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.