Page 12 - 3rdPub1

The Blaker Society © Renshaw transcribes a deed of 1395 thus:

Blakers of Shelley

16

Sciant presentes et future quod ego Johannes Blakere de Schullegh dedi concessi et
hae presenti cartâ meâ confirmavi Willelmo Haselyng de Cokefold unam croftam
terre mee cointinentem tres acras cum ejus pertinentiis in eadem jacentem inter terram
Ricardi Thorndoune ex partibus australibus occidentalibus et borealibus et terram
17
Johannis Holere ex parte orientali sicut cerrte mete et bunde cindonantem (?)
Habend’ et tenend’ dictam croftam terre cum omnibus ejus pertinentiis prædicto
Willelmo Haselyng heredibus et ejus assignatis de capitali domino feodi illius per
servitia inde debita et de jure consueta in perpetuum Et ego præfatus Johannes et
heredes mei prædictum croftum terre cum pmnibus ejus pertenentiis prædicto
Willelmo heredibus et ejus assignatis contra omnes gentes warantizabimus et
defendemus in perpetuum. In cajus rei testimonium huic præsenti cartæsigillum
meum apposui his testilus Johanne de Brantrugge (γ) Willelmpo de Tye (δ) Thomas
Hodcombe Et aliis. Dat: apud Cokefold dominica proxima post Festum
Circumcisionis Dominianno regi Regis Ricardi secundi post conquestrum decimo
oĉtavo (Sunday, Jan. 3, 1394/95).

This does not make it clear whether the land in question was in Cuckfield,
Shelley, or elsewhere. The village of Shelley, in Lower Beeding, fades
out of view during the Middle Ages, having been a rectory in Lewes
deanery: it lay just to the west of Cuckfield. Neither Lower Beeding nor
Shelley is listed separately in the 1379 poll tax or the lay subsidy returns,
doubtless both being subsumed in the lists for Cuckfield.

Blaker Coats of Arms.

The Blaker of Sussex coats of arms are recorded from the early
17th century, and are almost identical with those of the Blakers or
Blackers of Salisbury.

Blaker of Portslade, Sussex: 1617
Ermines chevron: moors’ heads: golden hair

This coat was granted 19 February 1617: there are descriptions in
18
English, Latin and French from Aspidora Segariana:

19
E. A a Chevron † between 3 Moors heads side faced couped pp. crined O.

16 The Blaker Family of Sussex, appendix A. I can’t believe all these errors in the text are in the original
book, but of which I don’t seem to have a copy.
17 The doubtful word ‘cindonantem’ will doubtless be condonant ‘delineate’ or condonantur ‘are
delineated’.
18 49
19 here the conventional mark for an ermine spot is inserted