It is obvious that these Records
constitute an invaluable body of evidence, from which important
information may be drawn regarding our parochial and ecclesiastical
history. The Institution Books, as might be expected, contain a great
deal of curious matter besides the mere records of admission to
benefices, but with this I am at present not concerned.
II. I come now to the Court Rolls, which throw much more light upon
our parochial history than any other documents that have come down to
us; their information is concerned exclusively with the civil,
domestic, sometimes with the political life of our forefathers; about
their religious life, or their contentions with ecclesiastics, they
have rarely a word to say.
* * * * * * *
All who have at any time owned or purchased what is known as copyhold
land might be supposed to know something of the nature of the title
on which such land is held. If they do not it is not for want of
being reminded from time to time, in a very vexatious way, that they
are in theory and in fact not so much owners of their several
holdings as _tenants_ of the Lord of the Manor to which such
holdings appertain. But inasmuch as a great deal of ignorance
prevails as to the nature of this tenure, and as it is impossible to
estimate the value and importance of the evidence which the Rolls of
the Manor Courts supply in the inquiry on which we are engaged, I
feel it necessary to introduce at this point a few paragraphs
introductory to and explanatory of what follows.
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