64 Bradford-upon-Avon. [ The Manor. 
income was allotted to the Vicar for the time being, and to those 
who discharged the spiritual duties of the parish in the various 
chapels belonging to it, the remainder of the tenth of the 
produce belonged to the society of St. Edward at Shaftesbury. 
Their portion of the proceeds of the living was leased out from 
time to time to various persons, and the ‘firmarius ecclesiw’ as he was 
termed—(afterwards the Lord Farmer, now the Lessee of the Great 
Tithes)—exercised the right of presenting to the Vicarage. As 
early as 1312, we find one ‘Gilbert de Middleton,’ (the same, it is 
believed, who was Archdeacon of Northampton, and Prebendary 
Rector of Edington, Co. Wilts,) called “jfirmarius ecclesie de 
Bradeford,’: and, as such, presenting to the living in that year. 
But though the Abbess was to all intents and purposes in the 
place of the chief Lord-of the Manor, she was, nevertheless, regar- 
ded as herself holding her possessions under the king as Suzerain. 
It was, indeed, the main principle of all feudal tenures that they 
were held primarily of the king, however many successive mesne 
lords there might be; in fact, all lands “ were held mediately or im- 
mediately of the king.”? Hence we find such entries as the following, 
—‘Thomas of Atteworth holds in Atteworth the fourth part of 
a knight’s fee of the abbess, and she of the king.”*—A special 
statute, called ‘ Quia Emptores’ was passed in the time of Edward 
I., recognizing this principle, by which it was enacted (with 
a view of protecting the interests of chief lords, who, by the 
multiplied sub-infeudations were losing many of their privileges, 
such as escheats, fines on alienations, &c.,)—that, with regard to all 
lands so granted out by feoffment, as it was termed, the feoftee 
should hold the same, not of the immediate feoffor, but of the next 
lord paramount, of whom such feoffee himself held, and by the 
same services. 
Hence, when lands were held by high and honourable tenures, 
such as Granp SEersEanty,! which could be held only of the king, 
1 Wilts Institutions (1312). See also ‘Madox Formular.’ p. 386, (9 Edw. IL.) 
2 Jacob’s ‘ Law Dictionary,’ under ‘ Tenures.’ 
3 Testa de Nevill, p. 153. 
‘Grand Serjeanty. ‘(Tenure by Grand Serjeantie” says Littleton, ‘‘is, 
where a man holds his lands or tenements of our Sovereign lord the king, by 
