..............May 1647 To the Right Honorable the Commissioners for
the Greate Seale of England
H............comp Payne .........on oath unto your Honors your daylie orator HENRIE HANN of Wudbury in the countie of Devon yeoman ........................................Mr WARR ........ of in the said countie of Devon esq. was heretofore seized of and in the mannor of Dalwood in the countie of Dorset in his demesne as ............... coppy hold or customary lande or farmed thereunto belonginge beinge anntientlie part demesnes of the said manno granntable or otherwise demiseable by lease ...... and ............ for ....... lives successivelie and since? whereof the memory of mann is not to the contrary And whereas one ROBERT HANN yor orators father about yeares purchased of ................ said .. Mr WARR all that estate and interest of and in all those his howses lands tenemts and hereditamts comprised in one farme called Ford lying in the parish of Dalwood in the countie of Dorsett soe granntable and dennstable? by custome of the said manno as aforesaid for yor orators said fathers life and for the life of one PHILLIPP HANN and yor orator HENRIE HANN his sonnes to hould the same successivelie and after another and soe longe do they and everie of them should live The same farme being worth 100 ......of the .... said mannor were accordinge to the custome of the said mannor and in one forme of lawe grannted to yor said orators father and to PHILLIPP HANN and yor orator as aforesaid to have hould and enjoy the same to them and everie of them for theire and everie of theire severall and respective lives successively herein and enrolled in the rolls of the said court and a Lease deed or coppie thereof delivered to your said orators father provinge his interest therein by vertue whereof yor orators said father about yeares successivelie? into the same and had held and enjoyed the said farme called Ford for and duringe his naturall life accordinge to the said grannt or demise whoe l.... yeares? after the said grannt or lease of the same and dureinge all that time had re.eaned the profitts thereof by reason of the same and without any attempt to be paid therefore whoe died about yeares and futher the said PHILLIPP HANN yor orators brother presentlie by and after his said fathers death by vertue or reason of the said grannt demise thereof entered into the said farme soe called Ford and had held and enjoyed the same for and dureinge his naturall life for or by reason of the said grannt or demise and without anie manner of question or tythe made by anie person or persons thereunto and without anie attempt given or to be given therefore who lived yeares therein and died about eight yeares ago? by and after whose death your orator ought to have had held and enjoyed the said farme according to the grannt or demise aforesaid and your orators father sheweth unto your Honors that? one JOHN TANNER late of the parish of Offwell in the said countie ........ haveing as he in his lifetime gave out in speeches about thirtye yeares since purchased some part eof the said mannor of Dalwood of the said MISTER WARR And in p(ar)ticuler the reason or remainder in fee of the said farme called Foord after the expiration of the said lease grannt or copye made thereof to your said orators father for three lives as aforesaid and hoe the said TANNER haveing issue AGNES TANNER his only daughter and heire shee the said AGNES about twentye yeares since intermarried with one THOMAS PROWSE late of Columpton in the countie of Devon gent and about twelve yeares since the said TANNER dep(ar)ted this life since whose death the said PROWSE made tythe to the said farme as by the guift will or grant of the said TANNER which if the same may be produced will manifest your orators estate and right in the said farme called Foords and had paid for the same and under this to say about eight yeares since taking notice of the death of the said PHILLIPP HANN your orators brother presentlye thereuppon repaired unto the widowe and relict of the said PHILLIPP HANN who had the custodie of the said grant or lease m........ and expressing your Honors tytle unto the said farme and estate therein pretending unto her that he had contracted for and bought your orators estate and right in the said farme called Foords and had paid for the same and under this gained the said grant or lease from the relict and widowe of the said PHILLIPP HANN into his hands custody or possession uppon his promisse first made after the reading thereof to redeliver it her againe and further that the said PROWSE having soe gotten the same under the spetious pretences as aforesaid then afterwarde refused to redeliver the said grante or lease to the said widdowe of the said PHILLIPP HANN although she often in friendly manner desired the said but contrariewise haveing soe gained the said grant or lease into his hands as aforesaid within a short time after p(ro)cured one [CHARLES] SWETLAND who was tennant to the said PHILLIPP HANN in his life time and at the time of his death .......... said farme called Foorde to attigne? tennant to him the said PROWSE upon his the said PROWSES promises or securitie to save him the said SWETLAND harmelesse of and from your orator or from anie ..... suite law or trouble that arise or be brought against him by your orator or damage that he might receive by holding the said farme and answering the rent to the said Prowse therefore for such time as the said SWETLAND should enioy the same and that thereupon the said SWEETLAND did not onely attigne? tennants to the said PROWSE but ever afterward dureing the life of the said PROWSE paid and answered his rent unto him the said PROWSE and since his death to the sais AGNES the relict of the said THOMAS PROWSE as if they had beene the rightfull owners of the same although the said SWETLAND well knew that your orators father and brother by reason of the said grant as aforesaid held and enioyed the said farme dureing their lives and that your orator ought successively to have hold and enioyed the farme according to the said grant dureing his life and that he had not any wise surrendred or otherwise conveyed away his interest therein to the said THOMAS PROWSE or to any other person or persons whatsoever and further the said THOMAS PROWSE departing this life aboute two yeares since the said AGNES PROWSE the relict and widdowe of the said THOMAS PROWSE haveing ....... the said lease coppie or grant into her hands hath ever since the the death of the said THOMAS PROWSE her husband taken and received the rente issues and profitts thereof to her owne use and maintaineth withheld and kept the possession of the said farme called Fords as aforesaid from your orator and the said AGNES PROWSE and the said SWEETLAND and either of them doe refuse to deliver the said lease grant or copie of the said farme called Foords aforesaid or the possession? of the same to your orator and to attempt with him for the profitts thereof returned dureing the life time of the said THOMAS PROWSE her husband and since her entrie and holding of the same although they and either of them? have? beene divers and sondrie times requested and devised to deliver upp the said lease copie or grant and the possession thereof to your orator & ....... for the profitts of the same and make satisfacton for the wrong done your orator ...... but now soe it is may it please your honors although the said ANNE PROWSE and the said SWETLAND knew all the premisss to be true and haveing noe other pretence or tytle to the said farme then that your orator sold the same to the said Mr TANNERr or to the said PROWSE in one of their life times in such sort manner & forme as aforesaid and haveing & ...ed your orators lease grannte or copie of the courte rolls and other his evidentes manifestinge and proveing his your Orator tytle in & to the same end? the courte books and courte rolls of the said mannor which would manifest your orators right and tytle thereunto if he might have copies thereof and and the possession of the said farme called Foord as aforesaid. The said THOMAS PROWSE in his life time takeing advantage thereof and if the distractons of the time did not onely determine your orators evidences which would make evident his tytle in & to the same as aforesaid but alsoe concealed the courte books and courte rolls in his hands or in the hands of some other by his directons from your orator and refused to give him a copie of the said grant or demise or coppies of the courte rolls manifesting the grant thereof to your orators father and your orators brother and your orator for their three lives successivelie as aforesaid but took all the profitts thereof to his owne use refuseing to give your orator any attempt of the profitts soe by him received as aforesaid or to deliver him the possession thereof although the said THOMAS PROWSE was often in his life time requested thereunto but contrariewise threatned to ....... anie your orator in his estate if he should question him therefore and further that she the said ANNE PROWSE and the said SWETTLAND by thence the death of the said PROWSE in like manner doe determine? And withhold from your orator the lease grant or copie of the said farme called Ford as aforesaid and doe refuse to deliver the same unto him or to give or permitt him to take a copie of the said grant or lease out of there courte bookes or rolls remaineing in there or ... of there hands and custodie use or possession of others to their use but alsoe to give your orator ...attempt of the profitte of the said farme called Foord taken by the said THOMAS PROWSE and the said [CHARLES] SWETTLAND in the life time of the said PROWSE but alsoe refuse to answere and pay the rente issues? and profitts of the same for the time that they or either of them gave ...oyed the said farme called Ford as aforesaid take the rent and profitts thereof and to deliver him the possession thereof although they or either of them have beene often in a gentle and friendlie manner beene requested by your orator soe to doe and although they well know that the same farme called Ford was granted to your orators father and the said PHILLIPP HANN and your orator for their three lives successivelie as aforesaid and gave ...eeme the lease grant copie or other ...... proveing the same and alsoe have in their custodie or in their hands custodie or possession of some other pson or psons by there deliverys or their use the lease copys grant court booke and courte rolls warranting and proveing the same in case the same be not defaced lacerated or cutt out of the same by the said THOMAS PROWSE in his life time or by the said AGNES PROWSE and [CHARLES] SWETLAND since his death or some other persons or ....... by their p...... consents or appointmts intendes consideraton whereof and for that your orator is remedisesse by the first rules of the comon law to have and obtaine the said lease grant or copie proveing your orators right and tytle to the said farme called Ford or to gaine? a copie thereof out of the said court rolls or courte bookes wherein the same is entered or to recover the said farme for want of your orators lease grant or copie proveing his right therein and satisfacton for the rente and profitts be received by the said THOMAS PROWSE and the said [CHARLES] SWETLAND in the life time of the said THOMAS PROWSE and by the said AGNES PROWSE and the said [CHARLES] SWETLAND since the death of the said PROWSE and to the end therefore the said AGNES PROWSE and [CHARLES] SWETTLAND may sett forth by by what right or tytle they doe either of them have in or to the said farme called Forde and under whom they or either of them ........ the same and that your orator may be re e..ed herein according to equitie and good conscience may it th..of so please your honors premisses considered to grant unto your orator his Ma.. most gratious writt of subpena to be directed to the said AGNES PROWSE and [CHARLES] SWETLAND comannding them and every of them at a certaine day and .......... certaine ....... therein & thereby to be limitted personally to be and appear before your honors in this honble courte then and there to make ....... and direct answere unto the ............... on their corporall oathes to .... to and abide all such further order directon and decree therein as to your honors shall seeme to be agreable with right equitie and cood cons............ your orator shall .... pray etc
Hann