Stanlawe. Testib; Abbate Cestrie, Johe constab., Rado fil. Warini, Hug. de Dutton, Johe Burdun, Martino Angeuino, Ada de Dutton et multis alijs, apud Cestriam.

VIII. Confirmatio Ranulphi Comitis eorum, que pater suus dedit

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nobis.

ANULPHUS dux Britannie comes Cestrie et Riche

mūdie, costabulario, dapifero, camerario et omib; ministris suis et omib3 baronib3 et militib3 suis et omib3 hominib3 suis ffrācis et Anglicis clericis et laicis tam presētib3 quam futuris salutē. Notu sit vobis omib3 me cōcessisse et hac carta mea cōfirmasse Deo et Abbathie de Loco Benedicto de Stanlawe et monachis ibidem Deo seruiētib3 omes illas libertates et donationes quas eis fecit Comes Hugo pater meus et prout carta sua qua habent monachi predicti testatur. Testib3, Johe constab. Cestrie, Petro cacellario, Rado de Maynilwar, Hug. de Boidel, Ran. de Praers, apud Cestriam.

IX. Carta Ranulphi comitis de quietantia de theloneo.

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ANULPHUS, comes Cestrie, constab. suo, et dapifero, Justic. et Vicecomiti, baronib; et balliuis suis salute. Sciatis me p Dei amore et p salute anime mee dedisse et hac carta mea cōfirmasse in ppetua et pura elemosyna Deo et sancte Marie et monachis Loci Benedicti de Stanl. quietātiam de theloneo P totā terra meam de Sale et de omib3 alijs reb; quas emerint vel vediderint ad usus suos pprios tam p aquam quam p terram. Quare firmiter pcipio ne aliquis ab eis theloneu exigat nec ppter theloneu eos vexare aut molestare presumat. Hijs testib3 Rogo constab. Cestrie, Johë de Orreby tuc Justic. Cestrie, Warino de Vernon, Willo de Venables,

Petro clerico, Ad. et Hug. de Dutton, Liulpho vice com., Alex. fil. Radi, Bertramo camerario, Joscerano de Hellesby, et multis alijs, apud Cestriam.

X. Carta Ranulphi comitis de deforestatione* infra diuisas de

Staneya.

MNIBUS Cristi fidelib3 ad quos presens scriptu puenerit Ran. comes Cestrie salute. Nouerit uniuersitas vestra quod ego p salute anime mee et omiu antecessoru meoru et successoru et dilecti mei Rogeri de Lascy constab. Cestrie deforestaui Abbathia de Stanl. et grāgiam de Staneya que est de feodo predicti Rogeri constab. Cestrie cu omib3 ptinentijs suis p certas diuisas suas. Et sint omnino liberi et quieti de omib3 causationib3, querelis et placitis et seruicijs ad forestā ptinētib3 in purā et ppetuā elemosynā. Hijs testib3 Rado Abbe de Pulton, Guyd priore de Suthewyk, Pħo de Orreby, Henr. de Audyel, Hug. Dispens, Thom. fratre suo, Hug. de Dutton, Gaufro fratre suo, Hug. de Mascy et alijs.

XI. Carta Ranulphi comitis Cestrie de bestijs siluestribz inuentis in terris nostris.

MNIBUS sancte matris ecclesie filijs ad quos presens pagina puenerit Ran. comes Cestrie salutē. Notu sit vobis me dedisse et hac carta mea confirmasse Deo et beate Marie

* This is a strong instance of the regal power exercised by the earls of Chester within the Palatinate. Randle Meschines, third earl of Chester, created the forest, and his successor disafforested this portion. Both were acts of royal supremacy. "As it hath beene alwaies holden for a general opinion amongst the learned in the Lawes of this realme that the King onely may make a forest in all woods or places

et monachis de Stanlawe quietatia de bestijs siluestrib3 occisis vel attinctis in terra ipsoru monachoru portād. usq. ad Cestria, et quod dicti monachi et eoru homines no incausentur ppter aliquam bestiam aliquo casu mortua et inuentă in terra eoru nisi fuerit aliquis Secreber* qui de hoc loqui voluerit aduersus dictos monachos aut eoru homines. Et quod sint quieti de seruientib3 et forestarijs. Hijs testib3 Rogō constab. Cestrie, War. de Vernon, Hamõe de Mascy, Pho de Orreby, Willo de Venables, Rico de Aldeford, Ada et Hugōe de Dutton, Petro Clerico, Thom. Dispensar, Colino de quatuor maris, Rado de Mountfichet, Galf. de Dutton, Ad. de Bury, et multis alijs, apud Frodesham.

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XII. Carta Ranulphi Comitis de xx. solidis.

ANULPHUS comes Cestrie, Costab. suo et dapifero Justic. vicecomiti, baronib3 et balliuis suis et omib3 hominibz et amicis suis salute. Sciatis me p Dei amore et p salute

wheresoeuer hee may appoint, so likewise it is as generall an opinion of the contrarie part that no other person can make a forest but the King onely, and such as are especially authorized by him so to doe, because the King hath that Soueraigntie and royall prerogatiue reserued to himself onely."- Manwood.

Sakerborh is as a pledge to sue, one that puts in surety for another.- Spelm. Glossary. It occurs in the grant of Randle de Blundeville to his barons of Cheshire, “scil. quod unusquisque eorum curiam suam habeat liberam de omnibus placitis et querelis in curia mea motis, exceptis placitis ad gladium meum pertinentibus ; et quod si quis hominum suorum pro aliquo delicto captus fuerit per dominium suum sine redemptione replegietur ita quod dominus suus eum perducat ad tres comitatus et eum quietum reducat nisi sacraber sequatur.” The grant itself owes its importance to the stringent enactments of the forest laws. According to Manwood the law was, that "if any deere be found dead or wounded, there shalbe an inquisition made by foure of the next villages to the forest, which shalbe written in the roll, the finder shalbe put by vj. pledges, and the flesh shalbe sent to a spittle house if there bee any nigh." The effect of the grant appears to be, that no monk or servant of the Abbey should be molested in such a case, unless the complainer gave security to substantiate his accusation. Most probably this would operate as a complete prohibition of such complaints.

anime mee et animaru antecessoru meoru et successoru meoru cōcessisse et dedisse et presenti carta mea cōfirmasse Deo et beate Marie et Abbathie de Stanl. et monachis ibidem Deo seruiētib3 in purā et ppetua elemosyna xx solidos añuos in vicecomitatu meo de Cestria sine dilatione vel retenemēto, pcipiend vigil. Natalis dñi p. manu vicecomitis mei, quicüq. sit vicecomes, nullo alio precepto inde expectato, quousq. eis alibi melius puiderim in terra vel in alio beneficio. Hac autē elemosyna warātizabimus ego et heredes mei imppetuu predicte abbathie et monachis. Hijs testib3 Rogō de Lascy constab. Cestrie, Pho de Orreby Justic. Cestrie, Hug. et Henr. Dispens., Petro clico de Cestrie, Hug. et Galfr. de Dutton, Rogō et Willo de Menilwarin, Joscerano de Hellesby, Rico de Kyngesl. et multis alijs.

XIII. Carta Rici Couentrensis Episcopi de fundatione domus de Stanlawe.

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ICARDUS* dei gratia Couētr. episcopus omib3 sancte matris ecclesie filijs tam presentib3 quam futuris salute. Uniuersitati vestre notu esse volumus nos cōcessisse et ratā habuisse donationem quã dilectus filius noster Johes Constab. Cestrie fecit Deo et sancte Marie et Robto Abbati de Stanl. et eiusdm Loci conuētui sup. Loco qui dicitur Stanl. ad faciend. et edificad. ibidem abbathiā sua, et sup villa que vocatur Staneya, et domu in villa Cestrie iuxta ecclesia sancti Michaelis. Et quam hac donationem imppetuu esse valituram volumus, nos ea presēti carta cöfirmamus iuxta tenore carte memorati Johis qua sup ead cōcessionē et donatione vidimus et legimus. Testib3 Rogō Archidō Salop, Willo decano

* Richard Peche, bishop of Coventry and Lichfield, succeeded to the bishopric A.D. 1162, and died 1182.

Lich. ecclesie, Robto archido Cestrie, Augustino canonico de Hathemon, magro Robto de Haya, magro Terico, magro Walto de Tillesbur, Nigello capello, clericis nostris, Galfr. peet. dapif. nostro, Walto camerario, Petro camerario, seruiētib3 nostris, et multis alijs. Valete.

XIV. Confirmatio Ricardi Couentrensis episcopi de Stanlawe et Staneye et terris.

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ICARDUS dei gratia Couentr. episcopus uniuersis sacrosancte matris ecclesie filijs tam presētib3 quam futuris in dño salute. Rationis et pietatis desiderat modus ut que sacris et religiosis locis in ppetua elemosyna collata sūt, diocesani episcopi testimonio et auctoritate corroborētur. Inde est quod nos caritatis. zelo puocati, tam presentis scripti auctoritate quam sigilli nostri attestatione cofirmamus Deo et sancte Marie et Abbati atq. monachis de Stanl. ipsum locu de Stanlawe, que locu, mutato nomine, Benedictum locu vocamus, ea que dilectus filius noster Johes constab. Cestrie memoratis fratrib3 in pura liberam et ppetuā elemosynā dedit et carta sua quã audiuimus et vidimus cōfirmauit, sc. villā que vocatur Staneya, et alteram villa que vocatur Mauriches Eston cũ omib3 ptinētijs earu in bosco, in plano, in pratis, in pascuis, in vijs, in semitis, in aquis, in piscarijs, in mariscis, in molēdinis, et in omib3 alijs aisiamētis suis liberas et quietas ab omi terreno seruicio et seculari exactione. Et preterea quietatia thelonei in emptione et vēditione omiū reru suarū p totā terrā suā et quietātiā thelonei de pprio blado suo in moledinis suis. Necnō et mesuagiū unū in villa Cestrie iuxta ecclesiam sancti Michaelis cu omib3 edificijs et libertatib3 suis. Ad hec autē nos presentiū literaru testimonio cōfirmamus tam dictis fratrib3 Loci Benedicti omem libertate quam Hugo comes Cestrie eis fecit et carta sua qua inspeximus cöfirmauit videlt ome seruiciù quod