364 On a Spoon found at Mousin. By James Hardy. 



them show their loyalty, and veil their affinity to the sahdued race, hy 

 adopting the Christian names of Henry and Stephen, Anglo-Norman kings. 

 The peculiar tenure of the numerous royal demesne tenants of Bamhurgh 

 Castle is epitomised, hut quite readily understood, in the example of Mules- 

 fen, as we find it registered in the "Testa de Nevill'' and the " Rotuli 

 Hundredorum, " from inquisitions held towards the close of the reign of 

 Henry III., and the opening years of Edward I. In this primary stage, 

 Mulesfen was not a single vill, hut is also spoken of as a "villata." or 

 combination of vills not sufficiently large to stand single* : but possessed of 

 the rights of a community. Of these Mulesfen proper appears to have been 

 the head of the manor ; subsequently we hear of two of the other divisions ; 

 as Mousin Vewlands, and South Mulesfen. 



1. Henry de Millisfen holds of the loid the king in capite, Millesfen in 

 drengage, and pays by the year 30s.. and makes carriage of timber (truncag') 

 to the Castle of Bamhurgh and ought to pay tallages (crown revenues) with 

 the mesne tenants of the lord the king, and ought to pay of comage 14d, and 

 of merchet, (for the marriage of daughters) 16s., and of heriet (the best 

 animal on decease of the owner) 16s, and of relief, 16s; and for forfeiture, 

 16s ; and ought to plough once in the year at the will of the sergeant with 

 six ploughs receiving one meal of the lord the king, and carry corn in autumn 

 with twelve wains receiving one meal of the lord the king, and ought to reap 

 in autumn three days annually, each day with twelve men receiving one meal 

 of the lord the king, and is rated for mill-dues at the thirteenth measure 

 (ad xiij va^^l and pays pannage. t ' 



2. The villa of Mullebfen was drengage of the lord the king and was in the 

 hands of Luce de Rysgeford along with the heir, and is worth 30 shillings.^ 



3. i^tephen de Mulesfen holds one villa of the lord the king, in drengage, 

 by the service of 30s, in the year, and shall plough with one plough, his own, 

 one day in lent, provision being found by the lord the king, and shall reap in 

 autumn three days, each day with twelve men, the king providing victuals, 

 and shall carrv tree trunks to the castle of Bamhurgh. and shall give merchet, 

 and aid-, and pannage of his own hogs, and shall go with the Serjeants of the 

 lord the king for taking up payment of distress warrants for the debts due to 

 the lord thi; king. All his ancestors have held by the same service which is 

 of ancient infefcment, and there is nothing from that fief either alienated or 

 given away, whence the lord the king may have his service diminished. § 



Henry de Mulef^n died possessed of Mulesfene manor, 52 Hen. Ill (1267). || 

 His name occurs also in a plea of that date. Henry de Mulesfene is witnessIT 

 of the charter of Sir Simon de Lucre, assigning five roods of ground in 

 South Charlton, of valuable common pasturage rights to the monks of the 

 Fame Islands.** 



* Ellis's Gen. Introd. to Domesday-Book, p. 131. 



t Testa de Nevill, p. 389. 



J lb. p. 391. 



§ lb. p. 393. 



II Inq. p. Mortem, i. p. 31, No. 9. 



^ Placitor. Abbrev. in Hodgson's Hist, of Northd, vol. iii., part ii, p. 343, 



** Eaine's North Durham, App. p. 124. 



