DATE OK MELUOURNK I'AKISH CHURCH. 89 



Suggestions of its having been given to the Bishopric at a very 

 early period of that See are found in the Public Records. 



"Testa de Nevil," or "Liber Feodorum," compiled about a.d. 

 1327, is a collection of notes of Inquisitions taken at various 

 periods. At folio 1 7 of the publication by the Record Commis- 

 sion we find (under Notts, and Derby) : 



" Magister Simo de Waltham tenet ecclesiam de Meleburn de 

 dono Regis Johannis, qui illam alias dederat. Et dominus Rex 

 pater Regis Johannis similiter dedit eani. Juratores nesciverunt 

 utrum illam dederunt ratione custodie quam habuerunt in 

 Episcopatu Ivarlioli, vel alio modo." 



^Vhether "ecclesiam de Meleburn" here means the Rectory 

 (according to the stricter usage) or the Vicarage, is perhaps doubt- 

 ful ; but from this passage we learn that King Henry II. and 

 King John had from time to time made grants of the "Church " 

 of Melbourne ; and that they had retained the custody of the 

 Bishopric of Carlisle, no duly constituted Bishop being appointed. 

 Subsequently the Rectory of Melbourne was claimed as having 

 belonged immemorially to the Bishopric. 



On 29 June, 4 Edward III. (a.d. 1330), there was tried at 

 Derby before de Herse and other Justices in Eyre, a proceeding 

 on a writ of quo warranto against John de Rosse Bishop of 

 Carlisle. His claim to view of frank pledge of all his tenants at 

 Melleburn the Bishop maintained by stating that he was parson 

 of the Church of Melleburn, and that he and all his predecessors 

 Bishops of Carlisle, parsons of the said Church, had view of frank 

 pledge of all their tenajjts in Melleburn " de tempore quo non 

 extat memoria " without interruption. The Bishop also claimed 

 that he and his men should be quit of toll, passage, pontage, &c., 

 which claim he rested on a Charter of King Henry III., under the 

 seal he then used, granting all those liberties to God, and the 

 Church of the Blessed Mary of Carlisle, and to Walter (Mauclere) 

 then Bishop of Carlisle (a.d. 1223-1246) and his successors, and 

 to the Prior and Canons of Carlisle serving God in the same 

 Church and their successors ; and he also rested it on a subsequent 

 Charter of the same King, under his new seal, dated loth January 



