Release and quittance of all claims, Manor of Bideford (1665)

Grafton Collection Northamptonshire Record Office ref: G 3221

Transcribed by David Carter

Document Catalogue Description: Release and quittance of all claims, the Mayor, Aldermen and Capital Burgesses of the Borough of Bideford on the Earl of Bath of the Manor of Bideford, 23rd Oct 1665.

To all Christian people to whom theise presents shall come Wee the Maior Aldermen and Capitall Burgesses of the Burrough and Towne of Biddeford send greeting in our Lord God Everlasting Whereas Sir Richard GRENVILE Knight longe since deceased in the fowerteenth yeare of Queen Elizabeth then called Richard GRENVILE esquire, And his ancestors, for a longe time before were seized in his and their demesne as of fee, of and in the mannor and Burrough of Biddiford in the said countie of Devon Togeather with all their rights liberties royalties and priviledges fayres, marketts, fishings, waists, estrayes, felons goods, wast, and wast places, members and appurtenances whatsoever, within the said Mannor and Burrough thereunto belonging and appertayninge and beinge so seized did permitt and suffer the then inhabitants of the said Burrough to suefoorth and obtayne from her said Maiestie in the sixteenth yeate of her raigne, a Charter of letters patents for incorporating of the inselued, and therin and therby did mention the granting unto them of divers and sundry priveledges and advantages which did rightfully and properly belong to the said Richard GRENVILE and his Ancestors, And then shortly after to witt in the Eighteenth yeare of the said Maiesties raigne the then Maior, Aldermen and Capitall Burgesses of the Burrough and Towne of Biddeford aforesaid, did by their deed under their hands and seales mutually covenant and agree for themselves and their successors, to and with the said Richard GRENVILE and his heires, that the said Richard GRENVILE his heires and assignes should and might have hold use occupye and enioy all and singular such revennues, issues, profits and commodities within the said mannor, towne, and burrough of Biddeford, as hee the said Richard GRENVILE, before the makeing of the said letters pattents had lawfully occupied and enioyed or of right ought of might, to have occupied and enioyed, The said lettere patents or any thinge therein contayned to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding And whereas the said Maior Aldermen and Capitall Burgesses of the Burrough and Towne of Biddeford aforesaid, afterwards in the seaventh yeare of the raigne of King James over England and etc, did obtayne new and other letters pattents from his said Maiestie, with divers and sundrye priveladges therein mentioned and expressed as aforesaid, And theruppon within few yeares afterwards they the said Maior Aldermen and Capital Burgesses of Biddeford aforesaid did procure and obtayne of and from Sir Barnard GRENVILE Knight, likewise deceased, sonne and heire of the said Richard GRENVILE in consideration of the yearly rent of eight pounds the moieties of the benifitts advantage of fayres and marketts, and other rights and priveledges the [~words lost in crease~] them and their successors for the terme of twenty one yeares which said terme did expire and determine about twenty three years since, And the right Honorable John EARLE OF BATH, Viscount GRENVILE of Landsdowne and Baron of Kilkhampton and Biddeford aforesaid, And grand sonne of the said Barnard GRENVILE, to whome the said Burrough and Mannor, togeather with all the rights members royalties priveledges and emoluments, within rightfully descend, and come, being then in his minortye, And since remayninge, longe in the parts beyound the seas, did not enioy the aforsaid liberties, privelidges, profits, and emoluments, within his said Lordshipp and Mannor of Biddeford, without intrusion clayme and interruption of the inhabitants of Biddiford aforesaid and others, whereof this Maiestye that now is, takeing the same into his primiely consideration, did by his gratious letters patents bearing date the tenth day of April in the fowerteenth yeare of his raigne, for the removeing of divers doubts and questions concerneing the said libertyes priviledges and emuluments of him the said Earle, did amongst other things, thereby give grant and confirmee unto the aforesaid Earle his heires and assignes for ever, within this said Mannor and Lordshipp of Biddiford aforesaid, and the limits and precinckls therof, all and every the goods and chattels, and debts of all persons whatsoever, haveing goods or chattells within his said Lordshipp and mannor of all persons attainted of petty treason, of murders, felons, of themselves and others, felons & fugatives and all persons whatsoever, outlawed for treason, or felonye, deodands, goods and chattles waved, and estrayed, and treasure trove, to be found within the limitts and precincts of the said mannor, And all and every wrecks of the sea, and the sea sand, and sandy ground, of the shoore and coasts, of the sea there, and also all and every the casuall profitts of shipps and other vessells whatsoever, as well for anchorage and salvage, of the same shipps and vessells uppon the soyle and ground of the said Earle, as also for the lastage and ballastage, or ballastinge with land or stones, of vessells, within the limitts and precinckls of the Lordshipp of mannor of Biddiford aforesaid, together with divers other royalties immunityes and privelidges in the said letters pattents mentioned, wherunto relation being had more at large it doth and in a~~? appeare, And also whereas divers disputes, controversyes and debates have bein(?) raysed for divers yeares last past, and now still are had, moving and despeadinge betweene the said Maior Aldermen and Capitall Burgesses, And the said Earle, as well concerneinge the fayres marketts to be held and kept within the said Burrough and Mannor of Biddiford, as also concerneinge the Keyage, bushellage, wasts and divers other liberties priveidges royalties and immunyties within the said mannor, and lordship of Biddiford aforesaid Now theise presents shall witnesse that for the appeasinge pacyfying removeinge concludeinge and avoidinge all farther differences for ever hearafter touching or concerneing the said premises and every parte thereof, betweene the said Maior, Aldermen, and Captial Burgesses, and their successors, and the said Earle and his heires and assignes as alsoe, for divers & sundry other good causes and considerations then the said Maior Aldermen and Burgesses(?) es~~etially moveinge, Have given granted re~ysed released and quite clayme And in and by theise presents doe for them and their successors give grant remise release and for ever quite claime, and conforme unto the said John EARLE OF BATH and his heires, All the right estate title, terme, clayme, suterest and demand whatsoever of them the said Maior Aldermen and Captiall Burgesses of in and unto the said premises and any parte therof which they now have, and clayme or ought to have and clayme by virtue and colour of any title or pretence whatsoever, And the said Maior Aldermen and Capitall Burgesses doe for themselves And their successors farther covenant promise grant conclude and agree To and with the said John EARLE OF BATH and his heires that they the said Maior Aldermen and Capitall Burgesses, And their successors shall and will, at all time, and times, hearafter within the space of three yeares next ensuing the date hearof at the costs and charges in the law of the said Earle, And uppon the request of the said Earle or his assignes, make, signe, seale, and deliver, As their Act and Deed or deeds, such farther and other writings releases with confirmations or other assurances, as by his or their councell learned in the law, shall be reasonably devised or requ~~ed for the more s~~~ surrendringe grantine or releasinge of all their clayme what forever according to the true intent and meaning of theise presents for the better ratiffyinge and confirmeinge of the same, provided alwayes and it is the true intend and meaning of these presents that all and every privededge and exemption that any particular free man or free Burgesse of this Burrough shall or may in any manner of way lawfully clayme to have within this Burrough is not hearby released or discharged, In witness whereof the said Maior Aldermen and Capital Burgesses have hearunto put their hands And also the common seale of the said Towne of Biddiford the three and twentieth day of October in the seaventeenth yeare of the raigne of our dread soveraigne Lord Kinge Charles the Second by the Grace of god of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the fayth etc, Anoy Dom: 1655.

Hugh TUCKER
John FROST
Salathiell AMOR
John PEAK
Philip BEALE
Robert MARSH
Jno DA~~~[covered by seal]
George MIDDLETONE
Cra:(?) FLEMAN(?)
Wm REEV
Robert ~~~~[covered by fold]
Thomas GORLING(?)

Signed sealed and delivered by the within named Maior Aldermen & Burgesses in the presence of:
Simon THURLEY
Rich: PRIDEAUX
Jo: WYNNE
And: CORY
Arundell BULL
Edw: BULL
Step: ORCHARD
Robt: PEARCE