Note 81 — Chapter I · THE ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

The “Merton clerks,” clerici de Merton, are mentioned again in the next paragraph. At the same date a certain Johanna declares that she had as a marriage portion from her father a messuage given him by Cecil at the Castle, for which is paid a quit rent of twelve pence a year to “the scholars of Merton.” Rot. Hund. ii. 379. In the Hundred of Chesterton (p. 402) we find that “the scholars of Merton hold of the fee of Hervey Dunning” such and such properties. They also paid a quit rent to Edmund Crouchback for lands he held (on the death of de Montfort) as earl of Leicester.