MANORS OF STRATTON AND GRIMSTOX. 87 



Having premised thus far, I purpose to bring before you some 

 of the ancient customs of the manors of Stratton and Grimston, 

 two typical Dorset Manors, as disclosed by the court rolls of 

 "The view of Frank-pledge or Court Leet, with the Court 

 Baron of George Pitt, Esquire, and Lorah or Lora, his wife, 

 lords farmers of the liberties and manors aforesaid, holden the 

 loth day of October, 1728, before James Syndercombe, steward 

 of the said manors." 



There is evidence that the manors of Stratton and Grimston 

 were originally granted to the prebends of the Cathedral Church 

 of the Blessed Mary of Sarum, and have been held by them 

 certainly since the year 1329, for in a return of Ministers' 

 accounts by the keeper of the possessions of Aliens, II. Edward 

 III., now in the British Museum, an inventory is given of the 

 possessions of Bernard de Cukiaco, " prebend of Stratton," a 

 copy of which return and inventory is in my possession. The 

 next evidence we have of the ownership of these manors is that 

 of a survey and valuation made in August, 1649, by virtue of " A 

 commission grounded upon an Act of the Commons of 

 England assembled in Parliament for the abolishing of Deans, 

 Deanes and Chapters, Cannons, prebends, and other Offices 

 of and belonging to any Cathedral!, Collegiate Church or 

 Chappell within England and Wales, and under the hands 

 and seals of five or more of the Trustees in the said Act 

 named and appointed," * wherein the Manor of Stratton, 

 together with the Farm of Wrackleford, is referred to as having 

 been demised by indenture of lease, dated the i4th day of 

 December, 12 Elizabeth, by John Collshell, Clerke, prebendary 

 of the prebend of Stratton in the County of Dorset unto Robert 

 Bond, of Stalbridge in the said county of Dorset, Gentleman, to 

 hold for the term of 90 years, under the yearly rent of ,36, one 

 of the conditions bein; that he should build a sufficient and 



* This Act was revoked or ignored as not having had the assent of the King 

 and the House of Lords by Charles II. 's first Parliament, 1661, when the Church 

 was replaced iu possession of all her property. 



