The hundred of Cleeve

THE HUNDRED OF CLEEVE

The large parish and manor of Bishop's Cleeve, with the exception until the late 18th century of part of its hamlet of Stoke Orchard, (fn. 1) alone formed the hundred of Cleeve. Cleeve was named in 1327 as a distinct hundred, comprising the townships of Cleeve, Brockhampton, Cockbury and Wontley, Gotherington, Southam, Stoke Orchard, and Woodmancote. (fn. 2) Earlier, Cleeve had formed part of Tibblestone hundred, (fn. 3) and became separated because of the extensive liberties which the Bishop of Worcester exercised in his manor of Cleeve. In 1207 the king confirmed to the church of Worcester its liberties in the manor, including quittance of the view of frankpledge and of shire and hundred. (fn. 4) Until 1258 the manor of Cleeve, the manor of Gotherington, and the two manors of Southam were each represented at the sheriff's tourn twice a year by four men and a reeve. In 1274 the bishop claimed return of writs, vetitum namium, gallows, assize of bread and ale, hue and cry, and bloodshed there; (fn. 5) in 1287 he was summoned to answer by what warrant he claimed view of frankpledge, waif, free warren, vetitum namium, and return of writs in Cleeve. (fn. 6)

The bishop had a three-weekly court at Cleeve by 1280, (fn. 7) as in the 14th century. (fn. 8) In 1299 it was said that all the free men of Cleeve were summoned to Tibblestone hundred twice a year, but that they did not answer touching the king's pleas and did not go as tithingmen. (fn. 9) Rolls of the Cleeve manor or hundred court survive for courts in 1412–14, 1450–1, 1462, 1493, and 1514–16. The court dealt mainly with pleas of debt and with breaches of the assize, presented by an ale-taster in 1413, but it also dealt with agricultural and tenurial matters. (fn. 10)