A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



the annual rent of ^^5 19/. "jd. due to the abbey 

 was increased to ^12 l/j. 6i/.** The value of the 

 manor of Oundle and the grange of Biggin was 

 assessed at ^44 \\s. a year in 1291.*^ In addition to 

 the burgesses there were franklins and virgaters (or 

 semi-virgaters).*'* 



A long account of the abbey's rights in OUNDLE 

 and BIGGIN was compiled in 1321 after the death 

 of Abbot Godfrey. In the town was a capital messuage, 

 with dovecote and two water mills; also 170 acres 

 arable land, with meadow and pasture. At Biggin 

 were 200 acres arable land in demesne, and other 

 260 acres newly brought under the plough and there- 

 fore worth only id. an acre ; also a park ; two free 

 tenants rendered js. and a pound of cummin. There 

 were 37 free tenants in Oundle, holding 24 burgages, 

 and rendering £10^. i\d. ; ten natives with 8 virgates 

 of land, rendering £4 ; twelve natives with 7 virgates. 



Market Place 



rendering £i i^s. \d. ; with various boon works. 

 The portman-mote and market tolls yielded 53J. ^d. ; 

 and there was another court worth y. \d. a year. 

 The total was £43 I u.** At an enquiry de quo warranto 

 in 1329 the abbot claimed, among other things, 

 ' through toll ' at Oundle, as held by his predecessors, 

 viz., for each sack of wool zd., each horse load iW., 

 bundle on a man's back \d., cartload of merchandise 

 zd., and other dues for animals and wine. He alleged 

 that in former times there was no common way 

 through Oundle, on account of the inundation of the 

 waters, and this toll was granted for licence to pass 

 through the abbot's land and make two bridges 

 (at the cost of the county) on this soil." A rental 

 of April 1400 shows that the burgages were then 

 held at varying rents, but 4J. was a usual sum ; 

 suit to the oven and portman-mote, and other customs 

 were in force. Sometimes there were several tenants 

 for one burgage. The burgesses' charter is mentioned, 

 but not recited. The list of the free tenants is headed 



by John Wakirlee, who held one carucate of land, 

 paying l2s. rent and providing reapers at harvest 

 time ; if he brewed, there was id. for ale toll ; pan- 

 nage, id. for each pig. His tenants also rendered 

 \d. rent, ale toll and pannage, and did reaping.** 

 About the same time the fields were measured ; 

 Inhamfield, Howefield, and Holmfield are names." 

 In 1565 a freehold tenement in Hillfield was recorded 

 thus : ' This was a manor in Wakerlees' days 

 and kept a court baron upon the same, which is now 

 dismembered because the land is sold to divers 

 persons.'* 



Of the tenants there is little to be told. Vivien 

 de Churchfield held J hide in Oundle in the time of 

 Henry I," having received it from Abbot Thorold 

 (1070-98), together with \ hide in Warmington, 

 to be held by serjeanty of serving as the abbot's 

 knight with two horses and arms.'^ This probably 

 descended like Churchfield. In 1400 

 Lord Fitz Walter held in right of his wife, 

 daughter of Sir John Devereux, a free 

 tenement formerly belonging to Hugh de 

 Gotham." There are a few fines con- 

 cerning tenements in Oundle, among 

 which may be mentioned those by which 

 John de Grey obtained (1259-61) a 

 messuage and land from John de Suleny 

 and a similar tenement from William 

 de Musca and Joan his wife.'* In 1345 

 Thomas de Pabenham held 50/. rent of 

 Roger de Grey from a carucate of land 

 in Oundle occupied by Basilia, widow 

 ^.^^^ of John de Croyland.'* 



" William Cook of Oundle, who died in 



1503, held messuages and land there of 

 the abbot ; his heir was his son Richard, 

 aged seven.'® Richard Chamberlain died in 1624, 

 holding messuages etc. in Oundle of the king as of his 

 manor of East Greenwich, lately belonging to the 

 Minoresses of .'\ldgate." From depositions taken a 

 few years before, it appears he had land by the North 

 Bridge, Howehill fields, Pexlcy, Windmill fields, St. 

 Stithes fields. Further Marsh, Higher Marsh, Hey 

 furlong, the Long Leaze beneath the Fleet, and 

 TwidaUs Crowder meadow.'* Other religious houses 

 having lands here were the priory of Fineshade," the 

 college of Fotheringhay,*' and the Hospitallers.*' 



The abbot's grange or manor of Biggin has been 

 mentioned above. Fulk de Lisures, forester to 

 Henry II, made a purpresture upon the demesnes 

 of Oundle which William his son quitclaimed 

 to Abbot Benedict (U77-93). The abbot then built 

 there New Place, or Biggin Grange.*- Geoffrey Cras 

 later released to the abbey his land in the Biggin, 

 the ' new place of the monks.'*' In 1285-91, Gilbert 

 de Clare, carl of Gloucester, laid claim to the manor. 



_^# 



''*'^ii 





" Black nook of Peterborough (Soc. 

 Antiq.), f, lybd. 



*^ Pope S<ch. Tax. (Rec. Com), 55. 



"• Note hj Mr. W. T. Mcllowi, citing 

 an old abbey rental. 



••Sparkc, Hiit. Angl. Script, iii, 188-90. 



•' Plae. dt Quo War. (Rec. Com.), 553, 



557- 



•• Cott. MS. Nero C. vii, f. 107. It ii 

 itated that lome burgagei which had 

 come into the abbot'i handi had been 

 turned into cottagei. 



"Ibid. (. 154,/. 



'" \V. Smallcy Law, op. cit. 30. 



" A'.C.//. Norihanls. i, 367, 'one 

 •mall virgate.' 



" Cbron. Pelrob. 175. 



'• Cott. MS. loc. cit. 



" Feet of r. Northanti. 44 Hen. Til, 

 no. 728 ; 4; Hen. Ill, no. 795. 



" Cal. Inq. p.m. viii, 598. 



'• Ibid. Hen. VII, ii, 742. Hii will ii 

 at Canterbury (Hist. MSS. Com. Rfp., 



viii- 3.U)- 



" Chan. Inq. p.m. (ler. ii), ccccviii, 147. 

 Hit heir wai hit brother Robert, who 



90 



married .\nne Rowlands, widow, and made 

 hiB will in 1607. 



'» Eich. I)ep«. 18 Jas. I, Mich. 15. 



'• Add. Chart. 7570. 



•"Chan. Inq. p.m. («er. ii) »x, 29; 

 Ciil. Pal. 1404-1509, p. 587. 



" VV. Smallcy Law, op. cit. 33. 



•■ Pytchlcy, Bk. of Fees (Northanti. 

 Rec. Soc), 76n. Cott MS. Clco. C. ii, 

 f. I5d. 



"Ibid. f. 73d. He received tenements 

 (Crassfee) in Oundle as compensation ; 

 Pytchley's Reg. f. 95. 



