Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 1

Castlins Court Roll, 15831

UNKNOWN

1583-07-18

CASTLINS in Groton‖ Curia Baronis Willelmi Clopton2 generosi ibidem tenta die Jovis videlicet decimo octavo die mensis Julii Anno Regni domine nostre Elizabethe dei gratia Anglie Frauncie et Hibernie Regine fidei defensoris etc. vicesimo quinto 1583.

ESSONIE	‖	Nulle
QUERELLE	‖	Nulle
HOMAGIUM	‖	Adam Wintropp generosus				}	Jurati
tenet	‖	Thomas Branstone				}	Jurati
inquisitionem	‖	Thomas Gale	}	Jurati	Oliver Dixon			}	Jurati
ex officio	‖	Willelmus Carter	}	Jurati	Robertus Dixon			}	Jurati

Qui dicunt super sacramentum quod Willelmus Dogget filius Johannis Dogget Willelmus Boggas filius Willelmi Boggas Stephanus Cooke filius Stephani Cooke Jacobus Gosnold filius Jacobi Gosnold Johannes Downes filius Johannis Downes blank Salmon filius Ellicii Salmon debent servitia huic curie et ad hunc diem fecere defaltam Ideo preceptum est ballivo distringere quemlibet eorum pro servitiis predictis Infectis et essoniare hic ad 31proximam Curiam ad faciendum domino fidelitatem et alia servitia ab antiquo debita.

Preceptum est distringere ‖ Preceptum est ballivo distringere tenentem terras nuper Ellicii Salmon (qul de domino tenuit sibi et heredibus suis vnam percellam terre vocatam Jackspitland iacentem in Edwardston et certam terram vocatam senkelland et obijt ante hanc Curiam) essoniare hic ad proximam Curiam ad ostendendum quo titulo tenet predictas terras et ad faciendum servitium suum et respondendum domino de fidelitate et Relevio et aliis serviciis inde debitis.

Presentatio Fidelitas ‖ Ad hanc Curiam homagium presentant quod Adam Wintropp generosus alienavit et vendidit Willelmo Carter vnam percellam terre libere vocatam litle prowes continentem duas acras tentam de domino huius manerii per fidelitatem et redditum apporcionamentum ad vi d. et servitia omnia et modo ad hanc eandem Curiam venit predictus Willelmus Carter et fecit domino fidelitatem pro predicta percella terre tenta de manerio predicto.

Fidelitas ‖ Ad hanc Curiam venit Oliver Dixon et fecit fidelitatem domino huius manerii pro terris suis liberis vocatis langley quondam castlins tentis de domino predicto per redditum xij d. et servitia omnia et percella terre vocata burcheley slicer tenta de domino predicto per fidelitatem et redditum x d. et servitia Curie et pro vna percella terre in greneley iuxta terram dicti domini ex vna parte et croftum Johannis Sugg ex altera parte et vnam sic percella pasture iacente inter venellam ducentem de domo Agnetis Pane desuper domum quondam Gilberti de Bole ex parte vna et pratam dicte Agnetis ex parte altera et ultra ad vnum caput super venellam ducentem apud Greneley et reddit per Annum v d. et pro alio tenemento in Greneley quondam Roberti Ginnott et postea Thome Hasset per redditum per Annum iiij d. et servitia omnia.

Fidelitas ‖ Et modo ad hanc Curiam venit Robertus Dixon et fecit domino huius manerii fidelitatem pro vna acra terre libere iacente in milfield vocata slowacre quondam Berengers postea Johannis Gurdon per redditum per Annum j d. et servitia omnia et pro vna percella terre similiter iacente in milfield vt molendino et alia percella terre similiter inclusa que quondam Johannes Taylor tenuit de Roberto Man et postea de Waltero Attwood similiter tenta de domino huius manerii per redditum per Annum viij d. et servitia Curie.

Presentatio ‖ Ad hanc Curiam homagium presentant quod Oliver Dixon senior qui tenuit sibi et heredibus suis per copiam Rotuli Curie manerii predicti duas percellas terre Insimull’ iacentes continentes per esti32macionem septem acras percellam terre domanialis huius manerii et concessam per Franciscum Clopton3 Armigerum et Elizabeth4 illegible eius nuper dominos manerii predicti prefato Olivero ad Curiam hic tentam Anno Regni nuper Regis Edwardi sexti septimo Tenendam sibi et heredibus suis per virgam ad voluntatem dominorum per redditum viij s. per Annum atque tenuit etiam vnam aliam percellam terre continentem per estimacionem duas acras iacentem inter terram predictam et terram Rectorie de groton que sic idem Oliver cepit ex concessione dominorum manerii predicti Annis Regnorum nuper Regis et Regine Philippi et Marie primo et secundo Tenendam sibi et heredibus suis per virgam ad voluntatem dominorum per redditum xij d. per Annum, obijt post vltimam Curiam et ante obitum suum sursumreddidit in manus domini per manus Thome Buxlond et Willelmi Carter nuper tenentum huius manerii omnia terras et tenementa que tenuit per copiam Rotuli Curie huius manerii ad opus et vsum Dorothee uxoris eius et heredum suorum que modo ad hanc eandem Curiam venit et petit se admitti ad tenementa predicta tenenda sibi et heredibus suis secundum formam sursumredditionis predicte sed quia dominus advisari vult Ideo admissio predicte Dorothee respectuatur vsque proximam Curiam etc. eo quod tenementa predicta non sunt ab antiquo custumaria.

Ad hanc Curiam dominus concessit Richardo Gale licenciam exigendi perulam et Jannum et vnum Cotagium vocatum Ahoggescoob super viam domini huius manerii ducentem a bruario domini predicti vocato Castlins Heath usque ad domum eiusdem Richardi vocatam Copwebbes et sic ad Howe ledge.

The manor of Castlins or Castleins in Groton was the lordship of Sir Gilbert Chastelyn, who died 22 Edward I. About a hundred years later it passed to the family of Knevett, to which that of Clopton succeeded by marriage in the sixteenth century. The Library of the Massachusetts Historical Society has a series of the court rolls of this manor, about thirty in number, extending from the reign of Henry VIII to that of Charles II. The roll of 1583 has been selected for publication here as illustrative of the history of Groton and of the Clopton family, so closely associated with that of Winthrop, and particularly because it presents to us Adam Winthrop both as a member of the homagium or manorial jury and as a party in the transfer of a parcel of freehold belonging to the manor. Among other things, the roll illustrates most happily the double function of the manorial court or court baron by which it served also as the customary court for tenants in villenage or copyhold tenants.

Lord of the manor 1559–1615, succeeding by the will of his uncle, Francis Clopton of Melford, co. Suffolk. His daughter Thomasine (1583–1616) was the second wife of John Winthrop, afterwards governor of Massachusetts. Muskett, 144.

Lord of the manor ca. 1530–59, by inheritance from his father, Sir William Clopton of Kentwell, Long Melford, co. Suffolk, who held jure uxoris, Thomasine, daughter of Sir Thomas Knevett of Stanway, co. Essex, and coheiress of Castlins on the death of her brother and her brother’s daughter. Muskett, 143, 144.

Elizabeth (Roydon) Wythersbey, cousin and coheiress with her aunt Thomasine of Elizabeth (Knevett) Rainsford, daughter and heiress of Edward Knevett, Esq., son and heir of Sir Thomas Knevett, in whose family Castlins had remained since the fourteenth century. Her first husband, John Clopton of Kentwell, was son of Sir William Clopton by his first wife, Joan Marrow. Muskett, 143, 144; H. R. Barker, West Suffolk (Bury St. Edmunds, 1907), 155.