INQUISITIONS OF THE REIGN OF
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
John Tatton, Citizen and Clothier.
Inquisition taken at the Guildhall, 20 May, 19 Eliz. [1577], before
John Langley, Knight, Mayor and escheator, after the death of
John Tatton, citizen and clothier of London, by the oath of John
Haddon, Robert Dickenson, John Harrison, John Keblewhighte, Arthur
Rainscrofte, Thomas Russell, William Armesby, John Jackson, Richard
Smith, William Povye, John Crowche, William Layer, John Wilde,
Thomas Eliotte, John Richardes and Edward Owen, who say that
John Tatton was seised in his demesne as of fee of 1 messuage, now
in the tenure of Hugh Full, and 1 shop also in the tenure of the said
Hugh, situate in Birchenlane in the parish of St. Edmund in Lumbardstreate, London; 4 messuages lying together with shops and other buildings now or sometime parcel of the said messuages, now in the several
tenures of Richard Marriatte, John Godfrey, Robert Goodwin and Alice
Crasten situate in Birchen lane in the said parish; 2 messuages lying
together at the corner of Birchenlane towards the highway called Cornhill in the parish of St. Michael upon Cornhill aforesaid with all shops,
&c., now in the several tenures of Dorothy Tatton, widow, and John
Stanley, and 2 messuages in the parish of St. Olave in Old Jewry,
London, now in the tenure of Edmund Syvedale.
All the said premises in Birchenlane in the said parish of St. Edmund
are held of the Queen, by fealty only, in free burgage, and not in chief,
and are worth per arm., clear, £30. The 2 messuages at the corner of
Birchenlane towards Cornhill in the parish of St. Michael are held of the
Queen in free burgage, and are worth per ann., over and above 6s. 8d.
paid yearly to the Dean and Chapter of the College of Westminster, £9
13s. 4d. The messuages in the said parish of St. Olave are held of the
Queen in free burgage, and not in chief, and are worth per ann., clear,
£4.
John Tatton died 7 March, 19 Eliz. [1577], Thomas Tatton, gent.,
is his brother and next heir, and was then aged 40 years and more.
Chan. Inq. p. m., 19 Eliz., part 2, No. 32.
Alice Leighe, Widow.
Inquisition taken at the Guildhall, 11 July, 19 Eliz. [1577],
before John Langley, Knight, Mayor and escheator, after the
death of Alice Leighe, of London, widow, by the oath of John Haddon,
Robert Dickenson, John Harrison, John Kebelwhite, Robert Langwith,
George Gynne, Thomas Russell, Thomas Hackett, John Jackson, Richard
Smyth, William Povie, John Crowche, William Layer, Thomas Elyot,
John Rickardes, Anthony Barbor and John Stodderde, who say that
Alice Leigh was seised in her demesne as of fee of 2 messuages
situate in Chauncery Lane in the parish of Si. Dunstan in the West,
London, now in the several tenures of Thomas Scyson, salter, and
William Barryngton; 2 messuages lying in the street of Fleetstreete
in the said parish, now in the tenure of Thomas Modisley and Thomas
Cartewrighte, and so seised, the said Alice made her will [here given in
English] as follows:
I give to Elizabeth my daughter my messuage in Chauncery Lane
in the parish of St. Dunstane in the West, in the suburbs of the City
of London, now or late in the tenure of one Thomas Barryngton: to
hold to her and the heirs of her body; for default, the same to remain
to my daughters Anne, Margaret and Alice, and the heirs of their
bodies; and for default, I give the same to my son Edward Leigh and
his heirs for ever.
I give to Anne my said daughter the reversion of my messuage in
Chauncery Lane, which I have granted to Margery Robertes, now the
wife of John Robertes, by the name of Margery Nycolson for her life,
she yielding yearly to me 1 peppercorn if demanded: which said messuage was late in the occupation of [—] Russell, and is now in that
of Thomas Sysonne: to hold to her and the heirs of her body; for default,
the same to remain to my said daughters Elisabeth, Margaret and Alyce
and the heirs of their bodies; and for default, to my said son Edward
Leighe and his heirs for ever.
I give to my said daughter Margaret my house in Fletestrete, now
or late in the tenure of Thomas Modisley: to hold to her and the heirs
of her body; for default, the same to remain to my said daughters
Elizabeth, Anne and Alyce and to the heirs of their bodies; and for
default, to my said son Edward Leighe and his heirs for ever.
I give to Alyce my youngest daughter my house in Fletestreete, now
or late in the tenure of Thomas Cartwright: to hold to her and the heirs
of her body; for default, the same to remain to my said daughters
Elizabeth, Anne and Margaret and the heirs of their bodies; and for
default, to my said son Edward and his heirs for ever, as by the said
will dated 20 November, 19 Eliz. [1576] more fully appears.
The said 2 messuages in Chancery Lane are held of the Queen in
chief, by knight's service, but by what part of a knight's fee the jurors
do not know, and they are worth per ann., clear, 40s. The said 2
messuages in Fletestrete in the suburbs of London are held of the Queen
as of her manor of East Greenwich in co. Kent, by fealty only, in free
socage, and not in chief, and are worth per ann., clear, £6.
Alice Leighe died 13 January, 19 Eliz. [1577]; Edward Leighe is
her only son and next heir, and on the 5th day of November last was
aged 16 years. The wardship of the body and the marriage of the said
Edward were in the hands of the said Queen long before the death of
the said Alice Leighe and now are by reason of the death and tenure of
the lands and tenements of a certain Henry Leighe, grandfather, of the
said Edward deceased, which are held in chief by knight's service, and
which were committed to the said Alice in her lifetime by Letters Patent
dated 19 April, 12 Eliz. [1570].
Chan. Inq. p. m., 19 Eliz., part 2, No. 37.
William Spenser, Gentleman.
Inquisition taken at the Guildhall, 10 December, 19 Eliz. [1576],
before Philip Skudamore, esq., Thomas Holcroft, gent., and
William Necton, gent., feodary, after the death of William Spencer,
of London, gent., by the oath of Humphrey Browne, Thomas Hunt,
Richard Hewson, Oliver Skynner, Edmond Puckell, John Collett, Oliver
Swayne, William Lewson, Thomas Wiggens, George Cloughe, William
Barker, Richard Bell, Nicholas Atkyns, Thomas Russell, Thomas Ellyot
and William Layer, who say that
William Spenser was seised in his demesne as of fee of 1 messuage
and 1 garden thereto adjoining in the parish of St. Thomas the Apostle
within the City of London; and so seised, by Charter dated 29 November,
1 and 2 Philip and Mary [1554] granted to George Ogglander, gent.,
and Thomas Spenser, gent., the said messuage and garden then in the
tenure of George Spenser another of the brothers of the said William:
to hold to them and their heirs for ever, to the use of the said William
Spenser and Mary then his wife for their lives; and after their decease,
to the use of the heirs of the body of the said William; for default, to
the use of the said Thomas Spenser and the heirs of his body; for default,
to the use of the said George Spenser and the heirs of his body; and for
default, to the use of the right heirs of the said William for ever. The
said messuage and garden are held of the Queen in chief, by knight's
service, but by what part of a knight's fee the jurors do not know, and
by the payment of 3s. 8d. by the year in the name of tithe, and are worth
per ann., clear, £4.
William Spenser died 18 May, 1 Eliz. [1557]; William Spenser,
junior, is his son and next heir, and was then aged 1 day.
The said Mary still survives at Sibston in co. Huntingdon, and she
took for 8 years and Stephen Cardinall, deceased, took for 9 years the
profits of the said premises after the death of the said William Spenser.
Chan. Inq. p. m., 19 Eliz., part 2, No. 42.
Stephen Woodroffe, Merchant.
Inquisition taken at the Guildhall, 15 January, 19 Eliz. [1577],
before Thomas Fanshawe, esq., Peter Osbourne, esq., and William
Necton, gent., feodary, after the death of Stephen Woodroffe, merchant,
by the oath of John Haddon, Robert Dickenson, John Keblewhite, Arthur
Rainescrofte, John Jennyns, Anthony Garrett, Thomas Bromeley, Thomas
Hackett, William Ermesbie, John Jackson, George Gynne, John Crouche,
William Povie, John Wylde, Griffyn Jones, John Stoddard and Thomas
Elyott, who say that
Stephen Woodroffe was seised in his demesne as of fee of 1 capital
messuage called Rengedhall, in which Thomas Mildmaie, esq., deceased,
dwelt, situate in the parish of St. Thomas the Apostle in the ward of
St. Martin in the Vintry, London; 3 small tenements adjoining the said
capital house, in which John Alleyn, Michael Hodson and Rose Spurrier
dwelt; and 1 garden and stable lying in the parish of Holy Trinity in the
said ward, and adjoining, at the back, the said capital house: all which
said premises the said Stephen Woodroffe purchased to him and his heirs
for ever of James Croftes, Knight, as by his deed enrolled in the Court
of Chancery, dated 16 February, 14 Eliz. [1572], more fully appears.
So seised, the said Stephen Woodroffe made his will 20 April, 1576,
whereby he bequeathed as follows [here given in English]: I give to
my wife Brydgett Woodroffe for her life my dwelling house at St.
Albones, with my house purchased of John Compborte, and my house
called the Flower Delewce; and afterwards the same to remain to my
son Christopher Woodroffe and his heirs for ever. I give also to my
said son my house at St. Thomas the Apostles and my land lying in
Kentish Town.
All the said premises are held of the Queen in chief by the service
of the 40th part of a knight's fee, and are worth per ann., clear, £4 6s.
8d.
Stephen Woodroffe died 30 November last past; the said Christopher
Woodroffe is his son and next heir, and on the 8th day of March last
was aged 8 years.
Chan. Inq. p. m., 19 Eliz., part 2, No. 43.