Bell gates, gobites, and capnils?

[SteveSims]

I was lucky to find this extra mention of my g6-grandfather John GOODE in the parish register of Yazor commencing 1748. However I can't make sense of some of the terms used!

This is recorded on the fly-leaf of the register:

two Bell Gates & crooked Gobite &
Capnil 19 Statute Acres arable
in the Hamlet of Upperton are
taken from Mr. Ridgway's Farm
& added to John Goode's Farm
& pay the tenth to the Vicar.
This account was given me
from Mr. Ridgway himself.
T. Evans Vicar

Can anyone explain what is a crooked gobite? or a capnil? Google has not helped. I may have misconstrued a letter or two, but Thomas Evans' writing is wonderfully clear as for all the erudite Yazor vicars.

BTW the start of this register also includes a page "Customs of Yazor" which explains the tithing. When I have scanned, cleaned up and transcribed the (very dark) photocopy, I'll post it as it may be of general interest.

Cheers
Steve

[Chris in 1066Land]

Hi Steve

Been consulting my 'Oracle' without much success I am afraid.

The closest I can get to any of your words is:

'Capite' - The holding of Land in feudal tenure direct from the monarch.

'Godbote' - A fine imposed by the Church in respect of an offence against God.

Chris in 1066Land

[SteveSims]

Thanks Chris,

A couple of new obscure words for the lexicon! But may not yet explain what vicar Evans was on about. I may have to go to the library and resort to the printed page...

I had a thought that gobite might be a local Herefordshire variant of gobbet meaning a bit or piece of something.

Your meaning of capite is apt when dealing with lands, so perhaps capnil is a variant. But I'm prepared to find that I may never know the answers for sure!

But I'm grateful to find these refs to g6-gfs farm. On the next page in the PR is a minute description of the farm in his father Edward's day, describing it field by field - can't ask for much more detail than this! Read those PR flyleafs folks, never know what may be there.

Steve

[Chris in 1066Land]

Hi Steve

Sorry I could not help you further, but I suppose if you could find a book on Yazor dialect, then perhaps you could find that the terms are of local origin.

The tithe maps are great for identifying fields etc, and if you have a complete description of the farm from the flyleaf of the PR, plus Customs of Yazor (when you have transcribed it) - then you might be able to find the answers there.

I love the comments put in the registers by the unpaid Parish Clerks, some of my favourites from the burial registers include:

Buried Jo Smithe his child
Buried the wyf of Jo Smyth
Buryed John Brown of the age of 90 years – as he sayeth
Buryed Soloman Southerden an honest miller; there be not many such
Buryed Richard Snatchell, a stout young man, a curious blacksmith, died of ye small pox and was buried the last day of Maye 1643
Buried Mary West strumpett of John Harris

Chris in 1066Land


 

[SteveSims]

Chris,

I love the stuff in the registers too - recently found

X bastard child of Y and Z his concubine.

Strumpetts & concubines so-called by the upright men of the day - without a few in our ancestry, I suspect none of us would be here today.

I really like your stout and curious blacksmith who died of small pox - doesn't only affect cats it seems...

Steve

[SteveSims]

FWIW I think I have found some answers - "two Bell Gates & crooked Gobite & Capnil" are probably field names.

On the modern OS map there is a "Gobbet's Plantation" north of the Yazor-Upperton road. So the term gobbet (a piece of something) was in use locally, and I suspect gobite would be a 1700's variant.

"Two Bell Gates" - I have just found a field at Yazor called "Bell Gates" and I suppose it's probably the same field. This from the fascinating (to me) field name database at Herefordshire Council:
http://www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/hfn/db.php

Capnite still eludes me, but I'm not losing any sleep over it.

Steve

[Chris in 1066Land]

Hi Steve

Well done, that makes perfect sense

"two Bell Gates & crooked Gobite & Capnil 19 Statute Acres arable
in the Hamlet of Upperton"

i.e. - listing possibly 3 fields by their names with a total of 19 acres of arable

That site is brilliant - not come across anything like that before

Chris in 1066Land