92 The Tenants and their Land. 1400 — 1575. [ch. 



paid chevage for the last time. In that year serfdom came to an 

 end in Forncett. This final disappearance of serfdom is to be 

 attributed to the action of Queen Elizabeth, to whom the manor 

 escheated after the execution of Lord Thomas Howard in 1572. In 

 1575 the Queen granted to Sir Henry Lee all the fines that he 

 could get from 300 of her bondmen and bondwomen, not counting 

 wives and children, for the manumission of themselves and their 

 families^ From the document printed in Appendix XIV.^ it appears 

 that among these serfs were two bondmen of Forncett, Robert 

 Bolitout and Thomas Lound. The document is undated, but since 

 chevage payments suddenly stop in 1575 it is extremely probable 

 that in that year Sir Henry Lee compelled the last serfs connected 

 with Forncett Manor to purchase their freedom. 



The Brakest Family. Between 1400 and 1406 three men and 

 three women of this name dwelt outside the manor. In 1409 three 

 more bondmen fled, 'relinquishing' their land. One relinquished 

 eight acres, another five acres, and the third two and a half acres. 

 In the following courts up to 141 2 it was ordered to seize these 

 fugitives. The rolls from 141 2 to 1422 are missing, so that we 

 cannot trace them further. 



In 1428 William Brakest died, seized of one messuage and 14 

 acres. Richard, his brother and heir, took the land, but in the same 

 court alienated it to a tenant of different family. This is the last 

 entry in which a member of the Brakest family appears as holding 

 land of Forncett manor. After alienating his newly inherited 

 property Richard did not at once leave the vill, but although 

 dwelling in Forncett he paid chevage because he was not a tenant 

 of the manor. Two years later he paid 6d. for license to remain in 

 Metfield, Suffolk. In 1432 he had fled from Metfield and paid no 

 chevage. It was therefore ordered that he be attached. The next 

 year the order was repeated, and this is the last entry in the Forncett 

 records relating to the Brakest family. Apparently they had gained 

 their freedom by flight from the manor, and to obtain their freedom 

 some of them were willing to leave their land. 



The Colioiir Family. In 1404 Christina, daughter of Robert 

 Coliour, paid a fine for license to marry. Apparently Robert had 

 died before 1400. His land passed to his daughters. 



The Dosy Family. A member of this family died in 1447, seized 



1 See Notes and Queries, 4th Ser., xi. 298, and 5th Ser., i. 118. 



2 The Decree and Order corresponding to this Bill and Answer has been sought in the 

 Public Record Office, but without success. 



