Medieval Marston
Below are several reports and articles relating to Marston from Medieval times:
ORIEL COLLEGE: Miscellaneous Deeds
477 Grant to the College of an acre of meadow in Marston [636]
Feb 2 1349
Pateat universis per presentes quod ego. Petros de Notyngham, persona ecclesie sancti Michaelis ad portun borialem Oxonie, dedi [&c.] preposito & scolaribus domus sell anle beate Marie Oxonie unam acram prati quam emi de Iohane Godefray de Merstone secundum quod accidit michi per sortem in prato de Merstone, videlicet unam rodam in Muchelemellepount & aliam in Littlemellepount & terciam in Shillynhope & quartam in Southmore, ita quod post decessum meum videlicet dicti scolares habeant unam apietanciam cum viderint expedire; nec volo quod dicta acra nec pecunia proueniens ex eadem ad alios usus quam scolarium predictorum loco apietancie in esculentis et poculentis aliqualiter convertatur; habendam et tenendam dictam acram prati dictis preposito & scolaribus ut premittitur in perpetuum, reddendo inde annuatim capitalibus dominis feodi illius servicia inde debita & de iure consueta. Et ego [&c Warranty]. In cuius [&c. sealing], hiis testibus, Ricardo de Selwode tunc maiore ville Oxonie, Iohanne Bedeford et Adam le Longe tunc balliuis eiusdem ville, Ricardo Cary, Willelmo le Irmongere, Iohanne Smyth Skynner de Oxonia et multis aliis. Dat Oxonie die Lune in festo Purificationis beate Marie virginis anno regni regis Edwardi Tercil post conquestum vicesimo tercio.
[Oriel College Records. C.L. Shadwell, H.E. Salter. OHS LXXXV (1926), 369]
Rigistrum Munimentorum [1397]
Merston
1. Carta qua Petrus de Notyngham persona ecclesie sancti Michaelis ad portam borealem Oxonie dedit collegio unam acram prati quam emit de Iohane Godefray de Merston, secundum quod accidit sibi per sortem in prato de Merston, viz. unam rodam in Michele Millepound & aliam rodam in Litele Millepound, et terciam in Swyngehope, et quartam iin Southemore, sic quod post decessum suum haberet idem haberet idem collegium unam petanciam cum viderit expedire, nec voluit quod dicta acra aut pecunia proueniens ex ea ad alios usus qua pietancie in esculentis & poculentis aliqualiter conuerteretur reddendo inde annuatim capitalibus dominis feodi servicia inde debita & de iure consueta. Dat anno E. tercii XXIII°. Et est 11a in ╬۞ [p369]
Shutpulche Bridge 1398
Presentment in Easter Term 1398 at Oxford. That a bridge called Shutpulche at Marston is so broken that men with horses and carts cannot pass thereby and that the township of Marston ought to repair it.
On Monday 6 May the said township came before the King at Oxford by John de Hulton their attorney and said that Thomas, son and heir of Thomas atte Mulle of Marston was seised of a toft with appurtenances in Marston, whereon a water mill was lately built; the said toft lay near the said bridge and the said Thomas and all tenents of the aforesaid toft from time immemorial were bound to repair the said bridge without that the said township was bound thereto; and process sought against the said Thomas. Afterwards in Trinity Term 1400 the said Thomas came by John Hulton, his attorney, and acknowledged his liability and was amerced 2s.
[Selden XL (1923) no clxiv; (Medieval Public Works). C.T. Flower (ed) in his introduction (p. xxi) says ' A Bridge at Marston near Oxford is called Shutpulche in the text: I suspect that its real name was SHUTPUSCHE and that it was a manual drawbridge similar to those which still cross the canal near Oxford.' (!)]
Suscutt Mill circa 1490
no. 123 Paper, draught
{circa 1490}
Mar. 20 [no year]; Robert Bolt of Woodeaton leases to William Skebroke a water-mill called Suscot Mill, for the term of his life, rent 40s
[in Snappes Formulary etc. H. E. Salter OHS 1xxx (1924) p244]
Courtplace 1493
Deeds in charge of town clerk of Bridgwater,
no 115. Parchment Original
Mar 12, 8 HenVII [1493]: Hugh Shurley of Sandford and John Briteton of Abingdon enfoeff William Hye of Marston and Elizabeth his wife in a messuage and virgate of land in Marston called Le Courtplace, and a water-mill; all of which they lately had of the feoffment of William Hye.
Feoffment in English law
in English law, the granting of a free inheritance of land (fee simple) to a man and his heirs. The delivery of possession (livery of seisin) was done on the site of the land and was made by the feoffor to the feoffee in the presence of witnesses. Written conveyances were often customary and, after 1677, mandatory.
