Page 85 - 3rdPub1

The Blaker Society © Francis, Ralph or Alexander: nor is there any other Arthur than Arthur Blaker.
CUCKFIELD

None of the tenants listed in Cuckfield c. 1600 bears the christian name

No Alexander, Francis or Arthur appears in 1524.
This is the entry in John Rowe’s book relating to Arthur Blaker:
69

Arthur Blaker 33 Eliz: 16 Ja: tenet solu’modo de W. C. et H. B. vnam peciam terr’ pcell’ de
Hatchland p redd’ cont’ 4. acr’ vj d
Idem 16. Ja. 15. Eliz: tenet j coterling in Brodestrete h’iett vj de certo fin’ vj de certo, 42.
d
d
Eliz. p redd’ 21. Sept. 1 Eliz. iij
d

70
Arthur Blaker (33 Elizabeth 1590–1, 16 James 1618–9) holds solely from (sir) W(alter)
C(overt) and (sir) H(enry) B(owyer) a piece of land, parcel of Hatchland, for a rent of 6d
(contains 4 acres)
The same (16 James 1618–9, 15 Elizabeth (1572–3) holds a coterling in Brodestrete: heriot,
6d for a certain fine, 6d for a certain (fine). 42 Elizabeth (1599–1600), for a rent of 3d (21
September 1 Elizabeth (1559)

Hatchland

Arthur Blaker thus appeared twice in the court rolls in relation to the
Hatchland 4 acres: in 1590–1 and in 1618–9. We know what the latter entry will
have related to, for it was then that Arthur Blaker died; and, according to the
custom of the manor, the property then passed simply to his widow:
71

The widow of the purchaser of a copyhold to which he has been admitted, or the widow of an
heir by descent, though unadmitted, may, within three courts holden next after her husband’s
death, claim her widow’s bench, and shall be admitted for her life, even though she marry
again, she paying the lord a reasonable fine not exceeding one year’s value of the land or
tenement. But if the husband, even on his death bed, make a surrender of his copyhold, his
widow shall not have her bench, nor the widow of a purchaser unadmitted, nor the widow of
a tenant in reversion.

As it happens, Arthur’s widow Alice was still alive in 1622, when John
Rowe finished his book. Doubtless her son Alexander Blaker inherited the
property at her death, in 1632.
72
In John Rowe’s book one part of Hatchland was freehold:

Hatchland.
Joh’es kinge de Tylehouse tenet solu’modo de D’no Bergevenny (vt dicitur) vnam ferlingat’
terre pcell vnius ferlingat’ voc’ Hatchland in C. p redd’ 21 Eliz:
d
ij vj quere si Henr’ Ward gen’ non solvet viij de hoc redditu
d
s

69 folio 14v: pages 26 to 27 of the printed text
70 ownership of the manor had become split at this period, in such a way that some lands were held from the
lords jointly, others solely from one or two of the lords
71 Horsfield i 178
72 folio 10v: page 20 of the printed text