84 History 0/ the 



The upshot of the dispute was, that in the 7 James I. an act 

 was passed, entitled " An Act for the perfect creation and confir- 

 mation of certain copyhold land in the honor, castle, manor, and 

 lordship of Clitheroe." From some cause or other not perfectly 

 clear, this act seems to have been afterwards superseded, as will 

 presently appear. The sum at first arranged to be paid for the 

 settlement and confirmation of the titles was twelve years' ancient 

 rent, amounting in the whole to ^Cn^l- The amount contributed 

 by the Rossendale copyholders, as their share, was £1574 4s. od. 

 This was paid in three instalments of £524 14s. 8d. each (equal to 

 four years' rent), the payments being made on the 1 5th February, 

 1608; the 23rd May, 1609; and the 14th November, 1609, 

 respectively, {e). The claim was afterwards increased to forty 

 years' rent ; one half on the decrees passing the Duchy Court, and 

 the other within a month after the confirmation by Act of Parlia- 

 ment. The first instalment was paid during the reign of James I., 

 but the other portion remained unpaid till about the year 1650. 

 These, with other interesting facts, are set forth in the following 

 extract from one of the Assheton Papers (/) written after the 

 Restoration. 



The Copyholders " came to composition with his Majesty's 

 Commissioners, and agreed to pay for confirmation and settlement 

 thereof forty years' copyhold rent ; the one moiety upon passing 

 Decrees for that purpose in the Court of Duchy Chamber, and 

 the other moiety within one month after the same should be 

 confirmed by Act of Parliament. 



' ' Decrees of all the several manors and places so compounded 

 for were passed, and the first moiety of the composition money 

 paid in King James's time. And in the sixteenth year of the late 

 King Charles, a Bill for confirmation thereof passed both the 

 Houses of Parliament : but, through the distractions then growing, 

 was prevented of being perfected by the royal assent. 



(cj See Appendix for a complete List of the Copyholders, with the amount 

 of their several rents. 



(/) Cited by Whitaker, third edition, p. 520. 



