Folios: 307v-311. County of Yorkshire. Pleas of claims of liberties and quittances...

Folios: 307v-311. 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 to have fishing at his will in the river of Costa [Costa Beck] from the place where le Freredyk above Belynause falls into the Costa Beck, going down as far as a place where le Loundyk falls into the Beck. And he says that he and all his predecessors as abbots of the same place, from time out of mind, fished in the river by the said boundaries as if in their common, which pertains to a free tenement and is land 'hidata' in Kelmarreys [Kekmarish]and Neustede [Newstead], and this he is prepared to verify, etc.

Adam de Bryniston [Burniston], clerk: Adam claims to be quit from the pannage of his pigs in Foulwode [Fullwood] and Haiburn [Hayburn] within the limits of the forest at all times of the year. And he says that he and all his ancestors, from time out of mind, by reason of their lands and tenements which he has in the vill of Brinyston [Burniston] and which are frank fee, were quit from pannage, as pertaining to their said free tenement, and this he is prepared to verify by the ministers of the same forest.

The prior of the hospital of St John of Jerusalem in England and the brothers of the said hospital: The prior and brothers claim that they and their men should have and hold all their possessions and alms, below written. Namely, that their woods are to not taken in any way towards any of the king's works. And that they can freely and sufficiently, without any challenge, take from all their woods to the use of their house, whenever they wish, and not be placed in forfeiture for waste or be in mercy on account of this. And that all their lands and assarts and those of ther men are to be quit from waste and regard and from the view of the foresters and from all other customs. And that the brothers can assart and cultivate as regards all their woods which they have within the metes of the forest, without the king's licence or that of his heirs or bailiffs, in such a way that they are not occasioned in any way by the king or his heirs or bailiffs. And that the brothers and their own men are to be quit from fines for dogs being hambled forever. And if any one of their men is amerced against the king or his bailiffs for any reason or offence, the amercement is to be of the same brothers. And he says that Henry, late king of England, progenitor of the now king, by his charter granted and confirmed the said liberties to God, St Mary, St John and the brothers of the hospital of St John of Jerusalem in England, contained in the said claim, which same grant and confirmation the present king, on reading them, granted and confirmed to the prior and brothers. Whereupon they say that, by virtue of the said charter, the present prior and brothers and their predecessors, always from the completion of the charter of the said King Henry, used and enjoyed the said liberties fully and entirely without interruption, and this they are prepared to verify, etc, and seek that the said liberties be allowed to them, etc.

The prior of the hospital of St John of Jerusalem in England and the brothers of the said hospital: The prior and brothers claim that, from the lands and tenements which were of the master and brothers of the Order of the Knights Templar of England at time of their dissolution, their woods are not to be taken towards any of the king's works in any way. And that they can take freely and sufficiently without any opposition from all their woods to the use of their house, whenever they wish, and not be placed in forfeiture of waste or in mercy on account of this. And that all their lands and assarts and those of their men are to be quit from waste and regard and view of the foresters and from all other customs. And that they can assart and cultivate from all their woods which they have within the metes of the forest without the king's licence or that of their heirs or bailiffs, in such a way that they are not to be occasioned in anything by the same king or his heirs or bailiffs forever. And that they and their own men are to be quit forever from fines for their dogs not being hambled. And that if any of their men is amerced against the king or his bailiffs for any reason or offence, the amercements are to be of the same prior and brothers. And they say that Henry, late king of England, progenitor of the present king, by his charter, granted and confirmed to God and St Mary and the brothers of the order of Knights Templar of Solomon the said liberties contained in their claim. By virtue of which grant the same masters and brothers used and enjoyed the said liberties quit before the dissolution of the said order. And they say that after the dissolution Edward II, with the assent of the prelates, earls and barons and others of his realm gathered at his Parliament at Westminster in three weeks after the Purification of St Mary 17 Edw II, granted and confirmed to the then prior of the hospital, predecessor of the present prior, and to the said brothers all the possessions, rights, advowsons of churches, liberties, quittances and free customs, which the same brothers of the said order had before its dissolution, reciting the said liberties and quittances, which charter he produces here and it bears witness to this. And he says that by virtue of the said charter and, similarly, as his predecessors as priors, from the time of the completion of the said charter of Edward II, always used and enjoyed the said liberties fully and entirely without interruption, and this they are prepared to verify, etc.

Held on: Monday next after Michaelmas 8 Edw III.