Francis Clopton of Suffolk Post Mortem Inquisition 1578

Date: 17 Nov 1578 to 16 Nov 1579
Location: Long Melford, Suffolk, England
Surname/tag: Clopton

Contents 1 Historical Context 2 Source Material 3 Summary of Key Facts 4 Method of Translation and Warning 5 English Translation 6 Transcript of Original Latin Text 7 Sources

Historical Context

A post Mortem inquisition, was an inquiry, undertaken after the death of a feudal tenant in chief (that is, a direct tenant of the crown), to establish what lands were held and who should succeed to them.

This inquisition related to the death of Francis Clopton in 1578 and named William Clopton as his heir. It took place on the 7th April 1579, in the presence of Robert Crane (possibly Robert Crane (abt.1508-1591) ) ,Thomas Edone, and Thomas Andrewes, the commissioners.

Source Material

This translation to English was based on a transcript in latin titled '”INQUISITION UPON THE DEATH OF FRANCIS CLOPTON , ESQUIRE . - 1579” contained in the notes provided with the 1866 edition of the Visitation of Suffolk, 1561 ^[1] .

It was recorded in the visitations as having been sourced from Inquisition post mortem , Wards and Liveries , vol . xx . , Public Rec . Office this presumably now stored at The National Archives Kew^[2]

Summary of Key Facts

It noted that

• Francis Clopton died on the 6th April 1578
• William Clopton the squire [armiger] is brother and next heir of the said Francis Clopton deceased, and was at the time of the death of the said Francis Clopton aged twenty-seven years and more;
• that a certain Anne, Lady Heydon, the wife of Christopher Heydon, the soldier, late the wife of the same Francis Clopton, still survives, and exists in full life at Baconsthorpe in the county of Norfolk.

At his death Francis Clopton was seized of:

Place	location	held of	fee	income
Manor of Kentwell	Long Melford	The Queen	the service of a quarter of one kimght's fee (no rent given)	twelve pounds a year
Manor of Lutons	Long Melford	The Queen	by fidelity and rent xvi. d. per year for all services and bequests	£6 13s 4d
manor of Woodfoules	Long Melford	Thomas, earl of Sussex	by fealty and rent of two shillings per annum for all services and rents whatsoever	66s 8d
manor of Melford Monachorum	Long Melford	The Queen	by the service of the fortieth part of one knight's fee, and by an annual rent of thirty-two shillings and four pence one obol [half penny]] at the feast of St. Michael the Archangel	sixteen pounds, three shillings, and four pence
messuage or tenement, recently acquired from Johanne Bixbie	Long Melford	unknown		20s
messuage or tenement called Blakes	Long Melford	The Queen	by fealty and rent of sixpence per annum for all services and rents whatsoever	20 [sic]

Method of Translation and Warning

The Latin text was captured by copy paste from google books and then translated by google translate by Sansum-45 22:30, 3 August 2023 (UTC)

Sections highlighted in bold have been inspected and retranscribed manually and then retranslated. Line breaks have been introduced to facilitate reading and do not represent the layout of the original. Clarification or necessary expansion are contained within []

The method contains errors from two main sources:

1. The capture of the Latin text may contain errors compared to the original transcript. Obvious problems have been retranscribed manually (highlighted in bold)
2. The translation will certainly contain significant errors

Despite these shortcomings, the translation is useful to identify key parts of the text for closer attention and it is still possible to extract useful information, both Latin and English versions of the text have been retained to allow subsequent corrections to be carried out.

If you make use of a specific section of this translation:

1. CHECK THE LATIN TRANSCRIPT CONTAINED HERE AGAINST THE ORIGINAL
2. THEN SCRUTINISE. THE TRANSLATION OR BETTER CARRY OUT YOUR OWN.

English Translation

Suff[olk] An —- inquisition taken at Sudbury in the aforesaid county, on the seventh day of April in the year of the reign of our lady Elizabeth, by the grace of God Queen of England, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, etc. on the twenty-first [ie 21 Regnal year of Elizabeth] , in the presence of Robert Crane, Thomas Edone, and Thomas Andrewes, esquires of the feods of the lady Queen in the said county, the commissioners of the said lady Queen, by virtue of the commission in the nature of the brief of the same lady Queen of the day, closed the end of the same commissioners directed, among other things, and annexed to this inquiry, to inquire after the death of Francis Clopton the squire named in the same brief by sacrament, etc. , who say upon their oath that the aforesaid Francis Clopton named in the aforesaid brief before his death was seised in his domain

as of the fee of and in the domains and manors of Kentwell, Lutons, Woodfoules, and Melford Monastery in Melford in the aforesaid county with his belongings; and of and in all those tithes of blads, sheaves, and grain, and any other tithes which grow annually for those who come, and renovate from all those lands, tenements, meadows, pastures, and Sunday pastures of the said manor of Melford Monks in any way looking; and of

and in all other tithes whatsoever arising or growing from all those lands and tenements belonging to the said manor of Melford Monks;

and of and in one messuage or tenement with appurtenances in the aforesaid Melford lately acquired by the aforesaid Francis Clopton of a certain John Bixby ;

and of and in one messuage or tenement with appurtenances in Melford aforesaid called Blakes.

And also the aforesaid jurors say upon their aforesaid oath that the aforesaid Francis Clopton named in the aforesaid brief, so as to be preferred, existing divided from the aforesaid dominions and manors of Kentwell, Lutons, Woodfoules, and Melford Monachore with their appurtenances; and about and [in] the aforesaid tithes; and of and in the said messuage or tenement lately acquired of the said John Bixby ; also of and in the aforesaid messuage or tenement called Blakes in the aforesaid Melford in the aforesaid county of Suffolk, he died there seised on the sixth day of April in the twentieth year of the reign of the aforesaid lady Queen; and that William Clopton the squire is the brother and next heir of the said Francis Clopton, deceased, and was at the time of the death of the said Francis Clopton twenty-seven years of age and more; and that a certain Anna Lady Heydon, the wife of Christopher Heydon, the soldier, late the wife of the same Francis Clopton, still survives, and exists in full life at Baconsthorpe in the county of Norfolk

And further the aforesaid jurors say on their aforesaid oath that the aforesaid manor is held of Kentwell and at the time of the death of the said Francis Clopton was held of the said lady Queen now as of her castle of Norwich by the service of a quarter of one soldier's fee; and the aforesaid manor is clearly worth twelve pounds a year in all matters beyond the recapture;

and that the aforesaid manor is held of the Lutons, and at the time of the death of the said Francis Clopton was held of the said lady Queen as of her hun dred of [ ], * since the parcel of the monastery of Bury Saint Edmund was lately a hundred by fidelity and rent xvi. d. per year for all services and bequests to whomsoever, and it is worth clearly per year in all matters six pounds thirty shillings and four pence;

and that the aforesaid manor is held of Woodfoules, and at the time of the death of the said Francis Clopton was held of Thomas, earl of Sussex, as of his manor of Shimplinge by fealty and rent of two shillings per annum for all services and rents whatsoever, and is clearly valid per annum in all matters lxvi. s. viii.d.;

and that the aforesaid lordship and manor of Melford Monks and the aforesaid tithes are held with their appurtenances and at the time of the death of the said Francis Clopton they were held of the said lady Queen in chief by the service of the fortieth part of one soldier's fee, and by an annual rent of thirty-two shillings and four pence obols at the feast of St. Michael the Archangel is to be paid every year, and it is worth clearly for a year in all matters sixteen pounds, three shillings, and four pence;

and that the aforesaid messuage or tenement, with the pertys, recently acquired from the aforesaid Johanne Bixbie, is worth twenty shillings a year in all matters, but of whom or of whom it is held is completely unknown;

and that the aforesaid messuage or tenement called Blakes is held and at the time of the death of the said Francis Clopton was held of the said lady Queen as of her aforesaid hundred of Baberghe by fealty and rent of sixpence per annum for all services and rents whatsoever, and is valid per year in all issues twenty †

And the aforesaid jurors say upon their aforesaid oath that the aforesaid Francis Clopton named in the aforesaid brief held no other or more manors, lands, or tenements of the said lady Queen or of any others in the said county of Suffolk on the day that he died on Sunday, service, reversion, or use In whose case, etc.

Transcript of Original Latin Text

Suff . ' Inquisitio indentata capta apud Sudburye in comitatu prædicto , septimo die mensis Aprilis anno regni dominæ nostræ Elizabethæ , Dei gratia Angliæ , Franciæ , et Hiberniæ Reginæ , Fidei Defensoris etc. vicesimo primo , coram Roberto Crane , Thoma Edone , et Thoma Andrewes armigeris feodariis dominæ Reginæ in comitatu prædicto , com missionariis dictæ dominæ Reginæ virtute commissionis in natura brevis ejusdem dominæ Reginæ de diem clausit extremum eisdem commissionariis inter alia directi , et huic in quisitioni annexi , ad inquirendum post mortem Francisci Clopton armigeri in eodem brevi nominati per sacramentum etc. , qui dicunt super sacramentum suum quod prædictus Fran ciscus Clopton in dicto brevi nominatus ante obitum suum fuit seisitus in dominico suo ut de feodo de et in dominiis et maneriis de Kentwell , Lutons , Woodfoules , et Melford Monachorum in Melford in comitatu prædicto cum suis pertinentiis ; ac de et in omnibus illis decimis bladorum , garbarum , et granorum , et aliis decimis quibuscunque annuatim pro venientibus crescentibus , et renovantibus de omnibus illis terris , tenementis , pratis , pascuis , et pasturis dominicalibus dicto manerio de Melford Monachorum quoquomodo spectantibus ; ac de et in omnibus aliis decimis quibuscunque provenientibus sive crescentibus de omnibus illis terris et tenementis dicto manerio de Melford Monachorum pertinentibus ; ac de et in uno mesuagio sive tenemento cum pertinentiis in Melford prædicta nuper perquisito per prædictum Franciscum Clopton de quodam Johanne Bixbye ; ac de et in uno mesuagio sive tenemento cum pertinentiis in Melford prædicta vocato Blakes . Et etiam juratores prædicti dicunt super sacramentum suum prædictum quod prædictus Franciscus Clopton in dicto brevi nominatus sic ut præfertur scisitus existens de prædictis dominiis et maneriis de Kentwell , Lutons , Woodfoules , et Melford Monachorum cum suis pertinentiis ; ac de et [ in ] decimis prædictis ; ac de et in prædicto mesuagio sive tenemento nuper perquisito de prædicto Johanne Bixbye ; necnon de et in prædicto mesuagio sive tenemento vocato Blakes in Melford prædicta in prædicto comitatu Suffolcia obiit inde seisitus sexto die Aprilis anno regni dominæ Reginæ prædictæ vicesimo ; et quod Willielmus Clopton armiger est frater et proximus hæres prædicti Francisci Clopton defuncti , et fuit tempore mortis prædicti Francisci Clopton ætatis viginti septem annorum et amplius ; et quod quædam Anna domina Heydon modo uxor Christoferi Heydon militis nuper uxor ejusdem Francisci Clopton adhuc superstes est , et in plena vita existit apud Baconsthorpe in comitatu Norfolciæ

Et ulterius juratores prædicti dicunt super sacramentum suum prædictum quod prædictum manerium de Kentwell tenetur et tempore mortis prædicti Francisci Clopton tenebatur de dicta domina Regina nunc ut de castro suo Norwici per servitium quartæ partis unius feodi militis ;

et quod dictum manerium valet clare per annum in omnibus exitibus ultra reprisas duodecem libras ;

et quod prædictum manerium de Lutons tenetur et tempore mortis prædicti Francisci Clopton tenebatur de dicta domina Regina ut de hun dredo suo de [ ] , * quodquidem hundredum nuper fuit parcella monasterii de Burye Sancti Edmundi per fidelitatem et redditum xvi . d . per annum pro omnibus servitiis et demaundis quibuscunque , et valet clare per annum in omnibus exitibus sex libras tresdecem solidos et quatuor denarios ;

et quod prædictum manerium de Woodfoules tenetur ac tempore mortis prædicti Francisci Clopton tenebatur de Thoma comite Sussexiæ ut de manerio suo de Shimplinge per fidelitatem et redditum duorum solidorum per annum pro omnibus servitiis et redditibus quibuscunque , et valet clare per annum in omnibus exitibus lxvi . s . viii.d .;

et quod prædictum dominicum et manerium de Melford Monaccorum et decimæ prædict ' cum pertinentiis tenentur et tempore mortis prædicti Frauncisci Clopton tenebantur de dicta domina Regina in capite per servitium quadragesimæ partis unius feodi militis , et per annualem redditum triginta duorum solidorum quatuor denariorum oboli ad festum Sancti Michaelis Archangeli singulis annis solvend ' , et valet clare per annum in omnibus exitibus sexdecim libras tres solidos quatuor denarios obolum ;

et quod prædictum mesuagium sive tenementum cum perti nentiis nuper perquisitum de prædicto Johanne Bixbie valet per annum in omnibus exitibus viginti solidos , sed de quo vel de quibus tenetur penitus ignoratur ;

et quod prædictum mesuagium sive tenementum vocatum Blakes tenetur et tempore mortis prædicti Frauncisci Clopton tenebatur de dicta domina Regina ut de prædicto hundredo suo de Baberghe per fidelitatem et redditum sex denariorum per annum pro omnibus servitiis et redditibus quibuscunque , et valet clare per annum in omnibus exitibus viginti . †

Et juratores prædicti dicunt super sacramentum suum prædictum quod prædictus Franciscus Clopton in dicto brevi nominatus nulla alia sive plura maneria , terras , seu tenementa tenuit de dicta domina Regina sive de aliquibus aliis in dicto comitatu Suffolciæ die quo obiit in dominico , servitio , revercione , seu usu . In cujus rei etc.

Sources

1. ↑ Visitations: “INQUISITION UPON THE DEATH OF FRANCIS CLOPTON , ESQUIRE . - 1579, Joseph Jackson Howard (ed.) The Visitations of Suffolke, William Harvey, with additions from Family Documents Original Wills”, publisher Samual Tymms, London, 1866 , Vol. I, p. 63, Google Books (accessed and translated by google translate 3 Aug 2023)
2. ↑ Inquisition:"", “Clopton, Francis: Suffolk”, The National Archives Kew, Court of Wards and Liveries: Inquisitions Post Mortem, ref: WARD 7/20/40, 17 Nov 1578, (record only accessed 3 Aug 2023)