Robert Stringer, Richard Stringer, Elianor Stringer and Anne Stringer, sons and daughters...

Robert Stringer, Richard Stringer, Elianor Stringer and Anne Stringer, sons and daughters of Robert Stringer deceased and Sarah his wife, now wife of Thomas Reynolds, plts; Thomas Reynolds, John Reynolds of Bradford, John Reynolds of Pickthorne, Joseph Stringer, defts

Brief, for the defendant John Reynolds of Bradford.

Bill filed 15 November 1714

Robert Stringer the father was possessed of personal estate to the value of £300 which his wife Sarah possessed as his executrix. Before her marriage with Thomas Reynolds, by articles dated 21 November 1696 (1) Thomas Reynolds (deft) (2) Sarah and the plts (3) Deft Reynolds of Pickthorne and Stringer, in consideration of the £300 portion, Thomas Reynolds agreed to pay plt Robert £40, plt Richard £40, plt Elianor £45 and plt Anne £40 within a months of their becoming 21 and to maintain and educate them in the meanwhile Thomas Reynolds to acknowledge to Reynolds of Pickthorne and Stringer that Michaelmas term in the Court of Common Pleas a judgment of £300 in debt as security for performance. This was done. Defts Reynolds and Stringer Hillary term 4 Anne obtained an extent by inquisition on an eligit of the moiety of all lands etc of the deft. Thomas Reynolds, viz Wattford Mill, the Millhouse, 2 gardens, 1 orchard, 1 hempyard, 2 parcels of wood ground in Choreley called the Great and Little Coppice

The plts are of age but have not been paid and are likely to lose the sums because Thomas Reynolds had no goods or chattels and was only tenant for life of extended moiety and combines with the defts When an ejectment was brought for recovery of an extended moiety, Thomas Reynolds made a lease to the deft John Reynolds of Bradford and antedated it and put him in possession and went into Ireland. John Reynolds of Bradford brought a bill in chancery against the trustees to stop proceedings on the ejectment and got an injunction to which bill Reynolds the trustee answered but the other trustee neglected to do so, whereby the injunction remained undissolved. Reynolds of Bradford continued in possession and felled and disposed of timber. Object of the bill to make him refund the value of the timber and other profits, and to stop him felling any more

Answer Hillary term 1714/5 that he knew nothing of the articles but became bound for Thomas Reynolds to Richard Creswell esq for £20 and to George Aston for £14.14.0 and in consideration was given the lease of 1705/6 which was duly executed on the date Thomas Reynolds being greatly in debt was forced to abscond, and the deft John being liable for the debts he was engaged for, entered the messuage mill and premises at Ladyday 1706 (part being let to Thomas Walford at £4.10.0 p.a.) and occupied the rest Thomas Reynolds being poor and having little to support him, his wife for some part of the time managed the estate and took most of the profit to his use. The deft. has disbursed money on repairs and paid the Land tax. As he had the lease only for 50 years or his brother's life and no other security, he cut down a considerable quantity of coppice wood and some polls but cannot set forth the exact quantity - believed after all charges it amounted to £47.5.0 2/3rds might grown on the premises to be extended

The trustees in the articles brought an ejectment for recovery of possession of the premises pretended to be extended, tried at Salop Lent Assizes 7 Anne Soon after it was reported that Thomas was dead on which the premises would descend to his son then an infant, and the deft brought a bill in Chancery to stay proceedings at law

The trustees in Michaelmas term 1706 on behalf of the plts brought a bill in Chancery again the deft John Reynolds to call him to account for the wood sold and obtained an injunction to restrait him from cutting more. He got the injunction dissolved and believes the bill was dismissed

7 September 1706 he paid George Aston £15.2.0 and 26 March 1707 paid Richard Creswell £26.10.0 in full for their principal and interest which he was security for, and at Thomas Reynold's request paid German Hamond £5 his proper debt. Whilst Thomas was under his misfortunes and absconded in Cheshire for neat 2 years, the deft, from time to time supplied him with small sums towards his maintenance and paid for dyet and board and necessaries £20 and since his return has advanced money for support of him, his wife and family, for which the deft, has no security. Thomas agreed that he should be reimbursed out of the wood.

As to the estate at Higley, the defts mother held this in jointure and died about Candlemas last (1714). One Edmunds set up a title and brought an ejectment at last Salop Assizes. the deft attended two or three days and then was disnoticed. He had expended £13 and upwards, so that estate has been no aid to the other premises. Edmunds afterwards brought a bill in chancery which suit is depending.

The other defendants are amicable defendants

Proofs taken 8 October 1717 for the defendant - witnesses Francis Knight, John Ward, Robert Wynn, Thomas Grove, Joseph Jarey, George Reynolds, William Hamond, John Higgens

Proofs for plts taken 8 October 1717 - witnesses Francis Knight, Thomas Russell ("This witness is of a very bad reputation & a sort of sold for plt") Martha wife of deft John Reynolds of Pickthorne, ("Observe the whole tenor of her deposition for she sweares at a strange rate"). Richard Rushbury clerk 23 April 1718 proved certificates of deaths of the plts father and that he received for tithe of wood falled by deft about £18, Thomas Crump, Thomas Lowbridge, George Aston, Thomas Reynolds the deft. John Reynolds of Pickthorne the deft.

Note. The defendant's son and only child is dead, whereby he is become tenant in fee simple whereas he was but tenant for life before