12 PAPERS, ETC. 



In the 18th year of Edward I, 1290, Philip de Thorla- 

 keston gave to the Prior and Conveut one messuage and 

 six ferlings of land with their apjourtenances in Thorlakes- 

 ton (Thurloxton), and Richard de Portbury gave them one 

 ferling of land with its appurtenances in Westowe. It 

 may be interesting to the reader if I briefly describe the 

 process by which such property was conveyed during the 

 ages connected with our present research, and of which the 

 instance before us furnishes an easily intelligible example. 

 Its object was to protect from injury the rights and posses- 

 sions both of sovereign and of subject. A petition was in 

 the first place made to the king for llcence to alienate lands 

 which the law of mortmain made unalienable, or to possess 

 any peculiar favour or privilege, as the case might be. A 

 writ was thereupon addressed to the King's Escheator, or 

 SherifF of the county, conimanding him to empaunel a Jury, 

 and to take their verdict on the question whether the 

 granting of such llcence or privilege would be to the 

 damage or prejudice of the king himself or of others. On 

 the verdict being returned that there would be no such 

 damage or prejudice, the king'd letters patent were issued 

 in behalf of the donor and recelver, empowering the one 

 party to give and the other to accept the property or 

 privilege which was the subject of solicitation. 



In agreement with this usage, we have three documents 

 preserved among the Kccords, of which the following are 

 literal translations. First, there is the King's writ to the 

 Sheriff :— 



" Edward, by the grace of God King of England, Lord 

 of Ireland and Duke of Aquitaine, to the SheriflP of Somer- 

 set health. We command you that by the oath of trusty 

 and liege men of your Bailiwick, by whom the truth of 

 the matter may be better known, you diligently enquire 



