Folios: 87v-88. Staffordshire. Inquisition about the manor of Newcastle under Lyme...

Folios: 87v-88. Staffordshire. Inquisition about the manor of Newcastle under Lyme

Place or subject: Inquisition taken before Stephen de Irton, constable of Henry, earl of Lancaster, concerning his manor of Newcastle under Lyme. The jurors say that the rector of the church of Stoke, whoever he may be, is to find lawfully at his own costs one suitable chaplain to celebrate in the chapel of Henry, earl of Lancaster in his castle there every week in the year for three days for Earl Henry and the souls of his ancestors, and in the chapel of St Giles the Abbot there, which is a parish in itself, and has burial and baptism every week in the year for four days for the souls of all the parishioners of the same chapel, living and deceased, of which same chaplain and celebration Henry and his ancestors and the same parishioners and their ancestors were seised, time out of mind until the time of John de Kynardeseye, who demised the chapel of St Giles to certain farmers but, by reason of too little desire, etc, they withdrew and cancelled the chaplain and celebration to the prejudice of Henry and all those parishioners. And they say that the same rector holds there one house with a curtilage next to the churchyard of St Giles, which is farmed at 6s, one plot of land called Wodecroft, and it contains ten acres of open land, the value of which they do not know. And he has the tithes of two watermills there, which tenements with the tithe were given in ancient times to the rectory of Stoke towards the maintenance of that chaplain and celebration. They also say that the same rector is to find at his own costs one parish chaplain to serve and celebrate in the chapel of St Mary by Yende ze Water in the vill of Newcastle [Newcastle under Lyme], which is an ancient chapel and founded before the church of Stoke, and is a parish in itself, and has burial and baptism, of which same chaplain and celebration those parishioners and their ancestors were seised time out of mind, until the time of John de Kynardeseye, late parson of the church of Stoke, who withdrew the chaplain and celebration for three years to the prejudice of holy church and all those parishioners. Because John de Kynardeseye saw that it was a very great detriment to his soul, in his final days he bequeathed to three chaplains, namely John Lycoris, Stephen de Butterton and Henry Stoyl, to celebrate in the same chapel for one day in restoration of those three years. And if there are any tenements or rents towards the maintenance of that chaplain, the jurors do not know.

County: [Staffordshire].

Additional people: Jurors: Thomas de Cnotton, Ralph Swanild, Richard Lagon, William de Chasturton, Richard son of Nicholas, William le Grey, Henry Brian, John Pollard, Henry Kene, Richard son of Robert, Henry son of Simon, William atte Frereyate, Thomas de Chelle, John del Ironhalle, Robert Don, and Stephen de Blorton.

Saturday, the eve of Palm Sunday, 15 Edw III.