[Inquisition at Hermitage 1598]

An Inquisicon Indontid taken at Ermitage in the county of Dorst the seven and Twenteth daye of September in the fforteth//
yeare of the Raigne of our Souraigne Lady Elizabeth [1598] by the grace of God of England ffrance and Ireland defendr of the//
fayth — Before William Mynterne gent generall Woodward and John Bridden gent of the sayd county commissinore of by vertue of her highnes high court of Eschequr//
to them directyd and hereunto arreyed by the Othes of ffranncys Hardy Thomas Mullens gent Edmond Devenishe//
gent William Allumbrigge John Notley Thomas Combe Michaell Dane (?) John ffryer Thomas Stevens Richard Bartlett Marshall Maber Thomas Sturmye Thomas Bridell Hugh Thicke Henry Bushopp Jasper Harrys John Harrys //
William Ryall Charles Whyffen and Nicolas Wastell whoe saye uppon their othes that wthin the space of eyght//
yeares last past vizt in the yeare of our Lord god one thousand five hundred ninty one were taken and felled wthin//
her mate [Majesty’s] manor of ffordington uppon her Mate comon or waste at Hermitage xxv [25] Tymber trees of Oke by John //
Winsor then Ryve of her mate sayd manor And in the yeare of our Lord god one thousand five hundred ninty two ~
were taken and felled uppon her mate sayd comon or wast at Ermitage aforesayd divers Tymber trees the certyne //
nomber wherof the Jury can not certeynly tell by John Whyt thelder then Rive of the sayd Manor And in the //
yeare of our Lord god one thousand five hundred and ninty three wer taken and felled by Thomas Bushipp then Ryve//
wthin her mate sayd manor uppon the sayd comon or waste at Ermitag xxxiiij [34] tymber trees and in the yeare //
of our Lord god one thousand five hundred ninty ffoure were taken and felled uppon the comon or waste of //
Ermitag aforesayd by Roger Keate gent then Ryve xxxti [30] Tymber trees of oke And in the year of our Lord //
god one thousand five hundred ninty five were felled and taken uppon the sayd comon or wast aforsayd by //
Nicolas Wynsor then Ryve xxti [20] Tymber trees of oke And in the yeare of our Lord god one thousand five hundred //
ninty sixe were felled and taken uppon the comon or wast aforsayd by Robert Cosens then Ryve xxxv [35] //
Tymber trees of oke And in the yeare of our Lord god one thousand five hundred ninty seven were //
felled or taken uppon the comon or wast aforesayd by William Burd then Ryve xxiij [23] timber trees of //
Oke and in the yeare of our Lord god one thousand five hundred ninty eyght were felled and taken by //
uppon the comon or wast aforesayd by William Barnes now Ryve xxxvj [36] Tymber Trees of oke And that //
all the sayd trees have been delivrd by vertue of sevrall warrante under the hand of Sr Georg Trenchard //
knight her mate steward of the sayd manor uppon psentmt of sevrall juryes at her mate Lawdayes holden //
yearly wthin the sayd eyght years at the manor of ffordington aforesayd for the necessary repeir of decayes
decayes of divers her mate customrye tenemt of the sayd Manor And yearly eyght of the sayd trees for //
neco_ (?) makinge and repeyringe her mate two ponnde wthin the sayd manor viz thone at ffordington And the //
other att Ermytag And the jury doe alsoe psent that the toppes and barckes of the sayd trees were //
taken by the sayd sevrall Ryves to their owne use wch they clayme they may soe doo by custome And //
othe Ryve hath alsoe taken yearly uppon the sayd comon or waste two lodes of wood in respect he findeth // (??)
the stewarde dyet [Dyet, or Dyett] yearly at the sayd lawdayes Alsoe the jury doe psent that ther is a great comon or wast //
lying at Ermitage aforesayd wthin the sayd Manor of ffordington being pcell of the sayd manor wthin wch sayd //
comon or wast ther be two copices thout called the wester coppice et conteyning by estimacon xx [20] akers wch //
about xv [15] yeares since was felled and fenced round and wthin two or three yeares after the hedge was //
taken awaye but by whom the jury knowe nott by meane wherof the same copice is utterly spoyled and dcayed //
And thother copice called the easter copice conteyning by estimacon xx [20] akers was felled about xxxvj [36] //
yeares since aj (?) as they suppose and was fenced and kept enclosed by the space of sixe or seaven yeares //
but the wood there is very fyne and little better worth if the same now felled than the hedging and //
fenceinge the same for seven years would cost, as the jury by vewe therof doe veryly thinke In wytnes//
wherof as well the seyd comissioners as the seyd jury to thone pte of this Inquisicon have sette their hande //
and seales as also to thother pte the seyd comissioners have sette their hande and seales geven the day and //
year first above wrytten.
Henry Byshopp                        
Willm [?mynterne?]   Jo: Bridden  Jonas Notley [?]   Edmund Devenisse            Willyam Allambryg   
Fra Hardey                                                      Marshall Maber         Richard Bartlett