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all right and claim which I have in one burgage, with its appurtenances, in Sunderland, that is to say, the burgage which is between the burgage of Reginald Blund and the burgage of Matilda Colbain. And lest I, Ysoda, or my heirs, should sell either right or claim in the said burgage, I have confirmed the present writing by the addition of my seal. Witnesses: Amfrid son of John Blund de Tunstall, Walter son of Henry de Sunderland, William Lauerd of the same place, Alexander son of Robert de Clowcroft, Roger May, Richard son of the chaplain, William de Warden, Pain son of Nicholas de Sunderland, and others."

Seal wanting.

IV. "To all the sons of holy mother church, who shall see or hear this charter, Walter Pinchard, greeting in the Lord. Let it be universally known that I, through charity, and for the salvation of my soul, and the souls of my predecessors and heirs, give, grant, and by the present charter confirm to God and the blessed Godric and the prior and monks at Finchale, servants of God, and the house of charity at that place, one toft* and croft† in

Toft, a messuage or house, or rather the place where a messuage once stood that has fallen into decay.-Crabb's Tech. Dictionary. Cowell says a toft is a piece of ground on which a house formerly stood, and B. Haldorsen describes it as "area domus vacua, a tomr (empty)." The modern Danish definition is a piece of land adjacent to the house of a peasant. It appears most probable that it was a piece of ground on which the cottage and offices of a servile holder stood, perhaps including a small garden. It may have got its name from the clump of trees among which each cottage was placed. It is generally found in conjunction with croft,-the one the house and garden, the other a small close adjoining.-Greenwell.

+ Croft, a little close adjoining to a dwelling house, enclosed for pasture, arable, or any particular use.-Crabb.

the town of Sunderland, in breadth forty feet, on the north side of and near the road at the entrance of the town, adjoining the enclosed land of the bishop towards the east, and the same in length to the water which is called Wear, in exchange for that land which I gave in the town of Herrington; to have and to hold to the aforesaid prior and monks of Finchale, and the house of charity at that place, in free, pure, and perpetual charity, as freely, quietly, and honourably as any charity is freely, quietly, and honourably held and possessed in the bishopric of Durham. And I, Walter Pinchard, and my heirs, the aforesaid toft and croft, with all its appurtenances, liberties, and easements pertaining thereto, in the town of Sunderland, within the town and beyond it, and everywhere, to the prior and monks of Finchale and the house of charity at that place, against all men and in all things for ever will warrant and defend. And that this my gift and grant be of perpetual force, I have ratified the present writing by the addition of my seal. Witnesses: William Basset de Offerton, Marmaduke de Silksworth, Richard son of Ralph de Herrington, Walter son of William of the same place, Robert son of Robert de East Herrington, Roger son of Hugh de Sunderland, Henry son of the chaplain, Galfrid de Ryhope, Ely bailiff of Wearmouth, and others."

Seal in a bag, broken to pieces.

V "To all the sons of holy mother church, who shall see or hear this charter, Walter Pinchard of Herrington, greeting. Know ye that I, through charity, and for the

salvation of my soul, and the souls of my predecessors and heirs, give, grant, and by the present charter confirm to God and the blessed Godric, and the prior and monks of Finchale and house of charity at that place, one toft and croft in the town of Sunderland, on the west side

joining the cultivated land of the lord bishop, in breadth forty feet, near the road; to be had and held of me and my heirs for ever, in free, pure, and perpetual charity, as freely, quietly, and honourably as any charity in the bishopric of Durham is freely, quietly, and honourably held and possessed, within the town and beyond it, with all liberties and easements pertaining to the aforesaid town of Sunderland. Wherefore I will and grant the said prior and monks of F[inchale] the aforesaid toft and croft have, hold, and possess in perpetuity, freely and quietly from all customs and demands. And I, Walter [Pinchard] and [my] heirs . . . . and croft, with its appurtenances aforesaid, to the prior and monks, as is before recited, against all men and women will warrant and defend. And that this my gift remain firm and stable, I have put my seal to the present writing. Witnesses: Marmaduke son of Galfrid, Philip de Lei, Reginald Punchard, Peter de Peth, Galfrid de Ryhope, Ely de Wearmouth, Nicholas the deacon, William Hunting, Roger son of Hulot, and others."

Seal wanting.

At this distance of time, after so many changes local and political have taken place, it becomes extremely difficult, if not impossible, to identify, with any degree of accuracy, the sites of the various patches of property thus

conferred for ever upon the priory of Finchale.* The charitable and pious donors seem to have held their little estates, most probably by lease, of the bishops of Durham for the time being as lords of the manor or borough of Sunderland, as we afterwards meet with a long series of payments under the name of landmale, paid to the bishops of the diocese for the same.

In connexion with this subject, we shall now lay before our readers a few extracts from the "Account Rolls" of Finchale priory relative to the aforesaid property. We have separated the entries, which are extremely curious and valuable, into five divisions, in chronological order, as they appear in the rolls.

Upon the dissolution of Finchale Priory, when the manor and cell was given by Henry VIII. to the newly created Dean and Chapter of Durham, the outlying property of the priory at Sunderland (then, according to the Valor Ecclesiasticus, vol. V., page 303-4, of the gross annual value of ten shillings; subject, however, to the payment of twelve pence per annum to the Lord Bishop of Durham, as chief lord of the fee,) no doubt would pass to the chapter as a matter of course. Within recollection, and in fact down to about the year 1830, during the episcopacy of Bishop Van Mildert, there were several properties of Dean and Chapter tenure in Sunderland, which, in all probability, were some of those originally granted to Finchale. The original custom house of the port of Sunderland and its quay, at the west end of the low quay; the house 129, High Street, opposite to Silver Street, the residence and property of Brass Crosby, Esq., solicitor, previous to his removal to London, of which city he became an alderman, (he served the office of lord mayor in the year 1770–1771, when the inhabitants of Sunderland presented an address to him and Aldermen John Wilkes, and Richard Oliver, highly approving their magisterial conduct in supporting the rights and liberties of the people, conduct worthy to be followed by the magistrates of the present day), which was afterwards many years in the ownership and occupation of the late Mr. William Dunn, shipowner and pawnbroker; and the place known as Ettrick's garth, or Dean's Yard, near the Long Bank; these were all Dean and Chapter property, and enfranchised under the act for enabling that body to found the University of Durham.

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1367, John, the parson of Sunderland,§

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-67, Thomas Nicholson, for land in Sunderland, 0 2 3

-95, Land in Sunderland,

...

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023

---97, John Ward, for a tenement in Sunderland, 0 4 6 -98, William Hogg, for a toft and croft in Sun-)

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046

1403, Galfrid Eltham, for a tenement in Sunderland 0 2 3 -11, Robert Jackson, of Sunderland, (two years) 0 4 6 --15, Robert Jackson, -31, Robert Jackson, for a tenement in Sunderland 0 4 0

...

040

* Annual Rents receivable by the prior and monks of Finchale for their Sunderland property: they had, however, some bad tenants, as the next batch of entries clearly indicates.

This entry is from the Valor Ecclesiasticus, vol. V. page 303.

Or arrears of money in the yearly accounts of the priory; for even then as now "the needful" was not always forthcoming.

{This reverend gentleman's account seems to have been standing unpaid since 1355. Account Rolls, page 75. Whether the holy brethren ever received it is not known.

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