Assignment by William Griffen of the Lease of the Little Rose to Robert Withens

single membrane (11 December)

To all people to whom this present writing shall come: William Griffen, citizen and vintner of London, sends greeting in our Lord God everlasting. Whereas Thomasyn Symonds, late of London, widow, late wife of Ralph Symonds, late citizen and fishmonger of London, deceased, by her writing or deed tripartite indented, bearing date the third day of December in the sixth year of the reign of our late sovereign lord of famous memory King Edward the Sixth, acknowledged and enrolled in the queen’s majesty’s high court of Chancery, did give, grant, and confirm unto Ambrose Nicholas and William Box, now aldermen, Robert Sowle and Thomas Hall, salters, John Peers, Henry Blower the elder, Thomas Brian, and John Welton, parishioners of the parish of St Mildred in Bread Street of London, all that her messuage or tenement then called the Little Rose, with two gardens to the same adjoining, set, lying, and being in the parish late called St Margaret in Southwark in the county of Surrey, and then and now in the parish of St Saviour in Southwark aforesaid, and all her houses, shops, cellars, sollars, chambers, entries, gardens, ponds, easements, lands, soil, and hereditaments whatsoever, with their appurtenances, in the parish of St Saviour in Southwark aforesaid, to the said messuage or tenement belonging or in any wise appertaining, to have and to hold the said messuage or tenement and all other the premises with their appurtenances unto the said Ambrose Nicholas, William Box, Robert Sowle, Thomas Hall, John Peers, Henry Blower, Thomas Bryan, and John Welton and their heirs forever as by the said deed tripartite indented and the enrolment thereof more fully and at large does and may appear. And where also the said Ambrose Nicholas, William Box, Robert Sowle, Thomas Hall, John Peers, Henry Blower, Thomas Bryan, and John Welton by their indenture of demise dated the twentieth day of November in the seventeenth year of the reign of our said sovereign lady Queen Elizabeth, for divers good causes and considerations them moving, have with one assent and consent demised, granted, and to farm let unto me the said William Griffen all the said messuage or tenement, with the said two gardens to the same adjoining set, lying, and being in the parish of St Saviour in Southwark aforesaid, and also all their houses, shops, cellars, sollars, chambers, entries, gardens, ponds, land, soil, profits, commodities, and hereditaments whatsoever with their appurtenances in the parish of St Saviour aforesaid, to the said messuage or tenement belonging or appertaining, to have and to hold the said messuage or tenement, gardens, shops, cellars, solars, chambers, profits, commodities, and hereditaments, and all other the premises with their appurtenances unto me the said William Griffen, my executors, administrators, and assigns from the feast of St Michael the Archangel last past before the date of the same indenture of lease unto the end and term of thirty-one years from thence next ensuing and fully to be complete and ended, yielding and paying therefore yearly during the said term unto the said Ambrose Nicholas, William Box, Robert Sowle, Thomas Hall, John Peers, Henry Blower, Thomas Bryan, and John Welton, their heirs or assigns or any of them, or to the churchwardens of the said parish church of St Mildred for the time being, seven pounds of lawful money of England at four terms or feasts in the year as by the same indenture of demise with divers other covenants, grants, articles, conditions, and things therein mentioned at large it does and may appear. Now know you that I the said William Griffen, for and in consideration of the sum of one hundred and five pounds of good and lawful money of England to me before the sealing and delivery of these presents by Robert Withens, citizen and vintner of London, well and truly contented and paid, whereof and wherewith I the said William Griffen do acknowledge myself fully satisfied and pleased and thereof and of every part and parcel thereof do clearly acquit, release, and discharge the said Robert Withens, his executors and administrators forever, by these presents have bargained, sold, given, granted, assigned, and set over, and by these presents do bargain, sell, give, grant, assign, and set over unto the said Robert Withens as well the aforesaid indenture of demise before recited, as also all the estate, right, title, interest, possession, claim, term of years, and demand which I the said William Griffen have, may, might, should, or of right ought to have of, in, or to the said messuage or tenement, gardens, shops, cellars, sollars, chambers, profits, commodities, hereditaments, and premises, with the appurtenances or any part or parcel thereof by virtue of the said indenture of lease or otherwise, to have and to hold the said messuage or tenement, gardens, shops, cellars, sollars, chambers, profits, commodities and hereditaments and all other the premises by the said indenture of lease granted with the appurtenances, together with the same indenture of demise and all the said estate, right, title, interest, possession, claim, term of years and demand which I the said William Griffen have, may, might, should or ought to have of, in, and to the said unto the said Robert Withens, his executors, administrators, and assigns unto the full end, expiration, and determination of the said thirty-one years granted by the said indenture of demise. And I the said William Griffen for me, my executors, administrators, and assigns do covenant, promise, and grant by these presents to and with the said Robert Withens, his executors, administrators, and assigns in manner and form following, that is to say, that the said indenture of demise is a good, true, perfect, and lawful indenture of demise and grant in law, in full power and force for and during the residue of years yet to come and unexpired of the said term of thirty-one years, and that I the said William Griffen am now the very true and lawful owner thereof and have full power, good, right, and lawful authority to give, grant, alienate, bargain, sell, assign, and set over the same indenture and premises thereby demised, with their appurtenances, in manner and form aforesaid, and that the same indenture of demise, messuage or tenement, and all other the premises with the appurtenances now are and be, and in the eleventh day of June next coming after the date of these presents then shall be, and from thenceforth continue during and until the full end and expiration of the said thirty-one years free, clear, and clearly acquitted, discharged, or saved harmless of and from all and singular former bargains, sales, gifts, grants, leases, mortgages, rents, charges, conditions, troubles, titles, and encumbrances, the said yearly rent of seven pounds in and by the said indenture of demise reserved. And the covenants, grants, articles, conditions, and things in the same indenture specified on the behalf of me the said William Griffen, my executors, administrators, and assigns from and after the said eleventh day of June next coming to become due to be paid and performed, only except and foreprised, and that the said Robert Withens, his executors, administrators, and assigns from and after the said eleventh day of June next coming shall or may enter into the said messuage or tenement and premises in the said indenture of lease demised, and the same from thenceforth peaceably and quietly have, hold, occupy and enjoy during and until the full end and accomplishment of the said term of thirty-one years without any let, trouble, interruption or eviction of me the said William Griffen, my executors, administrators, or assigns and without any lawful expulsion or eviction of any other person or persons, provided always that if I the said William Griffen, my executors, administrators or assigns do truly pay or cause to be paid unto the said Robert Withens, his executors, administrators or assigns the sum of one hundred and five pounds of lawful money of England in the eleventh day of June next coming after the date of these presents, at the now dwelling house of the said Robert Withens called the Sign of the Ship in St Michael’s Lane in London, without fraud, covin, or further delay according to the tenor of the condition of an obligation bearing date with these presents wherein I the said William Griffen stand obliged and bound to the said Robert Withens in one hundred and fifty pounds lawful money of England, that then and from thenceforth this present writing and all and every bargain, sale, covenant, grant, article, and thing therein mentioned on the behalf of me the said William Griffen, my executors, administrators or assigns to be performed and kept, and also the obligation aforesaid shall be utterly void, frustrate, and of none effect, or else it to stand and abide in full force and strength. In witness whereof to this my present writing I the said William Griffen have hereunto put my hand and seal. Given the eleventh day of December anno domini 1579 and in the twenty-second year of the reign of our sovereign lady Elizabeth by the grace of God queen of England, France and Ireland, defender of <...>

(signed) by me William Gryffyn

°Sealed, subscribed, and delivered as his deed, in the presence, of me, Thomas Newman, notary.°