MRP: C22/969/42
C22/969/42
Abstract
Notes, not full transcription
C22/969/42 is a tightly rolled set of parchments, most ca. 10 in wide , with many 18 in or more long. It is hard to inspect because of the tight rolling, though most of the text is legible and the ink in good condition. A number of small circular pieces of parchment have become detached, up zo 1 in in diameter. There appears to be no foliation, but all the parchments are held together by a tie in the top left hand corner.
The topics or labels of the parchments are as follows:
1. Latin tag, 10 in wide and 3 in long. 9 lines of Latin. Appears to be the legal authorisation and request for three specified men to take depositions. I have not made notes of this
2. Interrogatories to be administered to the witnesses to be produced on the parte and behalfe of Thomas Denne Esq.r Compl:t ag:t Henry Oxinden gent. Thomas Denne y.e young:r Thomas Harding & William Gilbert def:ts
Int. 1 Mentions Thomasine Denee, mother of the complainant, and Robert Denne gent. long since deceased. Mentions deceased brothers of the complainant – Vincent, John, Edward, & Robert Denne.
Int. 2 Refers to the capital messuage or manor house commonly known as Denne alias Dennhill in the parish of Kingston, Kent., containing an estimated 230 acres in Kingston, Barham, and Wimingswold in Kent.
Int. 3. Asks whether deponent has seen the will of Thomas Denne, deceased, grandfather of the complainant in which the capital messuage lands and tenements mentioned in the next interrogatory were intayled to Robert Denne and the heires of his body begotten, the will dated 17th July 1563, and shown to the deponents for identification.
Int. 4. Asks whether the deponent knows that the capital messuage or manor house, together with 160 acres of land belonging, lying in the parish of Kingston “are holdon of the Manno:r of Kingston in free & common soccage” “Do you not know or beleive that after the death of the said Robert Denne att a Court holdon for the said Manno:r it was p:rsented by the homage there that the said Robert Denne died seized of the said Capitall Messuage lands and p:rmisses in Kingston aforesaid in the ?XXXXX as of fee tayle And that after his decease the same did discernd as of right the same ought to discend unto the plt as his eldest sonne and heire And is the writing now shewed forth a true Coppie of the said p:rsentment...”
Int. 5.Asks what land, tenements and messuages Robert Denne purchased in the parishes of Kingston, Barham, and Wymingswold, and what they are worth in terms of yearly rentals, and how much he paid from them, and who he purchased them from.
Int.6 Asks whether Robert Denne seized in fee a messuage or farme house with appurtenances and divers lands in St. John the Baptist and Minister in the Isle of Thannett, and for what yearly rent it was let at at the time of his death, and was this not all the estate that he left to his son Vincent Denne?
Int.7. Asks whether Robert Denne died seized in feesimple or feetayle of messuages in Wyminswold by the churchyard, and did the deponent know that Thomasine Denne took and received the rents and profits of this messuage from the death of Robert Denne till her own death, which was a space of forty years, and what were the yearly rentals and total rents and profits she received.
Int. 8. Asks whether the deponent knows that Robert Denne made his will shortly before his death, appointing his wife Thomasine Denne his executrix, and shows the will to the deponent and asks for confirmation that Thomasine proved the will at the XXXX Court att Canterbury
Int. 9. Asks whether Thomasine Denne lived in the capital messuage called Denne or Denne Hill for twelve years after the death of her husband and “did during all that tyme dispose thereof att her free will and pleasure”
Int.10. Asks whether the deponent knows that after 12 years Thomasine lived in the capital messuage together with a pigeon house, “fforstall”, gardens & orchards belonging to it, and two parcels of pasture ground, and part of the arable lands belonging to it, and whether they knew that the plaintiff during that time paid for and allowed the repairing of all the messuages tenements and appurtenances
Int.11. Asks whether the deponent knows that Thomasine Denne “did keepe & mainteyne a Warren or game of Coneyes uppon the said pasture ground in her occupacon which was hurtfull and p:riudiciall to the Tennts and ffarme;rs of the plt that held and occupyed the residue of the said landes And was a great losse & damage unto th eplt in the hireing of the residue of the said landes. Asks whether some of the tenants did not much complain “and sought abatement of their rents” or left the lands for that reason. Asks what yearly gain Thomasine Denne made from the coneyes and what yearly loss th eplaintiff experienced as a result of the conyes.
Int.12. Asks whether Thomasine Denne in the forty years following the death of Robet Denne did not “sell cutt downe and burne the wood of the plts grewing upon the p:rmisses” and that during the forty years she never bought any wood, just burning wood of the plaintiff. “and caused him to buy wood for his own provision”
Int. 13. Asks whether the deponent knows that to provide a portion for his brother John Denne the plaintiff gave John the sum of £400 and various lands “of the value of two hundred poundes & upwards” and that John Denne as consideration therefore “did promise unto th eplt to give and leave unto him all his estate both reall and personall which hee should have att the tyme of his death if hee should happen to die without issue”. Does the deponent know that Thomasine Denne gave John Denne a further £500 and was that sum not “cheifely raysed out of the rents and proffitts of the p:rmisses”
Int. 14. Asks whether the deponent knows that at the death of John Denne that Vincent Denne his brother, a bachelor, entered John Denne’s “siad landes in ?Shoulger Moore clayming the same by vertue of the said Will”, and that the plaintiff was the Vincent’s only brother and heire (since Vincent was a bachelor)
Int. 15. XXXX
Int. 16. XXXX
Int. 17. Asks whether deponent knows that Vincent Denne persuaded Thomasine Denne to make her will and to give him all her goods and chattels or the most part of them and to make him her executor, and whether the will exhibited to the deponent on ten sheets of papers was not her last will and testament “as it stands registered in the office of the ?Clericall Court att Canterbury”
Int. 18. Asks whether the deponent knows that Vincent Denne shortly after the death of Thomasine proved the will in the court at Canterbury, took upon himself the executorship, and “possessed himselfe of all the said goods & chattells and ready money of the said Thomasine Denne.” Asks what debts were oweing to Thomasine at the time of her death and “howmuch did the Inventory of teh goods & chattells rights and credditts of the said Thomasine Denne amount unto”
Int. 19. Asks whether Vincent Denne lived with his mother Thomasine from the time of his father’s death, and whether he did not enrich himself, partly through his brother’s bequest of the landes of Shenleys Moore and partly from the profits which he raysed out of the Messuages and lands of the plts att Denhill aforesaid and by the personall estate of the said Thomasine Denne which hee gayned unto himselfe. “And doe you knowe or beleeve that hee hadd any other meanes trade or course of life to inrich himselfe withall but only the meanes before mencconed and the lands which his father left him in the Isle of Thannett. What was the estate of Vincent Denne “worth to be sold” at the time of Thomasine Denne’s death?
Int. 20. Asks whether deponent knows that Vincent Denne, brother of the plaintiff, made his last will and testament on or about the 28th April 1642 and appointed the said defendant Henry Oxinden his Executor, and that the copy now shown to the deponent containing twenty eight sheets of paper is a true copy of the will and testament “as it standeth registered in the office of the CXXXal Court of Canterbury, and that the defendant Henry Oxinden “within few houres after the death ofteh said Vincent Denne proved the said Will and took upon him the Executorshipp”
Int. 21. Asks whether Henry Oxinden has possessed himself of all the goods chattels and personal estate of Vincent Denne and received the debts oweing unto him, and whether Henry Oxinden has exhibited an inventory of the said goods chattekks and personall estate into the XXX Court, and if so what there value was
Int. 22. Were all the legacies due to be paid withon one year of death of Vincent duely paid, and to whom, and how many are outsanding, and to whom?
Int. 23. What were all the lands, tenements and hereditaments in the parish of Kingston devised by Vincent to the plaintiff “worth to be sold as you beleeve.” And how much had Vincent paid for the purchase of them. Did the purchase of them cost any more than £35?
Int. 24. Does the deponent know that since the death of Vincent Denne Henry Oxinden “did sell unto the def:t Thomas Denne the younger all the landes of the said Vincent Denne lying in ?Sherleyes Moore and in the parishes of ?ffariefeild and Bronsett (OR, Brensett) in the County of Kent.”
When were they sold, and “by what deed or other conveyance did he convey and assure the same.” How much money did Thomas Denne the younger pay, and when was payment made.
Int. 25. Does the deponent know that at teh time of death of Vincent Denne the said landes in Sherlyes Morre “were in Lease for divers yeares then to come to the def:t Thomas Harding att the yeerely rent of ffourescore poundes And is theis Lease in writing now shewed forth unto you bearing date the fourteenth day of Aprill Anno Dm 1641 the very same Lease as you to beleeve”
Int. 26. What were the lands and tenements which Vincent Denne had at the time of his death in the parishes of ffairefeild Bronfelt and Snargate in Romney Marsh “worth to be lett as you beleeve”? and what was the yearely rent received?
Int. 27. Do you agree that since the death of Vincent Denne theat the deft William Gilbert has agreed with the plaintiff (sic) “and did hire of him” the said messuages, landes and p:rmisses in ffairefeild Bronsett and Snargett (sic) form the feast of St Micheal the Archangel 1643 tor the terme of one year at the rent of £38. And that William Gilbert did enter into the said messauges, landes and premisses and did hold and enjoy them.
Int. 28. How many daughters did the complainant have at the time of Vincent Denne’s death, and were they all unmarried?
Named interrogators:
Thomas Southland; ?ffr: Crispe; Le : XXXXX
3. Ex Parte Querentis
Deposicons of Witnesses taken at the signe of the Sunne within the Citty of Canterbury on Munday the sixt day of Aprill Anno Dom 1646 before Henry Crispe Thomas Southland and John Dixwell Esquires and Leonard Browne gent. by vertue of his Ma:ties Commission out of his Highnesse Court of Chancery to them or any three or two of them directed for the examinacon of Witnesses and takeing of deposicons in a cause depending in the same Court betweene Thomas Denne Esquire Complt and Henry Oxinden and Thomas Denne the younger gent. and other defend:ts as followeth viz:t
NOTES ONLY OF SOME POINTS OF INTEREST
Thomas Marsh of Denton in the County of kent gent. aged about fiftie and six
To the 12th interogatory the wood or fuel burned was worth three or four pounds a year
To the 19th interogatory states that Vincent Denne lived with his motehr for the ten or twelve years that the deponent knew Thomasine before her death, and conceeds that “the said Vincent did gather wealth and grew rich as hee hath heard and doth beleeve by what meanes hee knoweth not And hee doth conceive that hee the said Vincent was worth att the tyme of the death of his mother in landes abd goodes betweene five and six thousand poundes and so reputed by others..”
Tracy ?Paunefete of the Citty of Canterbury gent. aged three and twenty yeeres or thereabouts being sworne & examed saith
To teh 1st interogatory states he knows only Thomas Denne the complainant and Henry Oxinden, but that he has made a search in the Registers of the Archdeacon of Canterbury and found there “amongst the Bill of Christenings buryalls & marriages there kept” that Thomasine Denne was buryed att Kingstone in the County of Kent the 20th February Anno Dom 1633. A similar search showed that Robert Denne was buried on 28th Macrh 1594 at Kingstone. And that John Denne, brother of Vincent Denne, was buried on 24th February 1624. Could not find when Edward and Robert Denne the brotehrs were buried.
To the 3rd interogatory deponent states that he has seen the will of Thomas Denne the grandfather of teh complainant and that it is “registered in the office of the Archdeacon of Canterbury” and that the capital messuage landes & p:rmisses were intayled unto Robert Denne father of the complainant and his heires, and that the will shown him was a true copy, having examined the same “with the originall will of Thomas Denne as it standeth registered in the said office of the Archdeacon of Canterbury”
To the 17th interogatory the deponent states that the copy shewn him of Thomasine Denne’s will is a true copy since he has it examined it with the original in the office of the Archdeacon of Canterbury
To the 20th interogatory the deponent states that the copy of Vincent Denne’s will is a true copy haveing examined it with the original in the office of the Archdeacon of Canterbury
To the 22nd interogratory the deponent states that there was a legacy to be paid to Thomazine daughter of teh claimant of £150 and several legacies of £50 to be paid to Katharine Bridgett and Mary, daughtes of the claimant “lymited to be paid within one yeare after the death of the said Vincent Denne”
??Charles ?March of East Langdon in the county of Kent yeoman aged threescore yeers or thereabouts sworne and examined saith as followeth
To the 9th interogatory the deponent has heard that Thomazine Denne lived at Denhill for twelve yeares after her husbands death and “that all the said messuages landes and tenements were worth att the tyme aforesaid fourescore and tenne poundes p ann or thereabouts”
To the 10th interogatory the deponent says that Thomazine Denne lived in the house with the lands as stated in the 10th interogatory, and knows this to be ture since he was a tenant of part of the lands belonging to teh lands she resided in. States that the plaintiff paid and allowed the repair of the premisses etc. and does not believe that Thomazine paid anything in that period.
To the 11th interogatory says that warrens of games of coneyes were kept in the two parcels of pasture ground by him possessed and in the ocupacion of Thomazine, and that they were indeed prejudicial and hurtful to the tenants and farmers, “and in p:ticular to him this depon:t being the compl:lts tenant who suffered so much by them that he was forced to leave the same ffarme And hee doth conceive that it was a great losse to the Compl:t in the hireing out of the sane lands for hee knoweth that others of the Tenants after said the Compl:t did often complaine of the great wrong which they did them”. Thinks that Thomazien or Vioncent “did make of the said coneyes neere twentie poundes p anm.”
To the 12th interogatory the deponent was tenant of the complainant for one year and during that year he did not see Thomazine buy wood. Estimates that the wood was worth 20 nobles in that year.
To the 19th interogratory the deponent believes and partly knows that Vincent lived with Thomazien from the edath of his father until her death and that he did “much inrich himselfe” but deponent cannot say how
NEW PARCHMENT SHEET WHICH HAS BEEN INK FOLIATED 3. (may be original foliation)
Edward Master of the Citty of Canterbury Gent. of the age of thirty and five yeeres or thereaybouts sworne & examined saith as ffolloweth viz:t
“To the fowre & twentith Interr hee saieth that hee doth find by one deed or writing Indented now in his custody bearing date the eight & twentith day of September in the nineteenth yeere of the raigne of o:r soveraigne Lord Charles over England Xr: and inrolled in the high Court of Chancery the six & twentith of December then next following” that Henry Oxinden sold to Thomas Denne the younger for & in consideration of £2200 to him in hand paid “threescore & six acres or arrable & marsh land lyinge in Sherlyes Moore in the tenure of Thomas Harding together with one messuage one stable and threescore acres of arrable & Marsh land lying in the parishes of Wood?church ffairefeild and Brensett then or late in the occupacon of Thomas Hoare All which Lands & p:rmisses were late the proper landes of the said Vincent Denne att the tyme of his death..” which lands etc he gave power to Henry Oxinden his executor to sell “for & towards the payment of his debts as is mencconed in the said deed”
To the 25thinterogatory the deponent “doth verily beleeve and take it for granted “ that the lands in Shelyes Moore were in lease at the time of the death of Vincent Denne to Thomas Harding for £80 per annum. “ States that he believes that the lease now shown him is “a Counterpart of the same Lease...”. The deponent himself has purchased the lands in Sherlyes Moore one and a quarter years ago he has recieved and ought to recieve the rents, and before that Henry oxinden dod so since the death of Vincent Denne.
Humphrey ?Blicke of Barham in the County of Kent Taylor of the age of ffourescore and five yeeres or thereabouts sworne and examined saith as followeth:
Commentary
