History of corn milling .. - Centrostudirpinia.it

SOME FEUDAL MILLS. 71
The new names of officials added to the Hsts ^i^-
by
the document are those of Thomas of Mostyn, official Chester.'
''clerk and keeper"; William Brooke, ''striker," who 7. inquisition,
measured the grain and flour, sweeping the top of the 1400.
filled bushel level with his " strike," so that it should
be "razed" and not " upheaped " ; John
of Burton
and David of Mylward, the actual operative millers.
One of the events alluded to, an alleged extortion
practised upon some men who brought grain in a
boat from Wirral—
which, as will be seen, was not an
extortion at all— is stated to have taken place in
the reign of Richard IL, and apparently was thus
really referable to John Walsh ; but the others are
definitely stated to refer to Thomas Mostyn
and his
subordinates. The customs, it will be noted, are
several times dated back to the time of " Rannulphe
late Earl of Chester," apparently Randolph Blundeville,
sixth Norman earl, who died in 1232; the period
of the inquisition appearing to be the early part of the
year 1400.
Ordinance at the Dee Mills for the citizens :— Pentice
The Jury say by their oath that where the citizens of Chartulary^
Ancient toll.
^^^ ^-^^ ^^ Chester in the time of Rannulphe late Earl Chester,
of Chester were houlde to grind their corn at the milnes of the said
Earl, of the Dee, by sixteen graynes of every
... of corn :
[One-sixteenth of the total quantity, the average toll throughout the kingdom.] Text, III. I54«
. Now Thomas of
p
Moston, clerke and keeper of the
*
said mills, William Brooke, striker, and John of
Burton and David of Mylward, milners there, doe take and of
long tyme have taken by extortion, to the great damage of all
people, at the feaste of the birthe of our lord god, of everye man
in the said cittie dwellinge
unam tribulatam d tribulat et quartam ptem unum tribulat farine
que dicit schole, de quibusdam tribulat tres facient unum hepe non
emulat, et tantum farine ultra hoc quantum supra manum suam
extensam capere poterint ; et insuper capint de quolibet paupore
quod unum bs vel d bs bladi ad dicta molendina molare tantum
quantum de quolibet . , . gerent ibm quatuor bs vel sex bladi :—
one measure, half a measure, and a fourth part of a measure,
which [entire quantity] is called a schole ; three of which measures
make one hoop not heaped up ; also as much flour beyond that