Preface

PREFACE

This volume of the Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem covers the first six years of the reign of Henry IV (1399–1405).

The text is based wherever possible on the Chancery class of Inquisitions post mortem, Henry IV (C 137/1–51). Gaps and deficiencies have been made good from Exchequer Inquisitions post mortem, Series I (E 149/71–88), Exchequer Enrolments of Inquisitions (E 152/344–407) and in one or two cases from Exchequer Escheators’ Accounts Enrolled (E 357/14). Reference is made where appropriate, to Common Pleas, Feet of Fines, Series I (CP 25(1)), and to printed Calendars.

With the beginning of a new century small modifications have been made to the method of calendaring. Only the modern form of place-names is used in the text of this volume (as in the Calendar of Inquisitions Miscellaneous, volume VII, 1399–1422) although all the spellings which occur in the manuscripts, apart from straight Latin translations, have been included in the Index of Persons and Places in brackets after the modern form. Dates have also been modernised. Regnal years and references to saints’ days have been retained only where doubts might arise in the translation to the modern form. References to the four quarter days, Lady Day, Midsummer, Michaelmas and Christmas, and also to Candlemas, Hockday, Lammas, Martinmas, and similar dates are, however, given in these anglicized forms.

Names of jurors and, with certain exceptions, of escheators are still omitted as in the past, but annual values and extents of manors, omitted from previous volumes, are now included. In most cases knight’s fees were said to extend at the conventional figure of 100s. a fee, multiples and fractions of fees being assessed in proportion. These figures have been omitted, and in the absence of a value in the calendar it may be assumed that they were so assessed. All other values attached to fees, together with the values of advowsons at the occurrence of a vacancy, have been included.

Writs of diem clausit extremum, and precipimus… die quo obiit (which differ only in the fact that the tenant is not newly dead) are described simply as ‘Writ’. Writs asking for further details appear as ‘Writ, plenius certiorari’ or ‘melius sciri’, and where it is suspected that the tenant held more than was found in the original inquisition as ‘Writ, plura’. Writs for the return of knight’s fees and advowsons (Volentes certis de causis certiorari super vero valore feodorum…) are described simply as ‘for fees’, and writs for proof of age and assignment of dower are so described.

The whole volume, both text and indexes, is the work of Mr. J.L. Kirby, who also saw it through the press.

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