Bradwell on Sea
Landowners in the 11th Century
Bradwell on Sea Landowners in the 11th Century
One of the ways of
transferring land ownership from the 11th to the 17th
century is referred to as feet of fines. In essence this
required both parties to appear before a court and enter
into an legal action that was concluded by a legally
binding agreement. The agreement was
drawn up three times on a sheet of paper with the top
two entries taken by the parties involved and the bottom
entry at the foot of the page held by the court.
This procedure gave the agreement the name Feet of
Fines. This method was
especially popular with couples as it made legal
challenges to a surviving wife's rights to inherit much
more difficult that a normal legal agreement. The fact
that a wife and husband appeared before a court to agree
the transaction gave it much higher credance.
A further advantage was that a record of the
transaction was held by the court which also made
forgery much less likely. The Feet of Fines
records provide an indication of local landowners. Sometimes the
people listed would actually live on land in the village
although often they lived elsewhere whilst taking profit
from activity on their land. The importance to
family historians is that they provide details of
landowners at a time when records are comparatively
scarce and are a useful source to help trace ancestors
in a very distant period.
Surname
Christian
Title
Year
Mauntel
Robert
1230
Gernun
Ralph
1230
Le Prestre
Richard
1230
?
Roger
Rev
1239
Fitz-Juliana
John
1239
De Cramavile
Roesia
Miss
1240
Le Bel
William
1240
De Cramavile
Henry
1240
De Cramavile
Agatha
Miss
1240
?
Hugh
1240
Mauduit
William
1240
Mauduit
Eugenia
Mrs
1240
?
Margery
Miss
1240
De Cantilupo
Roger
1244
De Eltheneye
Gilbert
1244
Del Chemin
Robert
1252
De la Dune
John
1252
Del Chemin
Joan
Mrs
1252
Hakun
Walter
1257
De Stokes
Henry
1257
Hakun
Ida
1257
Le Moynne
Alice
Mrs
1257
De Borefar
Robert
1257
De Borefar
Alice
Mrs
1257
De Burn
Simon
1257
Le Moynne
William
1257
Le Moyne
William
1261
De Borefare
Robert
1261
