Miracle Plays In Essex.

For read wine , vinegar , and possett , 4 d . Recayved of Coulchester men for our garments for the use of their play , 53 s . 4 d . Recayved of men of Walclyne for hire of three gounes , 10 s . Recayved of Belyreca for the hire of our garments , 26 s . 8 d , £ s . d . Recayved of Coulchester , 2 13 4 — Bel 10 0

yreca , — Starford , 3 6 S — Baddow , 0 6 S — Litel Baddow , 0 6 S Recayved of John Syman , costable , upon his collection gathered of the pishe for the reparation of the glass windows of the church , £ S . Moulsham , dSl 17 s . lOd .

1565 . Sabsford men for the hyer of the pfayres garments , 40 s . The same of Cope of Borliam for the same , 13 s . 4 d . Of Somers of Laneham , for ditto , £ 1 6 s . 8 d . 1565 . Barnahy Rush , of Witham , for ditto , £ 1 6 s . Sd . Wm . Mouutegue , of Coulchester , for ditto , 13 s . 4 d . Johnson of Brentwood , for ditto , 10 s . 1565 Reedof Parker of Writtlefor the players .

. , , Rd . money of Earle of Sussex ' s players for ditto , £ 1 6 s . Sd . —Of J . A . Parker , of Handfield , ditto , 5 s . Of Cape of Boreham , ditto , 10 s . 1573 . Sold to G . Studely and others all the copes , vestments , subdeacons , players' coats , jerkins , gownes , hearers , capps , herds , jornetts , mantells , and capes mentioned in ye iuventorye of ye last churchwardens hy ye consent of divers of ye parishioners as by a

byll under their hands appereth to the use of the mayntainence of the church , for £ 6 13 s . 4 d . 1574 . Paid to Drain for mending the broken holes in the church windows , which was done at the late playe , Sd .

Uxbridge And Its Former Inhabitants.

UXBRIDGE AND ITS FORMER INHABITANTS .

At the recent meeting of the London and Middlesex Archajological Society , held at " Oxbridge , Mr . William Durrant Cooper , F . S . A ., read the following paper on "Oxbridge and its former inhabitants : — In giving some notes of the property of persons who were connected with "Oxbridge in days long gone by , it will

not be necessary for me to go over much of the ground which has been trodden by Newcourt , Lysons , or Riches . I shall , therefore , make one short mention of the manor , and then proceed with some unpublished extracts from the Public Records , which refer to other properties and other persons . After the . death of William de Langesford , Earl of Salisbury , in 1311 , his eldest daughter and his heiress

Margaret became possessed of Colham and of "Oxbridge as a member of it . By an entry in the placita de quo warrants , we are able to fix the right day for the oldest fail ' , which was of longer duration than generally supposed , and wo learn that the manors bad been for some time possessed by her ancestors . In the year 1294 , Henry de Lasey , Earl of Lincoln , and Margaret , his wife were summoned to show why they claimed view of frankpledge and assize of head

and corn broken m bulk marked fair and free warren , & c , in Woxebrigg , Coleham , and Eggesware , and they said that they claimed , a market every Thursday in their manor of Coleham at " Oxbridge , which was a member of Coleham , and fair for three days , during the vigil , the day , and the morrow of St . Margaret ( 19 th , 20 th , 21 st July ) , all that belonged to a market and fair , and assize of head and corn , free in thenlordshi

warren , & c , - p there , and that they belonged to the ancestors . of the said Margaret . Leland says that the fair was at Michaelmas ; but the chapel is dedicated to St . Margaret , and the fair , as was customary , held on the feast of the patron saint . The Earl and Countess had an only child , Alice , who married Thomas , Earl of Lancaster , beheaded in 1322 , and subsequently Ebulo Le

Strange . This marriage being without the king ' s license , the estates in capite were forfeited , but were re-granted . Some doubt exists as to the early designation of the town . The early title , temp . Henry II ., on Basset ' s grant has been noticed . In the extent of 1328 ( 2 Edw . Ill ) , it is separated from Colham and called a borough . In the extent of 1335 it is called the manor of Colham with the hamlet of Woxebrugge , part of the honor of Wallingford , holden of the

Earldom of Cornwall . In 1354 Nicholas Cautelupe died , seized of Woxbeege , and on the inquisition for Eoger L'Estrange of Knockyn and Alicia his wife , there were two fairs and two markets belonging to the manor ; whilst on the death of their son John , and Matilda his wife , widow of Latimer , in 1397 ( 21 Eich . II . ) the place is for the first time called Woxebrugge alias TJxbridge .

Appertaining to the honor of Wallingford there wererights in "Oxbridge over felons and their goods ; and the lords of the honor appointed the bailiff , Walter le Usherholding that office in 1315 ( 9 th Edw . II . ) It is not necessary here to have the descent of the inanoi ' . sto the Stanleys or Herne till the separation of the manorsand the purchase of TJxbridge by Trustees for the town , and I will therefore proceed to refer to the other owners of property in the town . In the reign of Edward III . we haveseveral notices of owners . In 1350 we have a re-lease from .

John , son of Adam de Thorne , of Woxbrigge , to Geoffrey Pede and Isabella his wife , mother of the said John , of all his claim to lands in Woxenbrigge and Colham . In 1354 Augustine Eohalley , who was a man of note in his time , being collector of the customs of wool , & c , between Gravesend and London , and Matilda his wife , held four messuages in Woxebrigge . In 1360 , Henry Burdeaux

released to John Brockampton and another , all claims to the lands , & a , late of John Burdeaux , citizen and fishnionger in Colham , Woxebrigge , and another place . In 1363 we find directions for the repair of the roads from Woxebrigge to Acton , and from Acton to London ; and we have an early notice of the land held here by the provost and canons of the free chapel of St . George ' sWindsorfor in 1369 Geoffry

, , de Aston held eighteen acres of land for them . The reign of Eichaz-d II . gives us other names . In 1388 Eobert Chown and William Eandolfe re-leased to William Pountfreyt and Peter afct Hethe all the lands in Euislep , Woxebridge , & c , which they had of the gift of William Dowleston and Catharine his wife . In Henry IV . ' s time the laud of

the Thornes passed to the Charltons , who long retained them ; for in 1404 we find a re-lease from Eichard Pz'entis and John Gardener to Thomas Charlton , and his heirs , all the lands , tenements , and gardens which belonged to Adam atte Thorne and IsabellaTiis wife , in Colb am and Woxebrigge .. In the following year Walter Mareschall , vicar of the church of Hillyngdon , and another , re-leased to John Taioofc and

Juliana his wife , all the lands which lately belonged to the said Jon in Woxenbrigge and Herefelde . In the year 1407 W . Smith , son of John Smith , of Euislip , re-leased to . Thomas Arfchington , and his heirs , all his interest in hislands in Woxebrigge , Hilliugton , & c . In the reign of Henry VI ., William Gawshon , in 1435 , died , seized of a messuage in Woxebri and in 1459 Robert Mansfield aiid

gge ; , Esq ., . Thomas Bedcrough , Esq ., demised to William Norton and Margai et his wife , the manor of Southlope and all his lands , & c . in Woxebrigge . It was in this reign also that Sir-Walter Sherrington , Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster ,, founded his chantery here , Christopher Tole being the first chaplain .

The civil war had its sad effect at TJxbridge as elsewhere .. Sir William Waynesforde was the servant of Queen Margaret , and having been attainted , forfeited his lands ; and ill 1461 Edward IV . granted to Thomas de Burgh , one of the Esquires of the King ' s body , the manor of Drayton , and . Waynesforde ' s lands in "Oxbridge ; this was the first connection of the De Burgh ' s with the district . They

soonfound that Waynesforde had other property in "Oxbridge ; : it was found that he had two other messuages and 16 acres and 4 acres of land in Woxebi-igge , and in 1614 , they were also granted to De Burgh . In the same reign , 1482 , Sir Thomas Bryan , Knt ., and others demised to Hugh Brownand others , a bouse , with the curtilage in the way called Frogmore and other tenements in Woxebrigge . Among

the documents which preserve to us most accurately thenames of former inhabitants with their means , and which show the relative importance of each place in the districts ,, are the subsidy rolls . Unluckily , those relating to the hundred of Elthorne in the time of Edward III , are wanting ; but from other rolls we find that Colham and "Oxbridge : contributed about one-third of the whole sum raised for each subsidy for some centuries . In the subsidy of 1382 .