The Common Stream by Rowland Parker

Author:Rowland Parker [Rowland Parker]
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781780600550
Publisher: Lightning Source Inc.
Published: 2015-04-11T04:00:00+00:00

Fascinating though it was, this research into the construction of the houses would have been somewhat of an academic exercise had it not brought occasional glimpses of human comedy and drama, and here and there some insight into the character of those common men, those yeomen of England. This was the age of the sturdy, thrusting individualist, of whom no better example could be found anywhere, I think, than that provided by John Rayner. Born in about 1518, he inherited a house and eighteen acres of land from his father in 1538. He also inherited, or developed, a total lack of respect for manor courts and disregard for the interests of his neighbours, an attitude which he resolutely maintained over a period of fifty years. Here is a list of his transgressions as recorded in the minutes of the manor court:

1541 He refused to appear with others to enquire into the unlawful lengthening of a hedge; fined 12d.

1543 He encroached with his plough on various balks in various places; fined 4d.

1550 He was ordered to mend the fence between him and Bartholomew Mathewson.

He encroached with his plough at Whytmoreshot; fined 4d.

1551 He assaulted Richard Day and drew blood; fined …

1553 He enclosed part of the public way with a wall; fined 12d.

1554 He was ordered to remove the hedge between him and Mathewson.

1558 He failed to widen a drain as ordered; fined 4d.

He failed to repair a hedge next to John Kyng; fined 3s. 4d.

He kept a dog which was in the habit of worrying sheep; fined 3d.

1559 He trespassed on the land of Will Fuller and did damage to the extent of 6s. 8d.

He trespassed and did damage on the land of John Kyng to the extent of 10s.

1561 He occupied ½ acre of enclosed pasture without title.

He was ordered to mend the fences between him and John Calcott.

He was ordered to mend the fences between him and Elena King.

1562 He ploughed up the common balks; fined 12d.

He was ordered to mend the fences next to John Smith.

1566 He removed the common boundary-marks in the fields; fined 12d.

He cut branches from two willow trees of Agnes Crosse; fined 3s. 4d.

He was ordered to replace boundary-marks in Hayditch Shott.

1568 He was ordered to repair the fence at Andrews; fined 12d.

He failed to clean out the ditch there; fined 12d.

He made a ditch somewhere else; fined 6d.

He encroached on 5 roods of Trinity land in Chawdwell Felde; fined 12d.

He set a bad example by taking the oath negligently in court; fined 12d.

1571 He encroached on manor land at Andrews and stole a tree; fined 20d.

1576 He encroached on the roadway in Woodway Shott; fined 12d.

He ploughed over a boundary in Woodway Shott to the extent of one furrow; fined 12d.

He encroached with his plough at the Shot, using his fork, at Flag Pyghtell; fined 3s. 4d.

He ploughed and encroached on a balk-end; fined 12d.

He failed to amend the encroachment at Andrews; fined 10s.

He trespassed when mowing upon the manor land of Richard Fuller to the extent of a swathe and a half; fined 2s.

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