| Description | Giving to Thomas Lechemer gentleman of Hanley (Hanley subtus Malverniam) and Eleanor his wife and their issue (Thomas being second born son of Richard Lechemer recently of Hanley deceased and Joan his wife) the whole of their messuage called Le Whittemere in Hanley, with a curtilage, close, croft and garden adjacent, with appurtenances, along with all their arable lands there with appurtenances lying in a certain field commonly called Le Lechemersfeyld next to the said messuage, as is indicated by the metes and bounds there, except two acres of arable land with appurtenances lying in different parts of the same field, of which two selions lie in between the land recently belonging to Richard Carpynter on the one side and that of Richard Whittemer on the other, four selions lie between the land of Roger Frewyn on the west and that of Richard Stokk on the east, and one acre containing one daywork of land lies between the land pertaining to the service of St Clement in the parish church of Hanley on the west and that of John Seward on the east; and [giving] also their meadow with appurtenances lying in the meadow called Severn Meadow (Severn medowe), between Le Oldecrofte and a certain gate (portam ) recently belonging to the said Richard Lechemere which leads to and opens on to the said meadow as is indicated by the metes and bounds there; and also all their arable land lying in Le Longe crofte, and five dayworks of arable land with a certain parcel of meadow with appurtenances lying in Northfield (Le Northefeyld) beyond a meadow commonly called Le Westmore; all of which property [the grantors] have for some time jointly held, along with Richard Tele their co-feoffator now deceased, among other lands and tenements with appurtenances in Hanley, of the feoffment of John Turnour senior and William Hanley, the two feoffees of the said Richard Lechemere, in accordance with a charter executed for them and dated at Hanley on 14 April 1495, to give effect to his will (voluntatem), and which among other lands and tenements with appurtenances in Hanley they [formerly] held jointly with Thomas Modye, rector of the parish church of Peopleton (Pepulton), John Chambre of Upton (Upton super Sabrinam) and John Bracye of Grenefeyld deceased of the gift, grant and feoffment of the said Richard Lechemere, according to a charter executed for them and dated at Hanley on 4 May 1460, to give effect to his will; to be held of the chief lord of the fee to Thomas Lechemere and Eleanor his wife and the heirs of their bodies legitimately begotten, in perpetuity, by the services due from the property and lawfully accustomed; and in the absence of such heirs, to Thomas Lechemere, younger son of the above Richard and Joan his wife and brother of the above named Thomas, and his legitimate heirs; and in the absence of such heirs, to William, third son of Richard and Joan, then to Nicholas, their fourth son, then to John Lechemere senior, their first born son, and then to the heirs of Thomas senior. Sealing clause.Witnesses: John Walys esquire, Richard Frere gentleman, Walter Chappell, John Baugh, Richard Frewyn and many others.
Dated at Hanley.
Seal: red wax (1) device of letters I S as a monogram; (2) device of letter R; (3) device of letter W.
(chirograph)
1. Since there were two brothers named Thomas (Toomey, Medieval Woodland Manor, 197), it was important to specify the grantee as Thomas senior, the second son of Richard and Joan Lechmere.
[Ref. 236 in J. P. Toomey, Records of Hanley Castle (Worcs. Hist. Soc. 2001) [q.v. for additional details])] |