Hanlith & Kirkby Malham Manor Courts –

1607

Manor Courts were originally created in the medieval period but continued in places right up to the 20th century. By the 16th century a manor was essentially an area under the jurisdiction of a private court, a form of local government. The Manor Court rolls are the records of these courts and they contain a wealth of information concerning local issues, the most significant of which was the administration of copyhold tenure (a form of customery tenure where the tennant paid an entry ” fine ” and then an annual rental to the court and ” held a copy of the entry in the court rolls “) which was abolished in 1922. The Court’s other function was to create and enforce bye-laws and in an area like Malhamdale these invariably concerned agrarian matters such as good stock management and regulation of the common fields, although they did concern other nuisance issues too.

This court roll is in the Lancashire Record Office, and was transcribed by Victoria Spence.

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Kirkbie Malham

Court Baron of Josias Lambert , Esquire,

held there the third day of November, 1607

[Lancashire Record Office, DDMA, Box 9a, Item 4]

Free Tenants	Successors of West Dereham pro def	vjd
John Prestonne comp
Rowland Atkinson pro def	vjd
Robert Broughton pro def	vjd
Robert Kinge, Cler[icus]
Tenants at Will	John Lawsonne
Mathew Walton pro def	vjd
John Andersonne pro def	vjd
Thomas Atkinsonne pro def	jd
William Brayshaye	ijd
Robert Andersonne	ijd
John Hurtley	ijd
Thomas Deane	ijd
Henry Deane	ijd
Peter Wood mort
Lancelot Raikes	ijd
George Wallocke	ijd
Wife of Robert Fletcher pro def	vjd
William Parkinsonne	ijd
John Ivesonne	ijd
Frances Lawsonne	ijd
John Wetherhead	ijd
Anthony Richardsonne	ijd
George Horne pro defect	vjd
Robert Parkinsonne	ijd
William Wetherhird	ijd
Robert Kinge, Cler	ijd
Henry Smyth pro def	vjd
John Slater pro def	vjd
Henry Slater pro def	vjd
Robert Wiggan for def	vjd
Peter Wodd pro mortus
William Deane	ijd
William Preston	ijd
Nicholas Walton	ijd
Matthew Walton	ijd
Christopher Preston	jd
Thomas Sowden pro def	vjd
John Lawsonne junior	ijd
Jurors	Nicholas Walton, John Lawson, senior, John Lawson, junior, Lancelot Raikes, William Weatherhird, Francis Lawson, John Ivesonne, William Brayshay, Robert Parkinsonne William Parkinsonne, John Hurtley, John Weatherhird and Henry Deane That they say and present on their oath in these words in English namely
grave v _ to dig, form by digging; to dig out, excavate. a flaw of peats: the quantity got in a season tress – tresspassing overpresse – overpasturing gress – grass raine , rayn(e), dial. rein, rain . – A strip of land, a ridge; a division between lands or fields. OED	Thomas Sariantson for gravinge flaves on our more vjd Richard Falshay for the lyke [ ] Thomas Sariantson for tress in the field with his sheep vjd John Iveson for over press with sheep in the townefield iiijd Christopher Walker for the lyke ijd Henrie Hill for the lyke ijd William Atkinson for tress in the feild with his horses xijd Lawrence Andersonne for a fould breake iijs iiijd Henry Deane for getting gress in the Raines in the feild iijd Robert Wodd for the lyke iijd John Lawson for over press in the field and in the Accres iijd Rowland Atkinson for a fould break iijs iiijd Samuell Bentham for over press in the more close iiijd William Weatherhird for the lyke in the field iijd John Lawsonne for tethering in the greenegate iijd William Atkinson for baytinge in Scailegill viijd Rowland Atkinson for the lyke ijs Robert Wodd for the lyke viijd George Wallocke for the lyke viijd Robert Anderson for the lyke ijs John Lawsone for the lyke ijd John Anderson for the lyke [viijd] William Brayshay for the lyke [jd] John Brayshey of Malham for over press in the overclose viijd Henrie Deane for the lyke ijd William Atkinson for trespass in the feild with his swyne iiijd John Lawsonnefor the lyke ijd Robert Fletcher wyfe for the lyke with hir geese ijd John Slaiter for the lyke ijd Robert Wiggan for the lyke ijd Lancelot Raikes for An Inprovement taken upp of the lords waste aboute fyve [foldes] of ground amerced xxs Wife Robert Fletcher for trespass in the towne close with his sheepe xijd John Anderson for tr in the [ ] vjd
Affeerors of the Court	John Lawsonne Lancelot Raikes Sworn Sum of this court xxxijs vjd Thomas Remmington

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