Folios: 306-307v. County of Yorkshire. Pleas of claims of liberties and quittances...

Folios: 306-307v. County of Yorkshire. Pleas of claims of liberties and quittances at Pikeryng [Pickering] before Richard de Wylughby [Willoughby], Robert de Hungerford and John de Hambury, justices itinerant assigned for pleas of the forest in the forest of Henry, earl of Lancaster, of Pikeryng [Pickering]:

The abbot of Rievall' [Rievaulx]: The abbot claims in his manors of Kelmareys [Kekmarish], Lund, Neustede [Newstead] and Loftmareys [Loftmarish] with their appurtenances to build houses and sheepfolds and to bring lands into cultivation and exercise them in the said manors at his will. And also that no minister or any forester should intefere in any way in the said manors except with regard to the hunt and except for the same abbot and his ministers, and also to agist at his will in the said manors. And as regards the claim to build houses and sheepfolds and bring lands into cultivation, etc, he says that a certain abbot, his predecessor, who has now died, during this eyre at another time put in the said claim, and he says that Henry, late king of England, progenitor of the present king, gave and by his charter confirmed to God and St Mary and the church of Rievall' [Rievaulx] and the monks serving God there for the soul of King Henry and for the souls of his father and mother and brothers, pasture below Pikeryng [Pickering] with its appurtenances, and for his soul and the souls of his children, in free, pure and perpetual alms, his whole waste and pasture below Pickering with appurtenances, in which same waste the said manors are now situated, in meadows, pastures, waters, fisheries and mills and in all other things by certain metes contained in the same charter. He also granted that within the same boundaries he can build houses and sheepfolds there and cultivate and exercise his land there at his will, and this he is ready to verify, etc. And afterwards it was found by the ministers of this forest that the abbot and all his predecessors, always from the time of the gift and confirmation of the said charter, by virtue of the same, used to build houses and sheepfolds there and cultivate their land there at their will, by which it was considered that the abbot should have and enjoy the said liberty to himself and his successors forever, etc, and as to this he calls the record of the rolls of this forest, etc. And the rolls having been inspected, this same thing is found. Therefore, as regards this, the abbot is to go without day, etc. And as to the claim that the present abbot makes that no minister of the forest or other forester should intervene, except only about hunting and except the same abbot and his ministers, and that he can agist at his will in the same, he says that King Henry, by the said charter, which he produces here, forbade anyone from presuming to interfere in any way without his licence and will upon forfeiture, and that they might obtain all these things in free alms well and in peace, honourably, entirely and fully, just as King Henry, grandfather of the king, held them in his demesne on the day he was alive and dead, free and quit from all earthly service. By virtue of which charter, the present abbot and similarly all abbots of the said place, his predecessors, always from the time of the completion of the same, used these liberties in such a way that no minister of the forest of Pikeryng [Pickering] or another forester should intervene in any way in the said manors, except for the abbot and his ministers, and similarly that he can agist any beasts in the said manors within the said waste at his will, and this he ready to verify, etc.

The abbot of Rievall' [Rievaulx]: The abbot claims to be quit in his manors of Loftmarreys [Loftmarish], Lund, Neusted [Newstead] and Kekmarreys [Kekmarish] from fines for the hambling of dogs and from all other assizes of the forest, except for hunting, regard and the taking of hares. And he says that Henry, late king of England, progenitor of the present king, gave and confirmed by his charter to God and St Mary and his church of Rievall' [Rievaulx] and the monks serving God there for the soul of King Henry, his grandfather, and for the souls of his father, mother and brothers, and his own soul and those of his children, in free, pure and perpetual alms, the whole of his waste and the whole of his pasture below Pikeryng [Pickering] with appurtenances, in which the said manors are now situated, in meadows and pastures and in all other things by certain metes contained in the same charter, to obtain this in free alms, etc, and quit from all 'tenienale', danegeld and all aids, gelds and all customs and pleas from all earthly service, which ever pertained to them and their successors, by the said charter, which he produces here and it bears witness to this. And he says that, by virtue of the said charter, he and all abbots, his predecessors, from the time of the completion of the said charter up to now were always quit in the same manors from fines for dogs not being hambled and all other assizes of the said forest. And this he is ready to verify, etc.

Held on: Monday next after Michaelmas 8 Edw III.