Catalogue description Copies of case - papers relating to litigation in the Court of Requests concerning Glydwish in Burwash

Two cases were brought in the court of requests by Richard Harmer of Heathfield, the first against Sir Nicholas Pelham in June 1559 and after the latter's death a second against his son John Pelham in June 1561. The records of both cases are among the archives of the court at the PRO but a copy of the order which settled the action is in the Pelham archive at the British Library

The subject of the dispute was a house called Glidwish with 35 acres of land in Burwash. Harmer claimed that it was copyhold of Pelham's manor of Burwash and that his grandfather and father, both John Harmers, had been admitted tenants. By the connivance of Thomas Harmer clerk (according to one deponent, in exchange for Pelham's support in his candidature for prior of New Priory Warbleton), Sir William Pelham obtained John Harmer's copies of court roll, destroyed them and ejected Harmer. After John Harmer's death Sir Nicholas Pelham refused to admit Richard Harmer and claimed in his answer that the premises were part of the demesnes of Burwash manor. The order ending the suit recited that after an issue had been reached and the depositions taken in May 1562, the case was argued before the court on several occasions. Since it appeared that Pelham and his ancestors had enjoyed the premises 'of long time' and since the depositions were 'so doubtful' the court felt unable to make a final decree and recommended arbitration, which was incorporated in the final order of 1565. By this, Harmer was to be admitted to three closes containing 24 acres of the premises, which bounded N, E: Henry Sidney knight's land; W: Cottishmer Lane; S: waste land of John Pelham, formerly forest land and now enclosed; the rent was to be 4d an acre and Pelham was to keep the rest of the disputed land. In addition, Harmer was to pay Pelham £15 in open court on his admission and a further £15 at Pelham's dwelling at Laughton at Christmas

The case is of particular interest since one of the deponents mentions that Harmer's ancestor enjoyed the land at variance quietly until 'the building of an iron work called a hammer near there'. On the evidence of the boundaries mentioned in the final order, the works referred to was that at Glazier's Forge

Photocopies given by Michael Harmer, Worthing, 13 October 1983 (Acc 4052)