84 Erlestohc and its Manor Lords. 



inquisition to discover whether it was prejudicial to the King's 

 interests to confirm the grant made by Mattliew Fitz-John to 

 Thomas Averay of the water-mill called Marsh-mill with an acre 

 of land adjoining, and the land and tenement which Juliana la 

 Proute held, when the extent and annual value of the premises 

 were stated to be as follows : — 



Mill and appurtenances 

 Messuage .... 



7^ acres arable in the Marsh @ M. 

 15 „ ,, „ „ Sand „ ^d. 

 7 „ „ on the hill „ 2d. 

 2 „ meadow - - „ 1/6 

 Common of pasture - - - 



From the total, which the record implies to have been 28s. M., 

 the sum of 6s. was deducted as the value of the customary services 

 due, which shows tliat Juliana la Proute had held the land as a 

 customary tenant, though the size of her holding was considerably 

 larger than the virgate of twenty-four acres, which was the average 

 six years later. 



In 1309 Matthew Fitz-Jolin, the lord of the manor, died, and 

 according to the terms of the arrangement made with the King's 

 father, the manor reverted to Edward XL, who handed it over to 

 the management of his escheator, in whose hands it remained for 

 two months until it was granted anew to Ealph de Monthei'mer. 

 At the same time Eleanor, the widow of Matthew Fitz-John, 

 petitioned the King for a reasonable dower, and this necessitated 

 an inquisition as to the extent and value of the manor, which was 

 followed by the issue of letters closed stating tlie terms of the 

 King's answer, and thus there are found three important documents 

 — the accounts of the escheator found in a pipe roll of the year 

 1327-8, the report of the inquisition, and the schedule of Eleanor's 

 dower, which are set oiit below : — 



