Page:The histories of Launceston and Dunheved, in the county of Cornwall.djvu/194

174 DUNHEVED. collectors were to account before the Mayor and the auditors, and to pay the balance due from them. In the same year, n Henry VIII., the Mayor and his brethren, with the assent of the Commons, enacted, with reference to the letting of the borough lands, that, at the end of every twelve years, a General Sessions should be kept, at which the Mayor, with the advice and assent of his brethren, should, in open Hall, set and let to such tenants as dwelt out of the liberties of the burgh all such lands as they before held, the Sessions making the best advantage they could in fines, heriots, and entries of rent. From the tenants dwelling within the burgh, nothing was to be taken but a penny, as of old time had been used and accustomed, and each of them was to hold, occupy, and enjoy all such lands and tenements as he before held as tenant, admitted by due order and old customs. However, none of them was to depart from the worst holdings, and keep the best, and no ground or tenement was to be given up by an old tenant to a new tenant, unless the latter were sufficient, and so admitted by the Mayor and his fellows in open Court. If any ground were yielded up at the twelve years' end, at the sessions-time, and no sufficient tenant for the same were then to be had, in that case twelve men, sworn at the Sessions to enquire into the waste, and the neglects to repair houses, and hedges, and any other trespasses, were to view the tenements of the aforesaid occupiers, and to assess the damages and fines to be levied by the Mayor for defaults of the tenants. It was further enacted that no tenant should underlet, without leave of the Mayor, on pain of forfeiture of his tenement. Also that no tenant, not inhabiting in the burgh, should at any time stock the common ground with his beasts. It was, moreover, enacted with reference to tenants holding any lands or tenements of the Town by deed, that such persons should, at every twelve years' end, at the sessions, or at any other time