Customs of the Manor of Winterlourn Stoke, 1574. 209 



four, Before — Gauntlet' Gent, Steward. Imprimis : Our Custome is that 

 the Lord of the Mannor is to Keep a Court Leet- and Court Baron' within the 

 Manner Everey Half Year, for the Lord and Tennants' priviledges. At this 

 Court of the Tennants are to Do Suite and Sarviee^ ; and all the Inhabitants 

 A Bout fourteen Years of Age Are to be sworn to He true to Lord and King; 

 and all Tennants are to pay their Kents and Custome Money ; and the Lord 

 to find a Dinner for all his Tennants to sarve for one year A Peice Only. 



"2d Item: Our Custome is that fifteen Messages are charged with the 

 Office of Tythings Man, who Hath four pence for everey new Tennant. 



" Item : Our Custome is for the Tennant to have Three Lives ; one in a Coppy 

 in possion, two in a Coppy in Revation," and all Three Lives to have a 

 widdowhood, If it Comes into the Man's Possesion. 



" Item : Our Custome is thai the Last Life or widdow Dieing in possesion, 

 the Executor to Enjoy the Estate untill St. Michael Next as an Executor 

 Year. 



" 5th Item : Our Custome is that the Revationer shall enter to the Steen 

 Mead,^ If the possessers Die Between St. Michael and St. John Baptist ; alsoo 

 shall Enter the Sommor Following at St. John Baptist. 



"6th Item : Our Custom is After A man is Admitted to Any Coppy Hold 

 Tennement within the Mannor, he is Not to Surrender it away without his 



' This family was seated at Netherhampton, near Wilton. Others were pipe 

 makers at Amesbury, not far off ; they occur in other parts of Wilts. 



- Court of the hundred. Court Leet is held before the steward. All 

 persons above the age of 12 years and under 60, except peers, clerks, women, 

 and aliens resident within the district, owe personal suit and attendance to 

 this court and ought to be here sworn to their fealty and allegiance. 



3 The Court of the Manor. Court Baron is of two natures : — (1) the Free- 

 holders' Court of which the freeholders being suitors are judges ; (2) the 

 Customary Court which concerns customary tenants and copyholders, whereof 

 the lord or his steward is judge. (Tomlin's Law Diet.). 



■• When the tenant had professed himself to be the man of his superior, 

 the next consideration was concerning the service which as such he was 

 bound to render for the land he held. This in original feuds was twofold — 

 to follow or do suit to the lord in time of peace and in his armies or retinue 

 when necessity called. (Tomlin's Lata Diet.). 



'" Every Hundred was divided into tenths or Tithings, and the Tithing man, 

 originally chief person of a tithing (in Saxon times it consisted of ten house- 

 holders, who were sureties or free pledges to each other) , became a peace officer 

 or under constable. He sometimes required help, as at Shrewton in 1773. 

 " Pd James Soppfor assisting y'^ Tythingman, 3*. Od. Pd. the Tythingman's 

 Expenses of George Weston while he was in custody (3 days) carrying him 

 to Goal, &c., £1 13*. &d." (Maddington Accounts). 



* Reversion. 

 " =8toned mead ; perhaps the meadow marked out into plots by stone 

 landmarks (as at Corfe Castle still). It is suggested that the word might be 

 steeve, dry. 



