17 



tynewe with them in theire age muche to theire owne honesties and the quietnes 

 of the hole lordship in tyme to come, wherefore if they be not here presentlie 

 at this day ye shall present theire names and with where they dwell." 



The remainder of the document "For Kepinge of Courte" would not 

 apply to the monorial court, but to courts of higher degree, and define for 

 enlightenment of the jury -what are Treasons and so on. Some of these 

 definitions are, I venture to think, sufficiently curious to justify my repro- 

 ducing them. 



" MA.NNACINGE. Also ye shall enquyre of such as do make bills comanding 

 some certine psone or psones thereby to ley some certaine some of money in 

 some place certaine or els if he do not that they will burn his house or do hym 

 some grete vengeaunce." 



" FFELLONY. Ye shall also enquyre of sache as of any malyce prepense and 

 of a purpose do cut the tongs of any the Kinges Subiects or put out theire 

 yeies. This is ffellonie." 



"BURGLAKY. Ye shall also enquyre of Burglary. Burglars be those that 

 ffeloniosly in the night do breke open the house wall or gate of any man 

 although he enter not, nor take nothing away yet is this broking burglary and 

 he shall suffer dethe for it." 



The other definations are headed Rape, Voluntarie Escape, Receyvors of 

 ffellons, Abettars. The first is hardly suitable, the rest are not of sufficient 

 interest for insertion. 



To return to the manorial Court. 



" The presentments of "Sewters " for non-attendance number 50, commenc- 

 ing with Johes Wyllams arm who was fined twelve pence, the highest amoun* 

 levied, and ending with "duo fli willmi ledoze " who pay 6d. The majority 

 pay 3d. each. The names include Trerberfylde gen, Hardye gen, Pytt, Jur- 

 degne, Hawkyns, G-ylbert, Wade, Hennynge, Phezarde, &c. 



The jury, sixteen in number, are styled " Jurator impanulat pro dom 

 Regina," and were sworn, apparently, in batches of four. Their first pre- 

 sentment is as follows : " Qui Jurator pd supra saerm suum present quod 

 onia pantea psensat p official- in cur psedent fore vera et hec affirmat onia." 

 Then follow 27 other presentments of not much interest. One, however, 

 referring to the Butts for the practice of " artillerie," may be quoted : 

 " Et quod mete burgi non adhuc sunt sufficient facte. ieo currit pena statut 

 viz. pro quibuslibet treseptimanibus xxa." The Court was held every 

 three weeks. 



It seems that in later years the holding of it every three weeks was not 

 adhered to. In fact, after the Union, it was a main cause of complains 

 against the alleged usurpations of the Melcombe Regis people, that this 

 Court had been practically abolished. At a Court held in Weymouth, 

 October 7th, 1633, the following presentment is recorded : 



" Itemprntant quod Cur opportet esse servat in tribus Seplimanis fnfra hanc 

 Burgum et Villam de "VVaymouth Secundum ville consuetudinesn a utehac usit 

 at." 



In consequence of the.se complaints, which istmed in litigation in the 

 superior Courts, it was ordered that three persons should be nominated to 



