Tracing its early history during the 15th and 16th centuries
The frontage of the former Saracen’s Head in the High Street, Lincoln. 10 Nov. 2022 ( Susan Payne)
The 15th Century. Shadows in place-names.
References to the Saracen’s Head before the 16th century are hard to find, but documents in the archive of the Dean & Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral may refer to the same building. These references are found in Cameron, Kenneth, The Place-names of Lincolnshire, Pt 1 The place-names of the county of the city of Lincoln, English Place-Name Society, Cambridge University Press, 1998.
1461-3, le Saresyn hede /
1489, le sarsyn hed /
1494, le Sarsyn heede
The 16th Century. A property dispute over the Saracen’s Head.
By the 16th century we are lucky to have Lincoln City Council’s historical record of leases, the “White Book”(Lincolnshire Archives, L1/3/1). Entries recite the ownership and leases of the Saracen’s Head in the parish of St Peter at Arches in Lincoln from the early 16th century to 1560. These do, therefore, definitely relate to the site just south of the Stonebow we know today (see Pt 1). It is a complicated story involving some incompetency in or avoidance of legal matters. The upshot is that the records show that the Saracen’s Head was a desirable commercial property with associated plots of land in the centre of Lincoln.
The “White Book”, a record of leases covering 1421 to 1729 belonging to Lincoln City Council and kept at Lincolnshire Archives.The “White Book”, a record of leases covering 1421 to 1729 belonging to Lincoln City Council and kept at Lincolnshire Archives.
The earliest reference (f.127, 127v) is to the purchase of lands, tenements, and hereditaments within the city of Lincoln by John Fawkener, alderman of the city of Lincoln, from “one Thomas Fitzherbert and Agnes his wife”. This entry was written in 1557-8, but it recites events many years before when John Fawkener’s only son, William, was of tender years.
It is speculation, but this Thomas Fitzherbert may have been the Thomas Fitzherbert (1513/14-1591), who was knighted in 1547, the sheriff of Staffordshire in 1543 and 1554 and member of the last parliament of Henry VIII. His wife was Anne Eyre, but Agnes was another form of the name Anne in medieval and Elizabethan times, often written as Annes. He was a son of Sir Anthony Fitzherbert (1470-1538), judge and scholar, and married Anne Eyre of Padley by Oct 1537. Thomas Fitzherbert refused to sign the Oath of Supremacy on the accession of Elizabeth I and after long terms of imprisonment he died in the Tower of London in 1591. The Fitzherbert family were established in Derbyshire and had Lincolnshire property (a deed involving Anthony Fitzherbert, dated 1505 relates to the Lincolnshire manors of Partney and Thorpe, Lincolnshire Archives, 2-ANC/1/61/1).
But, returning to the Fawkeners – by 1552 we are told that William Fawkener is now of full age and married. Unfortunately, it has not been possibly to discover his age from a baptism record as the parish register and bishop’s transcripts only survive from 1561 and 1562. By 1552, then, John Fawkener had arranged that these lands and tenements would be made over to both himself and his son, William, and his heirs. However, John Fawkener, alderman, “a man unlearned not understanding the lawes of the realm” then made several leases, including a lease for £18 of “one messuage or tenement in the parysshe of Saynt Peter at archysse in the seid Cytye of Lincoln called the Sarzons head” for a certain number of years to John Hall.
The “White Book” naming the Sarzons head, f.127, 127v
Later, the adult William Fawkener, by now married, declared that these leases were unlawful since he should have also been named on them. Presumably this is in 1552 when John Fawkener set about correcting the error. First on 23 April 1552, we know from a copy indenture written in the “White Book” (f.131-132) made in 1559-60, that this indenture transferred the Sarzens Head from John Fawkener to William Fawkener. It refers to John Hall being in the occupation of the Sarzens Heade in Lincoln to the only use of William Fawkener after the death of John Fawkener. Then on 5 June 1552, it is recited in the “White Book” (f. 127, 127v) that John Fawkener summoned all his leaseholders to his mansion house to replace their unlawful leases with new ones. The new one for the Saracen’s Head included the names of both John and William Fawkener.
However, there was a problem with regard to the surrender of the old lease for the “Sarzons head”:
“John Fawkener … asked the seid John Hall beying then & ther present, Mr Hall wher is your old lease of the Sarzons head, the seid John Hall answered it is not here then sayd John Fawkener howe say you Mr Hall are you content to yield up your old indenture of the Sarzons head and I & my son shall make you a newe indentur therof as we have done unto these men.”
By 1557-8. (f.127v) it is clear that John Hall had deferred surrendering the old lease for about 5 years. John Fawkener was very sick by now and, in the end, the city aldermen come together to decide nevertheless to make a formal record of the terms of the new lease which is, in fact, the reason for this entry in the White Book. John Fawkener of Lincoln St Peter at Arches dies about this time since there is a probate administration (LCC ADMON 1557/79). We also see that John Hall seems not to have had a very good relationship with John Fawkener since there is document at the National Archives dated 1556-7 in which he has gone to court to claims a rent rebate in malt for the Sargyantes Heade in Lincoln of John Fawkener (The National Archives, C1/1439/6-8).
After the saga of the lease not being surrendered by the tenant John Hall and the death of John Fawkener, there is another reference in the White Book to three tenements and a piece of ground which were part of the Sarrisyns heade in the parish of St Peter at Arches. This is a Bargain and sale, dated 28 February 1560 (2nd year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth). This shows that Ambrose Sutton of Burton near Lincoln, owns the lease to these associated properties (with Robert Sutton having the the feesimple). Ambrose Sutton sells the lease for a number of years to John Hall of Lincoln who is already tenant for £24. (f. 130-130v). Presumably, after his father’s death, his son, William Fawkener, decided he had had enough of the wrangles with John Hall and sold the property to Robert Sutton.
RESEARCH WELL Lincolnshire 