History of corn milling .. - Centrostudirpinia.it

SOME FEUDAL MILLS. 13
5. In 13 1 2 the custody of the establishment was t^ttt^-Ac;
officially under the direct supervision of Nicholas mills,
de Balscote, who is found to be Chancellor of the 1_
Irish Exchequer. To this dignitary would be responsible
the millers both for profitable working and good
while he would observe the maintenance
management;
of the soke, and would be entitled to hear cases of
tenants absenting themselves from the mill or otherwise
injuring its revenue. In this circumstance we
may
find the earliest direct instance of the so-called
"court of the mills"—a popular medieval term, not
an official title for any specially constituted court—
^' Repairs,
of which we, perhaps, have the fullest illustration at Text, iv. ch. m.
Dee Mills, Chester. Balscote, no doubt, engaged
practical keepers, who would be sworn to good and
faithful service, as in the case shortly to be recounted.
Between December 131 2 and March 13 14 he put
the mills in thorough repair and purchased a pair of
Welsh stones ; and on the latter date presented to
the Irish Treasury his bill of expenses, for which
Edward II. issued the subjoined writ for payment :—
Edwardus Dei Gratia, &c. Thesaurario et baronibus suis de Mem. Rolls
Scaccario Dublin salutem. of Ireland,
Allocate Nicholi de Balscote, custode molendinorum nostrorum 7 Ed. II.
juxta castrum Dublin, super compotum suum ad Scaccarium predictum
redditum :—
Quinquaginta et tres solidos et duos denarios quos posuit et
expendidet in maeremio, lignis, bordis, clavis, et in aliis necessariis,
emptis pro rotis dictorum molendinorum de novo constructis et aliis
diversis defectibus in eisdem molendinis reparatis, a decimo octavo
die Decenibris anno regni nostri quinto usque ad primum diem
Marcii anno regni nostri septimo ; sicut continetur in rotulis de
particularibus.
Et quadraginta solidos et sex denarios quos posuit et expendidit
in stipendio diversorum carpentariorum, et pro reparacione: per idem
tempus sicut continetur ibidem.
Et viginti et quinque solidos sex denarios et obolum quos posuit
et expendidit in ferro et calabe, emptis pro fusilles et aliis grossis et
minutis instrumentis ad dicta molendina necessariis de novo constructis
: necnon in stipendiis cujusdam fabri, predicta instrumenta
de novo construentis, et eciam sustinentis et acuentis, quociens
necesse fuit : per idem tempus sicut continetur ibidem.