and the heirs of their bodies; and for default, to my said son Edward Leighe and his heirs for ever.

I give to my said daughter Margaret my house in Fletestrete, now or late in the tenure of Thomas Modisley: to hold to her and the heirs of her body; for default, the same to remain to my said daughters Elizabeth, Anne and Alyce and to the heirs of their bodies; and for default, to my said son Edward Leighe and his heirs for ever.

I give to Alyce my youngest daughter my house in Fletestreete, now or late in the tenure of Thomas Cartwright: to hold to her and the heirs of her body; for default, the same to remain to my said daughters Elizabeth, Anne and Margaret and the heirs of their bodies; and for default, to my said son Edward and his heirs for ever, as by the said will dated 20 November, 19 Eliz. [1576] more fully appears.

The said 2 messuages in Chancery Lane are held of the Queen in chief, by knight's service, but by what part of a knight's fee the jurors do not know, and they are worth per ann., clear, 40s. The said 2 messuages in Fletestrete in the suburbs of London are held of the Queen as of her manor of East Greenwich in co. Kent, by fealty only, in free socage, and not in chief, and are worth per ann., clear, £6.

Alice Leighe died 13 January, 19 Eliz. [1577]; Edward Leighe is her only son and next heir, and on the 5th day of November last was aged 16 years. The wardship of the body and the marriage of the said Edward were in the hands of the said Queen long before the death of the said Alice Leighe and now are by reason of the death and tenure of the lands and tenements of a certain Henry Leighe, grandfather, of the said Edward deceased, which are held in chief by knight's service, and which were committed to the said Alice in her lifetime by Letters Patent dated 19 April, 12 Eliz. [1570].

Chan. Inq. p. m., 19 Eliz., part 2, No. 37.

William Spenser, Gentleman.

nquisition taken at the Guildhall, 10 December, 19 Eliz. [1576],

before Philip Skudamore, esq., Thomas Holcroft, gent., and William Necton, gent., feodary, after the death of William Spencer, of London, gent., by the oath of Humphrey Browne, Thomas Hunt, Richard Hewson, Oliver Skynner, Edmond Puckell, John Collett, Oliver Swayne, William Lewson, Thomas Wiggens, George Cloughe, William Barker, Richard Bell, Nicholas Atkyns, Thomas Russell, Thomas Ellyot and William Layer, who say that

William Spenser was seised in his demesne as of fee of 1 messuage

and I garden thereto adjoining in the parish of St. Thomas the Apostle within the City of London; and so seised, by Charter dated 29 November, 1 and 2 Philip and Mary [1554] granted to George Ogglander, gent., and Thomas Spenser, gent., the said messuage and garden then in the tenure of George Spenser another of the brothers of the said William : to hold to them and their heirs for ever, to the use of the said William Spenser and Mary then his wife for their lives; and after their decease, to the use of the heirs of the body of the said William; for default, to the use of the said Thomas Spenser and the heirs of his body; for default, to the use of the said George Spenser and the heirs of his body; and for default, to the use of the right heirs of the said William for ever. The said messuage and garden are held of the Queen in chief, by knight's service, but by what part of a knight's fee the jurors do not know, and by the payment of 3s. 8d. by the year in the name of tithe, and are worth per ann., clear, £4.

William Spenser died 18 May, 1 Eliz. [1557]; William Spenser, junior, is his son and next heir, and was then aged 1 day.

The said Mary still survives at Sibston in co. Huntingdon, and she took for 8 years and Stephen Cardinall, deceased, took for 9 years the profits of the said premises after the death of the said William Spenser. Chan. Inq. p. m., 19 Eliz., part 2, No. 42.

Stephen Woodroffe, Merchant.

Inquisition taken at the Guildhall, 15 January, 19 Eliz. [1577],

before Thomas Fanshawe, esq., Peter Osbourne, esq., and William Necton, gent., feodary, after the death of Stephen Woodroffe, merchant, by the oath of John Haddon, Robert Dickenson, John Keblewhite, Arthur Rainescrofte, John Jennyns, Anthony Garrett, Thomas Bromeley, Thomas Hackett, William Ermesbie, John Jackson, George Gynne, John Crouche, William Povie, John Wylde, Griffyn Jones, John Stoddard and Thomas Elyott, who say that

Stephen Woodroffe was seised in his demesne as of fee of 1 capital messuage called Rengedhall, in which Thomas Mildmaie, esq., deceased, dwelt, situate in the parish of St. Thomas the Apostle in the ward of St. Martin in the Vintry, London; 3 small tenements adjoining the said capital house, in which John Alleyn, Michael Hodson and Rose Spurrier dwelt; and I garden and stable lying in the parish of Holy Trinity in the said ward, and adjoining, at the back, the said capital house: all which said premises the said Stephen Woodroffe purchased to him and his heirs.

for ever of James Croftes, Knight, as by his deed enrolled in the Court of Chancery, dated 16 February, 14 Eliz. [1572], more fully appears.

So seised, the said Stephen Woodroffe made his will 20 April, 1576, whereby he bequeathed as follows [here given in English]: I give to my wife Brydgett Woodroffe for her life my dwelling house at St. Albones, with my house purchased of John Compborte, and my house called the Flower Delewce; and afterwards the same to remain to my son Christopher Woodroffe and his heirs for ever. I give also to my said son my house at St. Thomas the Apostles and my land lying in Kentish Town.

All the said premises are held of the Queen in chief by the service of the 40th part of a knight's fee, and are worth per ann., clear, £4 6s. 8d.

Stephen Woodroffe died 30 November last past; the said Christopher Woodroffe is his son and next heir, and on the 8th day of March last was aged 8 years.

Chan. Inq. p. m., 19 Eliz., part 2, No. 43.

John Nowell, Esq., Lunatic.

Inquisition

taken at the Guildhall, 5 July, 20 Eliz. [1578], before William Tooke, esq., Auditor of the Court of Wards and Liveries, Ralph Bosseville, esq., and William Necton, gent., feodary, commissioners appointed to enquire into the lunacy of John Nowell, esq., by the oath of John Haddon, Thomas Russell, Anthony Barbor, William Layer, Richard Smythe, Thomas Eliott, William Povye, John Wylde, Arthur Rainescrofte, John Harrison, John Keblewhite, William Evaunce, John Ricardes, Edward Owen, William Curtes and John Ireland, who say that

John Nowell is a lunatic and does not enjoy lucid intervals, so that he is incapable of governing either himself or his lands, and became a lunatic a year ago through the visitation of God.

The said John Nowell had no lands in the City of London, but long before his said lunacy he was seised of certain lands and tenements lying in Bosseworth and elsewhere in co. Leicester, of the clear yearly value of £5, lately purchased by him of Gent., esq., but of whom they are held the jurors do not know; divers messuages, lands and tenements in divers towns in the said county which he holds in right of Anne, now his wife, daughter and next heir of John Fowler, esq., deceased, viz., I capital messuage in Wellesborowe in the said county;

the 3rd part of 5 closes of land and pasture, one whereof is called Horsepool lees, another Ringes hill yate Closse, the third the close towards Sybbesd . . . feelde, the 4th the close next Shenton, and the 5th the new Closse lying between the Hoofielde and the Ringes hill yate Closse containing 200 acres of pasture in Wellesborowe, and the same are held of Ralph Purefey, by knight's service as of his manor of Wellesborowe, and are worth per ann., clear, £5; also 2 other parts of the said 5 closes ; 10 acres of meadow lying in Wellesborowe which were late the inheritance of Thomas Purefaye, esq., and are held of the Queen as of her honor of Hincklaye, parcel of her Duchy of Lancaster, by knight's service, viz., by the 4th part of I whole knight's fee, and are worth per ann., clear, £10; 5 messuages, 6 tofts, 8 virgates of land in Northkilwarthe, whereof 3 messuages, 6 tofts and 5 virgates of land are held of Doulteney, esq., by the service of 1 grain of pepper by the year, and the 2 messuages and 3 virgates remaining are held of the Queen, but by what service the jurors do not know, and are worth per ann., clear, £3 Is. 4d.; 2 messuages, 2 tofts, and 3 virgates of land in Petlyng Magna in the said county which are held of Clement Villers, gent., but by what service is not known, and are worth per ann., clear, 12s.; 3 messuages, 2 closes and 4 virgates of land in Willoughbie Waterles in the said county which are held of John Marston, but by what service is not known, and are worth per ann., clear, 26s. 8d.; 3 messuages, and 4 virgates of land in Cosebye which are held of the Queen as of her manor of Huntingdon, but by what service is not known, and are worth per ann., clear, 48s. 8d.; 5 messuages and 3 virgates of land in Walton in the said county, which are held of Henry Over; but by what service is not known, and are worth per ann., clear, 26s. 8d.; 1 messuage, 1 toft and 2 virgates of land in Drye Stooke in the said county, but of whom they are held the jurors do not know, and are worth per ann., clear, 13s. 4d.; I messuage, 3 tofts and 1 virgates of land in Cotton next Market Bosseworthe in the said county which are held of Henry late Marquis of Dorset by knight's service as of his manor of Bosseworthe, and are worth per ann., clear, 20s.; 3 messuages, 2 tofts and 2 virgates of land in Thedingwoorthe in the said county, which are held of Feylding, esq., but by what service is not known, and are worth per ann., clear, 18s.

The said John Nowell was also possessed of £20 remaining in the hands of Francis Hastings, esq., and £60 in the hands of Andrew Nowell, esq., brother of the said John, and £80 in the hands of John Flower, esq., also of divers goods and chattles in his house in Wellesborowe under the custody and authority of the said Anne his wife, but how much. the same are worth the jurors do not know.

William Nowell is the son and next heir of the said John Nowell, and is now aged 13 years and more.

Chan. Inq. p. m., 20 Eliz., part 2, No. 13.

Henry Gaynsford, Citizen and Goldsmith.

Inquisition taken at the Guildhall, 15 April, 20 Eliz. [1578],

before Thomas Ramsey, Mayor and escheator, by virtue of a writ de melior inquirend, after the death of Henry Gaynsford, citizen and goldsmith of London, by the oath of John Haddon, Thomas Russell, George Gynne, William Layer, William Evans, Richard Smith, John Ricardes, Griffin Jones, William Curtys, John Jackson, William Povye, John Crowch, John Welde, John Stodderd, Edward Owen, Arthur Rainscroft, John Harrison, John Keblewhite, John Ireland and Edward Osborne, who say that

Henry Gaynsford was seised in his demesne as of fee of the 4th part of 1 messuages situate in Lumberd strete in the parish of St. Mary Wolnoth in the Ward of Langborne, London, now or late in the tenure of Hugh Keale, Fulk Edwardes, Hugh Newbole, Ralph Smith, Francis Kidd, John Wilkyns, William Jones, George Newbole, James Allen, William Ingram and Richard Sharpe; and of all that capital messuage called Scrope place and 4 messuages thereto adjoining and belonging, with all the buildings, &c., to the said capital messuage belonging, situate in the parish of St. Andrew in Holborn in the ward of Faringdon Without in the suburbs of London, now in the tenure of William Guye, Anne Cottingham and Henry Nayler.

The said messuages in Lumberdstrete are held of the Queen in free burgage, and are worth per ann., clear, £7. The said messuage called Scropes place and other the premises in the said parish of St. Andrew in Holborn are held of the Queen in free burgage, and are worth per ann., clear, £6.

Henry Gainsford died on the last day of November, 17 Eliz. [1574]; Thomas Gaynsford is his son and next heir, and was aged 11 years on the last day of December last past.

Chan. Inq. p. m., 20 Eliz., part 2, No. 16.

[Chanc. Ing. p. m., 20 Eliz., part 2, No. 17, is of similar tenor, but it was cancelled because of the omission of the names of William Necton and William Dalbye. There are other slight clerical variations.]