Details of people who held land directly from the Crown
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Inquisitions post mortem (“IPM”) were local enquiries into
the lands held by a person shortly after their death, in order to discover any
income and rights due to the crown. Such inquisitions were only held when
people were thought or known to have held lands of the crown.
They are generally organised into Calendars of Inquisitions Post
Mortem.
They can be found at the National
Archives covering the periods 1236-1447 and 1485-1509 (C132 to C
139, E149). Volumes for the period 1418-1447 are not available here but may be
found at Mapping the Medieval
Countryside. Inquisitions for the years 1447 to 1485 are currently
unpublished. See also an online index of Calendars of Inquisitions at Medieval Genealogy.
There is an excellent guide to IPMs by the
National Archives.
Inquisitions post mortem (sometimes known as escheats) were
inquiries, undertaken after the death of a feudal tenant in chief (that is, a
direct tenant of the crown), to establish what lands were held and who should
succeed to them. They survive from around 1240 until the Restoration in 1660,
when feudal tenure was abolished.
After the death of a tenant in chief, a writ of diem clausit extremum would usually be issued to the local escheator,
the official responsible for taking possession of the dead tenant's estate. He
would then convene a local jury and conduct an inquiry, A separate one was
generally held in each of the counties where the deceased had held land.
The earliest inquisitions are less detailed, but generally the
information recorded would include the date when the tenant died, the names of
the manors held and details of the services performed in return for them, and
also the name, age and relationship of the heir or of each coheir. The ages
might well be approximate, particularly if given in 'round figures', and for
older heirs; if the heir were a minor, however, accuracy would be important.
Further records might be made of the assignment of dower (part of
a husband's estate, to be held by his widow for her lifetime).
If the heir were a minor, the crown had the right to his or her
wardship. The heir would not take possession of the estate until his or her
majority was attained, and at this point proof of age might be recorded.
From 1540, in cases where the heir was a minor, or in cases of
‘lunacy’, further information may be found in the records of the Court of Wards
and Liveries (letter code WARD).
One shortcoming of this system for genealogists is that it applied
only to tenants in chief. No such record would be taken for anyone who was a
sub-tenant, no matter how rich or powerful he might be. On the other hand, many
other people are mentioned incidentally in the inquisitions. Those of higher
status appear as sub-tenants or as trustees, feoffees, of the deceased. feoffees
were often related to the tenant, although the relationships are not usually
stated. Humbler people appear as jurors, or may give evidence about the age of
the heir, and detailed manorial surveys might also be made.