MANORS OF STRATTOX AND GRIMSTOX. 95 



Fever or Feaver, Furber, Willis, Groze, Davenish or Devenishe, 

 Harbin, Billett, Browne, Bagwell, Cosens or Cozens, Green, 

 Cashire, Churchill, Stroude, Fisher, Hayne, Hardye, Davis, 

 Bridle, Brett, Chapman, Woolfreys, Tapp, Curme, Gould, 

 Frampton, Sabine, Pyle or Pye, and Ingram. 



The following names of fields mentioned in the various grants 

 may also be interesting : 



Hoggards, Thornhams, Bridghams, and Millhams, Abbot's 

 Ham, Upper Slight and Lower Slight, Oat Close, Stony Close, 

 Oxleaze, Lawyer's Ground, Smith's Close, Lord's Mead, Plex 

 Plot, Wolfehays, East Field, Middle Field and West Field, 

 Brewers' Ash, Rick Field, Bush Bottom, Hoghill, The Park, the 

 Quilletts, and Well-Henge Green. 



The foregoing is a short description of copyhold tenure as it 

 existed in this country in the middle ages, with the customs 

 prevailing in the customary courts of the Manors of Stratton 

 and Grimston of a later date, and these I think may be taken as 

 a fair example of the customs obtaining generally in copyhold 

 manors in this county. 



It will be seen that the rise of the copyholder from a state of 

 uncertainty of tenure to comparative certainty has been very 

 gradual. In the reign of Edward I. he was a mere "vellein" 

 attached to the soil and passing with it on sale or alienation 

 holding his land at the will of the lord by villein service " to 

 improve for the advantage of the lord." In the reign of Edward 

 III. his position had become more secure, as the Lord could not 

 at that time eject his tenant without just cause, as " that he did 

 not do his services " ; and later on, a certainty of tenure was 

 given to the copyholder by the judges allowing him an action of 

 trespass on ejectment by his lord without just cause. Sir 

 Edward Coke (afterwards Lord Coke), writing in the early part 

 of the xyth century, says : 



" The copy holder now stands upon a sure ground ; now he 

 weighs not his lord's displeasure, he shakes not at ever}' sudden 

 blast of wind ; he eats, drinks, and sleeps securely, only having 



