136 THE BURTON CHARTULARY. 
entered into securities to prosecute their suit at Westminster against the Abbot, 
the Sheriff ordered his bailiff to remove the distress. 
On the fourth kalends of March, when G. de Clifton, the Sheriff of Notts, 
Ralph de Burgh, William Bigge, Milo de Melton, and others, were at Finderne 
on the business of the Abbot, all the villains of Mickle-Over came, bringing 
with them Sir William de Meinil, Magister Adam de Armundesham, and 
others, and it was agreed that the villains should cultivate and sow their lands 
pacifically up to Easter. 
Fouio 87. 
MALICIA VILLANORUM. (In red letters.) 
Pending this truce and delay which had been granted by the Abbot pro bono 
pacis, the villains sued out two more writs against the Abbot, which are given 
at full length. In the first the Sheriff is commanded to cause the Abbot to 
put in pledges to answer the complaint of the tenants that he exacted from 
them customs and services unjustly. The second writ was a writ of trespass, 
by which the Abbot was forced to find sureties to answer the complaint of the 
tenants, that he had come in the night vi et armis and taken their goods and 
chattels from Mickle-Over to the value of £20, and committed other enormities 
to their great damage and against the King’s peace. Dated from Dunamen, 
15th March, in the 8th year of the King’s reign. 
The tenants appeared against the Abbot to prosecute their suit at a month 
from Easter, and by their attorney claimed to be of the ancient demesne of the 
Crown, which was denied by the Abbot, and on being asked by the Justices 
how they proposed to verify that they were of ancient demesne, answered they 
would do it by Domesday (‘“‘quomodo vellent verificare se esse de antiquo 
dominico et respondissent per Domusday”’). A day was accordingly given to 
them to exhibit Domesday, which was examined by the Justices, by which it 
appeared that Overa was not included amongst the lands of ancient demesne 
in Domesday, but amongst those of the Abbot, but it stated that King Edward 
had held ten carucates of land in Overa, ‘‘ad geldam,” upon which a discus- 
sion took place for many days before the Justices of the Bench and Barons of 
the Exchequer, until at length, on the 3rd June, judgment was given that the 
men of Overa were villains of the Abbot, and should remain so (“‘ quod 
homines de Overa sicut villani venerunt, ita recederent et remanerent”’). 
Fo.tio 88. 
‘“‘ Judicium datam contra villanos per Dominum Thomam de Weyland 
Willelmum de Brunton et socios suos iii. die Junii.” 
This is the official record of the suit ; it quotes the entry from Domesday at 
full length, and adds, ‘‘ Et quia per predictum Domusday compertum est quod 
