Terrier of Richard Edmunds, c.1635

Centre for Bucks Studies ST78

This document is labelled "Terror [i.e. terrier, a list of landholdings] of Esq' Guy's land at Winslow". It consists of two membranes sewn together, and has been cut off at the bottom and on the right. The land listed was some of the 105.5a surrendered by William Guy to William Lowndes, 1759.

All the neighbours are named in the 1641 Poll Tax return except Richard Snow (d. 1636), Robert Benbow (d.1640) and John Paxton (death not recorded at Winslow). John Robinson, named as a neighbour, surrendered some land in Brachfurlong to Samuel Robinson in 1637. The document therefore appears to come from c.1635.

The name Guy is not found in the Winslow court rolls from this period. The terrier really belonged to someone else whose land later passed to Mr Guy. Internal and external evidence shows that this was Richard Edmunds, who inherited from his father William in 1633. He had a sister Joan Stutsbery, who married Thomas Kirbie in 1631; this would explain the reference to "Brother Kirby" below. See the Edmunds family for more information. William Grant alias Miller held land at Hawkslow to the north of Richard Edmunds in 1645, which corresponds to one of the entries below. John Townsend of Hinton-in-the-Hedges (1635-1710) bought it from Richard Edmunds in 1654, and it eventually passed to his granddaughter Mary, wife of Henry Guy.

The terrier shows that most of this extensive holding of at least 90 acres was dispersed. The largest units mentioned are 5 acres, so there had been relatively little consolidation of holdings. However, a substantial amount of the land was described as "leys", i.e. arable land which had been turned over to grass. This shows a considerable change from the intensive agriculture of the medieval period.

A Terror of all the land I have in the p(ar)ish Feildes of Winslowe

Inprimis in the New Mill Feild

• Item tenn leyes att Little Hill by estimation three acres
• Item one land there Goodman Sponer betwixt halfe an acre
• Item att the Mill one lone land next the headland half an acre
• Item two betwixt them one acre myne
• Item two betwixt agayne then one other acre

Brach furlonge

• Item three ridges beinge an acre and a halfe John Robinson east and brother Kirby west

Smalidoles

• Item Five landes with there hades two acres & a halfe shotinge to the hedge of ye arable
• Item within the hedge one acre of Meadowe landes Mr Manwaringe west & William Hogston east
• Item more of the same furlonge eight leyes being five acres hedged att the over ends Hogston east Palms mead west
• Item two leyes att the furthest side of Palms meade beinge halfe an acre Mr Manwaringe west

Dudslowe

• Item foure leyes buttinge upon my Lamas Close the over endes into the highway two acres the Lamas Close by estimac(i)on foure acres the leyes Mr Manwaringe east and William Norman west

Horsemeade Peese

• Item one acre beinge two landes Mr Manwaringe north Walter Miller south

Westwell

• Item one headland next the highway and one yerd att the west end next Sponers headland esteemed half an acre
• Item one acre in over Eastfurlonge the heither side Paxton east and Richard Snowe west and two acres on the furtest side one land of John Shelton betwixt Paxton est & Hogston west
• Item sixe ridges att the lower end of Westwell Close by estimation two acres William Norman east and my owne foure leyes beinge two acres west

Netherestfurlonge

• Item one acre with hades John Paxton east & John Shelton west
• Item in the same furlonge two acres and a halfe with there hades William Lowndes east John Paxton west
• Item in the same furlong two acres with two yerds att the lower end halfe an acre att the over end William Sponer east and John Robinson west att the lower end Mr Whitehall west foure leyes with hades att both ends beinge two acres

Hawkslowe

• Item one acre with hades throughout to the hedge William Miller at the north side Walter Grant south

Demeram Feild

• Item att Westwell a little headland

Arsmeade

• Item a good acre Walter Grant east & John Robinson west

Clerksfurlonge

• Item one land beinge halfe an acre Mr Manwaring est and Thomas Kirby west
• Item in the same furlonge five leyes beinge two acres and a halfe with there hades Mr Manwaringe east and Thomas Hogston west
• Item one lone ley shotinge into Demeram being halfe an acre
• Item two acres in Demeram Long acre & Broad acre
• Item two leyes beinge one acre on the farside Demeram Mr Manwaringe north and Thomas Hogson south

Bradford

• Item seaven landes with thirtene hades thereto belonginge conteyninge three acres and a halfe Walter Graunt north and John Shelton south

Tuky

• Item one acre in Tucky hill with [blank] hades John Paxton east & Robt Shelton west
• Item att Gorsbush one lone land beinge halfe an acre Willm Sponer north & south
• Item one acre in the same place William Sponer one land betwixt John Robinson south
• Item one acre shotinge into Demeram on the farside with two good hades att the end
• Item two yerds over Cleyton way beinge halfe an acre John Shelton east and William Sponer west
• Item one headland over Cleyton way beinge one other halfe acre

Cleyton Werge

• Item one lone land beinge halfe an acre with a good hade Lawrence Shelton north & south
• Item one acre in the same furlonge with hades William Lowndes north &c
• Item a headland with his fellowe in Cleyton Werge shotinge into Berry Hedge with there hades beinge a good acre and one yerd lyinge next them beinge halfe way halfe acre
• Item six ridges att Berry Hedge Corner beinge two acres John Robinson south &c

Greate Sparlowe

• Item sixe acres of ley ground inclosed Robt Shelton north and John Paxton south

Old Mill Feild

• Item my Lamas Close adioyninge to my home Close beinge five acres
• Item in Hollowe furrowe one acre of meadowe
• Item five had [sic] acres over Granborowe path Mr Manwaring north Nicholas Mitchell south
• Item att the over end a headland and his fellowe with leyes att there ends beinge one acre William Lownds on the east side
• Item one lone land with his hade shotinge into Granborowe broke beinge halfe an acre John Shelton east & Robt Benbowe west
• Item one acre with hades shotine into Granborowe brooke Mr Fygge est and William Lowndes west
• Item one lone land with a hade beinge half an acre upon Tupp of Stone William Sponer on both sides
• Item att Gills Hooke sixe yeards beinge five acres with theire hades Mr Manwaringe east William Miller west

Nether Cost[owe]

• Item one acre upon the h[eadland - - - ]well [ - - - ] Sponers headland southend
• Item Gills Hook foure lan[ds - - - Mr] Fygge north and Mr Ma[nwaringe south]
• Item one acre att Maracr[e - - - ] north and William Lownd[es south]
• Item one acre att Long Cost[owe - - - ] John Paxton north and [ - - - ]
• Item belowe Deane Hill [ - - - ] over ends beinge one acre [ - - - ] Sponer south
• Item three leyes shotinge in[to - - - ] hill Mr Paxton north & south
• Item two yerds att Adderswell [ - - - ] acre [blank] on th[ - - - ]

Changef[ - - ]

• Item one lone land Mr Fygg[e - - - ]
• Item a headland & his fellow[ - - - ] furlonge beinge an acre
• Item in the fore right furlon[g - - - ] headland foure landes being[ - - - ]
• Item in the same furlong three [ - - - ] beinge one acre and a half[ - - - ]
• Item in the same furlonge [ - - - ] homeward end of my head[land - - - ] Snowe on the west side
• Item three landes beinge a[ - - - ]

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Glossary

Hade: a strip of land left unploughed as a boundary and for access (OED)

Lammas close: A close which could be kept private until 1 August and then became common pasture

Shooting into: extending up to/into