| Description | From: Henry VI, king of England
To: the prior and convent of Canterbury Cathedral Priory
On 14 Feb 1440 the priory showed the king that their predecessors were seised of a plot of land called 'Hosand' within the jurisdiction of the port of Sandwich, Kent, which was so flooded in the time of Henry III that for a long time the priory had no advantage from it. It remained like that until the time of Edward III, when the sea receded and left it as dry land. Edward's officers claimed it and he was seised of it, although it was the priory's right. The lands descended to Henry, and by letters patent dated 17 Jul 1427 he leased them to William Warde, clerk, for a term of 20 years, for an annual of 4s 6d. In this lease, the lands were described as 30 acres called 'Hosand' next to the port of Sandwich.The priory took over the lease from William, because the lands belonged to it by right and because it wished to defend its other lands against the sea. The king granted the priory the land in pure and perpetual alms, because of his devotion to St Thomas Becket and because the priory was especially bound to pray for him and for the souls of his ancestors and parents, but the grant was annulled by an act of resumption passed in Parliament in the 28th year of his reign [1 Sep 1449-31 Aug 1450].
The king, not wishing his grant to the praise of God and the glory of St Thomas and the honour of his shrine to be revoked, renounces his title to the lands under the act of resumption and grants them to the priory from 29 Sep 1449. He also grants that the priory shall enjoy all liberties and franchises that it had in the lands granted by himself and his ancestors, the said act and any subsequent act of resumption or other act notwithstanding. Document dated 24HenVI, but appears in the Calendar of Patent Rolls, cited below, under 34HenVI. Sent patent. By privy seal writ and of the authority of parliament. The clerk is Rous. Note of enrolment on plica.
Given at Westminster [Middlesex]. |