justices pone of writ of right, pone de averiis vel catalis, except every writ of conspiracy, writts of attaint, writts of false judgment, the fine of 6s. 8d.; and all writs of debts or trespass, exceeding the value of 40l. unto 65l. 13s. 7d. pay 6s. 8d.; all actions of debt or trespass, exceeding the value of 40l. unto 66l. 13s. 4d. pays a fine of 6s. 8d.; and above the sum of 200 markes unto 1667. 13s. 4d. pays 16s. 8d.; 133l. 6s. 8d. pays 13s. 4d. "Appointments necessary for the good and poletique rule of the Co. Palatine of Lancaster. First, it is appointed and ordained that the sessions of Lancaster at all times, when they shall be holden twelve or ten days at the least, and if it need more days, then to hold more, to the intent that all manner of suits, as well for the king as the party, may be better spered att good and reasonable leasure, and the king more avayled for his seale there also, and that the sheriffe, and undersheriffe, coroners, and other clerks of the said county for the tyme being, be charged over, openly sworn in plain sessions before the justices at Lancaster, and other of the king's counsell, there to empannell knights and squires, and the most sufficient men within the said county, to inquest both for the king and for the partyes, nor letting for lure or affection, &c. Also the justices of the peace for the tyme being, sworn in the chancery of the said county, duly to execute their offices, and that they keepe sessions of peace four times in the year at the least, and oftener if need require, according to the statute." Birch's MSS. Edward III. not only gave to his favourite son John the dukedom of Lancaster, but he made the county a palatine. The following are the words of the grant: "We have granted for us and our heirs to our son John, for the great service he has done his country, that he, during the term of his life, shall have within the county of Lancaster his chancery, and his writs to be issued out and under his own seal* belonging to the office of chancellor; his justices likewise, as well for That our kings and all great personages anciently used their own pictures in the impression of their seals is very evident, military men always on horseback, and in the same kind of armour that they wore, which in the elder times was mail for the most part, with a shield on the left arm, and in the right a naked sword, upon which it is rare, before King Richard the 1st time, to see any distinct charge, at least such as became hereditary; but, after that, it was held a great honor for those whose ancestors had served in the holy wars, to retain some badges and marks which they bore, so that then they did not only continue them the pleas of the crown, as for other pleas relating to the common law, to have recognizance of them, and to have power of making all executions whatsoever by his writs and officers, and to have all other liberties and royalties of what kind soever, as appertaining to a county palatine, as freely and fully as the Earl of Chester within the said county is known to have, &c. &c."* There was anciently no other seal by which to grant or demise the duchy lands except the great seal of England; but in 3 Henry V. it was established that " no part of the duchy land, nor any thing belonging to the same, shall pass or be conveyed by any other than a seal expressly made for the use of the Duchy of Lancaster." When Henry de Bullingbroke had deposed his cousin, Richard II., he conferred the honour of Lancaster upon his son, afterward Henry V., and that he might entail it upon him and his heirs for ever, he caused an act of parliament to be framed in these words :-"We being unwilling, our said inheritance or its liberties, by reason of our now assuming royal state and dignity, should be in any ways changed, transferred, diminished, or impaired, but that our said inheritance with its rights and liberties aforesaid, should be in the same manner and form wherein they descended and fell to us, and also with all and singular liberties, franchises, and other privileges, commodities, and profit 'whatsoever, which our lord and father in his life-time had and held it for term of his life, by the grant of the late King Richard, be wholly and fully preserved, continued, and enjoyed by us, and our heirs, specefied in the said charters by the tenure of these presents, we do upon our certain knowledge, and with the consent of this our present parliament, grant, declare, decree, and ordain, for us, our heirs, that as well our Duchy of Lancaster, as all and singular counties, honors, castles, manors, fees, advowsons, possessions, annuities, and seigniories whatsoever, descended to us before the royal dignity was obtained by us, how, and in what place soever, by right of inheritance, in possession, or in reversion, upon their shields, but to be better known had the like depicted upon surcotes of silk behind and before, which they wore over their mail, (hence called coat of arms); but after this, ere long, divers bore their arms on fair, large, and deep shields; on their seals, and some on the reverse, where the picture on horseback was on the other side. Howbeit in Edward the 1st days and after, most men began to leave off their pictures on horseback on their seals, which custom, by degrees declining, was intirely given over about 1356. Dugdale's Warwickshire, vol. ii. page 291. Edward the Confessor first introduced seals into this country from Normandy, where he was educated. or other way, remain to us and our said heirs specified in the charters aforesaid, after the said manner for ever." Henry V., by act of parliament, annexed to the Duchy of Lancaster a very great estate which had fallen to him in right of his mother, Dame Mary, daughter and co-heiress of Humphry Bohnn, Earl of Hereford. Henry VI. was deposed and murdered by Richard III. in the presence of his brother Edward IV., who succeeded to the throne in 1461; and the House of York ruled in the persons of Edward IV., V., and Richard III. for 251 years. In the 1st of Edward IV. Henry de Bullingbroke, although he had been dead upwards of 15 years, was, with many other persons, attainted of high treason, and the Duchy of Lancaster annexed to the crown, subject, however, to such officers and justices as governed it in the times of Henry IV., V., VI. In the 1st of Henry VII. when the York and Lancaster parties were happily united, the act of Edward IV. was repealed, and the entail to the crown cut off. We have already given a list of the officers of the county and duchy. In Camden's time there were a chancellor, an attorney, a receiver, clerk of the court, six assessors, a messenger, two auditors, three and twenty receivers, and three supervisors.* Since the reign of Henry V. the estates of the Duchy of Lancaster had been greatly reduced: the alienation of the possessions of the Yorkists, which served to support the court in the time of Henry VII., and that of the church during the time of Henry VIII. and Eliz. made room upon easy terms of purchase for an additional number of gentry. The stewards disposed of many parts of the duchy property. We will here extract, from the original grant, some particulars of one sale which was made. "March 21st, in the 20th James I., a patent was granted by the king, under the great seal of the county, and the seal of the duchy, without any fee, great or small, for sealing, for the sum of two thousand pounds, then paid by Edward Badbie and William Welden, of London, confirmed by writ of privy seal, signed by Tong and Pye, whereof Thomas Parker, Esq., Francis Empton, John Chester, Christopher Parker, were appointed attornies, to give possession * Duchy Rolls, 20th James to Charles I. folio 8, Somerset House. by any three, two, or one, of the following lands belonging to the crown, being part of the Duchy of Lancaster, granted by the advice of George Marquis of Buckingham, Master of the Horse, Lord Admiral of England, Knight of the Garter, and one of his Majesty's Privy Council, &c. &c. and the same was afterwards confirmed by parliament." In the Honour of Bullenbrook, in County of Lincoln. The estate le Frith, near Boston, and the mansion, buildings, and appurtenances, valued at 427. 10s., and 47. 10s. is allowed from that to repair the seat walls at Wythom, is A messuage and 3 oxgangs in Edlington . £38 0 0 In the Honour of Lancaster, but in the County of York. The estate or cow-pasture, as it is called, of Harrop, and Nett le Carre, otherwise Neither Care, in possession of divers tenants, and to pay the annual rent of Ditto ditto Grestouleigh, alias Gregstonleigh, ditto Ditto ditto Betrar, otherwise Beterar, in possession of Stephen Ditto ditto Hareden, 5l. 16s. 9d., Staple Oak, 17. 4s. together Ditto ditto Leigh House, 17. 19s. Turneholme, otherwise Thorneyholme, 14s. 0 9 2 13 0 068 Ditto ditto Hare Croft, otherwise Grindleton Score, with the whole turbary there, paying In Lancashire. Ditto ditto Fair del Holme, otherwise Fair Oak House, then purtenances in possession of Sir Rich. Sherburge 4 11 0 3.12 8 1 1 8 All which last estates or cow-pastures are within the office and charge of the collector of rents and farmer of the forest of Bowland, in the said counties of York and Lancaster, and are parcel of the said Duchy of Lancaster, to Harrop, and all other estates and cow-pastures aforementioned, were granted the right of free warren, within the forest of Bowland, together with all the royalties, tithes, court leets, and manorial rights. To the said Edward Badbie and William Weldon, were also granted the following tenures with the annual rents to each, viz. Manor or lordship of Singleton, alias Singleton Magna, in the In Wyersdale the cow-pasture of Stoyneshead (besides 40s. de- Ditto ditto the cow-pasture called Catshawe, ditto ditto Ditto ditto the ditto called Green Bank, ditto ditto Ditto ditto the ditto called Ortner, ditto ditto Annual Rent. £16 17 10 14 1 11 3 16 8 2 8 8 Ditto ditto the ditto called Leigh, ditto ditto All and singular which premises in Wyersdale, in the charge of the mater forester of Wyersdale In the forest of Quanmore, all that pasture or waste, containing 80 acres, in the possession of the different tenants there, ditto ditto In ditto ditto land and pasture, containing 80 acres, late in the tenure of the mayor, bailiff, and burgesses of Lancaster, ditto ditto In Ravensmeales within the wapentakes of West Derbyshire, one tenement late in the tenure of divers tenants 10 0 2 10 0 0 16 8 In Bleasdale, a cow-pasture called Talsnapp, alias Tasnappe, in the occupation of several tenants 2 11 8 In ditto ditto a cow-pasture, ditto ditto In ditto ditto portions of a cow-pasture called Hasilhurste In ditto ditto a cow-pasture called le Brookes, ditto ditto In ditto ditto a cow-pasture called Le Calder, ditto ditto tenements, at yearly reserve of 2 11 8 1 18 4. 2 11 0 200 Also Scoring Moss, John Catteral, tenant 200 04 0 U |