This foot of fine, dated 6th June 1456, covers the sale of land in Frisby on the Wreake , Leicestershire by John Kendall of Twycross and his wife, Isabella to John and Thomas Deken. The sale includes four messuages (dwellings with their outbuildings and associated land), four virgates of land (about one hundred and twenty acres), fourteen acres of meadow and rent of ten shillings with appurtenances (both legal privileges and liabilities). The payment for the land was one hundred marks.
Document
The document is written in the court script in medieval Latin and is the copy used was held by the Court of Common Pleas at Westminster. A digital copy may be found at the University of Houston, Anglo American Legal Tradition website (here… last accessed 25th January 2021). The original is held by the National Archive and is referenced as:
CP25/1/126/77 Number 84
Transcript
[Line 1] hec est finalis concordia fa[c]ta in Cur[ia] d[o]m[ini] rregis apud Westm[onesterium] a die s[an]c[ta]e Trinitatis
[Line 2] in quindecim dies Anno regno[rum] Herna rregis Angl[ie] et ffran[cie] sexti A
[Line 3] conquestu tricesimo quarto coram Joh[an]e[m] Prysot Thoma[m] ffulthorp Nicho
[Line 4] Ayssheton Petro Ardern Robto Danvers Robto Danby et Walto Moille
[Line 5] Justi[ciarios] et alijs d[o]m[ine] Regis fidelib[us] tunc ibi p[re]sentib[us] Int[er] Joh[an]em Deken et
[Line 6] Thomam Deken quer[entum] et Joh[an]em Kendale de Twycrosse et Isabollam
[Line 7] ux[or]em eius defor[ciantes] de quatuor mesuagijs quatuor virgatis t[er]re
[Line 8] quatuordecim acris prati et decem solidatis redditis cum p[er]tin[enciis] in
[Line 9] ffrysby sup[er] wrethek unde pl[aci]t[u]m conuenc[i]o[ni]s sum[monitum] fuit int[er] eos in
[Line 10] eadem cur[ia] Scil[ice]t q[uo]d p[re]d[ic]ti Joh[an]em Kendale et Isabella recogn[verunt] p[re]d[i]c[t]a[m] ten[ementa]
[Line 11] c[u]m p[er]tin[enciis] esse ius ipius Joh[an]is Deken ut illa que idem Joh[an]es et Thomas
[Line 12] h[ab]et de dono p[re]d[ic]to[rum] Joh[an]e[m] Kendale et Isabella Et illa remiserunt et
[Line 13] quietumclam[averunt] de ip[s]is Joh[an]em Kendale et Isabella et her[edibus] ipius Joh[an]is
[Line 14] p[re]d[ic]to Joh[a]ni[s] Deken et Thome[m] et her[edibus] ipius Joh[an]is imp[er]p[etuu]m Et p[re]te[re]a ijdem
[Line 15] Joh[an]em Kendale et Isabella concesserunt p[ro] se et her[edibus] ipius Joh[an]is q[uo]d
[Line 16] ip[s]i Warant[izabunt] p[re]d[ic]to Joh[an]i[s] Deken et Thome[m] et her[edibus] ipius joh[an]is p[re]d[i]c[t]a[m]
[Line 17] ten[ementa] cum p[er]tin[enciis] cont[ra] om[n]es ho[m]i[n]es imp[er]p[etuu] et p[ro] hac recogn[icione] remissione
[Line 18] quietumclam[averunt] war[antia] fine et concordia idem Joh[an]es Deken et Thomas
[Line 19] dederuit p[re]d[i]c[t]is Joho Kendale et Isabella centum maras argenti
[Line 20] Leys
Translation and Notes
Lines 1 to 5 are the preamble of the court.
This is the final agreement made in the Court of our King at Westminster in fifteen days from the day of Trinity, in the thirty fourth year of the reign of Henri the sixth after the conquest King of England and France, before John Prysot, Thomas Fulthorpe, Nicholas Ayssheton, Perter Arden, Robert Danvers, Robert Danby and Walter Moyles justices of our Lord King and other faithful people then and there present. …
The thirty fourth year of Henry VI reign was from 1 September 1455 to 31 August 1456. With Easter Sunday falling on 28th March, Trinity Sunday fell eight weeks later on 23rd May. The document is therefore dated 6th June 1456. It should be remembered that the dates are under the Julian calendar. Although “quindecim dies” is fifteen days, this is normally inclusive of the reference date and the document date.
The Justices of the Court of the Common Pleas are consistent with the those appointed on the date detailed in the fine. These are: His Worship Sir John Prysot Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, Thomas Fulthorpe of Fulthorpe Durham, Nicholas Aysshton of Callington, Cornwall, Sir Peter Arden of Mark Hall, Harlow, Essex, Sir Robert Danvers of Ispwell, Oxfordshire, Sir Robert Danby of Danby, Yorkshire and Sir Walter Moyles of Eastwell, Kent.
Lines 5 and 6 detail the parties to the fine.
Between John Deken and Thomas Deken, querents and John Kendall of Twycross and his wife Isabella, deforciants. …
Lines 6 to 9 outline the property involved in the agreement.
… of four messuages, four virgates of land, fourteen acres of meadow and rent of ten shillings with appurtenances in Frisby on the Wreake. …
Lines 9 to 17 cover the passing of the property to the querent.
Whereupon a plea of covenant was summoned between them in the same court namely that the aforesaid John Kendall and Isabella have acknowledged the aforesaid tenements with the appurtenances to be the right of him the said John Deken as those which the said John and Thomas have of the gift of the aforesaid John Kendall and Isabella, and those they have remised and quitclaimed from them the said John Kendall and Isabella and the heirs of the said John Kendall to the aforesaid John Deken and Thomas and the heirs of John for ever And moreover the said John Kendall and Isabella have granted for them and the heirs of the said John that they will warrant to the aforesaid John Deken and Thomas and the heirs of John the aforesaid tenements with appurtenances against all men forever.
Lines 17 to 19 cover the consideration paid by the querent to the deforciant.
And for this recognizance remise quitclaim warranties fine and agreement the said John Deken and Thomas have given John Kendall and Isabella one hundred marks.
Line 20 is the county.
Leicestershire