Indenture of sale, between John Conyworthe of Yardley and John Byrche of Shelfield, of land in Rushall, 1579

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1. This indenture made the xxiiith day of october in the xxith yere of the reigne of our sou[er]aigne lady Elizabeth by the grace god of England/ Fraunce & Ireland quene defendour of the Faith[e] &c Betwene John Conyworthe of Yardeley in the County of
2. Wygorn’ (Worcestershire) yoman’ on’ the one p[ar]tye and John Byrche of Shelfeld in the county of Staff[ordshire] yoman’ on’ the other p[ar]tie wyttenessith[e] that for & in consideracon’ of the some’ of Fourescore tenne pound[es] (90 pounds) of lawfull money of England to the seid John Conyworth well & truly
3. contented/ & paid aforehande by the seid John Byrche, wherof & wherwith the seid John Conyworth doth knowlege & confesse hym self to be Fully contented satisfied & paide and of the seid some of Lxxxxli & of eu[er]y p[ar]te & p[ar]cell therof doth clerely exon[er]at[e] acquyte &
4. dyscharge the seid John Byrche hys heires executours & admynystratours & eu[er]y of them by these p[re]sent[es] , he the seid John Conyworth hath bargayned solde & graunted and by thesese p[re]sent[es] doth fully clerely & absolutely bargayn’ sell & graunt unto the seid John
5. Byrche hys heires & assign' for eu[er], all that Closse of lande or pasture called Orseyhall otherwise called Collehall with one more and one Croft adioynynge to the same closse or pasture and one p[ar]cell of medowe lyinge in a certeyn’ medowe called Wasshebroke
6. medowe with all man[er] of p[ro]fett[es] co[m]modytyes & easiament[es] what so eu[er] to the same belongynge with all & syng[u]ler thappurten[a]nc[es] scituate lying & beynge within the lordshipp[e] of Russhall' in the seid County of Staff[ordshire] and nowe or late in the tenure or x x x
7. occupacon’ of the seid John Byrche or of hys assigne or assignees and also all the estate right tytle int[er]est reu[er]con’ remaynder & demands* what so eu[er] of hym the seid John Conyworth of in & to all & syng[u]ler the p[re]mysses & of eu[er]y p[ar]te & p[ar]cell therof and
8. also all rent[es] s[er]uices & yerely p[ro]fett[es] what so eu[er] res[er]ued apon any dymyse graunt or lease heretofore made of the p[re]mysses or of any p[ar]te or p[ar]cell thereof together with all ded[es] evidenc[es] Charters wrytyng[es] escript[es] & mynument[es] only conc[er]nynge the p[re]mysses x
9. or only any p[ar]cell [apparently altered from p[ar]te] therof To haue & to holde the seid closse of lande or pasture and all other the p[re]mysses with thappurten[a]nc[es] unto the seide John Byrch hys heires & assign' for eu[er] to the only sole & p[ro]per use & behove of the same John Byrche hys heires & assign'
10. for eu[er], and also the seid John Conyworth doth Coven[a]nt & graunt for hym self hys heires executours & admynystratours & eu[er]y (one) of them to & with the seid John Byrch hys heires executours & admynystratours & eu[er]y (one) of them by these p[re]sent[es] in mann[er] & forme
11. Folowynge that ys to wytt that he the seid John Conyworth at the tyme of the ensealynge & delyu[er]ye of these p[re]sent[es] ys lawfully seased of all & syng[u]ler the p[re]mysses by these p[re]sent[es] menc[i]oned or ment to be bargayned & solde and of eu[er]y p[ar]te & p[ar]cell thereof of
12. a good/ & lawfull estate in Fee symple or Fee taile gen[er]all absolute without any condicon', and that he hath good and p[er]fett right tytle int[er]est power & lawfull aucthoritie to bargayne sell graunt & assure all & syng[u]ler the p[re]mysses by these p[re]sent[es]
13. menc[i]oned/ or ment to be bargayned & solde unto the seid John Byrche hys heires & assign' for eu[er] to thuse aforeseid and that all & syng[u]ler the p[re]mysses by these p[re]sent[es] menc[i]oned or ment to be bargayned & solde and eu[er]y p[ar]te & p[ar]cell therof nowe are and at all & eu[er]y
14. tyme & tymes hereafter shalbe & contynewe clerely exon[er]ated acquited & dyscharged or From tyme to tyme saved & kept harmeles of & from’ all & all mann[er] of form[er] bargaynes sales Form[er] tytles joynters dowers statut[es] marchant statut[es] of thestaple recognisaunc[es]
15. iudgement[es] execuc[i]ons leases rent[es] charg[es] arrerag[es] of rent[es] and of & From all other charg[es] & incumbraunc[es] what so eu[er] had made don' suffred p[ro]cured or consented unto or to be had made don' caused p[ro]cured or suffred by the seid John Conyworth/ the tytle of
16. dower of Anne Nowe wief of the seid John Conyworth & one lease made by the seid John Conyworth of the p[re]mysses to the seid John Byrche for (the) t[er]me of twentie one yeres yet induryng and the chief rent[es] & s[er]uic[es] hereafter to be due unto the chief lord of the Fee
17. therof onely excepted & forprised/ And Further the seid John Conyworth doth coven[a]nt & graunt for hym self hys heires executours & admynystratours & eu[er]y (one) of them to & with the seid John Byrche his heires executours & admynystratours & eu[er]y (one) of them by these p[re]sent[es]
18. that he the seid John Conyworth & Anne hys wief & the heires of the same John Conyworth and all & eu[er]y other p[er]son’ & p[er]sons havynge or lawfully claymynge any estate of enherit[a]unce or Freeholde in possession reu[er]con[e] or remaynder of in or to the p[re]mysses or any p[ar]te
19. or p[ar]cell therof by or From the seid John Conyworth at all & eu[er]y tyme & tymes hereaft[er] for & durynge the space of two yeres next ensuynge the date of these p[re]sent[es] apon reasonable request unto them or any of them to be made by the seid John Byrche hys heires or assign' x
20. shall do make knowlege assure & suffer or cause to be don' made & executed all & eu[er]y such other act & act[es] thynge & thyng[es] assuraunce & assuraunc[es] devyse & devyses what so eu[er] as by the seid John Byrche hys heires or assign' or by the lerned Counsell in the
21. lawe of them or any of them shalbe devysed or advysed & requyred, for the Further better & more p[er]fett assuraunce suretye & sure makynge of all & syng[u]ler the p[re]mysses by these p[re]sent[es] menc[i]oned or ment to be bargayned & solde unto the seid John Byrche & hys
22. heires to thuse aforeseid accordynge to the p[ur]port effect & true meanynge of these p[re]sent[es] at the cost[es] & charg[es] in the lawe of the seid John Byrche hys heires & assign', so that the seid John Conyworth & Anne hys wief or either of them be not compelled or enforced
23. to labour or travell aboue twentie myles from Yardeley aforeseid for makynge or knowlegynge of any such further assur[a]unce, and moreou[er] the seid John Conyworth doth coven[a]nt & graunt for hym self hys heires executours & admynystratours & eu[er]y of them
24. to & with the seid John Byrche hys heires executours & admynystratours & eu[er]y of them by these p[re]sent[es] that he the seid John Conyworth hys heires or assign' before the fest of seynt mathewe thappostle next ensuynge the date herof shall delyu[er] or cause to
25. be delyu[er]ed unto the seid John Byrche hys heires or assign' aswell all such ded[es] evydenc[es] charters wrytyng[es] escript[es] & mynument[es] conc[er]nynge onely the p[re]mysses or only any p[ar]te or p[ar]cell therof which nowe are in hys custody or in the custody of any
26. other p[er]son[e] or p[er]sons to hys use or by hys delyu[er]y which he may obteyne or come unto without accon’ or sute in the lawe as also true copyes of all such other ded[es] evidenc[es] charters & wrytyng[es] nowe beynge in hys custody as conc[er]ne the p[re]mysses
27. or any p[ar]te & p[ar]cell therof & other land[es] & ten[emen]t[es] of the seid John Conyworth to be Copied & wrytton’ out apon’ request as aforeseid at the cost[es] & charg[es] of the seid John Byrche hys heires or assign' In wyttenes wherof the p[ar]ties
28. aboue seid to these p[re]sent indentures int[er]changeably haue put their seall[es] the day & yere aboue wrytton’.
29. Sealed & deliv[er]ed in the p[re]sens of George Bott John Chitterton(?)
30. Humfrey Ilsley Edward Byrche Will[ia]m Byrche & Thomas
31. Ilsley
32. John Conyworthe
33. [J. Byrch??]

[Shelfield (in Walsall) and Rushall are in Staffordshire.]

[I am grateful to Jim Poynor for kindly providing the photographs of this document and the transcript on which the one above is based.]