Page images
PDF
EPUB

all, two of the three windmills there answering the five bells orderly and distinctly."

Snelling, in his work on coins, published in 1723, mentions a "Wednesbury token."

The Rev. Edward Best, then vicar of the parish, mentions in a letter to a friend, that in 1761 the smallpox raged fearfully in Wednesbury.

Appendix.

APPENDIX A.-Frankpledge.

FOR the better and easier administration of justice, the country was divided, at a very early period, into counties, hundreds, and tithings, over each of which presided a magistrate; over the county, a count, earl, or alderman ; over the hundred, a hundred man; over the tithing, a decanus or tithing man. Each of these officers held a court, in which justice was administered, and all affairs of the district discussed, and public matters carried on, such as sales and other transactions, in which publicity was requisite. These courts formed a graduated scale, and admitted of appeals from the lower to the higher court, so that from the decision of the tithing there lay an appeal to that of the hundred, and from that of the hundred to that of the shire. From this plan arose the system of

66

frankpledge," which was divided into two branches; the first being the seignoral or personal liability of the superior, which rendered him the permanent surety for the appearance of his vassal, retainer, or inmate; and, the second the collective or natural responsibility of the villainage, as included in their tithings, associations which, in the Saxon era, were of unequal extent, according to the custom of the country, ten being the smallest number of which a tithing could be composed, and from whence it derived its name.

T

APPENDIX B-Grant of Walsall Church, with its Chapels, by King Henry III. to Hales Owen Abbey, A.D. 1245.-Extracted from the "Registrum Album," in the custody of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield, p. 243.

Henricus Dei gracia Rex Anglie Dominus Hibernie Dux Normannie Aquitanie Comes Andegavie Archiepiscopis Episcopis Abbatibus Prioribus Comitibus Baronibus Justiciariis vice Comitibus Prepositis Ministris et omnibus ballivis et fidelibus suis salutem. Sciatis nos intuitu Dei et pro salute anime nostre et animabus antecessorum et heredum nostrorum dedisse concessisse et hac carta nostra confirmasse quantum ad patronum pertinet pro nobis et heredibus nostris Deo et Ecclesie Beate Marie de Hales et fratri Ricardo Abbati ejusdem loci et Canonico de ordine Premonstratensi ibidem Deo seriuentibus et successoribus suis ibidem Deo seruituris in perpetuum Ecclesiam de Waleshal cum omnibus Capellis ad eandem eccelesiam spectantibus et omnibus aliis pertinenciis suis, habendam et tenendam in liberam puram et perpetuam elemosinam. Quare volumus et firmiter precipimus pro nobis et heredibus nostris quod predicti Abbas et Canonici et successores sui habeant et teneant predictam ecclesiam de Waleshale cum omnibus Capellis libertatibus et aliis pertinenciis ad eandem ecclesiam spectantibus bene et in pace libere et quiete in liberam puram et perpetuam elemosinam sicut predictum est His testibus, Ricardo fratre nostro Comite Cornubye, Ricardo de Clare Comite Gloucestrie, Simone de Monte forti Comite Leycestrie, Humfrido de Boun Comite Herfordie, Petro de Saband, Willielmo de Eboraco preposito Beverlaci, ffulconi filio Warini, Paulino Pryner, Gilberto de Segrave, Johanne extraneo, Roberto Muscegros, Roberto le Norreys, Anketell Malvri, et aliis.-Datæ per manum nostram apud Wodestock, 15 die Julij. Anno regni nostri 29.

APPENDIX C.-Extract from "Placita de Quo Warranto" (Record Publication), Edwd. I. (A.D. 1293), and the Abbot and Convent of Hales Owen, touching the right of presentation to the Church of Wednesbury,

etc.

DOMINUS REX per predictum Hugonem petet versus Abbatem de Hales Oweyn advocacionem ecclesiæ de Waleshale ut jus, &c. Et versus eun

dem Abbatem advocacionem capello de Wednesbury ut jus etc. et unde dicit quod dominus Johannes Rex fuit seisitus in dominico suo ut de feodo et jure tempore pacis etc, tempore ejusdem Johannis presentando ad easdem quosdam Willhelmum et Johannem clericos suos, &c. Et de ipso Johanne Rege descendit jus, &c. Et quod tale sit jus, &c. paratus est verificare pro Rege, &c.

Et Abbas venit et defendit jus suum quondam, &c. Et dicit quod dominus Rex Henricus pater domini Regis nunc dedit et concessit Deo et Beato Mario de Hales et fratri Ricardo Abbati ejusdem loci predecessori predicti Abbatis ecclesiam de Waleshale cum omnibus capellis ad eandem spectantibus et omnibus aliis pertinentibus suis habendam in puram and perpetuam elemosinam per cartam ipsius Henrici Regis quam profert et quæ hoc idem testatur. Et dicit quod predicta capella de Wednesbury est pertinens ad predictam ecclesiam de Waleshale et fuit tempore concessionis predictæ, &c.

Et Hugo de Louther qui sequitur, &c. dicit predicto tempore quo dominus Henricus Rex predictus concessit predicto Abbati advocacionem illam cum capella predicta de Wednesbury non fuit de pertinentibus ecclesiæ predictæ de Waleshale. Et hoc paratus est verificare pro Rege, &c.

Et Abbas dicit quod tempore concessionis predictæ et semper postea predicta capella fuit pertinens ad predictam ecclesiam de Waleshale. Et de hoc ponit se super patriam. Et predictus Hugo similiter. Et Robertus de Hasteng, Adam de Brunton, Johannes filius Philippi, Johannes de Herumville, Thomas de Hamstede, Ricardus de Pyrye, Wilhelmus de Wrotteslegh, Philippus de Luttelee, Ricardus Geru, Warin de Penne, Robertus de la Blome de Tybyngton, and Thomas de Luttelegh, jurati de assensu ipsius Abbatis ad hoc electi dant super sacramentum suum quod predicta capella de Wednesbury, fuit matrix ecclesia ante donacionem et concessionem quas predictus Henricus Rex fecit predicto Abbati et successoribus suis de ecclesia de Waleshale cum capellis ad eandem pertinentibus et antequam predicta eccelsia de Waleshale fuisset matrix ecclesia et non capella pertinens ad predictam ecclesiam de Waleshale. Imo constitutus est quod dominus Rex recuperet seisam suam de advocacione predictæ capella de Wednesbury. Et Abbas in misericordia. Et mandatus est Coventrensi et Lichfeldensi Episcopo non obstante reclamacionem predicte Abbatis, &c. ad presentacionem domini Regis ad predictam capellam idoneam personam admittat, &c.

APPENDIX D.-Grant of the right of presentation to the Church of Wednesbury to the Abbot and Convent of Hales Owen, by King Edward I., 1301, also the Abbot's agreement to pay 10 marks to Nicholas de Burton, (who had been appointed Vicar of Wednesbury by the King), in case he would resign.-Extracted from the "Registrum Album," in the possession of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield, p. 244.

Edwardus Dei gracia Rex Anglie Dominus Hibernie et Dux Aquitanie Omnibus ad quos presentes litere pervenerint salutem. Sciatis quod per finem quem dilectus nobis in Christo Abbas de Hales Oweyn ordinis Premonstratensis, fecit nobiscum coram Thesaurario et Baronibus nostris de Scaccario dedimus et concessimus pro nobis et heredibus nostris eidem Abbati et Conventui ejusdem loci advocacionem capelle de Wedenesbury cum pertinenciis Coventrie et Lichfeldie dioceseos quam dudum in Curia nostra coram dilectis et fidelibus nostris Johanne de Berwyk et sociis suis justiciariis nostris itinerantibus in Comitatu Staffordie per consideracionem ejusdem Curie versus Nicholaum quondam Abbatem de Hales predecessorem predicti Abbatis recuperavimus ut jus nostrum Habendam et tenendam eisdem Abbati et Conventui et successoribus suis de nobis et heredibus nostris in liberam et puram elemosinam in perpetuum. Et insuper concessimus eis pro nobis et heredibus nostris quantum in nobis est quod ipsi capellam predictam cum pertinenciis suis super usus proprios perpetuo possidendam appropriare et eam sic appropriatam tenere possint suis et successoribus suis sine occasione vel impedimento nostri vel heredum nostrorum in perpetuum. In cujus rei testimonium has literas nostras fieri fecimus patentes. Teste me ipso. Kemeseye quinto die Maij anno regni nostri vicesimo nono.-5 May, 1301.

Rotulus placetorum coram Domino Rege apud Wigorn de term Pasch. Anno regni Regis Edwardi filius Regis Henrici xxixno. Gillbertus de Ronbury Willhelmus de Ormseby Henricus Spigurnell tenentes locum Domini Regis in absencia Rogeri de Brabanson.

Abbas de Hales Oweyn venit et recognovit quod concessit Nicholo Burton cui Dominus Rex concessit advocacionem capella de Wednesbury quam ipse Dominus Rex recuperavit versus dictum Abbatem coram justiciis itinerantibus & quam dictus Abbas dedit sibi pertinere ut capellam ecclesiæ suæ de Waleshale & pro eo quod dominus Rex nunc concessit dicto Abbati & successoribus suis dictam capellam ipse

« PreviousContinue »