STRAY NOTES, PREHISTORIC, SAXON, AND NORMAN. 225
"Aungr Hundred. The order of the gathering and yearly making of the
Wardstaffe of the King there, with the due course and circumstance of the yearly
Watch Ward and Service Royall incident to the same, i.e., First, The Bailiffe
of the said Libertie or Hundred shall gather and yearly make the Wardstaffe ot
some Willow Bough growing in Abbasse Roothing Wood, the Sunday next before
Hock Monday,11 which shall containe in length three quarters of a yard and eight
inches round in compasse or thereabouts. And hee shall convey the same
ymediately unto the Mannor Place of Ruckwood Hall in Abbasse Roothing
aforesaid where the Lord of the said Manor for the tyme being shall reverently
the same receive into his house, and shall rowlle itt upp in a fair lynnen cloth or
towell, and so lay it upon some Pillowe or Cushion on a table or cubberd stand-
ing in the chiefe or highest place in the Hall of the said Maner Place, there to
remain until the said Bailiffe shall have refreshed himself. And when the said
Bailiffe shall see convenient tyme to departe he shall convey the same Staffe by
sunne shineing unto Wardhatch Lane beside Long Barnes in Roothing aforesaid,
when and where the said Lord of Ruckwood Hall and all and everie other ten-
nant and tennants, landowners, which by reason of their Tenure doe hould their
lands likewise by service Royall, to watch and warde the said staff there upon
convenient summons and warning to be given unto them yearly by the said Lord
of Ruckwood Hall for the time being with their full ordinarie number of able
men well harnished with sufficient weapon shall attend. Where uppon the Lord
of Ruckwood Hall shall then and there yearly, at his proper costs and charges
have ready prepared a great Rope called a Barr, with a Bell hanging on the end
of the same—which he shall cause to be extended overthwart the said Lane as the
custom hath beene to stay and arrest such people as would pas; by. Att the
end of which said Barr, not far from the said Bell, shall be laid down reverently
the said Staffe upon a Pillowe or Cushion on the grounde, which done forthwith
the said Bailiffe shall call the names of all the aforesaid tenants, landowners who
shall present their said ordinarie number of men accordingly. Then shall the
said Bailiffe in the King our soveraigne Lord's name, straightlie charge and
command them and everie of them to watch and keep the Ward in clue silence,
soe that the King be harmless and the Countree scapeless until the sunne arising,
when good houre shall be for the said Lord of Ruckwood Hall to repaire unto
the said Staffe, who in the presence of the whole Watch shall take the same
Staffe into his hand, and shall make uppon the upper rind of the same with a
knife a score or notch as a mark or token declaring their loyall service done for
that year in this behalfe. And soe shall deliver the said Staffe unto the Bailiffe,
sending it unto the Lord or Land Owner of the Mannor of Fiffield, or unto the
Tennant resiant, saying this notable narracion of the Wardstaffe, hereafter written
in the Saxon tongue, which done they may hale up the said Barr and depart at
their pleasure.
THE TALE, TALLYING OR CUTTING OF THE WARDSTAFFE.
The Bailiffe of the Liberty
Iche athied12 the staffe byleve
Thanne staffe iche toke byleve
Byleve iche will tellen13
Now the staffe have Iche got
11 2nd Sun; after Easter.-
12 cut.
13 tally or score.