In una acra et dimidio et xvijtim rode falles bruarie emptis, xxvj.

Harvestmen.

Solutum diversis messoribus, carectariis, pichariis, tassatariis, vaccariis, vincariis, porcariis, bercariis, &c.-reapers, carters, pitchers, stackers, binders, cowherds, swineherds, shepherds.

Presents.

In duobus ducenis cyrothecum der,1 vj. viijd.

In tribus paribus der de eodem, xa.

In duobus ducenis Gel et dimidio ducenæ de eodem, iijs. xd.

j ducen de der, iiijs. vjd.

In vj paribus cyrothecum furratis cum panno de eodem, ijs. viijd.

6 Scutella, a kind of dish or platter, a trencher.

7 Trua, a kind of vessel to receive homely things, a trough, or tray.

8 Caula, ex caveola, a sheep fold.

Mr. Raine interprets fallus to be " a measure, or portion of land, less apparently than a rood"; but I think it means here bundles of bruery, or furse: elsewhere we have "in tribus caractatis de bruare emptis."

1 Der. This word occurs only in the account of 20 Edward III. The account of 1361 mentions gloves generally at 7d. and 74d. the pair, and 2s. 2d. the dozen. In 1332 gloves were bought at 4d. a pair. Those called der in 1346 were at a lower price than this. Der therefore may be dere in the sense of soiled or injured, from the verb "to dere or hurte. :" (Prompt. Parv. 119, n. 1); or what I think more probable it meant deer-skin gloves. What the other articles denominated Gel may be, I have no idea, unless the word be really Tel, tela, a species of web or cloth. (Vol. vi. p. 337.)

But I have been tempted by these archaisms away from Creake Abbey, to which I must return.

It may be in the memory of those of our members who visited these picturesque ruins upon the occasion before adverted to, that in reading a short account of the foundation and dissolution of this monastery, I stated on the authority of the Monasticon, that it was considered as dissolved in the 22nd year of King Henry VII. because the last abbat died without a convent to elect another. Some doubt was thrown upon the accuracy of that statement, and it was even said. that the deed of surrender under the seals of the abbat and canons was amongst the college archives. I have since satisfied myself that there is no ground for any such doubt, and that the supposititious existence of any such deed of surrender is a mistake. Still I am not in a situation to prove the fact by documentary evidence. Dugdale's information, as quoted in the Monasticon, is professed to be derived from "the copy of a bill in Chancery, exhibited on the part of Bishop Nix against Christ's College." -M.S. in Archivis Eccl. Cath. Norwic. The deputy registrar has most kindly taken the trouble to search the Chapter records for this copy bill without But there is another wholly independent authority for the statement,-Nichols, the historian of Leicestershire. In treating of the manor of Ilston, or as we have had it in the rentals, Ilveston, he says,-"In 1509, by reason that the abbot survived the convent of Creke who had died of an infectious and epidemical disease, or some other cause, on his death the lordship of Ilston escheated to the king with the rest of their revenues and estates, and was never after restored, of which the inquisition, here briefly abridged, remains amongst the records in the Rolls. [M.S. Chetwynd ex. Rot., 22 Hen. VII. No 284, Leic.]

success.

2

"Juratores dicunt quod Egidius Skevington, nuper abbas monasterii beate Marie de Pratis juxta Creke, com. Norfolk,

2 Vol. ii. p. 551.

seisitus fuit in dominio suo ut de feudo de manerio de Ilstone, co. Leic. & de terris in Thurnby & Bushby in eodem com, ac de curiâ lete in dicto manerio & villis & liberâ warrenâ & aliis libertatibus dict' manerio & villis spectantibus, ut in jure monasterii predict', tent' de rege in capite in purâ eleemosinâ Et ulterius juratores dicunt quod dictus Egidius Skevington nuper abbas sic seisitus existens obiit 12 Decemb. anno 22 regni Hen. VII. absque aliquo conventu commonachorum aut alicujus canonici in dicto monasterio existente; et sic successivê inde totaliter dictum monasterium fuit dissolutum et determinatum pretextu cujus predicta Abbathia et monasterium & omnia maneria messuagia terre & tenementa cum pertinentiis dicte abbathie et monasterio spectantia domini regis nunc ut eschaeta revertent & revertere debent, habend' dicto regi & successoribus suis in perpetuum."

Now I am bound to say that I have searched the Public Record Office for the inquisition referred to by Nichols, and searched in vain. The inquisition made after the death of Giles Skevington is not to be found. The grant made in the same year to the Lady Margaret does not refer to it; and all the escheat rolls of the last years of Henry VII. are wanting. But be it observed, Mr. Nichols did not profess to derive his information from the roll itself, but from "the Chetwynd MSS." I have not had access to these manuscripts, which are in private hands, but there is no doubt of their authenticity; and they are referred to in Erdeswick's History of Staffordshire (Dr. Harwood's edit., 1844). A search amongst the records of the Court of Chancery will probably lead to the bill in Chancery, cited in Dugdale, and settle the question, but that I have not yet had time to make. I have thought the singularity of the narrative, and regard to the historical accuracy of Dugdale and Nichols, have justified me in devoting attention thus far to the subject.

One other desideratum I am happily able to supply. The editors of the last edition of the Monasticon say that no

seal of this abbey or of any of its abbots has yet occurred to them. Through the kindness of Mr. Robert Ready, of the British Museum, I have obtained an impression of a seal, which, if not a forgery, did undoubtedly belong to this abbey ; but unfortunately Mr. Ready is unable to remember from whence

he originally took it. There is a sharpness in the impression which gives the idea that it was taken from a matrix, but the obscurity of this small abbey makes a forgery very improbable. It appears to represent the Annunciation of the B. V. M., and the legend is s' ABATIS ET CONVENTVS DE CREK AD CAVSAS. The excellent woodcut here given renders any further description unnecessary.

Grimes Graves, Wecting.

COMMUNICATED BY

THE REV. C. R. MANNING, M.A.,

HONORARY SECRETARY.

To offer to this Society a paper on so remarkable a place as "Grimes Graves," is a task which I did not expect to be called upon to fulfil. I have long been anxious that the members should visit it, and I always hoped that it might be at a time when it would be convenient to Dr. Guest, the learned Master of Caius College, to be present, and to give us his opinion upon it. I am very sorry to say that Dr. Guest is detained by other engagements, and cannot be here to-day,' but I hope at some future time he will come and examine a place which has a double interest to him, as being one of a class upon which he is perhaps better qualified than any one else to give an opinion, and also as being situated in a parish connected with the college of which he is the

master.

All that I can do is to state what facts I have ascertained about it, and to suggest to others some points from which their better opportunities and experience may enable them to draw their own conclusions. Any contribution to our knowledge of a place which we must certainly regard as one of the most curious in the county, or even in the kingdom, will not be without use; and this must be my apology for reading to you my notes upon it to-day.

1 This paper was read on the spot, 5th July, 1866. [VOL. VII.]

N