vii] The Tenants and their Land, 1400^1575. 89 



his son. Apparently neither father nor son ever paid chevage or 

 returned to the manor. It looks as if they had freed themselves by 

 withdrawing from Forncett. 



The Bakfyn Family. From 1400 to 1444 Nicholas Bakfyn dwelt 

 in Norwich and paid chevage. His father died in 1408, seized of 

 7 acres of land, which passed to Nicholas. This land Nicholas seems 

 to have alienated within a few years after his father's death. After 

 1444 the name of Nicholas ceases to appear in the list of chevage- 

 paying tenants, so that his death probably occurred about this time. 

 Either he left no descendants or in some way the ties had been 

 severed that would have bound them as serfs to Forncett manor. 



The Baxter Family. About the year 1422 five bondmen of this 

 name were connected with the manor. Of these, two died without 

 male descendants ; a third dwelt outside the manor for several years 

 and paid chevage until his death ; a fourth fled, and though the order 

 to ' attach ' him was repeated at several courts it seems never to 

 have been executed. Thus, in consequence of the failure of male 

 heirs and of withdrawal from the manor, only one branch of the 

 family retained its servile status. 



The members of this family held from 10 to 20 acres of land 

 apiece. The wills of John Baxter^ who died in 1544, and of his 

 widow, who died six years later^, are both recorded in the rolls, and 

 indicate that the family were in comfortable circumstances. John's 

 real property consisted of two messuages and \o\ acres; his chattels 

 were valued at ^8. 4$-. ^d. His widow bequeathed two mares, a colt, 

 nine cows, two bullocks, pigs, fowls, clothing, and various household 

 furnishings. John left a son, Thomas. The references that occur to 

 Thomas in his parents' wills give us an unfavourable impression of 

 his character. In 1556 it is recorded that Thomas had been con- 

 victed of felonies, and that by reason of his attainture all his lands 

 had escheated to the lord. Thus Thomas ceased to be a tenant of 

 Forncett manor ; for one year he paid chevage, and after that we 

 hear no more of him. 



In the latter part of the fifteenth century there were two chevage- 

 paying bondmen of this name. William Baxter is also named as 

 remaining in London from 1524 to 1527. 



Between 1525 and 1556 John Baxter of Tivetshall and his 

 children paid chevage. In 1556 a writ of manumission was granted 

 by the Duke which freed John, his children, and all their descendants 



1 Appendix XIII. Ixxxvi-lxxxvii. ^ Appendix XIII. Ixxxix-xc. 



