o D W A R D U S Dei gratia rex Anglie et ffrancie et drius Hibernie, dilecto et fideli Thome de Lucy, escactori suo in comitatu Lancastrie, salutem. Quia accepimus per inquisi-

desccnded with the dukedom to .lohn of Gaunt, upon his marriage with his daughter, and, eventually, sole heir, Blanche. From John of Gaunt, the duchy and possessions descended to his son Henry, who afterwards became Henry IV. of England,

Ey his accession to the throne, these possessions became vested in him as King, and not as Duke; "for the name of Duke, being lower than that of King, was drowned by the name of King. For the King could not be Duke in his own realm, though he might out of it." but as he was aware that his title to the duchy was in defeasible, and that his title to the crown was not so good, he was desirous to keep the possessions of the duchy separate from those of the crown, and therefore it was en acted by 1 II. IV., that the duchy should not bo altered by reason that King Henry IV. assumed the royal estate upon him, but that they should be preserved and con tinued in the same condition and estate in which they descended to him, and should remain to the same heirs contained in the said charters; and that they should in such manner, and by such ministers and priors, in all things be ordered and demeaned as they should have been had he not been King.

But, thus comments the venerablo Plowden, though this makes the King to have the duchy, and all the liberties and jurisdictions, as they were before in the hands of the dukes, yet they do not make the King to be Duke of Lancaster; and indeed if a lease had been made of duchy lands in the name of the Duke of Lancaster, it had beert void; and in offices it is always usual to say, that the Tenant held of the King as of the Duchy of Lancaster.

This distinction was carefully preserved by the Line of Lancaster; and when Edward IV. ascended the throne, his title being the converse of that of Henry IV., as he succeeded rightfully to the throne, but only had the duchy by forfeiture, he adopted the same course; and, after re-creating the duchy, which had merged by the forfeiture, he declared that the King should inherit the same and the pre mises, by the same name of Duchy from all other his inheritance, separate to him and his heirs, Kings of England perpetually, and that the county of Lancaster should be a County Palatine.

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tionem quam per vos fieri fecimus, quod Alesia, nuper comitissa Lincolnie defuncta, nulla terras seu tenementa tenuit in dñico suo ut de feodo, nec in seruicio, die quo obijt, in comitatu predicto. Sed quod dñus Edwardus quondam rex Anglie auus noster fuit scisitus in dñico suo ut de feodo p redditionem et quietaclamationem Henrici de Lascy, tunc comitis Lincolnie, de castro et manerio de Cliderhou, cum chaceis et parcis in dicto comitatu Lancastric, et quod idem auus noster habita plena possessione de dictis castro et manerio cum chaceis et parcis, p cartam suam predicta castrum et manerium cum chaceis et parcis cum ptinentijs suis reddidit et concessit predicto Henrico Comiti. Habend, et tenend. sibi et heredib3 suis de corpore suo procreatis et heredib3 eorundem de se procreandis. Ita quod si idem Comes sine herede de se procreato in fata decederet, vel heredes de se procreati sine herede de se procreato vel procreando in fata de cedèrent, tunc, post mortem ipsius Comitis et heredum predictorum, predicta castrum et manerium cum ommb3 ptinentijs suis integre rema- nerent Edmundo fratri ipsius aui nostri et heredib3 suis de se procre atis et heredib3 eorum de se procreandis imppetuum. Qui quidem Edmundus habuit de se procreatum Thomam fil i um suum et heredem et Henricum fratrem ipsius Thome, et quod predictus Thomas postea nupsit se Alesie filie et heredi predicti Henrici Comitis de corpore suo procreate, quodq. post mortem predictorum Edmundi et Henrici comitis, prefatus Thomas predicta castrum et manerium cum ommb3

Henry VII. pursued the same course, and, on his accession, the duchy was vested in the King, separate from his other possessions; and the statute 1 II. VII. re pealed the statute of Edw. IV., and enacted, that the King should have all the lands, parcel of the duchy of Lancaster, in as ample a manner, separate from the crown of England and the possessions of tho same, as any of the former kings over had,

It is clear, therefore, that the common idea, that our beloved Sovereign is Duchess of Lancaster, is a fond delusion of the natives of the Palatinate. She is seised of the duchy possessions as Queen, in right of the Duchy of Lancaster.

384 «Tttuluß acrtue.

suis ptinentijs habuit et tenuit usq. diem obitus sui, et quod post mor tem ipsius Thome dñus Edwardus nuper rex Anglie pater noster anno regni sui xV. quibusdam de causis ea ceperit in manum suam, et quod nos postmodo dieta castrum et manerium de CHderhou, cum chaceis et parcis, excepto parco de Ightenhull, concessimus Isabelle regine Anglie, matri nostri carissime, et quod idem Thomas et Alesia obie- rint sine herede de corpore suo legitime procreato, quodque reuersio predictorum castri et manerij cum ommb3 suis ptinentijs post mortem ipsius Alesie filie predicti Henrici Coimitis Lincoln^ ptinet Henrico nunc comiti Lancastri, filio et heredi predicti Henrici filij predicti Edmundi, ut consanguineo et heredi ipsius Edmundi in tallia predicta, virtute cartarum et concessionum predictarum. Et quod predictum castrum et manerium tenentur de honore Laucastrie p seruicium sex feodorum militum, et viginti et quinq. solidorum, p annum, ad war- dam castri Lancastrie. Vobis mandamus quod eadem castrum et manerium cum chaceis et parcis, dicto parco de lghteuhull duntaxat excepto, in manum nostram seisiri, et ea statim cum sie seisita fuerint in manum nostram, prefato nunc Comiti Lancastrie liberetis. Ha bend, in forma predicta, saluo iure cuiuslibet. Teste meipso apud Sandwycu xv. die Nouembris. Per breve de priuato sigillo.

Explicit titulus sextus.

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InCIPIT TITULUS SEPTIMUS DE AcTON.