1.5.1595 and 2.5.1595 by a writing unexecuted subscribed by Edw Huberte Wm Towse it appears that an inquisition was taken in the 1.5.1595 and 2.5.1595 at Chelmsford in Essex before Edw Huberte Hen Mildmay Wm Towse and Edw Elliot esq by virtue of a commission under the great seal of England to them and others directed upon the oaths of Robt Aylette and others in the said writing named who declared that Xoph Swallow clerk sometime vicar of Messing in Essex deceased granted and enfeoffed to the right honourable Jn de Veer then late earl of Oxford and grandfather of Edw earl of Oxford and others and their heirs and assigns certain messuages lands tenements and hereditaments situate in Stisted Ardley Messing Marks Tey and Coggeshall in Essex aforesaid to the use and behoof and for the intent that the said earl and others feoffees their heirs and assigns should forever support maintain and sustain an honest godly and learned man to execute the office of a schoolmaster at Earls Colne in Essex who should be able apt and fit to teach and instruct children in the grammar there and should so teach the number of thirty children whose parents should be dwelling in the said parishes where the said lands and tenements are situate and others whose parents should be poor without any fee or reward to be rendered for the same and that afterwards the other feoffees died and the said earl surviving became sole seised of the possession of his demesne as of fee to the use and behoof aforesaid and that the said earl died so seised thereof whereby all the said lands tenements and hereditaments descended by right of inheritance to the right honourable Edw now earl of Oxford who being thereof so seised afterwards of his own mere motion and for the love of virtue and good learning and that the said school should be kept and maintained and the children be taught and instructed there according to the true intent of the gift and grant aforesaid did by his commission sealed with his seal and signed with his hand writing dated 30.3.1592 give and grant to Wm Leweyn dr of law and judge of the prerogative court of Canterbury Roger Harlakinden of Earls Colne aforesaid and Wm Tiffin of Colne Wake in the said county esq full power and authority to survey all the aforesaid messuages lands tenements hereditaments with the appurtenances and to demise the same according to the true yearly value thereof to any person or persons for the term of twenty one years or three lives at their pleasure and also to provide a sufficient schoolmaster and to do any other lawful acts for the good government of the said school and for good learning therein by virtue whereof the said Wm Leweyn Roger Harlakinden and Wm Tiffin did survey the aforesaid messuages lands and tenements in Stisted aforesaid which were then in the occupation of for the yearly rent of and the same did demise by their indenture bearing date to Arth Tilgate for the term of twenty one years from next the date of the said indenture rendering therefore yearly to the schoolmaster aforesaid for the time being of lawful money by virtue of which lease the said Arth entered into the premises and was and is thereof possessed and that the said Wm Roger and Wm did survey the aforesaid lands and tenements situate in Ardley aforesaid then being in the tenure of of the yearly rent of and the same demised to Jonas Hill for the term of twenty one years from the feast of next the date of for the yearly rent of and that the said lands are now in the tenure of Thos Preston by virtue of a demise thereof made by Simon Ive for the yearly rent of 5li13s4d and also that the said Wm Leweyn Roger Harlakenden and Wm Tiffin did survey the said lands and tenements lying in Marks Tey then being in the tenure of Joseph Damiyon for the yearly rent of 20s and the same did demise to Jn Goodwin for the term of twenty one years from the feast of next the date of the lease for the yearly rent of 4li to be paid yearly to the schoolmaster aforesaid for the time being but that notwithstanding the said demise so made to him the said Jn Gooday the said Joseph Damyon put the said Jn Gooday out of possession thereof and also that the said lands and tenements lying in Messing aforesaid in the tenure of Thos Ive or his assigns by virtue of a demise thereof to him made by Simon Ive at the yearly rent of 4li are worth 6li by the year and that a tenement in Coggeshall belonging to the said school which was sometime let at 20s by the year if the same were repaired would be now worth 9li by the year and further that the said Wm Leweyn Roger Harlakenden and Wm Tiffin did for divers good causes and consideration by virtue of the said commission to them made by the said earl constitute and appoint Jn Stockbridge master of arts in the university of Oxford to be schoolmaster of the said school in Earls Colne and that all the buildings in and upon the premises before the appointment of the said Jn Stockbridge were in great decay and so now continue and that certain wood and timber to the value of 6li were sold from the lands in Ardley by one Simon Ive to one Cranfield of Colchester which said wood and timber were felled and carried away by the said Cranfield and that certain wood and timber were felled upon the lands lying in Messing and that a spring in which the same was felled is much wasted and spoiled to the great waste of the said lands and the great loss and hindrance of the learning in the common wealth