Documents relating to Tong College. By the Rev. J. E. Auden, MA

The King to all those who shall see, or hear of these our letters, greeting. Know ye that of our special favour, and for the sum of £40- paid into the Treasury of our Chancellor, we have granted and given permission on our own behalf, and, as far as is in our power, on behalf of our heirs, to Isabel, relict of Fulke de Pembrugge, Knight, to Walter Swan [Shaw], clerk, and to William Mosse, clerk, that they may have authority to acquire from our beloved in Christ, the Abbot and Convent of Shrewsbury, which is in our patronage, the patrons of the Church of St. Bartholomew the Apostle [Map], of Tong, in the County of Salop, and diocese of Lichfield, the advowson and patronage of this same Church of Tong, which is held from us in cabile; to be possessed and held for ever of us and our heirs by its due and accustomed services by the same Isabel, Walter, and William, their heirs and assignees; an annual pension of six shillings and eightpence accruing from the fruits and emoluments of this same Church of Tong, which the same Abbot and Convent and their predecessors have been wont to receive from it, being reserved to the same Abbot and Convent and their successors.

And also of our special favour, we allow and give permission, on our own behalf, and as far as is in our power, on behalf of our heirs, to the aforesaid Isabel, Walter, and William, that they, their heirs or assignees, may give and assign to the aforesaid Warden and Chaplains of the College aforesaid, w hen it has been thus fully founded, one messuage with its belongings in the said town of Tong, and also tht aforesaid advowson and patronage; and we allow and give permission to the aforesaid William that he, his heirs or assignees, may give and assign to them the advowson and patronage of the Parish Church of the Blessed Mary of Orlyngbere, in the County of Northampton, and diocese of Lincoln; and we allow and give permission to the aforesaid Walter and William that they, their heirs or assignees, may give and assign to them two messuages, two yard-lands, and four acres of meadow with their belongings at Shamford, in the County of Leicester, which are not held of us, to be had and held for ever by the same Warden and Chaplains and their successors, the Wardens and Chaplains of the same College, in free and unalloyed and everlasting alms.

Moreover we allow and give permission to the aforesaid Walter and William, that they themselves, the heirs or assignees of the aforesaid William, may grant that a certain manor Lit Gilden Morton with its belongings, in the said County of Leicester (which, as is said, is not held of us, and which William Nieuport, Knight, and Margaret his wife hold during the life of the same Margaret¹, and which after the death of the same Margaret ought to revert to the aforesaid Walter, and William Mosse, and the heirs of the same William Mosse), may remain alter the death of the aforesaid Margaret in the possession of the aforesaid Warden and Chaplains, and their aforesaid successors, to be had and held lor ever, as is aforesaid, in free and unalloyed and everlasting alms.

Note 1. Sir William Newport's name is frequently found in the Plea Rolls, temp. Heiny IV. in connection with lands at Lichfield, Rushall, Curborough, Sharnlord, Gilden Morton and elsewheie. He appears to have been a member family which had settled for many years at Lichfield, and of which more than one member served at the battle of Crecy in 1346. He married, before 1405, Margaret, the widow of John de Grendon of Cubleston; and was Sheriff of Staffordshire in 1401, 1404-5, 1496-7. He was living in 1415, but dead in 1417. (Staffordshire Colections, vol. ii. (new series), p. 168).

And to the same Warden and Chaplains, we in like manner give our special permission that they themselves or their successors may receive the aforesaid messuage in the said town of Tong with its belongings: and, as well, the said advowson and patronage of the aforesaid Church of Tong from the aforesaid Isabel and William Mosse their heirs or assignees; and the aforesaid advowson and patronage of the aforesaid Church of Orlyngbere from the aforesaid William Mosse, his heirs or assignees; and, as well, the aforesaid messuage land and meadow in the said town of Sharneforde with its belongings from the aforesaid Walter and William Mosse, the heirs or assignees ot William Mosse himself; and may enter upon the aforesaid manor with its belongings after the death of the aforesaid Margaret, and may hold it together with the aforesaid messuages, land and meadow to themselves and their successors for ever, as is aforesaid, in free and unalloyed and everlasting alms, and may appropriate the aforesaid Churches, and when they have been thus appropriated, may hold them for their proper uses to themselves and their aforesaid successors, for help and assistance towards their own support and that of thirteen invalid paupers, or more or less, living within the said College.

We desire also and grant on our own behalf, and as far as in in our power, on behalf of our heirs, that the same Warden and Chaplains and their successors from henceforth be and become for all future times commonly called the College of St. Bartholomew, the Apostle, of Tong, and that the same Warden and Chaplains and their successors, the Wardens and Chaplains of the aforesaid College, have a single common seal to serve for the business and the transactions of the same College; and that they be persons suitable and capable, as a single College incorporated, and, as far as they themselves arc concerned, individual, for obtaining, receiving and acquiring property in the name of the Warden of the College of St. Bartholomew of Tong, from any men and persons whosoever both clerical and lay: that (a royal permission having been iirst obtained for all things beyond those which they now have by virtue of this onr present permission), all the lands, tenements, rents, advowsons and pessessions of whatever kind or nature they are, whether lands, tenements, rents, advowsons, and possessions of the above kind, may be held for ever from us as a free burgage by the same Warden and Chaplains and their successors in the ownership of possession; and also for the prosecution of causes and actions, real, personal or mixed of whatever kind or nature thev may be: and for making answer or defence in them before all judges, secular or ecclesiastical.

And in addition, of our more abundant favour, we grant and give permission on our own behalf, and, as far as is in our power, on behalf of our heirs, to the aforesaid Isabel, Walter, and William Mosse, their heirs or assignees, that they themselves may give and grant the advowson and patronage of the aforesaid College, when it has thus been effectually founded, to Richard de Penbrugge, son of Richard Vernon, of Harlestonich, the near relative [Note. Richard Vernon aka Pembridge was great-nephew of Fulk de Pembridge of Tong Castle and heir of the the aforesaid Fulk, and to Benedicta, wife of the same Richard son of Richard, and to the heirs of the body of Richard son of Richard, and Benedicta, to be held, after after the death of the aforesaid Isabel, in such a way that if the same Richard son of Richard, and Benedicta die without heirs of their bodies, then the advowson and patronage of the aforesaid College remain with the heirs of the body of the same Richard son of Richard; and if the same Richard son of Richard die without an heir of his body, then the advovson and patronage of the aforesaid College remain with William Ludlow [Note. Son of William Ludlow and Isabel de Lingen] and Isabel his wife, sister of the aforesaid Richard, son of Richard, and the heirs of the body of the same William Ludlow and Isabel his wife; and if the same William Ludlow and Isabel his wife die without heirs of their bodies, then the advowson and patronage of the aforesaid College remain with the heirs of the body of the same Isabel, wife of William.

And if the said Isabel, wife of William, die without an heir of her body then the advowson and patronage of the aforesaid College remain with Johanna, sister of the same Isabel, wife of William, and the heirs of the body of Johanna herself; and if the aforesaid Johanna die without an heir of her body, then the advowson and patronage of the aforesaid College remain with the rightful heirs of the aforesaid Fulke; to be had and held of us and our heirs in the aforesaid form by their due and aceustomed services, without any invasion or impediment on our part, or that of our heirs, justices, officers of escheats, deputy-sheriffs, bailiffs, or any other of our officers or those of our heirs; the Statute of mortmain put forth concerning lands and tenements not standing in the way¹; providing however that the Vicar of the aforesaid Church of Orlyngbere be sufficiently endowed according to the value of the same; and that a certain adequate sum of money from the fruits and profits of this Church of Orlyngbere be each year paid and distributed to the poor parishioners of the same, according to a regulation to be made for this purpose by the Diocesan of that place, and a form of Statute put forth and provided for it.

In witness whereof &c. The King at Leicester, November 25^th [1410.]

Note 1. When land was owned by a body of men and not by an individual, it was said to be held in mortud maim, i.e., in mortmain, or dead hand. Land held by the Church was said to be in mortmain. Land so held escaped many of the feudal services and payments. Many persons thereiore made sham grants to the Chinch, receiving it bach as tenants on easy terms, thus defrauding the revenue. Accordingly, 'he huliainent ot Luward I., in 1279, passed the S/a/u/e of Mortmain to forbid land to be given to the clergy without the consent of the King.

14 Jul 1383. INQUISITION P.M. SIR THOMAS DE ROUS OF HAMELAK, I384. THE MANOR Ol ADDERLEY.

Chancery Inquisition Post Mortem 7 Richard II., no. 68, m. 23.

Inquisition taken at Adderleye, by the oath of William Rosamond, William de Wettenhull, Giles Harecourt &c. Who say upon their oath that Thomas de ROos, of Hamelak, chivaler, deceased, held on the day he died, in the County aforesaid, the manor ol Adderleye, with the appurtenances, jointly enleofled with Beatrice his wife, yet Living, of the gift of Richard Stafford, clerk, and Robert Tynton, clerk, by licence of the Lord the King. To have and to hold to the said Thomas and Beatrice and to the heirs lawfully issuing between them. The said manor is held of the King in chief by knight service and is worth 20 11 by the year. The said Thomas died on the 8 lh day of June last past, and John Le Roos, knight, is son and next heir of the said Thomas and is of the age of 18 years and more, viz. from the Feast of St. Lawrence last past until the day of the taking of this Inquisition.

Dated Tuesday next after the Feast of the Translation of St. Thomas the Martyr 8 Richard II

Marriage Settlement of Isabel Cornwall (Lady Blount).

1382. Brianus de Cornewall de Kinlet (age 67) miles salutem in domine.

Whereas John Blount of Sodington (age 36) is holden to me in a certain writing obligatory of Statute merchant in 200 Marks . . yet the said Bryan wills that if Blount be assiduous according to his power to obtain from the King and his council a license within the next year (or else within the year then next following) to enfeoff at his own expense certain persons in feodo simplici in all his lands in Batterley, Fento Kimord Bydule and Tamgere in Staffordshire, who shall cause Isabel daughter of Cornwall and wife of Blount to be enfeoffed of all y^e said lands, and to y^e heirs of y^e bodies of y^e s^d John and Isabel Blount, reversion to the right heirs of John, and if in the meantime Isabel be secure and enfeoffed to her and the heirs of their bodies as aforesaid ol all y^e other lands of y^e s^d John in Danson Cloton Wyxhall [Note. The text is untranscribable at this point so the place names guessed] in y^e said County that then the execution ol the said writing be null.

Dai. Salopio die Sabb. proximo an. fest. S. Georgii.