latin by Elizabeth Finn [EF] of Kent Archives. It is held at Kent Archives as U71/36. See also See also Westburyes Manor Court (1591), Westburies Manor Court (1601), Westburies Manor Court (1602), Westburies Manor Court (1614), Westbury Manor Court (1715).

Notes:

1. John Hopper: assessed for 6d weekly in 1586 Poor rate.

2. Dead heriot: the Family Search England Land Records Glossary defines a dead heriot as ‘Fee paid to lord on death of a tenant where the latter had no beasts’. [EF]. Whereas a normal heriot was a due payable to a lord when a new tenant inherits with a horse being traditional as a lord would often have lent tenant a horse during his military service but by this time the original rationale was no longer but the custom continued.

3. Roger Twysden, residing at Roydon hall, East Peckham, was lord of several local manors including both Chart and Westbury in the parish of Wateringbury. Roger was a recurring name in the Twysden family but this one lived from 1542 to 1643 and, according to Hasted, had bought Westbury in 1583 from Sir Thomas Browne of Beechworth castle.

4. Demesne lands were lands retained by the lord of the manor for his own use.

5. Essoin: means an excuse for nonattendance with a proxy nominated.

6. Homage: the tenants who attended were collectively known as the homage.

7. In mercy : subject to a fine (amercement).

8. John Munn(e) or his heirs are referred to in each of the following courts of which we have a record. In 1591 the heirs of John Munne were not in attendance and so were fined; in 1601 John Munn was essoined by William Hopper so would have escaped any fine for non-appearance. However in 1614 John Munn now described as a "gent" is again in mercy and fined 2d.