Devon (England) -- Social life and customs; Wreyland (England)
However, Bosworth Field had its effect at Wreycombe, three miles further
up the valley, the Manor of Wreycombe being restored to Robert Cary, son
and heir of Sir William Cary, who had forfeited it on attainder for high
treason twenty years before, 1 July 1465. He had quitted England to join
Queen Margaret in waging war on Edward IV, and he was killed at the
battle of Tewkesbury in 1471. The same thing had happened to Wreycombe
once before. Sir John Cary was one of the judges who were attainted of
high treason for declaring the Commission of Regency to be unlawful, and
he forfeited his property, 1 August 1387. He died in 1395, and next year
Wreycombe and other lands were granted to his widow. She was one of the
Holways of Holway, and this was Holway property that she had brought to
him on marriage.
Wreyland was once the property of John de Moelis; and he died in 1337,
leaving two daughters and no son. Muriel was fifteen and Isabella was
thirteen or more; and they became wards of the King, as their father
held his lands ‘in chief,’ that is to say, at first hand from the King.
The two girls married at once--not bad matches, but without the King’s
consent; and then there was the usual fuss. On partition of their
father’s lands, Wreyland was part of Muriel’s share; but there was a
Fine of 200 marks to pay for marrying without the King’s consent. It was
paid on 27 August 1337, and the King passed on the money to his son,
Edward the Black Prince, who was then a boy of seven.
Things happened here in Wreyland Manor which seem trivial now that we
have only the bare facts, as set down on the record of the Manor Court;
but in real life the facts may have aroused such animosities that they
would seem momentous then.--John More and Thomas Sachet have been
cutting down trees on the Lustleigh side of the Wrey, thereby choking
the stream so that it is overflowing on the Wreyland side and doing
damage here. Henry atte Slade has been catching pheasants and partridges
inside the Manor bounds. (Slade is just outside.) Ralf Golde’s pigs have
been eating Ralf Wilcokes’ apples from the Feast of saint Christina unto
the Feast of the Nativity of the blessed Mary. (From 24 July to 8
September.) Thomas Wollecote’s pig has been eating Thomas Ollesbrome’s
apples, and Ollesbrome has killed the pig, though Wollecote has offered
him twenty bushels of apples as compensation. In this case two issues
were set down for trial: the offer of the apples, and the killing of the
pig. Wollecote failed on the first issue, and did not proceed on the
second--it may be that Ollesbrome had brought the pig into Court, as his
defence was that he had not killed it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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