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not break open the writs, except it be in the presence of the jurats; nor may the jurats break them open in the absence of the bailiff. If he bear a charge, the bailiff shall cause the common horn to be blown at each corner of the town three times, and shall cause the said writ to be read in the place where he holds his

courts.

12. Chattels of heirs.

Item. It is used that in case a man and his wife, dwellers and free in the said town, have children between them free born, and the father and mother die, or the father die and the widow take another husband, or she die a widow, then the goods and chattels in the hands of the executors or administrators, found within the franchise, shall be seized by the jurats; and they also (i. e., the executors or administrators) distrained by all their own. chattels, until they (the jurats) have knowledge of the chattels which ought, of right, to come to the children, as well of the reasonable part, as of the part bequeathed. And when they have knowledge of the quantity of the said chattels, they shall deliver them to him who is the nearest of blood, to whom no inheritance can descend, who, of right, shall have the ward if he will sue for it, finding sufficient pledges; and he, and also his pledges shall be bound to the jurats, in the name of the commonalty, and to the executors, to answer for and deliver to the children their chattel when they come to their full age, and to keep without spoil or waste their lands and tenements which are within the franchise; and this bond shall be made by indenture, in three parts, and sealed with the common seal; of which indenture one part shall remain in the hutch (i. e. box) of the commonalty, to testify to the said thing; and the second part of the indenture shall remain in the hands of the executors; and the third part of the indenture in the hands of those who have the said children in ward; and in case that he who is nearest in blood is not willing to sue for the children to have the wardship, and to answer, as is above said, the jurats in maintenance of the franchise, shall deliver the said children, their chattels, their lands, and their tenements to another good and lawful man of the town,

bailif ne brusera les mandements si il ne soit en présence de jurés, ne les jurés deyvent bruser en absence du bailif. Si il porte charge, le bailif fera soner le corn comune à chescun angle de la vile iij foitz, et fera lyre le dit mandement en lu ou yl tynt ses cours.

12. Chatteux de heires.

Item.-Use est que en cas que homme et femme receants et frank deyns la dite vile eyont enfants par entre eux frank engendrés, et le père et la mère devyont ou le père devye, et la veve preigne autre mary, ou quele murge veve, soiont le bienz et les chatteux en les mayns de les exsecutours ou ministres trovés deyns la franchise par les jurés arescuz, et auxi par tut lour mesme chatel destreynt tank ils ayont conusance del chatel que avener deit de droit à les enfants, auxi com du rat porcion com de legat. Et quant ils ont conusance de la quantité du dit chatel, ils le delivereront à celui quest plus procheyn de sank, à ki nule heritage puet descendre, que de droit aura la garde si il voile pursure, trovont suffisants plegges, et lui et mesmes les plegges liés à les jurés en nom de la comune et à les exsecutours à respondre et deliverer à les enfants lour chatel, qant ils vignont à lour pleyne age et de lour teres et tenements que sont deyns la franchise sans estrep et wast garder. Et ceste lié sera fait per endenture en tres parties, et aselé du comune seal dount la une partie de lendenture demurera en le Hwch de la comune pur la dite chose tesmoigner, et la seconde partie de lendenture demurera en les mayns de les executours, et la tierce partie de lendenture en les mayns de eux qount les dits enfants en garde. Et en cas qe celui qest plus procheyn du sank ne voile pursure pur les enfants davoir la garde et de respondre com de sus est dit, les jurés, en mayntenonce de la franchise, les dits enfants lour chatteux lour teres et lour tenements delivereront à un autre bon et leal home de la vile, par mesme la securité susdite. Et donk soit il quest plus procheyn de sank de la dite garde, pour totes jours forclos par cause de sa nounsute ou par cause de ses non suffisant plegges.

VOL. VIL. NO. XIV.

Y

on the same security as above said; and, thereupon, let him who is the nearest of blood be foreclosed of the said ward for ever, by reason of his nonsuit, or by reason of his insufficient pledges.

13. New bailiff.

Item. It is used that, at what time there shall be no bailiff in the town, the Archbishop of Canterbury shall send a bailiff, whomsoever he will, with a commission sealed with his great seal, together with a letter of intendance to the jurats of the town, and the said commission and letter shall be read in full court, assembled by the common horn; and with that the bailiff, in the said court, shall make an oath to the commonalty, dictated by one of the jurats, in this form :-"I, N.,. bailiff, assigned by my lord the archbishop, in this port, shall maintain the franchise, and the usages of this port, and shall make lawful attachments and executions, according to the award and judgments of you barons ;" and otherwise he shall not be received. And if the said bailiff bear a commission sealed with any other seal than the great seal, he shall not be received; and also, if he bring not a letter of intendance he shall not be received; and, when a vacancy happens, our warden of the five ports shall send a bailiff with a commission and letter of intendance, sealed with the seal of office, and the said bailiff shall be sworn, and his commission and leiter of intendance read, in full court, as is before said; and be it known that at what time the said bailiff is sworn, he shall take a sergeant, one for whom he will answer, if need be, who shall be sworn, as is before said.

14. Of execution by the bailiff, and the penalty.

Item.-It is used, that if the bailiff make any other execution than what the barons have adjudged, or against the usages of the town, which is against his oath made to the commonalty on the day of his reception, let him be distrained by the jurats until he shall have paid to the commonalty £10 sterling; and if there be not whereof he may be distrained within the franchise to the value of £10, let them be levied by our warden as the charter of our lord the king grants to all the barons of the ports, in these words-"Et prohibemus ne quis eos injustè disturbet neque mer

13. Novel bailif.

Item.-Use est qe a qele houre qil ne soit ascun bailif deyns la vile, le Erceveske de Canterbyry mandera un bailif, li qil veudra ove comission aselé de son grant seal, ensemblement ove une letre dentendence à les jurés de la vile, et les dits comission et letre en pleyn court asemblé par le comune corn serount lus, et entre ceo en la dite court le bailif fera un serment à la comune chargé par un de les jurés en ceste fourme. "Moi N. bailif assigné par mon seigneur lerceveske en cel port mayntenera la franchise et les usages de ceo port et leal attachements et executions fera solom les agard et iugements de vous barons," et autrement ne deit il estre receu. Et si le dit bailif porte comission aselé dautre seal qe del grant seal ne deit il estre receu. Et auxi si il ne porte

Et qant vacacion soit

letre dentendence ne deit il estre receu. notre gardeyn de V. ports mandera un bailif od un comission et letre dentendence aselé de seal de office et deit le dit bailif estre juré, et ses comission et letre dentendence lus en pleyn court com devant est dit. Et fait à savoir qe a qele houre que le dit bailif est juré il prendra un serjant tiel pur ki il vuet respondre si cas avyenge, li qil sera juré com devant est dit.

14. De execucion de bailif od la paine.

Item.-Use est qe si le bailif face autre execucion qe les barons ount ajugé ou encountre les usages de la vile qest encountre son serment fait à la comune, le jour de sa receite, soit destreynt par les jurés tank il avera paié à la comune x li. desterling, et si nest de kai estre destreynt deyns la franchise à la value de x li., soient ils levés par notre gardeyn com la chartre de notre Seigneur le Roy grante à tots barons des ports purparle ency-"Et prohibemus nequis eos injustè disturbet neque mercatum eorum super forisfacturam x li." Et auxi faire gré à lui sur ki il fet la tort execucion.

catum eorum, super forisfacturam x li." And also, he shall make satisfaction to him upon whom he made the wrongful execution.

15.—A man may make seizure in his house.

Item.—It is used that each man may make seizure in his house for his rent or farm withheld, and retain the distress until he be paid; but he shall not carry the distress out of the franchise, and if he do so, let him be attached at the suit of the party, and put in prison until he shall have made satisfaction to the commonalty for the trespass done to the franchise, and him against whom he hath trespassed.

16.-Strangers in a suspicious place.

Item.—It is used that if a strange man dwell in the town in a suspicious place, the jurats and the bailiff shall demand of his host if he will engage that this suspicious person shall bear himself as a lawful man; and if he grant this, then let his residence be allowed, or otherwise let him leave the town in three days. And, in case that this suspicious person say that he is a man of good fame, and of good condition, let him have a reasonable day to get from his country a letter of good conversation under an authentic seal, or under twelve seals of the most responsible men of the town from whence he is; and then let him dwell in the town as a man of good fame and of good condition, and otherwise not. 17. Of pledge given.

Item.-It is used, that if a pledge be given to a free man or a dweller in the town, to be redeemed at a certain day, and nothing be done; he that hath the pledge in keeping after the said day is passed, shall come into court before the bailiff and barons, and shall demand the award of the court as to what he shall do with such a pledge, which he hath in his keeping, the which ought to have been redeemed at a day that is past. The barons shall give as their award, that he cause the party to be warned (at his cost who gave the pledge), that he come within his eight days to redeem his pledge, or it will be brought into full court before the said bailiff and barons, and appraised by, and put up to sale; and, if he come not within the said day, or at the said day, to redeem his pledge, at the said day let the pledge be brought

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