Writ of Diem Clausit Extremum

Elizabeth, by grace of God, Queen of England, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, to the Escheator of our Lady in the county of Surrey, Greetings. Because James Infeld, gent, who held of us in chief, has died, (lit. closed his last day) as we understand, you are ordered that without delay, you take into our hand all the lands and tenements in your bailiwick, which the same James was seised in demesne as of fee on the day of his death and cause them to be safely kept, until we order otherwise therein. And Carefully inquire by the oath of honest and lawful men of your same bailiwick, by whom the truth of the matter may best be known, what quantity of lands and tenements the aforesaid James 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 what day the same James died, and who is his next heir and of what age. 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 seventh day of February in the thirty eighth year of our reign.

Conyers

Delivered to the court the seventh day of May in the year below written, by the hand of Thomas Woodgate, gent.

Surrey

An indented inquisition taken at Reigate in the county aforesaid, the nineteenth day of February in the thirty eighth year of the reign of our Lady Elizabeth by grace of God, queen of England, France and Ireland, Defendor of the Faith &c, before Dragone Pycas, Esquire, Escheator of our said Lady the Queen, in the county aforesaid, by virtue of a writ, of our said Lady the Queen, of diem clausit extremum, sent to him, after the death of James Infeld, deceased, and attached to this inquisition, by the oaths of William Roffey, Richard Savage, John Richardson, Robert ___, George Waffle, George Ireland, John Cowper, Roger Lambert, George Franck, Thomas Grene, John Pidgeon, Jasper Ockley, Nicholas Richardson and Henry Addams, who say upon their oaths that the said James, named in the said writ, was in life seised in demesne as of fee, of and in two tenements and certain lands tenements and hereditaments with their appertenances called or known by the name of Le Lyne alias Lynde and Reades, situate, lying and being in the parishes of Lingefeld and Walkhamsted alias Godstone, in the county of Surrey aforesaid. And of and in two closes of land and meadow with all and singular the appurtenances, commonly called or known by the name of Longfelde and the other called by the name of Seaven Okes Mead, lately being a parcel with a farm tenement commonly called Stantons alias Downes and lying within the parish of Walkhamsted alias Godstone in the county aforesaid. And of and in certain lands called Warrappesmeade with their appurtenances, lying and being in Walkhamsted alias Godstone aforesaid. And that the aforesaid James, being thus seised, died so seised. And futhermore the jurors aforesaid say upon their oaths that the said land tenements and hereditaments with their appurtenances were held, and at the time of the death of the said James, were held of William Gaynsford, Esquire, as of the manor of Le Forde by fealty, and returning nine shillings, seven pence, yearly, and are worth, yearly, after all deductions forty shillings. And that the said tenements with appurtenances called Reades, were held, and at the time of the death of the said James, were held of the aforesaid William Gansforde as of the said manor of Le Forde by fealty, and returning nine shillings, six pence, yearly, and are worth, yearly, after all deductions, ten shillings. And that the aforesaid two closes of land and meadow with their appurtenances, called Longfeld and Seaven Okes Mead, were held, and at the time of the death of the said James, were held of Edward Wells as of the manor of Reddhall in Burstowe, by fealty and returning eighteen pence, yearly, and are worth yearly in all issues after deductions thirteen shillings, four pence. And that the aforesaid land called Warrappesmeade with the appurtenances, were held, and at the time of the death of the said James, were held of George Evelyn, gent, as of the manor of Lagham and Walkhamsted by returning thirteen shillings, six pence, yearly ___ heriot and relief at death, and by fealty and are worth after all deductions, ten shillings. And the aforesaid jurors say that the said James held no more lands or tenements of our Lord the King or of the said William Gansforde, Edward Wells or George Evelyn or of any other person, whosoever, in the county aforesaid, in demesne, nor in sevice on the day he died. And the jurors aforesaid, say upon their oaths, that the said James Infeld died at Lingfeld aforesaid, on the twenty second day of January last, and that Elizabeth Infeld and Anne Infeld are the daughters and co-heirs of James, and that the said Elizabeth is aged twenty years and more and that the said Anne, being of the age of eighteen years and more. In witness of which matter, to one part of this inquisition, remaining in the keeping of the aforesaid Escheator, the said Escheator and the said jurors have put their seals and to the other part remaining in the keeping of the said jurors, the aforesaid Escheator has put his seal. Given the day, year and place abovesaid.

William Roffey, Richard Savige, Robert ___, George Waffell, George Ireland, George Franke, Jasper Ockley, Nicholas Richardson, the marks of the other jurors.

Thomas Woodgate