[from Proc IoMNH&ASoc vol2 #3 1924]

`SAYNT MAHOLDE AND SAYNT MICHELL

Communicated by Mr. OWEN, Secretary, Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments in North Wales. 5th December, 1918. From a copy of the Document.

COURT Of AUGMENTATION PROCEEDINGS, BUNDLE i, NO. 96.

To the Right Worshipful Sir Richard Riche, Kt., Chancellor of the King's Court of Augmentations.

In most humble wise complaining, sheweth unto your good masterships your suppliant and daily orator Richard Wodeward, Yeoman of the King's Chamber, that where the king's sovereign lord was seized by just and lawful dissolution of the Abbey or Monastery of ffourneys in the County of Lancaster, of and in the Parsonage of Saynt Maholde and Saynt Michell the Archangel in the Isle of Man with all desmes and tithes, oblations, in any wise belonging to the said Parsonages, which parsonage and other the premises was parcell and did belong unto the said Monastery, and by his letters patents bearing date the 3d. day of December, in the 30th year of his most gracious reign, under the seal of the said Court of Augmentations, did grant, demise, and let to farme the said parsonage with all manner, tithes, oblations, and other the premisses, and all manner of profits belonging to the said parsonage unto your said suppliant, to have and to hold to him and his assigns during and for the space of 21 years, yielding and paying therefor yearly unto our said sovereign lord the king and his heirs £5 of lawful money of England as by the same letters patents more plainly may appear; by force whereof your said suppliant peacefully entered into the said parsonage and thereof was possessed.

So it is, right worshipful masters, that one Richard Parr, priest, John Stephenson, priest, and Gebon Mack Corkell, about a year past, wrongfully of their extort and wilful minds, have not only entered into the premises and expulsed your said suppliant from the same, and have taken the tithes, oblations, with all other issues and profits coming or arising; of or upon the said parsonage, and of everything belonging to the same, to the express wrong of your said suppliant, so that he is thereby not able, nor can not, pay the King his said rent for the same, but also took the tithes and oblations and other issues and profits belonging or arising of the said parsonage, for the space of two years next before the making of the said letters patents unto your said suppliant, during which two years the said parsonage was and of right ought to have been in the King's hands; and further have wrongfully entered upon the King's possession to destroy and defraud the King of his right unto certain lands and tenements lying and being in the said Isle of Man, the certainty whereof as yet is not known unto your suppliant, and have taken the profits thereof for the space of one year, which land and tenements were lately as well belonging to the priory of Saint Byes in the said Isle, as unto the Monastery of Bangor and Salley in Ireland, now come lawfully to the King's hands by dissolution; all which premises is to the manifest disinheritance of our said sovereign lord, the King. In tender consideration of all and every the premisses, may it please your good masterships to direct the King's most dread writ of summons unto the said Richard Parre, John Stephenson, Gillen Macke Corkell, for so much as be dwelling in the said Isle, commanding them by the same not only to restore your said suppliant to all the tithes, oblations issues, and profits of the said parsonage, by them wrongfully taken since the time of his said lease, and to suffer him peaceably, without interruption to enjoy and occupy the same, but also that they and every of them do personally appear before your good masterships immediately upon the sight of the said writ, to answer hereunto, and to abide such direction and order herein as shall be thought by your master-ships to stand with equity, justice and good conscience. And your said suppliant shall daily pray for your most prosperous estate long to continue.

THE ANSWER OF GYLBERT MACKE CORKELL TO THE SURMISED BILL OF RICHARD WOODWARDE.

The said defendant by protestations saith that the bill is only feigned of malice, to vex and trouble the said defendant, being a poor man and inhabiting in the Isle of Man, being 80 miles at the least by water out of England; and also saith that the bill is uncertain, because the certainty of the tithes is not alleged, the advantage whereof to him saved not yet doth not allege the tithes to be severed, whereof the plaintiff thereunto hath no title. Nevertheless if the said defendant shall be compelled to make further answer, then for answer by protestation, not confessing anything material contained in the said bill to be true, for very answer the said defendant saith that Roger, late abbot of ffirneys, in the county of Lancaster, and the convent of the same house, by their deed indented bearing date in the year of our Lord God, 1534, and sealed with their convent seal, did demise and to ferm did lett to John MakeCorkell, priest, and to Gylbert MakeCorkell now defendant, all the commodities and profits belonging or annexed to the churches of Saint Michaell and Saint Maholde, within the said Isle of Man mentioned in the bill, from the date of the said indenture, during the natural lives of the said John and Gilbert, his brother, now defendant, for the which said tithes, and all the other said profits, the said John and Gilbert, now defendant, by the said indenture granted yearly, to pay to the said Abbot and Convent the sum of £6 13s. 4d. as more at large appeareth by the same indenture, ready to be skewed, by reason whereof the said John MakeCorkell, priest, and Gilbert, now defendant took the profits of the tithes, oblations, or other commodities. Of the said churches, as lawful was for them to do, unto such time as the said John MakeCorkell died; after whose death the said defendant took the whole profits and commodities of the premises by survivor (survival) as lawful was to him to do; without that the complainant ever lawfully entered into the premises or thereof was lawfully possessed, and without that Richard Par, John Stevynsone, and Gilbert MakeCorkell now defendant, wrongfully of their extort power and wilful mind hath taken the tythes, oblations, or other issues and profits coming or arising upon the said parsonae : and without that any other things contained in the bill' by this answer not sufficiently confessed and avoided denied or traversed, is true. All which matters the defendant is ready to aver as this court shall award. And prayeth to be discharged, with his costs sustained in this behalf.

COURT OF AUGMENTATIONS PROCEEDINGS, BUNDLE 3, NO. 52.

To the Right Honourable Sir Richard Ryche, Kt., Chancellor of the King's Court of Augmentations. Most humbly sheweth and complaineth unto your good masterships, your daily orator John MacCorkyll vicar of the Church of St. Michells within the Yle of Man, that where the late abbot of Ffurnys, being, as in the right of his monastery, seized and possessed of the parsonage of Saint Michells aforesaid and Saint Maghold within the said Yle, with all manner of tithes oblations profits and duties belonging to the said churches and parsonages, as parsonages appropriate unto his said monastery, the said abbot and convent, by their deed, sealed with their conventual seal, bearing the date the 28th day of April in the year of our Lord God, 1523, demised and let to ferm unto your said orator, and unto one John MakeCystyn deemster within the said Isle, all the premises, with all the whole glebe lands and other commodities and profits belonging to the said parsonage, to have and to hold all the premises unto your said orator and to the said John MakeCustyn, from the day of making of the said deed and lease during the lives of your said orators and the said John MakeCustyn, and the longer liver of them, yielding and paying unto the said abbot and convent, during the term aforesaid £6 13s. 4d. by year, as more plainly appeareth by the same deed, at all times ready to be chewed by reason of which lease your orator and the said John Makecristyn were lawfully and peaceably possessed of the premises, and took the profits of the same; and after the said John Makecrysten died, after whose death your said orator took the whole profits of the premises according to the tenor and effect of the aforesaid lease, until that now of late that one Richard Woodward, by a crafty, subtle and false suggestion made unto your good masterships that there should be (a) new lease forth of the premises obtained a lease of the premises under the King's seal of his Court of Augmentations, and by reason of the said lease he wrongfully vexeth and troubleth your said orator; contrary to all equity and conscience wherefore the premisses tenderly considered, will it as well please your good masterships to award a privy seal against the said Richard commanding him by the same, personally to appear before you in the Court of Augmentations, at a certain day by your mastership to be limited, and to bring in his aforesaid naughty and frustrate lease, to the intent that it may be cancelled; as also further to abide all such orders as your masterships shall make concerning the premises. And this at the reverence of God, and in the way of Charity, And your said orator shall daily pray to Almighty God for the Good preservation of your mastership's estate long to continue.