to the Ordinary by Juliana de Leyborne's
executors, or the duplicate thereof retained by them;—lost, many
ages since, from its proper depository, but afterwards happily
secured by the research of the first Sir Edward Bering, for his
collection at Surrenden. The portion which we have is in excellent
preservation, written in the usual form of abbreviated Latin.
For the convenience of the general reader, I have
rendered it into English, as literally as the use of modern terms
will allow, supplying in foot-notes the original words where it
seemed necessary to do so. It is as
follows:—
Inventory of the Goods of the noble woman, LADY
JULIANA DE
LEYBORNE, late Countess of Huntyngdon, wherever they be in
England, in the Province of Canterbury, on the day on which she
died, viz. the first day of November, in the year of our Lord 1367.
IN THE HOUSE AT PRESTON.1
Wardrobe
£. s. d.
In primis, in gold and silver, in ready money2
1241 6 8
Item, divers vessels and jewels of gold and
silver 410
0 0
or Ordinary, at such times as lie should appoint, an Inventory or
Schedule, containing a true description of all the goods and
chattels of a person deceased, at the time of his death, with
their value, appraised by indifferent persons.
1 This was Preston next
Wingham. Hasted states that this manor of Preston, and the others
belonging to Juliana de Leyborne, escheated to the Crown at her
death, for want of an heir. This is an error; her first husband
was John Lord Hastings and Abergavenny (son of Isabel, the eldest
sister and coheir of Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke); by this
John Lord Hastings, she had a son, Laurence, who, 13 Edward III.,
was created Earl of Pembroke, as grandson, of the eldest coheir of
the last Earl, and was himself succeeded in the earldom by his son
John.
By an entry on the Close Bolls, it appears that, on
20th February, 36 Edward III., Juliana confirmed divers
manors in Kent and elsewhere (among them this manor of Preston) to
trustees, who, on 15th March in the same year, reconveyed them to
her for life, with remainder to the King. In fact, the transaction
seems to have been a conveyance to the King (reserving to herself
a life-interest) for subsequent grant to religious
2 "Pecunia numerata"—"money
counted down."
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