A HISTORY OF SURREY 



attachments, summonses and distresses within the 

 borough and town, not belonging to the bailiff 

 of the bishop's liberty. At the same time the 

 fee farm rent paid by the burgesses to the bishop 

 was in consideration of these extensive liberties 

 increased from £() to £12 a year. 



In accordance with this charter, confirmed in 

 1 266 by John Gervase, Bishop of Winchester," there 

 is no return of the issues of the borough in the 

 Bishop's rent rolls from 1247 onwards except 

 that of the fee farm payable £6 at Hocktide and 

 £6 at St. Martin's. 



In 1365, however, for some reason difHcult to 

 discover, the burghers, evidently in need of money, 

 gave up certain rights in return for the respite of 

 the farm. '5 This surrender evidently held good 

 throughout the episcopate of William of Wykeham, 

 for in each rent roll a detailed account is given of 



from this time the accounts of the borough again 

 drop out of the bishop's rent rolls, and only the 

 farm — £6 at Hock and £6 at St. Martin's — is given, 

 thus indicating that the borough had again obtained 

 the full rights which the burgesses had under their 

 charter of 1247. 



In 1452 Bishop Waynflete is said to have again 

 confirmed the original charter." In 1566 what 

 seems to have been a new charter, with no recital 

 of the former grants 3« but following on the same 

 lines, was granted by Bishop Horne.«» In this 

 charter more is said about the appointment of the 

 bailiffs and burgesses." The bailiffs were to be 

 two in number, chosen annually ; the burgesses 

 twelve, appointed for life from the ' better and 

 most approveable inhabitants.' On every Monday 

 before Michaelmas Day the burgesses were to elect 

 two of themselves as bailiffs for the year, to be 







Castle Street, Farnham. 



the proceeds of the borough court." Moreover 

 ' customs, tolls and monies ' now fell into the hands 

 of the bishop, but were sometimes pardoned by 

 him for the ' relieving and emending ' of the town.^J 

 With the first year of Henry Cardinal Beaufort 

 (1405) a change came. Whether the Cardinal 

 confirmed Bishop John Gervase's charter in that 

 year or not till 1411,38 it is certain, at least, that 



sworn before the late bailiffs in the presence of the 

 burgesses. The burgesses were to do suit at their 

 court to the bailiffs every three weeks,*' for the 

 settlement of small debts under 40J. value, the 

 admission of tenants, and the levying of fines. 

 The court leet, in accordance virith the original 

 charter of 1247, was to be held twice " a year on 

 the lord's law-day.** 



=* Chancr at Farnham Castle. 



" Eccl. Com. Rent R. 21 William 

 Edyngton, 54-159452. 



3« Rent R. of W. of Wykeham's 

 Episcopate Eccl. Com. N.B. — It is sig- 

 nificant that now as never before 1 247 

 the borough accounts were rendered 

 by the bailiffs. 



" Eccl. Com. Rent R. 33 W. of 

 Wykeham, 45-159404. 



^ Beaufort's charter is set out at 

 length in his episcopal register. The 

 charters of 1247, 1266, and a copy and 

 translation of Beaufort's charter are at 

 Farnham Castle. 



" Manning and Bray, Hhl. of Surr. 

 iii. 131. 



*" This charter does not seem to be 

 at Farnham. It was copied for the 

 town from Home's Register, f. 45. 

 The inhabitants had not got it to show 

 in 1665. Vide infra. 



*i Manning and Bray, Hist, of Surr. 

 111. 131. The bishop through charter 

 appoints as two bailiffs for that year 

 John Clarke and Robert Quynbye. 

 Clarke built the old Market House. 

 Vide infra. 



*' Ecch Com. Rent R. i W. of 

 Wykeham. See chart of 1247. 

 39-159378 gives perquisites of court as 

 £i %!. 4//., an amount which implies 

 frequent courts. 



In the probably contemporary 



586 



translation of Beaufort's charter the 

 phrase 'Dm Hundreda de Lagbcday,' 

 was rendered ' To the lord of the Hun- 

 dred at the law-day.' The translator 

 evidently read 'duo' as 'dmn.' The 

 two early charters read 'duo,' as does 

 Bishop Home's. 



** The court leet assembled at 

 Lady House at Hocktide into the nine- 

 teenth century. Then it migrated to the 

 Bush Inn, and is still held there once a 

 year, but is merged into the court baron. 

 A deputy steward representing the secre- 

 ury of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, 

 to whom the bishop's jurisdiction has 

 been transferred, and two tenants are 

 sufficient to constitute a court. 



