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



The Hillyftg Family. Members of one branch of this family held 

 13J acres in 1433, iSJ acres in 1469, 2o| acres in 1493. The last 

 male representative of this branch of the family died in 1506, holding 

 land, as his will states, of five different manors^ He held 25 acres of 

 Forncett. The second branch of this family was seized of smaller 

 amounts of land — in 1471, 4 acres; in 1490, 5 J acres; in 1501, 

 8| acres; in 1556, 9J acres. In 1556 the members of this family 

 were manumitted. 



There is no evidence that any serfs of this name paid chevage 

 before 1500. Later two men paid chevage, of whom one was freed 

 by the manumission already referred to. The other died in 1536 

 without male heirs. From his will and the inventory of his goods it 

 appears that he was a weaver. His goods were valued at £\. They 

 included a mare, 5 kine, 9 sheep and lambs, 4 swine, a pair of looms, 

 a mattress, blankets, two coverlets, pots and dishes, and sundry other 

 articles I 



The Hirnyng Family. There were three male tenants of this 

 name, each of whom held at least 25 or 30 acres. The holding of the 

 first of these tenants passed to his son, Peter ; the greater part of 

 the land held by Peter passed to his daughter. The third tenant 

 ' surrendered ' some 25 acres in 1461, and we cannot trace him 

 further. Later four bondmen paid chevage. Of these one died 

 in 1505, holding land, though not of Forncett manor. In his will 

 he directed that 20s. be spent on his burial ; his bequests in money 

 amounted to about £2'^. One son of this bondman ceased to pay 

 chevage, ' because he had suddenly left the country ' ; another failed 

 to pay * on account of poverty.' 



The Houlot Family. Robert Houlot, who died in 1401, is 

 probably to be identified with the Robert Houlot who, in 1378, 

 leased the manor of Williams and the demesne of Forncett manor. 

 Shortly before his death he was seized of six messuages and 

 160 acres. After his death it was ordered to seize 236 acres that 

 had passed through his hands, and were held by divers tenants 

 whose title was not clear. His widow was fined £6. \^s. for having 

 withdrawn the goods and chattels of Robert out of the lord's domain. 



Houlot's property passed to his daughter and heir, Margaret. 

 In 1408 Margaret and her husband 'surrendered' a small amount of 

 land on condition that the incoming tenants should make cloth for 

 them and their servant during their lives, or else pay 2s. yearly. 



^ Appendix XIII. Ixxxii. ^ Appendix XIII. Ixxxiii-lxxxiv. ^ Appendix XIII. Ixxx. 



