A. D. 1292. Anno vicefimo Edwardi I. Stat. 1. 25 7'h Statute of Vouchers, made Anno 20 Edw, I. Stat, 1. and Anno Dom. 1292. In a Plea of Land the Tenant vouchech, and the Demandant counterpleadeth. Cotton MS. Vefpafian, B. 7. CUM. tenens in placito terre vel ten' tempo- ribus retroaftis vocaverit aliquem ad War- rantum & petens fuper hoc verificare volu- erit quod nee vocatus nee aliquis anteceflorum fuo- rum a tempore feifine "antecefl". ipfius petentis fue- rit in feifiria de tenementis predi&is nee in domi- nico nee in fervitio fi ille vocatus ad Warrantum prefens fuerit & gratis tenenti warrantizare voluerit predidta veriflcacio petentis admitti non confuevit nifi vocatus abfens fuerit & hoc ratione cujufdam ftatuti domini Regis nuper editi inter cetera prima ftatuta Weftm'. Propter quod dominus Rex animadvertens frau- dem deceptionem & malitiam & etiam dampnum fuum & exhereditationem corone fue in cafu pre- didtp in Curia fua multotiens po'fie interveriire & ifto die intervened! cum quidam tenentes de ipfo domino Rege in capite per baroniam integram in quodam placito pendente coram Juftic' de banco vocaverint ad Warrantum de demanda particula- riter quofdam garcones ignotos & extraneos quos prefentes duxerint & quorum anteceffores aut ip- fimet nunquam in terris que warrantizaverint ali- quod jus habuerint aut in aliquibus terris aut te- nementis aliis in regno fuo neque in dominico ne- que in fervicio prout a diverfis domini Regis fideli- bus teftatur ut per cautelam illam fraudem & ma- liciam ipfi per baroniam tenentes auferre pofTent domino Regi mifericordiam fuam in quam incide- rint fi petentes demandam fuam recuperarent. Et fimiliter cum garcones warrantizaverint vide- licet quilibet de portione quam warrantizaverit poflunt fe defendere per corpus fervientis provifi & condu&i per ipfos baroniam tenentes & fie fuper unobrevi de una demanda jam fuerint duo vel tria du- ellavadiata quod durum eflet &exemplum pernicio- fum tempore futuro pro pauperibus petentibus verfus magnates & divites qui fe per maliciam predidtam defendere voluerint ncc petens contra diflos warran- tos qui vocati fuerunt verificationem fuam in forma predidta habere pofiet eo quod ipfi vocati prefen- tes fuerint & gratis warrantizaverint ; de confilio fuo communi ftatuit & confirmavit, quod de cetero videlicet a fefto fancti Hilarii anno regni fui xx° & precepit obfervari; quod quicumque tenens ali- quem vocaverit ad Warrantum & petens in forma predicta verificare voluerit, admittatur ejus verifi- catio five vocatus fuerit abfens five prefens, nullo habito refpeftu ad ejus prefentiam vel abfentiam. WHEREAS the Tenant impleaded in a Plea Voucher. of Land * heretofore had vouched to War- *' Add «■ Tenc- ranty, and thereupon the Demandant would ment - aver, that neither he that is vouched, nor any of his Anceftors (fince the Time that the Anceftor of the Demandant was feifed) was in Pofleflion of the faid' Lands, neither in Demean nor in Service, (z) if the Party vouched were prefent, and would war- Vouched. rantife the Land freely unto the Tenant, fuch Aver- ment of the Demandant hath not been ufed to be " admitted, unlefs the Party vouched had been abfent, " and that by Reafon of a certain Statute of the King's " lately made amongft other Statutes of Weft. 1 . 3 Ed. 1. c. 40. " II. Wheteforeour Lord the King, confidering the in Plea of Land " Fraud, Deceit, and Malice, and alfo his own Da- the Tenant " mage, and Difherifon of his Crown, that in the faid voucheth one " Cale hath many Times happened in this Court, and P refent ' and ch<r « daily doth, whereas fome holding of the King in ^Z^h' chief by a whole Barony, in a Plea hanging before the Voucher.. " the Juftices of the Bench, upon their Demand do " vouch particularly, bafe Perfons unknown and Stran- " gers (which they will bring forth) and of whom nei- " ther they nor their Anceftors had ever any Thing in the Lands that they warranted, nor in any other " Lands or Tenements within this Realm, neither in '• Demean nor in Service, as hath been teftified by "• divers of the King's faithful Subjects ; (2) fo that by " fuch Cautel, Fraud, and Malice, the fame Tenants, , " holding by an entire Barony, do defraud the King of " the Amerciament that they fhould incur, if the De- " mandant fliould recover againft them. " III. And likewife when fuch bafe Perfons have warranted, that is to wit, every one for his Portion that he ought to warrant, he may defend himfelf by the Body of his Servant procured and hired by them that hold Baronies, and fo upon one Writ and one Demand there were two or three Wagers of BattaiJ, . the which was a hard and perilous Example for poor Men in Time coming, that fhall be Demandant's againft great and rich Men, which will defend them- felves by the Malice aforefaid; (2) and the Demand- Averment- ant cannot have his Averment againft fuch Warran- tors, when they be vouched in Form aforefaid, be- caufe they be prefent, and will warrantife freely :"" (3) By his Common Council hath ordained, and Fitz - Voucher, from henceforth, that is to fay, from the Feaft of St. a ? 6 " Hilary, the Twentieth Year of his Reign, he hath commanded to be obferved, that when the Tenant doth vouch any to Warranty, and the Demandant will aver in Form before rehearfed, his Averment fhall be admitted, whether the Party vouched be ab- Bi ,».&/,■/?&• lent or prefent, without any. Refpedt had unto his xic .8. Zer° ment Jhall be r#* ce'-ved that Vouchee ii data, Abfence or Prefence.' A Statute ■
