Feudal Inquisitions Post Mortem for the Lords of Crakehall, for the years 1298 and 1374

These are summaries of the translations (the originals are in latin) published in the Yorkshire Archaeological Society's Publications Volume XXXI (1298) and in the Calendars of Inquisitions Post Mortem Volume XIV (1374)

Inquisition Post Mortem of Robert de Tateshale, 26 Edw.1, no.40 (1298)

Sir Robert Tatersale holds Crakehall by reason of Joan, daughter of Ralph FitzRanulph, his wife, who is still living, who held the manors of John of Brittany, Earl of Richmond, for 45s per year and by doing suit at John's court of Richmond every three weeks.

Manor of Crakehall:
A capital messuage, 40 pence.
In demesne about 120 acres of arable land (8d per acre);
24 acres of meadow (2s per acre).
Eighteen bovates of land held in bondage (9s per bovate).
Twelve cottages (24s).
A corn mill and a fulling mill (6 pounds).

Wymer de Crakehall holds freely in Little Crakehall a carucate of land for 22d.

Inquisition Post Mortem of Alesia, wife of Ralph Neville, 48 Edw.III (1374) taken at York

Crakehall:
The manor held of the Earl of Richmond by Knight's Service.

16 bovates of land in the hands of tenants in bondage.
120 acres of land in demesne, in the hands of tenants at will;
50 acres of meadow;
a pasture called the Lound;
the herbage of the Chapel Garth;
2 watermills;
a common oven;
a brewhouse.

5 bovates of land held of her by the heirs of Robert Graunt of Crakehall and John Drury.

In Little Crakehall 2 carucates of land held of her by the heirs of Wymer de Crakehall.



NOTES :
The precise meanings of the terms bovate and carucate, and the size of the acre at this time, are vague. A carucate related to the the Knights Fee, the size of estate a person could possess by providing Knight's Service (military and political support ) to the King. The IPMs quoted here say that a Knights Fee corresponded to 20 carucates, in Little Crakehall.
A bovate was notionally the amount of arable land a man with a team of oxen could plough in a day, so it varied in area from place to place, depending on the quality of the land, and tradition. The few comparisons of areas given in bovates and in acres that are possible, suggest that in Crakehall a bovate was about 12 acres.


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