Court Books: Market

The Court Books give some idea of the activities which went on in Winslow's market in the 14th and 15th centuries. Traders had stalls, whose size was usually specified:

1329. The lord handed over to John of Halden a plot of land in the market of Wynselowe, lying next to the stallage of Richard Rolfes, 12 feet in length and 8 feet in width, to hold to the end of his life. And he gave for having the term 12d.

1336. Richard Rolfes surrendered into the lord's hands a covered stallage in the market-place of Wynselow, next to the stallage of John Haldene, containing 12 feet in length and 8 feet in width. And the lord handed over the said stallage with appurtenances to John le Coweherd, to hold for himself and his heirs in villeinage, through due and accustomed services for it. And he paid as a fine 12d.

or shops of unspecified size (there is no information about what they sold):

1332. John Albyn and Juliana his wife surrendered into the lord's hands a shop in the market of Wynselow, lying between the holdings of Richard of Whaddon and John le Taillour. And the lord granted the aforesaid shop to John, son of the said John Albyn, to hold for himself and his heirs through due and accustomed services for it. And he paid as a fine 12d.

There was evidently some residential property too:

1331. The lord granted to Ralph le Chapman of Wynselowe a plot of land in the market-place of Wynselowe, adjacent to his house in the same market, containing 42 feet in length and 8 feet in width, just as the marks and boundaries are placed and appear, to hold for himself and his heirs in villeinage, through services of 1d annual rent to be paid at Christmas. And he gave for having entry 40d. And he will pay merchet and tallage. Surety: John Albyn.

There are numerous references to a forge:

1340. John le Smyth of Berkhamsted surrendered into the lord's hands a forge built in the Market of Wynselowe, between the holding of Richard Kute and the king's highway. And the lord handed over the said forge with appurtenances to Robert le Smyth of Wynselowe and Matilda his wife, to hold for themselves and Robert's own heirs, in villeinage and at the lord's will, through services, etc. And he paid as a fine 3s.

Two of the boundaries of the market-place were Pillory Ditch and the graveyard:

1345. Richard Kyte surrendered into the lord's hands a cottage with appurtenances in the market-place of Wynselowe, as it is situated between Richard's own holding and Pillory Ditch. And the lord granted and handed over the said cottage with all its appurtenances to Robert le Cotiler, to hold for himself and his heirs in villeinage and at the lord's will, through due and accustomed services for it. And he will not cause waste. And he paid as a fine and for entry 2s.

1355. William of Shipton demised by licence of the lord to Andrew of Briddesthorn a built plot in the market-place of Wynselowe, containing by estimate 40 feet in length and 30 feet in width, situated between the aforesaid Andrew's holding and the steps of the Graveyard of Wynselowe, to hold for himself and his heirs in villeinage, at the lord's will and by rod, for a term of 20 years, the first term beginning at the previous Feast of St Thomas the Apostle [21 December], paying the lord for it and performing all due and accustomed services. And he paid the lord for having the term 2s, etc.

Some parts of the market-place were used for specific purposes:

1355. The lord granted to John, son of John le Warrenner, a cottage with curtilage situated in the market-place of Wynselowe between Richard Mayn's holding and the Hoggeschepyng [=pig-market], to hold for himself and his heirs in villeinage and at the lord's will, through the services and customs due and accustomed for it. And the fine was waived because of poverty. And he did fealty, etc.

1370. Richard Whatdon, Chaplain, surrendered into the lord's hands three shops lying under one roof in the market-place where meats are sold. And the lord granted the said shops with appurtenances to John Stodele, to hold for himself and his heirs in villeinage, at the lord's will, through due and accustomed services. Fine: 2s 8d.

In the 15th century it seems that the market was not very prosperous:

1427. Stephen Smyth surrendered into the lord's hands a shop which is in the market-place of Wynslow in Bocherrowe next to the Cornehulle, containing 8 feet in length, and five shops under one roof containing 56 feet in length and 8 feet in width. In fact Stephen lately took the ground of the said five shops from the lord to build on it, as is set out in the halimote held in the fifth year of reign of King Henry the Fifth [1417/18], in the time of Michael Cheyne the Cellarer. And the lord granted all the aforesaid shops to John Pyconde, to hold for himself and his heirs in villeinage, at the lord's will, through due and accustomed services for them. And because the said shops are in bad repair and very ruinous, and for some years apparently the same John will not have any profit from the shops because of repairing them, as was properly found, therefore the lord granted that the said John Pycond and all the others occupying the said shops to the end of the said John's life will pay nothing for tolnet. Fine: 6s 8d.

A market cross existed by this time:

1432. John Lumbard surrendered into the lord's hands a shop in the market-place of Wynslowe, opposite the cross in the aforesaid market-place. His heriot (is) 12d in money. And the lord granted the said shop to William Dyer, to hold for himself and his heirs in villeinage, at the lord's will, through services, etc. And it was granted to him that no-one will build on the land there between the said shop and the cross to the prejudice and detriment of the said shop, etc. Fine: 12d.

And there is more information about how the market was laid out and what was sold:

1448. John Pycot surrendered into the lord's hands a shop situated in the market-place of Wynslow in the butchers' market next to the market where grain is sold, containing 24 feet in length and 14 feet in width, and a vacant plot lately built on the western side of the shop, containing 48 feet in length and 12 feet in width. His heriot was waived. And the lord granted the said shop and vacant plot with appurtenances to the said John Pycot, to hold from the lord for himself, his heirs and assigns, by rod, according to the custom, etc., through services of rendering for them annually to the Bailiff of Wynslow 12d a year for all services except suit at court. The fine was waived. And he did fealty.

Some building (or re-building) was still going on:

1455. Richard Robyn surrendered into the lord's hands a shop newly built and situated in the market-place of Wynslow between the shop lately John Pycot's and the shop of John Hoggeston, as it contains 12 feet in length and 10 feet in width, acquired from John Aynesham in the 27th year of the present Lord King [1448/9]. And the lord granted the said land [sic] with appurtenances to Hugh Chapman, to hold for himself and his heirs from the lord according to the custom, etc., through services, etc. Fine: 6d. And he did fealty.

1460. Likewise they reported that John Cok and Alice his wife, who was examined alone, surrendered into the lord's hands a shop in the newly-built butchers' market, lately Stephen Thomlyn's, as it is situated between the shop of Richard Fynell, the land of John Cok and the shop of William Janyn. And the lord granted the said shop with appurtenances to William Jonys, Rector of Addyngton, and to John Sclater otherwise called Pryse, to hold for themselves and their heirs from the lord by rod, according to the custom of the manor, through due services, etc., under the following condition, namely that if it should happen that the aforementioned William Jonys dies before the aforementioned John Sklater, that then the same John within a year immediately following the said William's death is to pay or arrange to be paid to the same William's executors or assigns six marks of good money. The grant made to the aforementioned John Sklater is then to be held good. But if however it is null and void and of no effect, then the said shop is to revert to the said William Jonys' rightful heirs, etc.

But some of the market-place was used for storage:

1455. John Kynge surrendered into the lord's hands a grange situated in the market-place of Wynslow next to Pylorydyche. And the lord granted the said grange with appurtenances to William Newman, called Kyot, to hold for himself and his heirs from the lord by rod, through services, etc. Fine: a capon. And he did fealty.

And property was changing hands very quickly by this time:

1457. William Newman, otherwise called Kiot, surrendered into the lord's hands a grange situated in the market-place of Wynselowe next to the Pylorydiche, lately William Kynge's, and a holding in the same place, lately the said William Kynge's and afterwards John Kynge's and afterwards John Clement's, situated between the holding of John Davy and the holding of John Prentys. And the lord granted the said grange and holding with appurtenances to John Wayne and Alice his wife, to hold for themselves and their heirs from the lord by rod, according to the custom, etc., through services, etc. Fine: 20d. And (they?) did fealty.