The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-08
QUEER RENTS IN ENGLAND.

London Answers.
A banner is presented yearly to the SOW
ereign by the Duke of Marlborough, at
Windsor Castle, on Aug. 2 the anniver-
sary of the battle of Blenheim. The ban
ner is the rent paid by the Duke of MARI
borough to the sovereign for the Manor
Of Woodstock
A banner Is also presented annually to
the sovereign at Windsor Castle by the
Duke of Wellington, on June IS, and Is
the rent by which the successors of the
iron duke hold Strathfeldsaye, which the
nation presented to their ancestor as a
reward for his victory at Waterloo.
Sometimes rents are paid In flowers, es-
pecially in roses. In the County of Kent,
the reservation Of a rose in lieu of all
other services Is very common, and the
Manor of auckland is still let by the
crown at the rent Of red rose yearly,
If demanded. Sometimes the rose had to
be given at a time when roses are not
generally grown. One Richard Crevel
rented land from the Earl of Pembroke
by giving a chaplet of roses at Christ
mas; while at Brookhouse, in Yorkshire,
the rent paid consisted of a red rose at
Christmas and a SNOWFALL at midsummer.
This rent was only changed into 1 shilling
a year during the present century.
Land was held at Kingston, in Surrey,
at a rental of three Glove glllifowers, to
be presented at the kings coronation.
This rent has also been changed into a
shilling year.
Peppercorn rents are very common
throughout England, especially in build
ing leases, where, for the first year or
two, a nominal rent of one peppercOrn is
payable. At Highgate in the County of
Denbigh, that rent has been paid since
1902. At Kings Bronze, In Warwickshire,
a peppercorn rent has taken the place of
a pair of tongs, which formerly had to
be given yearly as rent for certain lands.
So for land at Wakefield the peppercorn
has taken the place of an annual rent Of
a thousand clusters Of nuts. Two farms
at Carlcoats, in Yorkshire, which not long
ago paid Is rent, the one righthand and
the other a lefthand glove, now pay
shilling yearly, the other a peppercorn.
Every year the following quaint cere-
monial is gone through at the royal
courts of justice on account of land which
the city of London rents from the crown.
The scene of the ceremony is the queen S
remembrancer's room, which is court
for the time being.
Proclamation is made by the crier for
the following service
''Oyez, oyez Oyer! Tenants and oc-
cupiers of a piece of waste land called
the Moors, in the County of Salop, come
forth and do your service upon pain and
peril that shall fall thereon"
Then the senior alderman below the
chair or the city solicitor, cuts one fag-
got with a Ratchet and another with a
billhook.
The following proclamation Is next
made by the crier of the court:
"Oyez, oyez, Oyer! Tenants and oc-
cupiers of a certain tenement, called the
Forge, in the parish of St Clement
Danes, in the County of Middlesex, come
forth and do your service"
Then the alderman, or city solicitor,
counts a number of horseshoes, and Is
questioned by the queens remembrance
thus: How many have your Six
shoes" Then the alderman Of city so
Hcitor counts the nails How many have
you?" "Sixty-one nails" Good num-
Der"
These performances having been carried
through in lieu of rent, the queens re-
membrancer is satisfied with her majes-
tvs tenants.
Land in Terring, in Sussex, is rented
by doing certain work by the rod, which
is called rod gavel. Prid gavel is the term
given to rent paid by the people of
Rodeley, in Gloucestershire, for Iamprey
fishing in certain parts of the River Sew
ern. The tenants of Monkton home, by
way of rent, render annually to Elton
college one shilling in money, one day S
work at harvest time and one fat capon
at Christmas.
A statute of Queen Elizabeth, which is
still in force, directs, in regard 10 certain
| leases held by the colleges at Oxford and
by Eton and Windsor, that one-third of
| the rent should be reserved in wheat or
malt. at the rate Of IS Sd for each quar-
ter of wheat and IS for each quarter of
| malt.
Land at Carlton, In Norfolk. was held
by a tenure Of carrying twenty-four
pasties of fresh herring to the king an
nually, but was committed into nominal
money payment during the eighteenth
century; and so were such queer rents
| as keeping a kennel of barriers for the
king, supplying the king with gerfalcons
! annually, or keeping one falcon until it
could fly.
! At Gliding manor, for land now held
at a quit rent, the tenant was formerly
! obliged to hunt the fox and cat and drive
away all vermin.
At Brug. in salop, there still exists a
curious payment on the death of tenant
consisting of his best beast, a side of ba-
| con, a young cock. a whole piece Of cloth
and small barrel of ale.
A certain common informer," who
! lived under the Stuarts, died and left
money and lands to one of the great city
! companies for schools and other chart
table purposes. He directed in his will
that his body should be kept above
| ground in such a way that It could be
sAen through glass, and that the govrn-
! ing body of the company should, each
year, under penalty Of forfeiting the
property, visit his tomb and see the body
This visitation is still carried out every
] year.