Grant of the manor to Sir John Fortescue, 1599

National Archives, C66/1508

Sir John Fortescue of Salden leased Winslow market from the crown for 21 years in 1590 and bought the whole manor outright in 1599. The map of 1599 shows the extent of his property in the area. Queen Elizabeth's grant of the manor includes the following information:

Apart from a discrepancy of one penny, the figures for rents and fines are the same as those in the Survey of 1556, from which they must have been taken. Biggin had been sold off separately to Benedict Lee, and Fortescue did not at this stage get the tithes, although he acquired them later. The full price he paid seems excessive (twice the usual principle of "20 years' purchase") for the revenue he expected, so he must have regarded the other benefits as sufficiently valuable. When his son sold it in 1619, the Duke of Buckingham paid £4,500, an even greater piece of over-pricing.

A full translation of the Latin document comes to over 4,000 words. Below are the most significant parts. Some punctuation and division into paragraphs has been added but does not exist in the original.

The Queen to all to whom etc., greetings.

Whereas we by these our letters patent sealed with our Great Seal of England bearing date 4 September in the 32nd year of our reign [1590], for the consideration expressed in the same our letters patent, handed over, granted and demised at farm to our beloved & faithful councillor John Fortescue knight, Chancellor & Under-Treasurer of our Exchequer by the name of John Fortescue esquire, Under-Treasurer of the Court of our Exchequer the office & office(s) of bailiff & clerk of our market of our vill of Winsloe with members pertaining to the same in our county of Buk’, and the hall [pretorium] & chamber built on it called the Motehall situate & being in the market-place of the same vill of Wynsloe, and half of all waifs and strays called “wayfes & strayes”, for us, our heirs & successors in right or reason of the manor of Bigging situate next the vill of Winsloe aforesaid contingent, arising & pertaining

And also ten cartloads of firewood to be assigned and delivered by view & assignation of our forester(s?) in our woods of Little Horwood in our said county of Buk’ to the said John Fortescue, his executors & assigns annually during the term granted in the same letters patent

And also all amercements both of assault, affray & drawing of blood to be presented & assessed at the view of frankpledge at Winsloe aforesaid annually during the term granted in the same letters patent

And all our stallage & picage, tolnet, toll [theolon’], custumage & customs [consuetud’], rights & jurisdictions, franchises & liberties, privileges, profits, commodities, emoluments & hereditaments whatsoever in any way belonging or pertaining to the premisses already demised or to any part thereof, as fully, freely & entirely and in so full manner & form as John Boston or anyone else ever before had, held, occupied or enjoyed all & singular the premisses ... to have & hold all & singular the premisses ... from Lady Day then last past to the end of a term & for a term of twenty-one years then next following and to be fully completed, rendering for them annually to us, our heirs & successors thirty-three shillings & four pence of lawful money of England as by the same letters patent is more fully set out & appears ...

Know that we for & in consideration of the sum of £2,329 7s 6d of lawful money of England at the receipt of our Exchequer at the hands of our beloved servant Edward Carye, knight, one of the tellers of our same Exchequer to our use by our beloved councillor John Fortescue knight, Chancellor & Under-Treasurer of our said Exchequer well & truly paid from his hands, of which we say that we are fully satisfied and paid ...

We have granted and by the presents for us, our heirs & successors we give & concede to the said John Fortescue knight, Alice his wife and John Fortescue’s own heirs & assigns all that our manor of Winselowe in our county of Buk’ with all its rights, members & appurtenances, and all those our rents of assize of our free tenants of the same manor of Winselowe in Winselowe aforesaid by particular valuation thereof at 2s 6d a year

And all those our rents of assize of our free tenants of the same manor of Winselowe in Merston in our said county of Buk’ by particular valuation thereof at 13s 2d a year

And all those our rents of assize of our free tenants of the same manor of Winselowe arising & emerging in Oving in the said county of Buk’ by particular valuation thereof at 15s 4d a year

And all those our customary rents of our tenants of the same manor of Wynselowe by particular valuation thereof at £13 8s 10½d a year

And all those our demesne lands of the same manor of Wynselowe demised to diverse persons by copy of court (roll) and by particular valuation thereof at £4 4s a year

And all that malt mill called “a maltmyll” with its appurtenances lying in Winselowe aforesaid now or late in the tenure or occupation of Benedict Lee gentleman or his assigns by particular valuation thereof at 26s 8d a year

And all that office & offices of bailiff & clerk of the market of the vill of Winselowe with members & appurtenances to the same pertaining in the said county of Buk’

And all that hall & chamber built on it called the Motehall situate & being in the market-place of the same vill of Wynselowe

And all that our half of all waifs & strays called “wayfes & strayes” to us, our heirs & successors in right or reason of the manor of Bigging situated next the vill of Winsloe aforesaid contingent, arising & pertaining

And also ten cartloads of firewood by view & assignation of the forester of us, our heirs & successors in our wood of Little Horwoode in the said county of Buk’ to be assigned & delivered annually

And also all amercements both of assault, affray & drawing of blood to be presented & assessed at the view of frankpledge at Wynsloe aforesaid annually to be held, presented & assessed ...

And all those our common fines of the same manor of Wynselowe by particular valuation thereof at 16s a year

And all other perquisites of the same court of the manor of Winselowe by particular valuation thereof in common years at 6s 8d every year

We have also given & granted and for the said consideration we give & grant for us, our heirs & successors to the said John Fortescue knight & Alice his wife and the heirs & assigns of John Fortescue all that our manor of Shipton in our said county of Buk’ with all its rights, members & appurtenances and all those our customary rents of our tenants of the same manor of Shipton in Shipton aforesaid by particular valuation thereof at £7 9s 5½d a year

And all those our demesne lands of the same manor of Shipton demised to diverse persons by copy of court (roll) by particular valuation thereof at 13s 5d a year

And all those our common fines of the same manor of Shipton by particular valuation thereof at 8s 2d a year

And all those perquisites of court of the same manor of Shipton by particular valuation thereof in common years at 3s 4d a year

And all that our manor of Grenborowe in our said county of Buk’ with all its rights, members & appurtenances and all those our customary rents of our tenants of the same manor of Grenborowe in Grenborowe aforesaid by particular valuation thereof at £9 5s 9d a year

And all those our demesne lands of the same manor of Grenborowe demised to diverse persons by copy of court (roll) by particular valuation thereof at 33s 7d a year

And all those our common fines of the same manor of Grenborowe by particular valuation thereof at 12s 4d a year

And all those perquisites of court of the same manor of Grenborowe by particular valuation thereof in common years at 3s 4d a year

And all that our manor of Little Horwood in our said county of Buk’ with all its rights, members & appurtenances and all those our rents of assize of our free tenants of the same manor of Little Horwood in Little Horwood aforesaid by particular valuation thereof in common years at 12s a year

And all those our customary rents of our tenants of the same manor of Little Horwood there by particular valuation thereof at £10 18s 3¼d a year

And all those our demesne lands of the same manor of Little Horwood demised to diverse persons by copy of court (roll) by particular valuation thereof at 34s a year

And all those our moveable rents of the same manor of Little Horwood arising from diverse poultry [gallin’] prices and a hundred eggs by particular valuation thereof at 5s 8d a year

And all those our common fines of the same manor of Little Horwood aforesaid by particular valuation thereof at 12s 2d a year

And all those our perquisites of court of the same manor of Little Horwod aforesaid by particular valuation thereof in common years at 6s 8d a year

All and singular of which premisses granted above by the presents formerly belonged & pertained to the late monastery of St Alban in our county of Hertford now dissolved and were formerly part of the possessions of the same late monastery ...

We give further and for the said consideration ... all & all sorts of our woods, underwoods & trees whatsoever growing or being of, in & on all & singular the premisses granted above by the presents or any part thereof, and all the land, ground & soil of the same woods, underwoods & trees ...

Which manor of Wynselowe aforesaid with appurtenances by particular extent thereof at a clear annual value of £23 6s 6½d
And which manor of Shipton aforesaid with appurtenances by particular extent thereof at a clear annual value of £8 14s 4½d
And which manor of Grenborowe aforesaid with appurtenances by particular extent thereof at a clear annual value of £11 15s
And which manor of Little Horwood aforesaid with appurtenances by particular extent thereof at a clear annual value of £14 8s 9¼d ...

Excepting however always & for us, our heirs & successors completely reserving all advowsons, donations, free dispositions & right of patronage of all churches, vicarages, chapels & other ecclesiastical benefices whatsoever ...

To hold the said manor of Wynselowe and the other premisses belonging or pertaining to the same manor of Wynselowe aforesaid from us, our heirs & successors as of our honour of Hampton Court, by services of a fortieth part of a knight’s fee and not in chief, and to hold the said manors of Shipton, Grenborowe & Little Horwood aforesaid and the other premisses belonging or pertaining to the same manors of Shipton, Grenborowe & Little Horwood aforesaid from us, our heirs & successors as of our manor of Eastgreenewich in our county of Kent by fealty only in free & common socage and not in chief, nor by military services ...

And furthermore ... we have given & granted and by the presents for the said consideration for us, our heirs & successors give & grant to the said John Fortescue knight & Alice his wife all proceeds, rents, revenues & profits of all & singular the premisses expressed & specified above and granted by the presents, and of every part thereof, arising or growing from Lady Day last until now, to have to the same John Fortescue & Alice by our gift without account or anything else therefrom to be rendered, paid or done to us, our heirs or successors in any way ..,

In testimony of which thing at Westminster on 12 November [blank] by writ of privy seal

Copyright 13 October, 2019