or lease, much interesting matter may be gleaned, and for that reason it was deemed better to give it unabridged:—
"To all Christian people to whom this present writing shall come the Dean
and Chapter of the Cathedral Church of Christ of King Henry the eighth's
foundation do send greeting in our Lord God everlasting: Whereas we the said
Dean and Chapter by our Indenture of Lease, sealed with our common Seal,
bearing date the sixteenth day of July, in the three and fortieth year of the reign
of our sovereign lady Elizabeth (1601), late Queen of England, &c., did, as much
as in us was, demise, grant, and to farm, lett unto Thomas ffleetwood, of Caldwich,
in the County of Stafford, esquire, all our Court Leets and view of franchpledge
within our parsonage and manor of Kirkham, in the County of Lancaster, or in
either of them, or to, or with them, or either of them used, occupied, incident,
or belonging appertaining, with all and every thing (singular) there appertaining,
also the keeping of the Court Barons there, and all waifs, strays, treasure
trove, deodands, felons' and outlaws' goods, forfeitures, fines, amercements,
serving and executing of writs and processes, and all royalties, liberties,
perquisites and profits of Court Leets, all commodities and advantages
whatsoever to the same Court Leets incident, due, or in any wise belonging,
or which heretofore have been, or of right ought to have been, had and
enjoyed by us, the said Dean and Chapter, or any of our predecessors, or
any other person or persons by or by means of our estate, right, or title to
the same or any part thereof, in as large and ample manner as we, the said
Dean and Chapter, or our successors, may or ought to have or enjoy, together
also with the Stewardship, office of Steward, or authority for appointing
the Steward for the keeping of the said Courts; And also the profits of all and
each of our fairs and markets to be kept at or within the said manor and parsonage
of Kirkham; The Courts of Pipowder; And all manner of Toll and
Stallage—That is to say, Turne-toll, Traverse-Toll, and Through-Toll, and all
manner of payments, fines, forfeitures, fees, sums of money, with all other kind
of profits and commodities whatsoever, which do or may lawfully accrue, arise,
come, or be due, unto us, the said Dean and Chapter, our successors, or assignees,
by reason of any fair or market, or fairs or markets, which hereafter shall be kept
within the manor or parish of Kirkham aforesaid; And half an Oxgang of Land,
called by the name of the old Eworth, with so much of the late improved Common
in Kirkham aforesaid as was allotted, used, or occupied, or ought to be used,
allotted, or occupied to or with the said half Oxgang; One Burgage house with
the appurtenances in Kirkham aforesaid, now in the tenure, holding, or occupation
of one Thomas Singleton and William Kitchen, or the one of them; One
Croft called the hemp garden, certain grounds, called the Vicar's Carrs, set, lying,
and being in Kirkham aforesaid; One house built upon the waste in Kirkham
aforesaid, commonly called or known by the name of the moote hall, with all
shops underneath the said moote hall, and all the tythes of the new improvements
not formerly demised within the said manor or parish of Kirkham, or within the
liberties thereof; And all encroachments within the same manor—That is to say,
all such arable lands, meadow, pasture, woodlands, furzeland, heath, and marshland,
and all other such vacant and waste land, as is or hath been heretofore by any
