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 1921 THE E8QHEATRIES, 1327-41 221 shire on either side of the river. 1 The northern escheatry was revived on 4 February 1327, 2 Simon of Grimsby receiving the northern portion of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire from John of Bolingbroke, to whom, on the same day, the southern portions of these counties were recommitted. 3 Grimsby also received the parts of Staffordshire lying ' north ' of Trent. 4 The southern portions of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire and the whole of Lincolnshire were assigned to Trussel on the revival of the southern office on 26 February. 5 Notwithstanding this entire surrender of Lincolnshire to Trussel, the manors in the Isle of Axholme held as of the honour of Epworth by John of Mowbray, and forfeited in 1322, were administered by the northern escheator, and were the subject of an extent said to have been made by him on 12 February 1327. 6 Axholme, though in Lincolnshire, was technically north, really west of Trent. As regards Staffordshire, south of Trent, the records of surrender are wanting in the Fine Rolls, but we know that John of Hampton, the late escheator, had surrendered it to Trussel before 4 June. 7 An examination of the entries in the Fine and Close Rolls relating to the activities of the escheators between 1327 and 1332 shows that in every case it is the southern officer who acts in Staffordshire quite irrespective of the locality of the manor north or south of the Trent. 8 On the other hand, a similar investi- gation regarding Nottinghamshire 9 and Derbyshire 10 reveals a uniform adherence to the fluvial division as the case of the Isle of Axholme cited above does in Lincolnshire. Presumably the river was intended to be the boundary, but the practical difficulties in Staffordshire were too great. This conclusion is borne out by the surrender of 1332 when the county-group system was revived. Trussel is recorded as surrendering all Staffordshire 11 and all Lincolnshire, 12 but only the southern parts of Nottinghamshire and 1 Cal. oflnq., Edw. Ill, vii. 174 ; Cal. of Fine BoUs, 1327-37, p. 157. 2 Cal. of Fine Bolls, p. 2. 3 Ibid. p. 6. * Ibid. p. 2. 6 Ibid. p. 22. 6 Cal of Inq., Edw. Ill, vii. 51-2. ■ Cal. of Fine Bolls, 1327-37, p. 47. 8 Staffordshire : (a) Castle of Alton, with manors of Cotton, Farley, Wootton, north of Trent, and Manor of Bradley, south of Trent. Order of 16 October 1328 (Cal of Close Bolls, 1327-30, p. 328). (b) Honor of Tutbury, north of Trent (ibid. p. 155). (c) Penkridge (ibid. p. 296). (d) Great Curborough (ibid. 1330-3, p. 1). 9 Nottinghamshire : (a) Manor of Radcliffe on Soar, situate at junction of this river and Trent (ibid. 1327-30, p. 125). (b) Manor of Graneby, south of Trent (ibid. p. 52). (c) Stapleford, messuage, and two bovates (ibid. 1330-3, p. 473). For the lands of Thomas of Bardolph north of Trent see above, p. 220. 10 Derbyshire :— South of river : Manor of Walton on Trent (ibid. 1327-30, p. 512). North of river : Manors of Holmefield, Elmeton, Oxcroft (ibid. p. 52), Tibshelf (ibid. 1330-3, p. 359), Ashford in Peak (ibid. p. 85), Eckington (ibid. p. 464), Eyam and Stony Middleton (ibid. p. 471). 11 Cal. of Fine Bolls, 1327-37, p. 318. ia Ibid. p. 317.