1270 : William de la Plocke - Involved in an Inquisition Post Mortem


 

Source: Index Library xxx
Title: Abstracts of Inquisitiones post Mortem for Gloucestershire, returned into the Court of Chancery during the Plantagenet Period. Part IV. 20 Henry III. to 29 Edward I. 1236-1300. Edited by Sidney J. Madge, 1903, London, 45
Date: 17 March 1270
Place: Gloucester

 

Prior of Lanthony

Inquisition taken at Gloucester on Monday next after the feast of St. Gregory, 54 Hen. III [1270], before Adam de Greimull and Peter de Chaunent, by the oath of Philip de Mattresdon, Philip de Heytherleye, Robert de la Grave, Henry de Brihchamton, Peter Damisele, Reginald de Brichamtone, William de la Plocke, John de Vinea, Adam de Uske, William de Benetham, William de Rynn, William Geraud, and Nicholas de Brocworth, whether the Prior and Convent of Lanthony at any time had a certain weir in the water of the Severn under their said priory; and if so, from what time, in what way, and by whose collation, and whether it be to the damage of the King and to the hurt of his weirs in the said water, and to what damage and hurt, who say that

At one time they had there a pool of wood (stagnum lineum) and 1 mill situated there, of the collation of Walter Constable and Margery de Bohun, founders of the Castle of Gloucester and the said priory, and there they laid “Burochios” and other engines to take the fish. They say it is not to the hurt of the King or his weirs in the said water, because there are 3 weirs situated between that weir and the weir of the King next the sea.
Chan. Inq. p, m., 54 Hen. III, No. 39.

In feudal England, escheat (pronounced eesheet) referred to the situation where the tenant of a fief died without an heir or committed a felony. The fief reverted to the King's ownership for one year and one day, by right of primer seisin, after which it reverted to the original lord who had granted it. From the time of Henry III, the monarchy took particular interest in escheat as a source of revenue.
From the 12th century onward, the Crown appointed escheators to manage escheats and report to the Exchequer, with one escheator per county established by the middle of the 14th century. Upon learning the death of a tenant, the escheator would hold an "inquisition post mortem" to learn if the king had any rights to the land. These were often preceded by a "writ of diem clausit extremum" issued by the king to seize the lands and hold the I.P.M. If there was any doubt, the escheator would seize the land and refer the case to Westminster where it would be settled, ensuring that not one day's revenue would be lost. This would be a source of concern with land owners when there were delays from Westminster.
Source: Wikipedia

 

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