356 John Barhor, of Salisbury, Brasier. 



public, administration to this effect. And they have to the 15th day of 

 Trinity to exhibit an inventory fully and clearly without further delay. And 

 subsequently, to wit, on the 27th day of the month of August in the year of 

 the Lord 1406 the aforesaid executors are acquitted by the said commissioners 

 in form, etc. 



Notes on the Will. 



1. It will be found that the will was made on the day which we 

 should now call Feb. 1st, 1404. Death must have ensued sonn 

 afterwards, since the will was proved on the 14th of May following. 

 Easter Day in that year fell on March 30th, so that Trinity 

 Sunday would have fallen on May 25th, and the 15th day of 

 Trinity would probably mean Sunday, June the 8th. The executors 

 are stated to have obtained an acquittance from the commissioners 

 rather more than two years later, so that apparently executors 

 were then obliged to bring in an account to a public official — a 

 very meritorious practice. We also notice that the will contains 

 an appointment of an overseer, the intention being to appoint a 

 friend to supervise the accounts and proceedings of the executors, 

 a very useful step to take, especially when the will contained a 

 number of charitable dispositions. 



2. In the translation I have preferred the reading a Deo for adeo, 

 because it makes better sense. It is true that adeo is found in 

 this connection in other wills, but the original expression was 

 probably a Deo. 



3. It will be seen that the will directs the sale of a house in 



the City of Salisbury. It appears, therefore, that a custom existed 



in that city allowing lands and tenements to be devised by will. 



Our law books tell us that the feudal system did not permit lands 



to be devised at all, but that there were some exceptions to this 



rule. Notably an exception occurred in the case of land in the 



City of London ; and we further read in Lyttleton's Tenures, s. 167 : 



" Also in some boroughs by the custom, a man may devise by his testament 

 his lands and tenements which he hath in fee simple within the same borough 

 at the time of his death, etc." 



4. The direction given by John Barbor that his body should 



