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"By pretext of which writ, the foresaid John, Thomas, and
William, proceeded to inquire concerning the premisses, and took a certain
inquisition, and divers evidences, in order to ascertain the truth
of the age of the foresaid heir, of which inquisition and
evidences, the tenour follows in these words:—
"' An Inquisition held before John de Cobham, of Kent, Thomas
de Lodelowe, and William Waure, assigned by
commission of our Lord the King, to inquire concerning the age of William,
son and heir of William de Septvans, Knight, deceased, who held of the
said King, of his crown, in capite; and to do and fulfil
certain other things contained in the Commission of our Lord the King, at
Canterbury, on the Tuesday next before the Feast of St. George, in
the fortieth year of our said Lord the King, by the oath of John
de Northwode, Knight, Thomas Apuldrefeld, Knight, Thomas Chicche, Knight, Richard atte Lese, Knight, John de
Brokhull, Knight,
John Barry, William Apuldrefeld, Thomas Colpepir, Henry
Apuldrefeld, senior, Henry Auger, Fulco Payforer, and Geffrey Colpepir, who
say, upon their oath, that the foresaid William, son and heir of the
foresaid William, will be twenty years old, and no more, on the
feast of St. Augustin the Doctor, next coming; and they say that twelve
men, whose names are stitched to this Inquisition, were summoned
before John de Tye, escheator of our Lord the King, in the county of
Kent, at Canterbury, at a certain day now past, to prove the age of
the said heir, of which men three, to wit, Alexander Haven, John
Pikeryng, and Thomas Ropere, were not sworn before the said escheator, and
so they say that the foresaid proof was neither rightly nor legitimately made, as they understand.
"' They also say that William de Chirchehull, Clerk, was the
first procurer, deviser, and instigator to the said William, son of
William, at Canterbury, to make suit for his lands and tenements, to be
amoved from the hands of our Lord the King, and to prove his
age; and after the return of the inquisition " de aetate
probanda," the said William de Chirchehull and Luke de Whetynden sued to have theforesaid lands and tenements out of the King's hands, inasmuch
as the said Luke was retained of the counsel of the said
William, son of William.
"And they say that the said William, son of William, had
the mediety of the manor of Aldyngton,1 in the county of Kent, whichis worth ten pounds per annum; and certain marshes, called
Lokelyng and Hersyng, in Iwade, worth forty shillings per annum; in
which mediety is a certain wood, worth one hundred pounds to
sell, which the said William, son of William, occupied from the time
when our Lord the King removed his hand therefrom, to the Feast
1 i.e. Aldington Septvans, in Thurnham.
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