68 PEDIGREE OF HORTON, OF CATTON. 
his own hands as guardian without rendering an account of the profits, 
and kept them, or gave them in trust to some individual to hold, till the 
heir proved himself of age. When the heir came of full age, in order to 
obtain his lands out of the King’s hands, he sued for a writ ‘‘De etate 
probanda,” which was forthwith issued to Commissioners, as well as to 
the Escheator, to inquire into the age of the infant, another writ was issued to 
the Sheriff to impanel a jury before the Commissioners upon an appointed 
day. This jury returned a verdict on oath, and the heir, if proved of age, 
obtained possession of his lands. - The evidences and illustrations produced 
by these juries are often interesting ; they sometimes contain graphic pictures 
of domestic life, and local incidents. This one of William Horton is very 
quaint. 
Chancery. Ing. p. m. 17 Hen. VI., No. 65. 20 May, 1439. 
The King’s writ to the Escheator, sewn to the Inquisition. 
Henricus Dei gracia rex Anglie et Francie et Dominus Hibernie Escaetori 
suo in Comitatu Derbie salutem. Quia Wills’ Hortone filius et heres Rogeri 
Hortone defuncti qui de nobis tenuit in capite dicit se plene etatis esse petit a 
nobis terras et tenementa que sunt de hereditate sua tam in custodia nostra 
quam in custodia Will’i Waldeffe et Thome Wylcoke ex concessione nostra 
sibi reddi per quod volumus quod idem Will’s qui apud Cattone in Comitatu 
predicto natus et in ecclesia eiusdem ville baptizatus fuit ut dicitur etatem 
suam probet coram etc. Et ideo tibi precipimus quod vos certos diem et 
locum quos ad hoc provideritis probactonem predictam per sacramentum tam 
Militum quam aliorum proborum et legalium hominum de balliva tua per quos 
probacio illa capi et veritas etatis predicte melius sciri poterit et inquiri capias. 
Et scire facias prefatis Will’o Waldeffe et Thome quod tune sint ibi ad 
ostendendum si quid pro se habeant vel dicere sciant quare prefatus Will’s 
Hortone ut illi qui plene etatis est si plene etatis sit terras et tenementa illa 
cum pertinenciis reddere non debeamus. Et probacionem illam sic captam 
nobis in Cancellariam nostram sub sigillo tuo et sigillis eorum per quos facta 
fuit sine dilacione mittas et hoc breve Teste me ipso apud Westmonasterium 
xx die Maij Anno regni nostro decimo septimo. 
The King’s writ to the Escheator sewn to the Inquisition. 
Henry, by the grace of God, King of England and France, and Lord 
of Ireland, to his Escheator in the County of Derby, greeting. Whereas 
William Horton son and heir of Roger Horton deceased, who held from us 
in capite, says that he is of full age, and seeks to be returned to him certain 
lands and tenements from us which are his by inheritance, and which are 
in our keeping, as well as in that of William Waldeffe and Thomas Wylcoke. 
