Subordinate to the Barony of Castle Combe. 267 



which his capital manor house stands," and the other, described in 

 an extent of that date as "the whole town of Wily, otherwise 

 called Batyngton Wily, held in fee-farm at a rent of 8/. per annum," 

 being the same quit-rent which had been fixed in the reign of 

 Henry I., by Earl Reginald, then the superior Lord. 



The daughter and heiress of John Knottingley married Thomas 

 Bonham, who paid this quit-rent at the Court Baron of Castle 

 Combe, between the years 1415-20. In this last year munture, 1 

 (the fine payable on decease of a tenant) was claimed on his death, 

 and Robert Montpesson, husband of his grand-daughter and sole 

 heir, was admitted as tenant, and performed his homage as such. 



In 1434, Robert Montpesson having died, the manor was "seized 



as munture" for the lands and tenements in Bathampton Wily, 



"whose custody was in the hands of the lord (at that time Sir John 



Fastolf, K.G.), by reason of the minority of John Mounpesson, son 



and heir of the wife of Robert, heiress of Thomas Bonham." And 



the manor after its seizure was leased by Fastolf to one John Gautes, 



It seems, however, that Gautes got into arrear to the amount of 36 A, 



and Thomas Piers or Perys, the priest of Steeple Langford (the 



adjoining parish) was employed by Fastolf to collect the rents of 



the tenants of the manor for him during the seizure. There is a 



curious letter preserved at Castle Combe from this person to his 



employer, Fastolf, •written from Langeford, and attesting his 



diligence in the collection of these rents. Still the result was not 



favourable, for William of Worcester, the auditor of Sir John's 



estates, records in one of his MS. volumes preserved at Castle 



Combe, a memorandum on the subject to this effect. 



" Item, that hit is more expedient to take vrii.'i- of rent of Assise, whiche 

 has been paid withoute tyme of mynde to my Lord for his manor of Bathampton 

 Wyly, than fur to take the rent of certeyn tenants in the said Lordship of Wily, 

 with the profits and farm of the millne, which mounteth unto the sum vm. 

 Drakes only, so that hit is a yore ly hurt unto my Lord of iin. or - marks." 



By another entry of Worcester's it appears that a preceding 



bailiff of the Manor of Wily, named Tudworth, had likewise got 



into arrear to the amount of no less than 52/. 8s. 8d., and in 



1 Mortuary fee, or Ilcriot. I do not find this term in Ducange. 



