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as to weif, she declared that she did not then claim the liberty of weif: and the sheriff was charged that he should maintain the King in seizin of that liberty.*

In 1294 Alicia de Luton was deceased, when, in pursuance to a royal writ dated on the 5th of October, an inquisition was taken by the King's escheator for the county of Buckingham, on Saturday the feast of Saint Dionysius, to inquire what lands and tenements she had held in chief of the King in that county. It was found that she held at Hertwelle one messuage worth per annum, with the whole inclosure, 20s. At Hampden, one messuage worth 28. There were at Hertwelle 60 acres of arable land in demesne, worth, at 8d. an acre, 40s. per annum; at Hampden, 36 acres of arable in demesne, worth, at d. per acre, 12s.; at Hertwelle, 8 acres of meadow, worth, at 18d. an acre, 12s.; and at Hertwelle, of fixed rents, as well free as customary, 76s.; the like at Hampden, 178. 1d. At both places were twenty custumars and cottage tenants (custumarii et coterelli), and their work was worth per annum 17s. 11⁄2d.; and at Hampden was a wood worth per annum 6s. 8d. All the aforesaid were held of the King in chief by the service of one knight's fee. Her son, William de Luton, knight, was found to be her heir, and he was of the age of 56 years at the feast of Saint Mark the Evangelist last past. Total, 107. 2s. 11d. Thence due to the Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, for hydage, per annum 12d.+

Sir William died within a few months after his mother; whereupon an inquisition was taken on Friday next after the feast of the translation of Saint Thomas the Martyr (July 3, 1295), and it was found that he held at Hertwelle a messuage worth per annum, with its whole inclosure, 20s.; a garden worth per annum 48.; in demesne 129 acres of arable, worth, at 8d. an acre, 47. 6s.; eleven acres of meadow, worth, at 18d., 16s. 6d. ; two acres of pasture severable, worth 12d. At Hampden, one messuage worth 28.; in demesne 36 acres of arable, at 4d., worth 12s. At Hertwelle and Hampden, of free and

* Placita de quo Warranto, fol. 1818, p. 91.

Inq. post Mortem 22 Edw. I. No. 17.

customary tenants, in fixed rents, 4l. 12s. 1d.; twenty custumars and coterells, whose work was worth 17s. 1d. At Hampden, a wood, yielding the yearly profit of 68. 8d. All the aforesaid were held in chief except the garden and 69 acres of arable, and four acres of meadow, and two of pasture, which were held of divers lords, the deceased performing or paying nothing for them, because he had acquired them of divers men, who were bound to defend and acquit the said William and his heirs against all men. Thomas, son of William, was his heir; and of the age of fifteen at Christmas last past. Pleas and perquisites worth per annum 48. Whole value, 127. 18s. 5d., except 12d. paid for hydage.*

There was assigned to Beatrice, the widow of William de Luton, by way of dower, the capital messuage of Hertwelle, with the whole inclosure, worth per annum, 20s.; 86 acres of arable, worth 478. 4d.; six of meadow, worth 9s; and one pasture, worth 6d. Also the third part of the capital messuage in Hampden, with the grange there, worth 8d.; 24 acres of land, worth 8d. : two parts of the wood, worth 4s. 5d. Also the rent and service of William Bum, free tenant in Hampden, 12d. Moreover the custumars and coterells in Hertwelle following, viz. Robert Attebreche, Geoffry Baret, Adam le Juvene, John de la More, William de Morton, William Winter, Geoffry le Write, Richard Witinge, John Waryn, William Tony, Geoffry Winter, Roger le Despenser, William le Write, John Roberd, Ralph de Fraxino (or Beech), and John Faber (or the smith), whose rents, customs, and services extended per annum to 43s. 4d.

Proof of the age of Thomas, son and heir of William de Luton, was taken at Fletemerston before the King's escheator on the 2nd Sept. 29 Edw. I. (1301). The witnesses showed that he was 21 years of age on the feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle last past, and that he was born at Hertwelle and baptized the next day in the church there: but the document is too imperfect

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from injury by damp, to furnish further particulars of the minute information with which this species of record generally abounds.*

*

On an inquisition taken at Hertwelle on Thursday next after the feast of Saint Matthew the Apostle, 20 Edw. III. (1346), it was returned that Margery, wife of Thomas de Luton, held the manor of Hertwelle, with the advowson of the church, excepting six messuages and three virgates, by the service of one knight's fee, as of the honour of Peverel, having been enfeoffed with Thomas her late husband, by fine in the King's court at London, and that they now after her death remained to Nicholas, their son, and the heirs of his body lawfully begotten. They were worth in all ten marks. She died on Wednesday next after the feast of Saint Hilary last past; Nicholas was then thirty years of age. She also held lands called Northcote and la Leye, in Berkhampstead, co. Hertford.+

Sir John Neyrnuyt, knight, had petitioned the King that, as he was assessed to find two men-at-arms to be sent to Portsmouth for the King's next passage, in consequence of having married Margery, widow of Thomas de Luton, now by her death he was legally released of such service. In answer to his petition, an inquisition was held at Aylesbury on Tuesday next after the feast of Saint Ambrose, 20 Edw. III. (1346), on which the jurors returned that Sir John held the manor of Hertwell and the advowson, excepting six messuages and three virgates, worth in all ten marks, and which had devolved to Nicholas, son of the said Margery. She had died on Friday next after the feast of Saint Hilary, and there remained to the said John Nernuyt at Flete Merston and Blakgrove, in the said county, lands and tenements worth ten marks; also at the Grove next Mentemore, in the said county, lands worth ten marks.‡

On an inquisition taken at Aylesbury on Thursday next after the feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, 33 Edw. III. (1358), it was returned that Nicholas de Luyton held of the King in chief the manor of Hertwell and

* Probatio ætatis in Turri London.

† Inq. 20 Edw. III. first numbers, No. 29.

Ibid. No. 59.

the manor of Hampden, the former worth forty marks and the latter ten marks,
as a knight's fee. A second inquisition, taken on the same occasion, at Hert-
well, on Wednesday in Easter week, returned that Nicholas held nothing of the
King in chief, but held the manors of Hertwell and Little Hampden, with the
advowson of Hertwelle, of William dethewell and his heirs by one clove
gilliflower at the feast of Easter for all services, as appeared by a fine levied in
the King's court, 55 Hen. III.
Wednesday next after the feast
was of the age of six years and more.*

The manor was worth 201.
The manor was worth 201. Nicholas died on

of Saint Gregory. Robert, his son and heir,

Sir Robert de Luton died on the 17th of March, 1391, being the Friday before Palm-sunday. He held lands in the several counties of Buckingham, Hertford, Leicester, and Northampton. Two inquisitions were held relative to his lands in Buckinghamshire, the contents of which are as follow. On an inquisition taken at Whitchurch on Tuesday after the feast of St. John the Baptist, 15 Ric. II., it was found that Robert de Luton, knight, held in his domain as of fee, on the day he died, the manors of Hertwelle and Little Hampden with their appurtenances, and the advowson of the church of Hertwelle, of the King in chief by knight's service. The manor of Hertwelle was worth 40 marks, and that of Little Hampden 10 marks. And that Robert died on Friday next before Palm-sunday, happening on the 17th day of March last past; and that William, his son, was his nearest heir, and of the age of twelve years and more. By the second inquisition taken at Aylesbury on the Saturday before Christmas, 15 Ric. II., it was found that Robert de Luton, knight, lately deceased, possessed one messuage, messuage, thirty acres of land, late belonging to John atte Welle, one toft and twenty-four acres of land called Bridportus, with their appurtenances, in Hertwelle; sixty acres of wood and one wood called Lutelwode and Ranesgrove, in Little Hampden, being enfeoffed together with Katharine his wife and the heirs of their bodies, which Katharine is still living, of the feoffment of Baldewin Pigot knight and Roger Balle

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chaplain. The aforesaid messuage, &c. were all held of William de Hertewelle by the service of one clove of gilliflower by the year; and were altogether worth 26s. 8d. The son and heir of Robert was William, then of the age of 12 years and more.

Sir Robert de Luton, the last of his family, was knight of the shire for the county of Buckingham in the parliaments of 1387 and 1390. He left an only daughter and heir, Eleanor, married to Thomas de Stoke.

§3. THE HAMPDENS.

The estate remained with the Luton family about one hundred and sixty years, when Death-"that mighty huntsman," as Young calls him,-had earthed all the heirs male. Eleanor de Luton then carried the manor to Thomas de Stoke, who, empowered jure uxoris, presented one William Prestwold to Hartwell Church in 1431. Stoke had issue an only daughter, Agnes, who was married to Sir Thomas Shingleton, or Singleton, and he thenceforward held Hartwell in her right. He was sheriff of the county in 1443, and knight of the shire in 1450; and was buried in the church of the Grey Friars of Aylesbury, where he was one of the founders of a chauntry. Agnes, surviving two husbands, caused her daughter, Elizabeth, to be married to John Hampden, of Kimbell, a younger branch of the very ancient family of the Hampdens. She herself was remarried to Henry Petyt, Esq. who also died before her; and on her death in 1479 an inquisition was taken of her lands under the name of Agnes Petyt, widow. By this judicial inquiry, which was held at Aylesbury on Saturday next after the feast of All Saints, 19 Edw. IV. (1479), it was ascertained that the deceased lady held in her demesne as of fee, on the day on which she died, the manor of Hertwelle and Little Hampden, with the advowson of the church of Hertwelle, of Wymer Hertwelle, by the render of one clove gilliflower to be paid yearly at the feast of Easter; it was worth 201. beyond all reprises. She also

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