DUCHY OF LANCASTER—MINISTER’S ACCOUNTS

DUCHY OF LANCASTER—MINISTER’S ACCOUNTS.
Copied from D.D. Jones "History of Kidwelly" 1908

BUNDLE 584. No. 9236.—P.R.O.

Account of Roger Aylward, Receiver of Kedwellye, Carn[wyllion], Iskennyn, and Oggemour, from 1 Octr. 43 Edward III. to 9 Septr. next following, by his commission dated the said 1st Octbr. (1369—70).

Reeveship of Kidwelly.¾ ‘The reeve answers for 112^s 6½^d, received from Richard Box, late reeve, for the arrears of the year 43 Edward III., and £19 received from John ap Holdon, reeve, for the issues of this year by one tally.’

Sale of Wine.—‘£11 received for 2 doliums of Gascon red wine remaining in the castle by the purchase of T. Hervey sold to the Receiver and John Oweyn.’

Wages, Fees, and Annuities. ‘£13 6 8 for the fee of William Banastre and John Lassels for the office of Steward of Kedwelley and Carn[wyllion] for the whole of this year. 100^s paid to Richard de Burley for fee of the Constable of the Castle of Kedwelley as for the half of the year 44 Edw. III. 38^s 4^d paid to the same Richard for wages of the janitor of the Castle aforesaid in part payment of 50^s 8^d yearly. £15 paid to the same Richard for an annuity of £30, granted to him for life, payable at Easter and Michaelmas. 6^s 8^d paid to John Nykell, carpenter assigned by C. Foljamb and the whole Council, surveyor of the works within the lordship of Kedwelly and Iskennyn, as part payment of 13^s 4^d yearly.’

Purchase of Millstones, &c.—‘Twelve new millstones bought from John Lassels, two of them were delivered for Caddocmulne, two for the mill beneath the castle, and two for Morleismulne, two for Conmulne, one for Melyncoyd, and three remain at les bakes. 53^s 4^d paid by him for the expenses and stipends of various men of law of Wales (diversorum hominum de lege Wallens) for the reversion of a certain judgment where he is responsible to the lord for £6 13 4 in the Welsh court this year. 22^s, the expenses of the Receiver and John Jordan for going to Haverford, le Dale, le Nangle, Swynsey, and several other ports to stay ships for the passage of the lord to Gascony, by letters of the king, and letters of the said lord Duke (Lancaster). 22^s paid to John Jordan sent from Kedwelly to London to the council of the lord to certify the council of the death of William Banastre, and other affairs, and returning, namely 22 days at 1d per day. And 5^s paid to Thomas Frankeleyn for going from Kedwelly to Plymmouth for business of the lord with letters of the steward and auditors.’

BUNDLE 573. No. 9063.

The reeve accounts for the following items :—

Rent of Assize.—‘6^s 8^d for 20 days’ work at ploughing in Penbrey at the lord’s board, price of the ploughing 4^d. 5^s 11½^d for 71½ days’ work carrying hay, price of work 1^d. 3/6 for 84 days’ hoeing corn at ½^d. 34^s 2½^d for 205 days’ work reaping corn, price of work beyond reprises 2^d. 104½ days’ cartage of corn, price of the work beyond reprises 2^d. 41 days for carriage of rods to the weir of Towy at ½^d. 84 days for repairing weir. The rent (4^d) of a cottage and 12 acres of land which Thomas Hervy took, before the council of the Lord Henry, late Duke of Lancaster, by rent and custom, to hold to him and his heirs as appears in the account for 34 Edw. iij.’

Issues of the Manor.—‘9^s for the meadow called Selkemede. 6^s for the crop of the meadow called Anevellmede, with the pasture by the ox-house let to John Oweyn. 8^s for the pasture beneath the castle—nothing this year because it is in the hands of John Oweyn, farmer of the mill within his farm by writing of the lord John, late Duke of Lancaster. 4^s for issues of the herbage of the "exterior garden" let to Richard Bitterley for a term of 5 years. 3^s for the issues of the herbage and fruit of the "inner garden" near the castle sold to the abovesaid Richard this year. 4^s 5½^d for the farm of Dovecot at 6^s 8^d yearly. 11^s 4^d for farming a certain weir called Sully weir let to Thomas Hopkyn for a term of 12 years. 13^s 4^d for the farm of the Fulling Mill. 12^s for the pasture of Bourgh heuedes. l3^s 4^d for the farm of the rabbit warren of Caldecote let to Meredith Don and Hoell ap David Lloyd. 13^s 4^d for the farm of the Fulling Mill called Bordeculle. 26^s for the farm of 6½ acres at Puttecroftes let to Thomas Fogour; and 3^s for the pasture between the groves, sold to William Moritz. Also £17 15 7 for the farm of 2 water mills, called "Middlemulle" and "Caddokesmulle" let to John Oweyn this year by the Steward and Receiver, and the said John will repair the mills, with the ponds at his own costs, except the great timber, the millstones, the brass, and the iron, which the lord shall find, as appears in the last account for the year next preceding. 66^s8^d for the farm of 2 water mills called "Morlesmulle" and "Cowemulle" let to Ievan Vaughan, and Rees ap Moritz, for a term of 5 years.

The rents of Assize include such items as these in lieu of rent— ‘3 lbs.of pepper at 1^s 1^d; and 4lbs of cummin at 4^d; and 12 horse shoes with nails at 1^d.’

Kidwelly Fach.—The manor of Kidwelly, as will be seen from the following reference, pushed its possessions to the very gates of Carmarthen, a circumstance which may account for the fact that the district on the right bank of the river Towy at Carmarthen is still known as ‘Kidwelly Fach.’

‘To Gilbert Talebot, justice of South Wales. Order not to intermeddle further with 50 acres of meadow and 80 acres of marsh in the lordship of Kedewelli, but so that the King shall re-enter the premises if anything be found to establish his right thereto, as lately, at the suit of Henry de Lancastr, earl of Derby, showing that Patrick de Chaworth was seised at his death, in his demesne as a fee, of 100 arces of meadow, and 100 acres of marsh in that lordship, as parcel of his manor of Kedewelli near the town of Kermerdyn, and the premises were taken into the hand of Edward I. at Patrick’s death by reason of the minority of Matilda, Patrick’s daughter and heir; the Earl’s mother, whose heir he is, the King’s ministers asserting that they were parcel of the King’s demesne of Kermerdyn, and the Earl beseeching the King to order them to be restored to him, the King ordered the justice to take an inquisition on the matter, by which it is found that the meadow and marsh near Kaermerdyn are 80 acres of meadow and 80 acres of marsh, and they are in the lordship of Kedewelli as Parcel of the manor of Kedewelli and are not Parcel of the lordship of Kaermerdyn, and that Patrick died seised of the said meadow and marsh, in his demesne as of fee, as of parcel of the said manor; and that the meadow and marsh were taken into the hand of Edward I. as aforesaid, and that they are the right of the Earl, and are held of the king by homage as parcel of the said manor; and that Matilda was Patrick’s next heir, and the Earl has besought the King by his petition before him and his Council in Parliament to cause his hand to be amoved from the meadow and marsh; and the writ, inquisition, and petition being exhibited and read in Parliament before the great Council, it is agreed by that Council that the King’s hand shall be amoved.’—Close Rolls, 14 Edw. III., April 8, 1340.

BUNDLE 573. No. 9063

A memorandum dated 3 Feb. 22 Richard II. [1398—9].

John Wilkyns, Reeve, answers for "one pipe of wine remaining in the castle after the departure of the late King Richard, and sold by Walter Castell for 20^sand more, it is said."

The following translated abstract from the same Minister’s Account may be of interest, as it gives some details connected with the preparations for the king’s visit

‘Nails bought for mending the Castle bridge 3^d.

The wages of six labourers hired to mend the said bridge for one day and a half, taking per day 4=3^s.

Cleaning the chambers of the Castle this year by various hired men, 8^d

Nails called ‘bordenails’ bought for the wine cellar 3^d.

Wages of a man for cleaning the Castle ditch (fossam), 4^d.

For stable racks within the Castle, 2^d.

Carriage of rods for making the said racks from Wennalth, 8^s.

A bucket for the fountain within the Castle, 2^d.

Two men hired for one day to clean the kitchen of the lord, 8^d.

Straw and litter bought for the beds of the officers of the lord, and rushes to spread in the rooms, 12^s.

Removing lime from the gate, 8^d.

Nails called "spikynnes" for the racks in the stable, 3d.

Removing the great gates of the Castle, 5^d.

Finding fuel to one man for this year, 8^d.

Carrying the old gates of the Castle into the Castle, 4^d.

Making several new locks in the Castle, 2^s. and in fuel bought this year for Richard, late King of England, passing the night in the Castle, 4^s.

Carriage of the said fuel from Wennalth into the Castle, 8^s.

Carrying that fuel into the house, 6^d.

Carrying the fuel out of the house for the purpose of cleaning the house, 6d. Rushes bought to spread in the rooms for the said Richard, late king, 12^d.

Roofing the stable by several men hired for that purpose, 16^s.

Straw bought for the stable and the beds for the coming of the Receiver and carriage of the same, 16^d.

Cleaning the rooms for the same, 8^d.

Rushes bought to spread in the rooms, 3^d.

Seventeen yards three-quarters cloth of white flax for one towel containing 8 yards, one towel containing 6 yards 3 quarters, and one towel containing 3 yards— price per yard, 2^d. And for 8 yards of other cloth of flax for two "bordecloths" for the officials, price per yard, 6^d. For serving the ministers of the lord within the Castle, and for the stock of the said Castle, 8^s 11^d. Sum, 39^s 8^d.’