FOURTEENTH AND FIFTEENTH CENTURIES, 37 
although, following the example of his predecessor, he frequently 
leased the property. 
The change in ownership did not probably affect the dwellers 
in Lewisham to any great extent, and things went on pretty much 
as before. The Court Rolls from the 6th to the oth year of King 
Henry V give us one more brief insight into the life of the people. 
The old division of the manor into Northborow and Southborow 
continues, a Borsholder for each being elected at the various 
courts, together with an aletaster; those holding these important 
offices in 1420 being 
Northborow - - Borsholder, Thomas Reed. 
Aletaster, Thomas Lanne. 
Southborow - - Borsholder, Robert Broke. 
Aletaster, John Baly. 
The principal case brought before the Manor Court at this 
time was the action of Robert Chapman, the Vicar, who had 
collected part of his tithe by force. At least that was the con- 
tention of John Fox, the bailiff of the Prior of Shene. According 
to the story told by the latter, Richard Chapman, on Monday next 
after the feast of St. Giles, in the fifth year of King Henry the Fifth, 
at Lewisham in a certain field called Holemanneshell, had entered 
and vi et armis had carried off eight cocks of corn standing in 
sheaves, by which cause the said John was at loss to the value 
of 100s. The Vicar appeared in person and denied that he came 
vt et armis, but said he was the Vicar of the Church of Lewisham 
and that the said corn was his tithe belonging of right to the 
vicarage. The bailiff, however, declared them to be the tithe which 
being on the demesne lands belonged to the Prior as rector of the 
church. John Horwood, the sub-bailiff, was directed to summon a 
jury to hear the case, but the matter dragged on until 1431, when 
an arrangement was made between Mr. William Frome, then 
vicar, and the Prior and Convent of Shene, by which the tithes in 
dispute were formally adjudged to the Prior, and the Vicar was 
given half the wax offered in the church on Candlemas Day. A 
profitable arrangement in 1431, no doubt, but hardly so at the 
present day! The demesne lands are nowadays held to be tithe free. 
The names of the mills at this period are :— 
Lithyngsmill - This, which formerly belonged to the 
Banquel family, was probably at the 
: Bromley end of the parish. 
Fordemylle - - Probably that at Catford. 
Cokesmille - - 
Newmill — - - 
Seemanysmille - Also called Brigesmill, and probably that 
belonging to the Bridgehouse Estate. 
Grangemill- —_- Belonging to the Abbot of Stratford and 
therefore at Bellingham. 
