Hello Leigh, I've had some experience of documents of this sort, so I thought I'd have a go at the first paragraph and a bit of the second. You'll find the results below. I've set out the transcript from the website first (without all the irritating square brackets and line indicators), then my translation follows. I found it rather more difficult than I expected. I hesitate to say this, but I don't think the difficulties were wholly a result of my own inadequacies as a Latin scholar - I suspect the transcript is not entirely accurate in all parts. I've indicated a few places where I think it may have been misread, or the Latin abbreviations mistakenly extended (in these cases my translation usually gives what I suspect the original to have said). But the problem may also be that my experience is in the records of Midlands manors - perhaps East Anglian records followed different conventions. You might find it useful to read a number of printed translations of medieval and 16C manorial records from that part of the world and note the way they habitually describe land before making a start on the Brandonferry records. Matt Tompkins Blaston, Leics PS If you get a better explanation from anyone else of any of the bits which puzzled me I'd be grateful to hear it. ----------------------------- "Brandonferry in comitato Suffolki Supervisus manorii predicti ibidem inceptus mense Maii Anno regni Dominae regine nunc* Elizabeth xxxi tenementa** per sacramentos Roberti Fletcher, Johannis Gryme, Johannis Deresley, Johannis Hemyngton, Nicholai Skevington, Richardi Capp, Ambrosis Ashwell, Roberti Clark, Roberti Towler, William Edwardes, Rogeris Arriott, Ambrosis Fenner, Radulphi Sexton, Johannis Lane, Henri Colman, Johannis Shipley, Johannis Colman, Thomas Styaney, Petri Largent et Christoferi Richardson tenenus*** Manorii predicti ad hoc iuramentum quam prediligenter# exminatoem diversorum campe rotulus current Rental et ab evidence eiusdem Manorii Johanne Browne Arartorie### Supervisor general Domine Regini in comitato predicto campus vocatur Brightfield alius Brydithfield que est unus quatuor camporum ibidem vocatur Infieldes" Brandonferry in the county of Suffolk. A survey of the aforesaid manor taken there in the month of May in the 31st year of the reign of our* lady Queen Elizabeth taken** by the oath of Robert Fletcher [...etc, etc...] tenants*** of the aforesaid manor sworn to this, also by diligent examination of the various [fields, the roll of the current rental]## and from the evidences [ie deeds] of the same manor by John Browne esquire Surveyor general of the Lady Queen in the aforesaid county. The field called Brightfield otherwise Brydithfield which is one of the four fields there called In-fields. * possibly should be 'nostre' not 'nunc'? ** should be 'tenta' not 'tenementa'? *** should be 'tenentes' not 'tenenus'? # should be 'per diligenter'? ## none of this makes sense - I think at least part of it has been mistranscribed. Possibly it ought to be '...of various court rolls, the current rental and ...' ### should be 'armiger' not 'arartorie'? "Quarentena terrae ibidem vocatur Toughfenhill furlonge abutta super Toughe Fenne brinkes versus borientem tenendum cum eadem occid[entem* Margaret Walden vidua tenet libere de hoc feodo iii rodas terrae nuper Lodovici Talbot Robert Clark tenet native** iii rodas terrae nuper Johannis Dobber vocatur Shardlowes versus austrem percell*** unum plenarie terrae# in duaberis pertibus iacens in diversis peciis ibidem nuper Roberti Clark ut patent copia## datus anno regine Domine Regine nunc Elizabeth xiii Et reddit inde per annus iii shillings vocatur iustyce landes nuper Thomas Lemme Richardus Deresley tenet libere de hoc feodo unam rodam demidiam terrae vocatur Peppers nuper Gilde Sanctae trinitacis de Lynn Regis iuxta### Rector ibidem habet unam rodam demidiam terrae de glebis ecclesie sue iuxta Dominica Margaret Walden habet unam rodam demidiam terrae nuper Talbotte iuxta " A furlong there called Toughfenhill Furlong abuts on Tough Fen Brinks towards the north [holding with them westwards.] Margaret Walden widow holds freely from this fee 3 roods of land late of Lewis Talbot. Robert Clark holds by native [tenure] 3 roods of land late of John Dobber called Shardlowes towards the south, part of one full [?land] lying in two parts in various pieces there late of Robert Clark as appears by a copy dated 13 Elizabeth, and he renders therefor 3 shillings a year, it is called Justice Lands late Thomas Lemme. Richard Deresley holds freely from this fee 1 1/2 roods of land called Peppers late of the Guild of Holy Trinity of Kings Lynn beside. The rector there has 1 1/2 roods of land of his church's glebe beside. Lady Margaret Walden has 1 1/2 roods of land late of Talbot beside. * possibly a mis-transcription ** ie copyhold (which developed out of native, ie villein or serf tenure). *** should be 'parcell'? # this doesn't make sense - a land was usually a double-sized strip containing about 1/2 acre in area ## ie a copy of the court roll, ie a copyhold title deed ### this use of 'iuxta' is puzzling. Do they mean Deresley's strip is beside the rector's one?