PURPRESTURES AND ASSARTS."

18 E. 2.

Next you shall inquire of Purprestures and Assarts, and that is where any Wall, Hedge, Ditch, or House is set, leuied, or abated in the King's high way, or any watercourse stopped or turned into the highway, to hinder the passage of the King's subiects, or any way annoy them.

BOUNDS AND MARKS.6

Also you shall inquire whether any mearestones or stakes. bondes or markes, betweene this Lordship and any other, or betweene tenant and tenant, hath bin remooued since the last law-day, or before, and not set in the vsuall place again: if there be any which haue offended herein, you must present them.

HIGH-WAYS OR FOOT-STEPS [FOOTPATHS]."

Also if any high-wayes or foot-pathes to Church, Mill, or Market bee stopped or hedged vp, which haue beene accustomed to lye open, you must present him or them which shut it vp, for the King's subiects must not bee stopped of his lawfull passage to Church, mill, or market.

COMMON BRIDGES BROKEN.8

Also if any Common Bridges ouer Common Streames bee broken, that by reason thereof the King's Subiects cannot passe about their affaires and businesses, you must present those which ought to make them, vpon a paine.

COMMON POUNDS BROKEN.9

And also if common pounds bee broken, so that they will hold no distresse that is brought to them vntill they bee deliuered thence by order of law, you must present those which ought to make such pounds, vpon a paine.

SLEEPERS BY DAY, AND WALKERS BY NIGHT.

Also you shall inquire of Sleepers by day, and walkers by night, to steale and purloine other men's goods and Conies out of Warrens, Fish out of men's seuerall Ponds or Waters, Hennes from Henrouse, or any other thing whatsoeuer, for they are ill members in a Common-wealth, and deserue punishment: therefore if you know any such, present them.

Examples: pp. 57 and 356.
Example:-p. 198.

7 Examples: pp. 159, 310-12, and 346-8.

8 A suit to recover a share of the costs of repairing a bridge :-p. 380. Examples: pp. 75, 106, 108, 198, 241, 370, 443, and elsewhere.

EAVESDROPPERS.

Also you shall inquire of Eues-droppers, and those are such as by night stand or lye harkening vnder walles or windowes of other men's, to heare what is said in another man's house, to the end to set debate and dissention betweene neighbors, which is a very ill office: therefore, if you know any such, present them. FORESTALLERS, REGRATERS, AND INGROSSERS.

Also you shall inquire of Forestaller, Regraters, and Ingrossers, euill members in a Common-wealth.

A Forestaller is hee which buyeth or causeth to bee bought any victualls whatsoeuer going to any Faire or Market to bee sold, and maketh any bargaine for the buying thereof before the same bee brought into the Faire or Market, or doth make any motion for the inhancing of the price of any victuals, or doth mooue or perswade any person comming to the Faire or Market with victuals, to absent and forbeare his comming thither with any victuall to be sold there.

Regrator is hee that getteth into his hands in any Faire or Market any Corne, Tallow, or Candles, or any dead victuall whatsoeuer, brought to any Faire or Market to bee sold, and doth sell the same againe in any Faire or Market, within foure miles next adioyning thereunto.

An Ingrosser is he or she that doth ingrosse and get into his or her hands, by buying or promise taken, other then by demise, grant, or lease, of bond or bill of Corne growing in the Fields, or any other Corne, Graine, Butter, Cheese, Fish, or any other dead victuall whatsoeuer to the intent to sell the same againe for profit.

For the first offence they ought to haue two moneths imprisonment, without bayle or mainprise, and forfeit the value of the goods bought and sold.

For the second offence they ought to haue halfe a yeeres imprisonment, and to forfeit double the value of the goods bought and sold.

And for the third offence they ought to bee set vpon the Pillorie, and to lose all their goods and chattels, and bee imprisoned during the King's pleasure.

BUTCHERS.10

No Butcher ought to sell in any open Faire or Market any other victuall then that which is good and wholesome for man's body, and for reasonable gaines, and not at excessiue prices.

SHOEMAKERS.

They ought to make their Shooes and Bootes of good and well-tanned Leather, and well licoured, curried, and sowed, to keepe men dry of their legges and feet.

10 Example:-p. 221.

TANNERS. 11

Also you shall inquire of Tanners that haue vsed the occupation of a Cordwainer or a Currier, or that hath put any Leather to sale, but red Leather as it came from the Tanne fatte, or that hath put any Hide or peece of Leather to sale, before it bee well dryed, marked, and sorted, and then sold in open market, or that hath tanned any sheepe skins.

BAKERS.

Also you shall inquire whether the bakers doe their duties or not, in making of good and wholesome bread for man's bodie, of sweet corne and not corrupted, and that they make their Bread in weight according to the price of Wheat in three markets next adioyning, not changing the assise of Bread, but by six pence in weight in increasing or abating; and if they doe the contrarie, and bee thereof duly conuicted, then for the first, second, and third time they shall bee amerced after the quantitie of their fault, and shall lose from time to time their bread so found too light in weight; but if they shall bee found faultie herein the fourth time, then they must bee set vpon the pillorie in open market, whose punishment may not bee released for gold or silver.

Also a Baker must set his owne proper marke vpon euery loafe of bread that hee maketh and selleth, to the end that if any bread be faultie in weight, it may bee then knowne in whom the fault is.

BREWERS, 12

5 H. 3.

51 E. 3.

Also you shall inquire of Brewers and Typlers whether they make good and wholsome ale and beere for man's body, or not, and sell and vtter the same according to the lawes and statutes of this Realme. And also they ought not to put out their signe or ale-stake vntil their ale be asseyed by the ale-taster, and then to sell, and not before.

FISHERS. 13

25 H. 8, ca. 7.

31 H. 8, ca. 2.

Also you shall inquire of Fishers whether they doe their duties or no, in bringing to the Market such fish as is good and wholsome for man's body, and not corrupt or stinking, and there sell the same at reasonable prices, without taking of any excessiue gains, but onely for euery twelue pence bestowing one penny cleere gaines ouer and besides their charges; and if any Fisher

shall doe the contrary, then hee shall bee grieuously amerced from time to time, and his Fish, if it bee corrupt and stinking, to bee taken from him and openly burned in the Market.

Also no man ought to fish with any Net or Engine, angling onely excepted, but with such Net or Trannell as euery mesh shall be two inches and a halfe wide, except Nets onely to take Loches, Mennas, Bulheads, Gudgions, Eeles, and none other Fish, vpon paine of xx" for euery time offending, and losse of the fish and the vnlawfull Net.

FALSE WEIGHTS AND DOUBLE MEASURES. 14

51 E. 3.

Also if any within your inquirie shall vse any false Waights or double measures in deceiuing of the King's subiects in buying with a great measure, and in selling with a lesse, the offender thereof therein shall be grieuously punished and imprisoned vntill he hath made fine with the King for his offence.

No man ought to sell any corne, ale, bread or wine, but by a measure sealed with this letter H., vpon paine of forfeiture for the first offence 6s. 8d., for the second offence 13s. 4d., and for the third offence twenty shillings, and to bee set on the pillorie, to the example of others, and the measure not sealed to bee broken, all which forfeitures are to the Lord of the Libertie where such offence is committed, and if it be in a citie or borough, then it is to the maior and comminaltie.

HUNTING DOGS.15

No Layman may lawfully keepe any Greyhound or Hunting Dogge, Ferrits, or Nets, vnless hee can dispend fortie shillings per annum, Freehold: nor no Spirituall man, vnlesse hee can dispend ten pound per annum of spirituall promotion, vpon paine of a yeares imprisonment.

DRUNKARDS.

Also you shall inquire of Drunkards, for they ought to bee presented, and to pay if they be able for euery time they bee drunke vs to the vse of the poore of the Parish where the offence is committed; if not able, then after conuiction thereof they ought to sit six houres in the Stockes.

WAIFS, STRAYS, AND FELON'S GOODS.

13 E. 2.

Also you shall inquire of waifes, strayes, and felons goods. Waifes are Cattell stolne and weiued out of the possession of him that stole them, and straies are Cattell straied out of their haunt, and they ought to bee seised vpon to the Lord's vse, and to

bee wreathed and put into an open place, and not in a couert, to the end the owner may have the view of them, and they must be cryed at three market towns next adioyning to the place where they are straied; and if they be not challenged within a yeere and a day, then they belong to the Lord of the soile where they are, by the Law, otherwise not.

Which is all manner of felon's goods which may (presently after the felonie is knowne to be committed) bee seised vpon, but not taken away, but left with the towneship, for the felon must haue his finding out of it so long as hee liues vnconuicted or attainted; but when hee is conuicted or attainted, his goods they properly belong to the Lord of the Leet, if hee have words for it in his Charter, otherwise they belong to the King.

TREASURE TROVE.

Also you shall inquire of Treasure troues, either vpon the ground or within the ground: for if any hath beene found within the iurisdiction of this Court, it belongs to the Lord of this Leet or Law day.

And to conclude, if there shall any other thing come to your knowledge meete to bee presented, and by any omitted to bee giuen in charge, you shall as well inquire thereof and present it as the rest.

THE CHARGE TO THE JURY OF A COURT BARON.

FIRST, you shal enquire whether all such persons as owe suit and service16 to this court be here to doe the same or no : and if any make defauft, you must present their names.

ALSO, you shal enquire if any Tenant bee dead since the last Court, or before, and his death as yet not presented, then you shall enquire what Land he held of the Lord of this Manor, and by what tenure or seruice he held the same, whether by Knight's seruice, Socage tenure, or by Copie, and what benefit or aduantage is fallen to the Lord by his death, whether ward, marriage, reliefe, escheat, or anie other profit, and who is his next Heyre, and of what age hee is, and in whose custody hee is. ALSO, if any Copiholder hath leased his Copihold for any longer time than a yeere and a day without the Lord's licence, it is a forfeiture of his Copihold, vnlesse hee may doe it by the Custome.17

16

17

and 478.

Examples: pp. 184, 247, and 293.

Respecting the Customs of the Honor of Clitheroe, see pp. 414