General History of Bath. 47 



Edward IV., but the space at our command does not admit 

 of any extended notice.* 



The ownership of the Bath Forinsecum remained with the 

 Prior and Monks until the Dissolution, but that of the city, 

 after having been held for a time by Eleanor, the mother of 

 Edward I., as part of her dower, was in 1277 granted to the 

 Bishop. Between this date and 1447 the city was granted 

 by the Bishop to the citizens in fee farm, but the deed is 

 not extant. 



During the reign of Edward I. there were two very inter- 

 esting presentments of juries impanelled to enquire as to 

 invasions of the King's proprietary rights within the city. 

 The jurors' presentment contains mention of the following 

 matters : — 



1. That the King has in the city, by title of escheat for a felony, a 



house which King Henry granted to master Geoffrey of Bath , 

 before which grant of the said King, the said house used to 

 provide one carpenter for forty days in time of war for the use 

 of the King's army. 



2. The withdrawal of several persons, ecclesiastic and lay, from the 



suit which they owed to the King's Court, and the withdrawal 

 of the villages of Claverton and Hampton from their obligation 

 to mow the King's meadow (Kings-mead), to the loss of the 

 King, each year, 20s. 6d. 



3. That the priest, Henry de Courtney, commenced to build a hand- 



some chamber on the city wall, and that on his death the Prior 

 pulled it down and carried away the stone and timber into the 

 Priory. 



4. That Robert Cherin holds a tenement within the city, and a 



meadow outside, for which he was wont to keep the gate on the 

 bridge in time of war. 



5. That the Prior of Hinton (a Charterhouse foundation) and the 



* These charters are dealt with in detail in the ' ' Municipal Records of 

 Bath " by Messrs. King and Watts. 



