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The Limits of Kesteven and
The English Translation of the
Report of from Margaret Beaufort’s Commission of a
Survey of the Boundary between
from Articles 338, 380, 425 and 468 of Fenland Notes and Queries, edited by Rev. W.D. Sweeting, Rector of Maxey.
Ao Henrici septimi 16o
The Limitts
of Holland & Kesteven tempore Margaretae Comitissae Richmond and
Undr ye hands of Mr Anderson Maior of Boston & Mr Gannoch Justice ibm.
Be it known to all present and future that whereas the
most pious and most noble princess Margaret Countess of Richmond and Derby the
most dear mother of our sovereign lord King Henry the seventh decided to
restore the great bridge within the town of Boston and to renew or build a
flood-gate or sluice beneath the same and to construct it for the use of all
the fens and marshes between the waters of Welland and Wytham and all the
country round about of Kesteven and Holland and wished the same to be
perpetually maintained and kept in repair at the costs and expenses of the men
of Holland because they would derive most advantage from it and especially the
township of Boston by reason of the deeper harbour that would be created (as is
hoped) And because through quarrels moved by malice it is not clearly agreed by
all where the limits metes bounds and divisions between the parts aforesaid lie
or are placed between the waters aforesaid Because the men of Kesteven with
deliberate intention of destroying and putting into confusion the metes
aforesaid lately overthrew and carried off some consecrated Crosses that
divided the parts aforesaid and when this matter was sufficiently understood
and known the aforesaid most noble princess holding the detestation quarrels
and contentions and wrongs of this sort and desiring earnestly that the truth
should be regained and restored by her letters obtained from our sovereign the
King his Commission directed under his seal to Robert Lord Willoughbie Thomas
Lord Ross Thomas Lord Fitzwater George Lord Haystings John Lord Fitz warren Sir
Robert Dymocke Sir George Taylboys Sir Edward Stanley Sir Reginald Bray and Sir Christopher Willoughbie That they ten nine eight seven or six of them
enquire into and hear the cause of complaints and the strifes that have arisen
on the subject and finally determine them by whatever ways means and manners
the possibly could. Whereupon the
aforesaid Commissioners send their mandate by virtue of the Commission
aforesaid to the Sheriff of Lincoln that he would cause to appear before them
at a certain day and place twenty four good and lawful men of his bailiwick by
whom the truth of the matter might be better ascertained for enquiring into the
controversy aforesaid On which day that
is to say the fourth day of September in the sixteenth year of the reign of our
sovereign lord King Henry the seventh the aforesaid Sheriff of Lincoln returned
the writ aforesaid and the Commissioners aforesaid humbly obedient to the most
noble lady countess who summoned them to Collyweston and charged them and
entreated them to deal with this cause diligently cautiously and accurately and
discuss it according to the truth and after frequent and lengthy perambulations
had with the Jurors and after they had with these Jurors examined the limits
and bounds of the parts aforesaid sometimes on horseback sometimes on foot and
sometimes in boats going first from the water of Welland to Wytham and then
going the reverse way many evidences rolls and records having meantime been
exhibited here and there before the Commissioners and Jurors at their Sessions
commenced at Kime in the mansion house of the aforesaid Sir George Taylboys on
the said fourth day of September in the sixteenth year of the lord King Henry
the seventh (as said before) and finished at Maxey Castle in the presence of
the aforesaid most noble Countess on the fourth day after namely the eighth day
of September aforesaid received the verdict of the Jurors in these words viz :
Inquisition held at Maxey Castle in the county of Northampton the eighth day of
September in the sixteenth year of the reign of King Henry the seventh in the
presence of the most noble Countess Margaret Countess of Richmond and Derby
before Robert Lord Willoughbie Thomas Lord Rosse Thomas Lord FitzWater George
Lord Haystings Sir Robert Dymocke Sir George Taylboys Sir Edward Stanley and
Sir Christopher Willoughbie by the oath of Sir Robert Husse and his fellows who
were specially charged with all possible diligence to enquire where the ancient
settled and true bounds metes divisions and limits between Kesteven and Holland
are or ought to be between the waters of Wytham and Welland and after using in
the matter every kind of care labour and enquiry the Jurors aforesaid say on
their oath That the ancient settled and
true bounds metes and limits dividing the parts aforesaid are as follows
Viz: In going from the water of Wytham
and proceeding to the water of Welland the said bounds and limits begin in a
place where the water of Wytham and Kyme water fall together and are joined and
from the same place going up westward as the course of the water aforesaid
called Kyme Water runs and goes up to the place where the Old Ea falls into the
water of Kyme and from the same place turning to the south and going up by the
course of the Old Ea otherwise Holland dike otherwise Kime dike Because it will divide the parts aforesaid
up to Willobothe and then going directly up to the ditch aforesaid called Old
Ea up to the South Ea And then as the
South Ea comes from a certain Syke called the Shedingflete and from the same
place directly by an almost straight line taken to Wragmerstake otherwise
Blakestake by a gentle and slight turn to the left that is to say to the
east And the Jurors aforesaid say upon
their oath that then one must proceed towards the south by Gobyonbothe otherwise
Molbothe up to Gristhirn otherwise Grist turning a little between Gobyonbothe
and Grist towards the west and then going up towards the south by a certain
syke which leads directly between Little Folinge Worthill and Great Folinge
Worthill whereof the former is said to be in Holland and the latter in Kesteven
and then going up towards the south through the said syke directly to a stone
cross on Brigedike which was erected to the honour of God and the Blessed
Virgin Mary to be always a mete and bound between the parts aforesaid. And the Jurors aforesaid say upon their oath
that one must proceed from that cross but not altogether southwards to the
Hearthstead in Nestleholm but between the cross aforesaid and thither well
enough known to those concerned and to the inhabitants and neighbours in both
parts aforesaid and marked by the course of the water and by certain sykes
easily to be seen And thence from that
place called the Hearthstead aforesaid by going towards the south by Flatpoles
and a certain cross called Dowesby cross which was erected to the honour of
Saint Helena the Empress to be always a mete and bound dividing the parts
aforesaid up to Earthloade formerly Cheylbeche and crossing the Earthloade
southwards to Priorsdike otherwise Midfendike and by the new syke aforesaid by
a new drain to Newdike end likewise called Priorsdike otherwise Fendike
otherwise Northflete otherwise Blackflete well enough known to all men
concerned and one must go on by the Blackflete up to a fosse of the channel or
river of Glean in that place where the aforesaid fosse is stretched out like a
promontory towards the west And from
this one must go a little to the east by the same fosse to the foundation of a
stone cross by the side of the fosse of the river aforesaid placed near to
Gotheramscoat Which cross indeed was
erected to the honour of the Holy Trinity to be a mete and bound dividing the
parts aforesaid And from the same
foundation of a cross one must cross by the river of water directly towards the
east to the farther bank or part of the water aforesaid which is called Glean
otherwise Burn*1 Ea otherwise Catebridge Water and it is
sufficiently clear that from this place that is form Gotheramscoat across the
river towards the south up to Gotheramsend this very fosse was constructed and
erected as a true mete bound and division dividing the parts aforesaid For the Jurors aforesaid say upon their oath
that when one has come to that spot namely across the river to that part where
are Pinchbeck and Spalding Southfen the metes and bounds aforesaid are turned
towards the south but not in direct line but just as the fosse aforesaid is
stretched thither and leads up to certain stoppages or bars and a stone cross
in a certain place called Gotheramsend directly opposite the Eascoat towards
the south Which cross at Gotheramsend
aforesaid was erected to the honour of Saint Nicolas to be a mete and bound
dividing the parts aforesaid And further
the Jurors aforesaid say upon their oath that the metes and bounds dividing the
parts aforesaid of Kesteven and Holland extend form the aforesaid stone cross
erected in Gotheramsend opposite the Eascoat aforesaid (as is said before) in
direct line to a certain well or hole dug at Wodload Grayns otherwise Cross in
the Flags formerly called Oggott in nearly a straight line to the east as
Crosslake otherwise Everards lake extends form the aforesaid cross at
Gotheramsend up to the said well or hole at Wodload Grayns otherwise Cross in
the Flags cutting or crossing certain sewers and ditches in the marsh aforesaid And the Jurors aforesaid say upon their oath
that the aforesaid Crosslake otherwise Everards lake the ends of which are wont
to touch both Gotheramsend aforesaid and Cross in the Flags is overwhelmed in
the depth of the marsh and is nearly filled with mud slime and gravel before
one comes to the well aforesaid and therefore needs to be renewed. But if this
is not done they think the error would be slight if the metes and bounds
aforesaid extend from the cross aforesaid at Gotheramsend in direct line to the
well aforesaid at Cross in the Flags aforesaid as was done in former times And the Jurors aforesaid say upon their oath that
the shaft of a certain stone cross at Woodload Grayns otherwise Cross in the
Flags remains still overthrown which was erected to the honour of Saint Guthlac
in the very place where the well aforesaid was dug and made for ever a mete and
bound dividing the parts aforesaid but was thrown down by the diabolical effort
of certain Deeping men who reverence neither God nor His Christ nor the Holy
Mother of God Of whom some also the
aforesaid Countess caused to be punished by deserved punishment both
ecclesiastical and secular and for ever interdicted form certain boundaries of
both the Deepings.*2 And further the Jurors aforesaid say upon
their oath that the metes and bounds aforesaid dividing the parts aforesaid
extend from the aforesaid well at Wood Lodgrayns otherwise Crosse in the Flags
in a direct line across the fosse called Aspath otherwise Deeping bank up to a
stone cross called Cross in the Ea put near the water of Welland. And in going
from this place to the right there is situated the Marsh of Deeping and to the
left the Marsh called Gogsland which a part of the Asylum of Refuge or
Sanctuary of Crowland. Which cross indeed was erected to the honour of Saint
Kenulph the first Abbot of Crowland to be a
mete and bound dividing the parts aforesaid. And further the Jurors
aforesaid say that those above recited metes bounds limits and divisions, also
the places and spots aforesaid, are really the metes bounds and limits dividing
the parts aforesaid, or the places and spots where the customarily are and
ought to be and so always are held and known to be and from the time when no
memory exists to the contrary. In testimony whereof the Jurors aforesaid to
these presents have put their seals the day and year above said. And besides
the Commissioners aforesaid themselves seeing all the places aforesaid and
going over the whole district and walking from place to place and perusing
writings rolls and records and diligently listening to the allegations and
reasonings and whatever could be said on any part and observing and noticing
the limits and metes themselves and consulting about all things and
circumstances with the Jurors and all who had any interest in the question
after the completion of the perambulation at last by the assent of the most
noble Countess whose special and private interest was considerable and with the
consent of her Counsellors, and judging that the Limits and Divisions of the
parts aforesaid are not and cannot be otherwise than according to the verdict
nor ought they or can they by the laws of this realm be put or placed elsewhere
than where of old they really had been and where it is now agreed they are [the
Commissioners] have decreed decided ordained and by the authority of the
Commission aforesaid adjudged That all
those metes bounds divisions and limits above recited between the parts
aforesaid from the aforesaid water of Wytham to the Welland or the reverse way
as in the verdict aforesaid are contained recited and named for the future
always shall be held known and esteemed and without hesitation received for the
future by these presents as is fit and right for the very true just ancient and
certain metes bounds divisions and
limits of the parts aforesaid. All and singular which things into the Chancery
of the said Lord King to the Most Reverend Father by Divine permission
Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of All England and Metropolitan Lord
Chancellor of England we send and humbly signify by the presents. In testimony
whereof and to the greater confirmation of the same the aforesaid most noble
Countess has directed her seal to be placed on these presents together with the
seals of the Commissioners separately appended that they may be taken to the
Chancery as is aforesaid.
Palmer,
Examined by me Jo:
Willm. Gannocke.
Footnotes from FNQ :–
*1 That is, Bourn Ea.
*2 The exact meaning of
this last sentence is very doubtful.