Inquisition Post Mortem of Richard Infield, 1611

Writ of Mandamus

James, by grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, to the Escheator of our Lord in the county of Sussex, greetings. You are directed to carefully inquire by the oath of honest and lawful men of your bailiwick, by whom the truth of the matter may best be known, what quantity of lands and tenements Richard Infeild, gent, deceased, held of us in chief, in demesne and in service, in your same bailiwick on the day that he died and what quantity he held of others and by what service and what the lands and tenements are worth yearly in all issues and on what day the same Richard died and who is his next heir and what age, and who, from the time of the death of the said Richard, had occupation of the lands and tenements or took and received the issues and profits, by what title or nature and in what manner. And without delay send the inquisition taken, clearly and openly to us, in our Chancery under your seal and the seals of those by who it was done and send with it this writ. Witness myself at Westminster the twenty third day of October in the ninth year of our reign of England, France and Ireland and the forty fifth year of Scotland.

Delivered to the court the second day of November in the ninth year of the reign of James King of England, by the hand of John Greene, gent

Sussex

An indented inquisition taken at Eastgreensted in the county of Sussex aforesaid, the first day of November in the reign of our Lord James, by grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, defender of the faith &c viz; of England, France and Ireland, the ninth year and of Scotland, the forty fifth year, before George Turner, Esquire, Escheator of our said Lord the King in the county abovesaid, by virtue of a writ of our said Lord the King, of Mandamus, directed to the same Escheator and annexed to this inquisition, to hold an inquiry after the death of Richard Infeild, gent, deceased, by the oaths of Robert Merchant, Thomas Orgle, John Bottinge, Thomas Dungate, John Crippes, Richard Holmewood, John Saxby, Richard Collman, John Hollman, DreweHylles, Thomas Norman, Thomas Swasland, William Norman, John Farmor and Richard Collman, honest and lawful men of the county aforesaid, who say upon their oaths aforesaid that the said Richard Infeild named in the said writ, alias Richard Inyngfeild, was seized, on the day he died, in his demesne as of a fee of and in one Manor or principle messuage in Westhothly called Gravetye and of and in diverse lands, meadows, pastures, woods and under woods, and other hereditaments, to the same manor or principle messuage belonging or appertaining or with the use and occupation of the same, containing by estimation two hundred and eighty acres lying and being in Westhothly aforesaid. And of and in certain lands in Westhothly aforesaid containing by estimation forty acres of land called by the name of Gyffords alias Rough Gyffords. And of and in certain other lands called or known by the name of Le Plawe, lying and being in Eastgreensted aforesaid. And of and in one cottage and one parcel of land, adjacent to the same cottage, containing by estimation two acres called Cockwebbs alias Fyngfeild, situate, lying and being in Westhothly aforesaid. And of and in one barn and certain lands containing by estimation ninety acres called or known by the name of Barrlands, situate, lying and being in Walkhamsted alias Godstone in the county of Surrey. And of and in certain land in Godstone in the county of Surrey aforesaid containing by estimation sixty acres called or known by the name of Le Byes. And of and in certain land in Godstone aforesaid called or known by the name of Hookecrofts now in the tenure and occupation of (blank) Terry or his assigns. And of and in certain land containing by estimation twenty acres called or known by the name of Longlands alias Blacklands, lying and being in Tandridge in the aforesaid county of Surrey. And of and in one tenement and certain lands containing by estimation forty two acres called or known by the name of Sugham, situate, lying and being in Lingfeild in the aforesaid county of Surrey. And that the said Richard Infeild named in the said writ, of and in, all and singular the premisses as aforesaid with appurtenances and profits, died siezed of such estate. The jurors aforesaid futher say upon their said oaths that the said manor or principle messuage in Westhothly aforesaid called Gravetye and the said lands, meadows, pastures, woods, underwoods and other hereditaments, containing by estimation two hundred and eighty acres, lying and being in Westhothly aforesaid at the time of the death of the said Richard Infeild named in the said writ was held of the most noble, George Lord Dacre as of his manor of Streat and now held of Walter Doble, Gent as of his manor of Streat by fealty and by what other service the said jurors know not, and are worth yearly in all issues after deductions sixty shillings. And that the said tenements and land in Westhothly aforesaid called Gyffords alias Rough Gyffords at the time of the death of the said Richard Infeild named in the said writ were held of Francis Carew, Knight as of his manor of Plumpton and now held of Charles Howard, Knight and of his dear, Lady wife, as of the same manor of Plumpton by fealty and by what other service the said jurors know not and are are worth yearly in all issues after deductions, two shillings. And that the said land in Eastgreensted aforesaid called or known by the name of Le Plawe at the time of the death of the said Richard Infeild, was held of Drew Barentine, Esquire, as of his manor of Broardhurst and now held of Richard Mychelborne, Knight, as of his manor of Broardhurst, by fealty and by what other service the said jurors know not and are worth yearly, in all issues after deductions, two shillings. And that the said tenement and certain premisses in Westhothly aforesaid called Cockwebbs, at the time of the death of the said Richard Infeild, were held of Thomas Browne as of his manor of the Rectory of Westhothly and now held of John Browne as of his manor of the Rectory of Westhothly by fealty and by what other service the said jurors know not and are worth yearly in all issues after deductions, twelve pence. And that the said barn and certain premisses in Godstone aforesaid called or known by the name of Barrlands at the time of the death of the said Richard Infeild were held of Thomas Powle, Esquire, as of the manor of Walkhamsted and now held of George Evelyn, Esquire, as of the manor of Walkhamsted by fealty and by what other service the said jurors know not and are worth yearly, in all issues after deductions five shillings. And that the said tenement called The Byes in Godstone aforesaid at the time of the death of the said Richard Infeild were held of the most noble, Henry, Earl of Arrudell as of the manor of Sheffeild Lingfeild and now held of the most noble, Thomas, Earl of Arrundell and Surrey, as of the manor of Sheffeild Lingfeild aforesaid, by fealty and by what other service the said jurors know not and are worth yearly, in all issues after deductions, ten shillings. And that the said tenement in Godstone aforesaid called or known by the name of Hookecrofts at the time of the death of the said Richard Infeild, were held of William Swann, Esquire, as of the manor of Nobright and now held of William Swann, Knight, as of the manor of Nobright aforesaid by fealty and by what other service the said jurors know not and are worth yearly, in all issues after deductions, five shillings. And that the said land in Tandridge aforesaid called or known by the name of Longlands alias Blacklands at the time of the death of the said Richard Infeild were held of Richard Bostocke, Esquire, as of the manor of Tandridge and now held of Bostocke Fuller, Esquire, as of the manor of Tandridge by fealty and by what other service the said jurors know not and are worth yearly, in all issues after deductions, thirteen shillings. And that the said tenements and land in Lingfeild aforesaid called or known by the name of Sugham, at the time of the death of the said Richard Infeild, were held of William Foster, Esquire, as of the manor of Chillers alias Chellowes and now held of William Foster, Knight, as of the manor of Chillers alias Chellowes aforesaid by fealty and by what other service the said jurors know not and are worth yearly, in all issues after deductions, six shillings. And the said jurors further say upon their said oaths that the said Richard Infeild named in the said writ, died the twentieth day of April in the year of our Lord 1571 at Westhothly aforesaid and that Richard Infeild alias Inningfeild, gent, is the son and next heir and was under the age of twenty one years at the time of his father’s death aforesaid viz; aged three years and not more. And the said jurors further say upon their said oaths that the said Richard Infeild named in the said writ, held no other manors, lands, tenements or hereditaments in demesne, reversion, remainder or in any other way, at the time of his death in the county of Sussex aforesaid or in any other place as far they know, but of anyone who had occupation of the said manor, messuages, lands, tenements and hereditaments aforesaid or took or received the issues and profits from the time of the death of the said Richard Infeild named in the said writ, the said jurors regret they do not know. In witness of which, to one part of this inquisition, remaining in the keeping of the Escheator, the Escheator and the jurors have put their seals and to the other part remaining in the keeping of the jurors the Escheator has put his seal. Given the day, year and place first abovesaid.

Robert Marchant, Thomas Orgle, John Bottinge, Thomas Dungate, John Crippes, Richard Holman, John Saxby, Richard Colman, John Holman, Drew Hilles, Thomas Norman, Thomas Swasland, William Norman, John Farmer and Richard Colman

George Turner