WHereas (of late) differences have arisen betweene the right Honorable Thomas L. Wentworth, The cause of the now compounding. Lord of the Mannors of Stepney and Hackney, and his Lordships Copyhold Tenants of the said Mannors, for and concerning some of the customes, benefits, and priviledges of the said Tenants: It hath now pleased the said Thomas Lord Wentworth, in consideration of three thousand pounds,The consideration given for it. of lawfull money of England, in the thirtieth yeere of the Reigne of our late Soveraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth, by the Copy-holders of the said Mannors, unto the right Honourable Henry Lord Wentworth (his Lordships Father) then satisfied and paid: As also of other three thousand and 5. hundred pounds more, to him the said Thomas Lord Wentworth now paid, by Indenture bearing date the 20. day of Iune, in the 15. yeere of the Reigne of our Soveraigne Lord King Iames of England, France, and Ireland, and of Scotland the 50. made betweene him the said Thomas Lord Wentworth, The Deed of Covenants. Lord of the said Mannors on the one part, and Sir Iohn Iolles Knight, and Alderman of London, and divers other of the Copy-hold Tenants of the said Mannors (whose names are particularly in the said Indenture recited) on the other part: for the appeasing and finall end of the said differences, and for prevention of the like, and all other which (in time to come) might happen, arise or grow, betwixt the said Lord his heires or assignes, Lords of the said Mannors, and the said Copy-hold Tenants, their heires or assignes, to covenant, grant, conclude, and fully agree to the effect following, that is to say:

Imprimis, that the said Thomas Lord Wentworth is,The Lord Thomas is seized in Fee. and untill a perfect Act of Parliament shall bee had and made, whereby all the liberties, priviledges, benefits, customes, immunities, discharges, additions, alterations, enlargements, matters and things, in the Scedules to the said Indenture annexed, mentioned; shall be for ever confirmed, shall be and continue seized of a good, absolute and indefeazeable estate of Inheritance in fee-simple to him and his Ppp3heires A Briefe of the Indenture heires for ever in possession, of, & in the said Mannors, and either of them, and of the Copy-hold Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments of the said Copy-hold Tenants before mentioned, parties to the said Indenture. And that hee now hath,And hath power to confirme the following Articles. and then shall have full power and lawfull authority, to ratifie, confirme, establish and make good, all and singuler the covenants, articles, alterations, enlargements, free-customes, immunities, discharges and agreements contained in the said Indenture and Scedules, or either of them, to the said Copy-hold Tenants respectively, and to their severall and respective heires and assignes, of and in the severall and respective Messuages, Lands, Tenements, and Hereditaments, whereof they are seized of any estate by Copy of Court-Roule.

And that the said Thomas Lord Wentworth, That these Articles for ever be observed. his heires, assignes, and all other Lords of the said Mannors, shall for ever hereafter observe, performe, fulfill, allow, ratifie, make good and keepe all the said Articles, certainty of fines, usages, customes, priviledges, benefits, immunities, discharges, compositions and agreements in the said Indenture and Scedules contained: And shall not at any time hereafter leavy, take, require, or demand any other fines, suites, customes, workes or services, or in any other manner, than in the said Scedules are specified: And the rents which for the said Copy-hold Tenements, by the space of two yeeres now last past, have beene yeelded and paid by the Copy-hold Tenants thereof. And also that the said Tenants, their heires and assignes, shall for ever hereafter peaceably and quietly have, hold, maintaine, and enjoy their severall and respective Copy-holds, with their appurtenances, according to the severall grants thereof to them made; and under the severall rents for the same respectively, now due and payable according to the true meaning of the said Indenture and Scedules, without let, suit, or hindrance, interruption, alteration, question, or contradiction whatsoever of him the said Lord Wentworth, his heires or assignes, or under any other claiming any estate, right, title, use, interest, office, profit, charge, or demand, under his Lordship, his heires or assignes, or under the said Henry Lord Wentworth deceased.

And that the said Thomas Lord Wentworth, That hereafter none of these Lands shal be severed from the Mannor. his heires or assignes hath not, nor hereafter shall grant or conuey, severed from the Mannor thereof, the same is now holden; any of the Messuages, Cottages, Lands, Tenements, or Hereditaments of the said Copy-holders, for any other estate or terme, other than by Copy of Court-Roule, according to the custome of the said Mannors, except the free-hold to bee severed, at the desire of such person, as then shall bee Copy-holder thereof respectively: And that the certainty of sines, free customes, immunities, liberties, priviledges, articles, discharges, and agreements in the said Scedules contained, for and concerning the severall Messuages, Cottages, Lands, Tenements, and Hereditaments, whereof the said parties to the said Indenture are Copy-holders; shall (for ever) be, and bee had, used, accounted, adjudged, taken and enjoyed, as the true customes, usuages, priviledges, immunities, discharges, and liberties, of and within the said Mannors, and either of them not to be violated, altered, changed, or denied by the Lord or Lords of the said Mannors, or either of them now or hereafter, at any time or times in any wise being.That a decree shall be had in the Chancery, to confirme the now agreements▪

Item, that for the better ratifying, establishing, confirming, strengthening; perfecting, and making good of all and singuler the said Articles, covenants, agreements, certainty of fines, usuages, customes, enlargements, and alterations of usuages and customes, compositions, liberties, priviledges, freedomes, immunities, discharges, matters and things in the said Indenture and Scedules contained, and for the setting forth of what estate the said Thomas Lord Wentworth is now, and then shall be seized of the said Mannors and premisses, upon a Bill of complaint against his Lordship, in his Majesties Court of Chancery to be exhibited: his Lordship will appeare, and make such answer, and further such proceedings, that Of Covenants. that thereupon a perfect decree (with the free consent and agreement of his Lordship) may bee had, and there enrouled against his Lordship, his heires and assignes. By which the said Articles, covenants, agreements, certainty of fines, usuages and customes, and all the compositions, liberties, priviledges, freedomes, immunities, discharges, matters and things in the said Indenture and Scedules, or any of them contained; shall bee decreed, ratified, established and made good, and put in ure, used and enjoyed for ever.

That he the said Thomas Lord Wentworth, That an Act of Parliament shall be procured, to confirme the same for ever. his heires and assignes, at his and their own proper costs and charges, will procure at the first Session of the next Parliament of our Soveraine Lord the Kings Majesty, his heires or successors, one Statute or Act of Parliament, by force whereof the said Articles, covenants, agreements, certainty of fines, usuages, customes, compositions, enlargements, and alterations of usuages, customes, compositions, liberties, priviledges, benefits, freedomes, immunities, discharges, matters and things in the said Indenture and Scedules, or either of them expressed; shall be established, ratified, enacted and confirmed to be, and to continue for ever of force, and to be put in ure and used for ever hereafter, in such state, manner and forme, quality, condition and degree, as the same are in the said Indenture or Scedules, or any of them expressed, for and concerning the Lands, Tenements,The Tenants must pay twenty pounds towards the charges of it. and Hereditaments, wherof they now are Copy-holders, or reputed Copy-holders. Towards the charges of procuring of which the said Act of Parliament, the said Tenants are to pay unto the said Thomas Lord Wentworth, his heires or executors, within one moneth next after the obtaining and passing thereof, the sum of twenty pounds.

That he the said Thomas L. Wentworth, For better assurance within five yeeres. his heires and assignes, at any time within five yeeres next ensuing the date of the said Indenture, before such Act of Parliament, as aforesaid, had and obtained, at the costs in the law of the said Copy-hold Tenants, or some of them, upon request made unto him the said Thomas Lord Wentworth, his heires or assignes, by the said Sir Iohn Iolles, Knight and Alderman of London, William Gough, Edmund Barber, Iohn Eglesfield, The names cōtained in the Indenture. Isaack Cotton, Thomas Best, Richard Hoskins, George Saris, Henry Dethicke, Iohn Howland, Thomas Yardly, Iohn Lowden, Richard Cheyney, Gresham Hoogan, William Palmer, Nicholas Dickens, Nicholas Diggins, Peter Summer, Iohn Bennet, Richard Edwards, Michael Bonner, & Nicholas Hollam, or any ten of them, or any ten of the Heires or Assigues of them, shall and will make, doe, acknowledge, execute and suffer all and every such further acts, deeds and assurances, for better setling, assuring and confirming of the usuages, customes, benefits, liberties, priviledges, immunities, discharges, certainty of fines, compositions, agreements, matters and things in the said Indenture and Scedules contained, as by them, or any ten of them shal be reasonably devised, advised and required. That every one of the said Copy-hold Tenants,That leases may be let for thirty one yeeres and foure meneths without licence. their heires and assignes, shall and may freely hereafter from time to time, grant, lease or demise by deed or otherwise (without licence or Copy of Court Roule) such or so much of their said Lands, Tenements, and Hereditaments, to such person and persons, and for such tearme and estate, not exceeding one and thirty yeeres and foure moneths, in possession from the time of the making of any such grant or demise; as to them, and every, or any of them respectively, shall bee thought fit or necessary, without any forfeit of estate, seizure, claime, disturbance, deniall or impeachment of his Lordship, his heires or assignes, or any of his or their Officers. So alwaies, that such grant, lease and leases so to bee made, be at the first or second generall Court, (for the Mannor whereof, the Lands or Tenements so happening to be granted, leased or demised are parcell) to be holden next after the making thereof, be published in open Court of that Mannor, before the homage there, and a remembrance thereof to bee required to bee made in the Roules of the said Court, for the date, tearme and quantity of Lands, Cottages, or Tenements ſo A Briefe of the Indenture so granted, leased or demised. Which remembrance, the said Thomas Lord Wentworth convenanteth and granteth for him, his heires and assignes; to and with the said Sir Iohn Iolles, and the rest of the said Copy-hold Tenants, upon the tender of a certainty thereof in writing, to the Steward, or Deputy Steward that Mannour for the time then being, together with sixe pence in money, for the entring thereof, shall be in the Court Roules of that Mannor duely, and in convenient time, and without delay enrolled, and a note thereof delivered by the Steward, or his Deputy, to the party so leasing, or any for him, without any other consideration, see or reward, to bee given or paid for the same.

That whereas the said Thomas Lord Wentworth, Recitall of the Letters Patents from the King to my L. concerning the Free-hold. by his Highnesse Letters Patents under the great Seale of England, dated the nineteenth day of Iuly, in the thirteenth yeere of his Majesties reign of England, and forty eighth of Scotland, Hath obtained license to grant to such of his Majesties liege people as he shall thinke fit, Messuages, Cottages, Lands, Tenements, and Hereditaments, parcell, or reputed parcell of the said Mannors: To hold to them, their heires and assignes (in free and common Socage) respectively, of his said Mannors of Stepney and Hackney, by such and the same rents and services, and other profits, as in the conveyances thereof shall be expressed, and not to hold of the King in Capite, nor of any of his Majesties Honours, or Mannors in Knights service, as by the said Letters Patents more at large may appeare. If the Act of Parliament bee not procured, thē the Tenants (upon request) shal be made Free holders. Now if the said Thomas Lord Wentworth shall not at the first Session of the next Parliament procure such an Act of Parliament, to bee good and effectuall in law for the purposes aforesaid: Then his Lordship will at all times, after the end of the said first Session of the said next Paliament, upon reasonable requests, and at the costs of the Tenants (whom it shall concerne) their heires or assignes, make, doe and execute such reasonable acts, devices, and assurances in Law; whereby the said Copy-holders, their heires or assignes respectively, shall hold and enjoy their, and every of their said Copy-holds, Messuages, Houses, Lands, Cottages and Hereditaments, with the like wayes, easements, commons and commodities, as are thereto now belonging, or now therewith used or enjoyed. And the free-hold and inheritance thereof respectively to them and to their respective heires and assignes for ever, to be holden of such of the same Mannors, whereof the same is now holden in free and common Socage, for and under the severall & respective yeerely rents for all services and demands, as they or any of them doe now severally and respectively pay for the same, as by them, or their Councel learned, shall bee reasonably devised and required.

That the said Copy-hold Tenants,For enjoying the Common. their heires and assignes respectively, shall and may for ever hereafter, without any let, impediment, interruption, deniall or contradiction of his Lordship, his heires or assignes, or any claiming under the said Lord Henry Wentworth deceased, not onely during the time they shall be Copy-holders, but also afterwards, when they have obtained the free-hold and inheritance of their severall and respective Copy-holds; peaceably hold and enjoy such and the like Commons of pasture, and in such manner, in all the Commons, wastes and common able places of the said Mannors, as they or any of them hertofore have had, used, held, taken, or enjoyed, or might lawfully have taken or enjoyed. Neverthelesse, it is agreed, that neither the said Indenture and Scedules, nor any covenant therein contained, The Tenants not compounding, are excepted from all benefit hereby. shall in any wise extend or enure, to the benefit or advantage of any other Copy-hold Tenants of the said Mannors, other than the Copy-hold Tenants, named parties to the said Indentures, their heires and assignes, and that for such and the same Lands, Tenements, Cottages, and Hereditaments, with the appurtenances onely, as they or any of them now hold, or claime to hold, by Copy of Court-Roule of the said Mannors, or one of them, as by the said Indenture (whereunto relation be had) more plainly and at large appeareth.

Of Covenants. Memorandum, that the said Indenture of the twentieth of Iune, together with a duplicity thereof, were acknowledged by the said Thomas Lord Wentworth the 21. day of Iuly 1617. before Sir Mathew Carew Knight,The enrolling of the Deed, and where it is left. to bee enrolled, and is enrolled in the Chancery accordingly. The one part of which Indentures, is left in the custody of the Company of Goldsmiths in the City of London, and the other in the custody of the Brethren of the Trinity house at Radcliffe: In trust, and to the use of the said Copy-hold Tenants, named parties to the said Indentures.

The ninth day of Iuly 1617. in the said fifteenth yeere of his Majesties Reigne,A Statute of 12000. pounds for performance of Covenants. the said Thomas Lord Wentworth acknowledged a statute of the summe of twelve thousand pounds of lawfull money of England, unto Alexander Prescot and Iohn Gore, Aldermen of London, Thomas Iones common Serjeant of London, Francis Fulner and George Whitmore Esquires, and Robert Mildmay Grocer; In trust for, and to the use of the Copy-holders named in the Indentures, and thereof is a defeasance by Indenture, dated the same day to this effect (viz.) That if the said Thomas Lord Wentworth doe performe the covenants and agreements,The defeasance. contained in the aforesaid Indenture of the twentieth of Iune: Then the same Statute to bee void, and that the said Conusees shall deliver up the same Statute to the said Thomas Lord Wentworth, his heires, executors, administrators or assignes, so soone as the said Act of Parliament shall be procured, according to the intent and true meaning of the said recited Indenture.

To this end, the said Statute and defeasance are left in the Chamber of the City of London, Where the Statute and Defeasance are kept. to bee kept in such sort, as that the said Conusees may have the same to bee delivered according to their Covenant. And the Chamberlain of the said City hath charged himselfe with the receit thereof, by order of the Court of the Lord Maior and Aldermen 1617. Sir Iohn Leman being then Maior, and Master Cornelius Fish Chamberlaine.

In Trinity Tearme, in the said fifteenth yeere of his Majesties Reigne,The proceedings in the Chancery. to a Bill of complaint was by the Copy-holders, named parties to the said Indenture of the twentieth of Iune, exhibited against the said Thomas Lord Wentworth in his Majesties high Court of Chancery; whereto the said Thomas Lord Wentworth did appeare, and by his answer confessed the contents of the said Bill to bee true. Whereupon, a perfect Decree (with the free consent and agreement of the said Thomas Lord Wentworth, The Decree. bearing date the two and twentieth day of July, in the said fifteenth yeere of the Reigne of our Soveraigne Lord King Iames) was obtained. And by the same, the said free customes, orders, immunities, &c. and all and whatsoever contained in the said Indenture of the twntieth of June, and the Scedules unto the same Indenture annexed, are for ever established and confirmed. The said Decree is likewise there enrolled. The true Copy of the said Scedules followeth.