41 G Observations on Akeld and Coupland, 



son of Eobert de Weperdon. In the treasury nothing ; in the 

 supplement ten shillings and is quit. (Pipe Eolls, Northd. col. 

 121). In 1249, in the Inquisition on the death of Eobert de 

 Muschamp, Sampson,son of Stephen [de Coupland] held the 16th 

 part of a knight's fee by the same kind of services as Odenelle 

 de Ford and others (Eec. Cur. Chancell.) In 1249, Sir Sampson 

 de Coupland was one of the twenty-four knights appointed by 

 either realm for settling the Laws of the Marches. (Eidpath's 

 Bord. His. p. 138 ; Nicolson's Border Laws, p. 2.) These to the 

 number of 13 may be found in Nicolson's book, pp. 1-7. In 1262, 

 Sampson de Coupland owed % a merk for a plea ; and still paid 

 no attention to the subject, 1267, 51 Hen. III., when the sheriff 

 indebted himself for it. (Pipe Eolls, cols. 272, 273, etc.) In the 

 same year (1267) and roll, William de Coupland is fined £ merk 

 for withdrawing himself from a plea or suretyship. He had 

 not paid it in 1269 (cols. 272, 282). Not much more satisfactory 

 are some of the other entries. About 1274, Eobert de Coupland 

 accounts for one mark to have a writ, (Dickson's Pipe Eolls, p. 

 35,) and David de Coupland also a mark to have a writ (p. 39). 

 In 6 Edw. I., John de Coupland owed a mark for having an 

 assise (p. 88.) In 9 and 10 Edw. I., Eobert, son of Sampson de 

 Coupland has to pay a mark to answer the plea of Scutard Batti, 

 before the Justices de Banco in the year 9. (p. 138). 



It is not easy to account how the Prendergest family became 

 possessed of a part of Akeld manor, unless by marriage. In 

 Berwickshire the family possessions had been broken into sections, 

 but owing to the similarity of names it is difficult to assign to 

 each their due share. The prevalent names are Adam and 

 Henry, and apparently these stand to each other more frequently- 

 than others as father and son, and they wear more frequently 

 the knightly title. But this is not alwa3's an index of being- 

 landowners, as some of them, such as William, may have been 

 soldiers of fortune, and earned the title by their bravery. The 

 property got much frittered away ; the monks of Coldingham 

 aiding by their having ready money to purchase, and offices to 

 keep the thriftless from starving, to contribute to the dismember- 

 ment. As we arrive near the close of the family histoiy , Prendergest 

 represented as a fief of the Prior of Durham is held for the per- 

 formances of certain services, and a termly rent. The occupants 

 of the lands were thus closely connected with the church ; two of 

 them at least were the seneschals or stewards of the priors ; and 



