abbas et monachi et prædecessores sui, concessionibus, libertatibus, et quietanciis prædictis, a tempore confectionis literarum prædictarum, rationabiliter uti et gaudere consueverunt. In cujus, etc. Teste rege, apud Westmonasterium, ixo die Januarii.

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Per breve de Privato sigillo.

XXXI.—EXEMPLIFICATIO1 REGIS HENRICI SEXTI QUORUMDAM STATUTORUM, AC PETITIONIS, ASSENSUS ET RESPONSIONIS IN PARLIAMENTO, AD REQUISITIONEM ABBATIS DE FONTIBUS.—[Ex Orig. penes Comitem de Grey et Ripon.]

Henricus, Dei gratia, rex Angliæ, Franciæ, et dominus Hiberniæ, omnibus ad quos præsentes literæ pervenerint, salutem. Inspeximus tenorem cujusdam Statuti in parliamento domini Edwardi tertii, nuper regis Angliæ, progenitoris nostri, apud Norhampton, anno regni sui secundo, tento,3 inter cætera editi et provisi, in hæc verba: Et pur ceo que la peas ne poet my estre bien gard saunz bones ministres, come viscountes, baillifs, & hundreders, qe devient faire execucion, auxi bien dez b'reis le Roy come des autres choses touchant le Roy & son people, accordez est & establiz que lestatut fait en temps le Roy E., piere le Roy que or est, a Nichole, contenant que viscontes, hundreders, & baillifs soient [des] gentz" eiantz terres en mesmes lez countees ou baillies soit garde en toutz pointz, solonc la fourme de ycell; et auxint que lez viscontez & bailiffs de fee, facent garder mesmez les countees & baillies per gentz eiantz terres et tenementz en ycell.7

(1) This Exemplification recites statutes enacted in the parliaments of Edward II., Edward III., Henry IV., and Henry V., relating to the duties of sheriffs and their bailiffs, and also those passed in the reign of Henry VI., providing that certain abbots and priors, and other religious persons, having lands and tenements within the Wapentakes of Staincliffe and in Freindless Wapentake in Yorkshire, may appoint attornies to appear in the courts there, and plead all lawful pleas, and that the stewards shall receive all such attornies and pleas; and, also, an act of king Henry VI., whereby the said provisions are extended to all the religious and secular persons in all Hundred courts throughout the realm. It likewise includes a petition to the same king from the abbot and convent of Fountains, who had suffered especial losses and inconveniences, through the feigned actions of malicious plaintiffs, and in the abbot being illegally compelled by the stewards of the courts to appear, personally, to wage his law. On consideration of this petition, its prayer was enacted by stat. 33 Hen. VI. cap. 6.; but as the recital is couched in the same terms as those used by the petitioners, and it has been printed among the statutes of the realmvol. ii. p. 375-it is not requisite to subjoin it in the text.

(2) The several statutes recited have been collated with the copies in the authorized edition of the statutes of the realm; but the only variations, except those in the orthography, which need be mentioned here, are inserted in the following notes, with the addition of the letter S.

(3) The statute of Northampton, 2 Edw. III. cap. 4-Stat. of the Realm, vol. i. p. 257,-confirming the statute of Lincoln, 9 Edw. II., concerning sheriffs.-Ibid., vol. i. p. 174.

(4) privetez. S.

(6) lour Countees. S.

E. VOL. II.

(5) des gentz. S.
(7) terres en yceles. S.

Inspeximus, etiam, tenorem alterius Statuti in parliamento domini Henrici, nuper regis Angliæ, avi nostri, apud Westmonasterium, anno regni sui quarto, tento,' inter alia editi et provisi, in hæc verba. Item ordeignez est & assentuz que chescun Viscount d'Engleterre soit demurrant en propre persone deins sa baillie pur le temps, qil serra tiel officer; et qil ne lesse sa dicte baille a ferme a nully pur le temps qil occupiera celle office; Et que a ceo faire soit tiel Viscount jurrez de temps en temps, en especial, enterre les aultres articles comprises deins2 le serement du Viscount.

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Inspeximus, insuper, tenorem cujusdem alterius statuti in parliamento domini Henrici nuper regis Angliæ, patris nostri, apud Westmonasterium, anno regni sui primo, tento,3 inter alia editi et provisi, in hæc verba. Item, pur ceo que les lieges nostre seigneur le Roy nosent mye poursuier ne compleindre de extorcions & oppressions a eux faitz per lez ministrers, dez Viscountz, cestassavoir per lez Southviscountes, clerkes de Viscountz, resceivours & baillifs des Viscountz, a cause qe les ditz Southviscountz, clerkes, resceivours, & bailliffs des Viscountz sont continuelment de an en an demurrantz ovesque les Viscountz enterchaungeablement en une office ou en aultre; nostre Seigneur le Roy, de l'advys & assent suisditz, & a le request des ditz communes, adordeignez & establiez, qe ceux qe sont bailliffs des Viscountz par une an, ne soient en null tiel office par lez troys anz proscheins ensuantz, forspris les baillifs dez Viscountz queux sont enheriteez en lour Viscountes: et que null Suthviscount, ne clerk de Viscount, resceivour de baillif de Viscount soit attourne en ascun court de Roy, pour le temps qil est en office ovesqe ascun 6 tiel Viscount.

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Inspeximus, etiam, tenorem cujusdam statuti in parliamento nostro, apud Westmonasterium, anno regni nostri nono, tento, inter alia facti et editi, in hæc verba. Item, come en le parlement tenuz a Westm., le xvi jour de Marce, lan du Roy Henri, pier nostre Seigneur le Roy qe orest, tierce, ordeine estoit un estatut en la fourme ૧ ensuit.

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(5) sount sy continuelment. S.

(7) Stat., 9 Hen. VI. cap. 10.-Stat. of the Realm, vol. ii. p. 268.

(8) The Statute, 3 Hen. V. st. ii. cap. 2. -Stat. of the Realm, vol. ii. p. 192-was passed at the prayer of the Commons, and, very probably, at the suggestion of the abbot of Fountains and other Religious persons who might be aggrieved. The recital generally adopts the phraseology of the petition, which will be found in Rotul. Parl., vol. iv. p. 77; but some suggestive variations are referred to in the following notes, distinguished by the letter P.

Item, pur ceo que plusours abbes, priours, & autres religieuses y soient, dount ascuns sount del fundacion nostre Seigneur le Roy, & ascuns del fundacion dáutres seigneurs, demurrantz si bien deins le countee d'Everwyk, come en le countee de Lancastre, dount ascuns ount possessions deins les Wapentakes de Staynclyf Wapentak, & Frendeles Wapentak, en Craven,1 en le countee d'Everwyk, & ascuns nemye; vers queux plusours gentz de jour en autre, per procurement & abettement des ballifs,

(1) This Wapentake is not mentioned in the Domesday Book, Testa de Nevill, Nomina Villarum 9 Edw. II., nor, so far as I have ascertained, in the long series of the Subsidy rolls. And the question as to its precise locality is rendered more complicated by the fact that, in this and other statutes, and also in the petitions connected with the present subject, it is stated to be "en Craven," a district in the West Riding of Yorkshire, which, though bearing that name in the Domesday Survey, appears never to have been subsequently recognised by any Civil or legal boundary, but, from the year, 1316, at least, to have been co-extensive with the Wapentake of Staincliffe (Nom. Vill., Parl. Writs, vol. ii. div. 3. p. 414.) In the year 1411, 13 Hen. IV.-before a legislative remedy had been provided for the abuses which were the subject of the statutes recited in the text the abbot and convent of Furness in Lancashire, who in consequence of the position of their House, distant forty miles from Craven, and rendered more inconvenient by the intervention of "deux periloues braces du mere contenantz en laeure xii leukes," were especially harrassed by "pleuseurs mail veullantz ymaginantz pur destruier la dite abbacie & divines Services illeoques," petitioned the Commons in Parliament, and obtained a statute relative to their lands and tenements, rents and possessions of the abbey "en Craven, deins Staynclyf-Wapentak & Frendles-Wapentak en le Counte d'Everwyk."-Rotul. Parl., vol. iii. p. 657. Exempl. Stat., Rotul. Pat. 13 Hen. IV., p. i. m. 11. Rot. Pat. 9 Hen. VII., p. 1. mm. 25, 27. Now, when the abbot of Furness rendered an account of the revenues of his monastery to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in 1535, he enumerated estates in twenty-nine different places in the West Riding of Yorkshire, and of these eight were situated in the Wapentake of Staincliffe, and twenty-one within the adjacent wapentake of Yewcross, according to the constitution of these divisions in the year 1316, and at the present time. In the Domesday Survey, the manors which compose the last mentioned district were included within Amounderness, and not within Craven, but it bore the name of "Yhucros Wapentake" as early as the year 1244.-Orig., 29 Hen. III. rotul. 2. Without attempting to explain the reason why the word "Frendles" was applied to a wapentake, I am, therefore, inclined to assume that "Frendles-Wapentak" was an appellation sometimes popularly applied to the district legally known by the name of the wapentake of Yewcross, which, sharing so many of the peculiar physical features of Craven, was generally reputed to have been included within its natural limits. Dugdale indeed says (Baron., i. p. 298), on the authority of the collections of Glover, Somerset-herald, that John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, gave "Fiendeleye in Richmondshire" in the North Riding of Yorkshire to Ralph earl of Westmerland; and a Feodary's account, entered in the Regist. Hon. de Richmond, p. 88, shews that certain payments in Blanch-farm, due to Johanna countess of Westmerland, were payable at Frendlesse Wapentake, out of lands in the fee of Fitzhugh at Tanfield and Exilby, within the wapentake of Halikeld, and at Manfield within the wapentake of Gilling-East, in the Honor of Richmond. These circumstances, however, may rather confirm than invalidate my conjecture, that "Frendles" was a name popularly applied; since, among the Particulars of Fee-farm rents, reserved on grants from the Crown, taken under a Commission grounded upon an act or ordinance of Parliament passed 11th of March, 1649, are included Fee-farm rents, "infra Wapentag. de Hallikeld Frendles;" "infra Balliat. de Gilling-West et Frendlesse;" "infra Wappentag. de Gilling-West Frendlesse;" and "Wapent. de Hang-Est Frendlesse; "-districts which compose the whole of Richmondshire, with the exception of the Wapentake of Hang-West.-Partic., &c., in Augm. Office, mm. 382, 383, 384, 390. I need only add that, with the exception of the Feodary's entry mentioned above, the word Frendlesse is never used in connection with a wapentake throughout the whole of the records contained either in the Registrum Honoris de Richmond, or its Appendix, and that the learned editor had acquired so little information on the subject as to remark, "ubinam gentium hodiè sit quæras, nos equidem ignoros fatemur."-Obs. in Regr., p. 252.

approvours des Courtes des ditz Wapentakez, & des seneschalx qi teignent plees es dites courtes, & des fermours des profitz & revenuez des ditz courtes, feinent & procurent par eux & autres de lour covyne & assent, diverses pleintes & plees de dette & trespas, & autres plees diverses, es courtes des ditz Wapentakes, & lou mesmes les abbes & priours veignent es ditz courtes, por lour defendre de tielx torcenouses pleintes & plees, & priont & preferount as seneschalx & baillifs des ditz courtes, de faire lour attournes en tielx plees, les ditz seneschalx & baillifs le refusent, & ne voillent resceiver tielx attournes des ditz abbes & priours, de null plee de dette, trespas, ne autre plee. Et oultre ceo, mesmes les seneschalx & baillifs, de lour auctorite demesne, amercient les ditz abbes & priours, pur chescun pleint, al primer foitz1 pur chescun des ditz pleintees, xs. ou xxs., ou pluis a lour volunte, a tresgraunde damage & anientisment de les abbes & priours avauntditz 3 et encountre reson & la commune ley de la terre. Si le Roy adordeine en remedie le lez ditz grevaunces, que toutz tielx abbes & priours, & lour successours, & chescun de eux ensi vexez es ditz courtes, purront faire lour attournes ou attourne generall, cest assavoir, chescun de eux de soubz le commune seal de sa meason, pur gainer & perdre [en] 5 chescun maner de plee, [de] dette, & trespas, & en autre plee quelconqe, moeve ou a moever es ditz courtes, & en toutz autres courtes, deins les Wapentakes avauntditz. Et que les seneschalx & baillifs des ditz courtes, receivent les ditz attournees issint faitz, & nommes saunz ascun contradiccion. Et si mesmes les senescalx & bailiffs, refusent de resceiver ascun au ascuns tielx attournes, issint faitz & nommez, affairs ou anomers, adonqes les ditz seneschalx & baillifs, a chescun foitz de tiel refuser de tielx attournes, forfacent & encourgent la peine de xli9 au Roy.

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(1) a primere foitz xiid., & a chescun autre foitz, pur chescun des ditz pleintz, xs. & xxs., et pluis a lon volunte. P.

(2) a graund damage. P.

(3) Et derogation des divines services en lour Abbacies et Priories avaunt ditz. P.

(4) chescun Abbee desoubz son seal de son Abbaie, & chescun Priour desoubz son seal de son Priorie. P.

(5) en chescun. S. P.

(6) de dette. P.

(7) Countees. S. Courtz in the Petition to Parl., 3 Hen. V., (Rot. Parl., vol. iv. p. 77) and Courtees in the recital of the Act of 3 Hen. V., passed in consequence, in the Petition of 15 Hen. VI., (Ibid., vol. iv., p. 507) but, Countees, in the Petition 9 Hen. VI.-Ibid., v l. iv. p. 77.

(8) issint faitz & nomez affairs ou [anomers Transcript 2] qadonques les ditz. S. issint faitz and nomez, affaire ou a nomer, q' les Seneschalx.-Pet., 3 H. V. issint faitz & nommez, affaires ou a nommez, q' adonques lez ditz Seneschalx.-Petition, 9 H. VI., reciting Stat. 3 H. V. Rot. Parl., vol. iv. p. 381. issint faitz ou nommes, a fairs on a nomiers; q'adonques les ditz Seneschalx.-Pet., 15 H. VI., reciting Stat., 3 Hen. V.-Rot. Parl., vol. iv. p. 507.

(9) la peine de xli. au Roy. Et que le Roy ent eit l'ene moite, & la partie greve l'autre moite. Et que la partie greve eit sa suyte si b'n pur le Roy, come pur luy mesmes, par brief de

Et qe les ditz abbes & priours ou lour successours es ditz countees nen ascun de eux, pur ascun nounsuite ou defaute, ne soient amerciez en null' autre maner que seculers persones. Et que cest ordinaunce estoise in sa force pur tout lan proschein a venir, & qe tanqe a le parlement mesme lan proscheinement ensuant; Puis la determinacion de quel estatut, pur ceo qil ne fuist ordeine a durer forque pur certeine temps ore determine & passe, [les] meschiefes & grevaunces suisditz remainent a present nient remediez, & s'abundent & encrescent de jour en autre, pluis que unqes ne fierent; & oultre, les ditz seneschalx & baillifs ne voillent ore resceiver null autre plee ne respounce, des ditz abbes & priours en les ditz courtes, forsque tant soulement de gager four ley, lour ley, a l'entent qe ils deussent de necessite apparoir devaunt eux en lour propre persones, a lour tresgraunde vexacion & grevaunce.

Pur quoy considerez les mischiefs & grevaunces suisditz, pur la consolacion & reliefement dez ditz abbes & priours & des autres religious3 desuisditz, par advis & assent des seigneurs espirituelx & temporelx suisditz, & auxi a la especiall request des ditz communes, ordeinez est qe le dit estatut fait le dit an tierce soit tenuz & observez come bone & effectuell tanqil plerra a nostre Seigneur le Roy.

Inspeximus etiam tenorem alterius statuti in parliamento nostro, apud Westmonasterium, anno regni nostri quinto decimo tento, inter alia facti et editi, in hæc verba.5 Item nostre dit

dette a la commune Ley. Et si la partie greve n' ose ou ne vorra suer en celle caas, qe celluy qi voet suet, si b'n pur le Roy, come pur luy mesmes, eit sa suyte & la moite des ditz xli. en manere & fourme avaunt ditz. P.

(1) Courtz. P.

(3) religiouses. S.

(2) les meschiefes. S.

(4) The Petition which caused the enactment of this Statute will be found in Rotul. Parl., vol. iv. p. 381. After reciting the Statute 3 Hen. V., cap. 2, the Commons pray the king, "qe luy pleise de sa benygne grace, pur le consolation & reliefment dez ditz Abbes & Priours, & dez autres Religiousez lez divinez servicez illeoques faisantz, par assent des Seigneurs Espirituelx & Temporelx," &c., to ordain and establish that the said abbots and priors, and their successors, might appear by their attornies, appointed under the Common Seal of the House, and that if the seneschals or bailiffs of the court refused to receive them, they should forfeit £10 to the king; but the proposition which follows-"et ataunt a la partie greve en cell' partie, dount mesme la partie eit brief de dette, founduz sur mesme cest Estatut," was not accepted by the Crown. The answer to the Petition was-" Soit l'Estatut fait le dit an tierce, tenuz & observez come bone & effectuel, tan q'il plerra a nostre dit Sieur le Roy." The Statute therefore merely established and affirmed the provisions of the Act, 3 Hen. V.

(5) Stat., 15 Hen. VI., cap. 7.-Stat. of the Realm, vol. ii. p. 300. This act was passed on the Petition of the Commons, printed in Rot. Parl., vol. iv. p. 507. After a recital of the Statute, 3 Hen. V., it enacts, without alteration, the several clauses suggested in the Petition, on which is endorsed," Be it as it is desired be the Petition, as long as it shall like the kyng." Thus the abbots and priors not only gained at length their cherished object as to the division of the Penalty, but the extension of the previous Ordinances, with this increased efficiency, to all the Religious houses in the kingdom.