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INCIPIT TITULUS QUARTUS DE ECCLESIA DE RACHEDALE.

I. Carta Rogeri de Lascy de ecclesia de Rachedale facta nobis.*

a

NIUERSIS sancte matris ecclesie filijs tam presen

tib3 quam futuris, Rog. de Lascy, constab. Cestrie, salutem. Nouerit uniuersitas vestre me dedisse et hac presenti carta mea confirmasse Deo et beate Marie et Abbati et

* This is the third instance of an appropriation of a benefice to the convent at Stanlawe, and apology for the insertion of the clear account by Dr. Whitaker of the steps taken to legalize the appropriation, would be at least superfluous. It ought to be premised, that it was not merely necessary for that purpose to obtain the patron's grant; but a license from the king, and a confirmation by the ordinary, and sometimes from the supreme pontiff, were requisite, as both the king and the ordinary had an interest in the benefice by the contingency of a lapse; an event which could not happen if the benefice were appropriated to a corporation. The royal license will appear hereafter.

Dr. Whitaker says, "The following analysis will prove, as at Whalley, the hereditary though subordinate patronage of the Deans, the existence of a vicarage before the appropriation of the rectory, and the paramount rights of the Lascies; and it will also discover another circumstance in the constitution of this benefice, which was neither found in that of Whalley nor Blackburn, namely, that the mesne lords, eo nomine, had some conjunctive claim upon the patronage, and were to be made parties to the alienation. This last circumstance evidently arose from the comparative lateness of the foundation, and from the manor being already in other and independent hands.

"The nature of these several rights will be explained by the steps which it was necessary to take in order to procure surrenders of them previous to the appropriation of the benefice to the Abbey of Stanlawe.

monachis meis Loci Benedicti de Stanlawe ecclesiam de Rached. cum omnib3 ptinentijs suis in puram et ppetuam elemosynam p salute anime mee et uxoris mee et omnium heredum meorum, necnon p salute anime patris mei et matris mee et p anima Roberti de Lascy et omnium antecessorum meorum, libere et quiete, sicut ulla elemosyna liberius et quietius dari potest. Et ideo volo et firmiter pcipio omnib; heredib; et balliuis meis ut hanc eandem elemosynam meam

"Roger de Lascy gave the church of Rochdale to that convent, after the death of Geoffrey the dean, whom he describes as having been in possession of it before he succeeded to the honor of Pontefract, which was in 1193. This is the first notice I have met with of the church. The dean here mentioned I suppose to have been Geoffrey the elder, and that he held the rectory, properly so called, as a member of the deanery of Whalley, and in his own proper patronage. But Geoffrey had a younger son, Robert, the first and only parson of Alvetham, to whom he had given the rectory of Rochdale also. Now as the rectory was by this grant to determine with the life of Geoffrey the elder, it seems a necessary conclusion, that Robert died before his father, who, after the son's death, presented himself to the benefice.

"The date of this last transaction is nearly fixed by the confirmation of William de Cornhull, bishop of Lichfield, who sat in that see from 1214 to 1223.

"But, at the same time, there was an ancient vicarage in this church, of the species referred to under Whalley, and this was held by Geoffrey the younger. The next step, therefore, in order to procure a complete appropriation, which the monks aimed at, was to obtain a resignation from him, in which having succeeded, Alexander de Stavenby, who succeeded Cornhull, (A.D. 1224,) reciting the surrender of the first vicarage by Geoffrey, consolidates once more the rectory and vicarage, and appropriates the whole to the abbey of Stanlaw, saving, however, the ordinary vicarage. This was very indefinite.

“Previously, however, to this transaction, or perhaps even to the former, three other parties were to be taken into the account. John de Eland and John de Lascy de Cromwelbotham; these being coparceners of the mesne manor of Rochdale, seem to have had some claim upon the advowson, as regardant to the manor; therefore both gave in their resignation, the first of all his rights, as well in the patronage as glebe lands of the church of Rochdale; the second, of his rights in the patronage of the church of Castleton in Rochdale.

"Another party yet remained to be disposed of, and that was Geoffrey de Buckley, who by the bounty of his uncle Geoffrey, the dean, was possessed of a third part of the benefice, 'tam in garbis quam in minutis.' But he was equally complaisant with the rest, and by his cession, the object of the monks was finally accomplished.

sicut pprium dñicum meum in omnib; manuteneant, warantizent, et contra omnes defendant. Et quia decanus Whalleye, Galfridus nomine, hanc eandem ecclesiam tenuit, quando ego honorem de Pontefracto, post decessum Roberti de Lascy, antecessoris mei, iure hereditario suscepi, post decessum eius Abbas et prefati monachi mei Loci Benedicti de Stanlawe eandem ecclesiam ex integro possidebunt. Hijs testib3, Ric. de Cestria, Eustachio de Cestria, fratrib3 meis, Rob. Wallensi tunc senesc., Willo de Lunguillers tunc senesc. hospitij mei, Hug. Dispensatore, Thom. Dispensatore, Hug. de Dutton, Ad. de Dutton, Galfr. fratre eorum, Hendone de Lunguillers, Henr. Wallensi, Galfr. Pincerna, magistro Waltero medico, Ric. clerico de Metheleya, Roberto clerico qui hanc cartam scripsit, et multis alijs.

II. Carta eiusdem Rogeri de predicta ecclesia de Rachedale.

S

CIANT omnes sancte matris ecclesie filij tam presentes quam futuri quod ego Rogerus de Lascy, constab. Cestrie, dedi concessi et hac presenti carta mea confirmaui Deo et beate Marie et Abbati et monachis meis Loci Benedicti de Stanlawe ecclesiam de Rached. cum omnib3 ad eam pertinentib3 in puram et ppetuam elemosynam, in pprios usus illorum applicandam, p salute anime mee et uxoris mee et omnium antecessorum et heredum

"The following abstract will assist the reader in forming a clear conception of the several steps which have been detailed.

meorum, necnon et omnium parentum meorum libere et quiete sicut ulla elemosyna viris religiosis liberius et quietius dari potest. Ita quod ego in prefata ecclesia nichil ad opus meum vel ad opus heredum meorum nec etiam ius aduocationis retineo, nisi tamen orationes. Ego autem et heredes mei hanc prefatam ecclesiam cum omnib; ad eam ptinentib3 predictis Abbati et monachis Loci Benedicti de Stanl. sicut ppetuum dominicum meum in omnib3 defendemus et manutenebimus. Et ut eiusdem ecclesie de Rach. mea donatio ad sustentationem monachorum meorum Loci Benedicti de Stanl. futuris temporib3 imppetuum stabilis et firma pmaneat sigilli mei appositione eam confirmo. Hijs testib3, Ric. de Cestria, Eustachio de Cestria fratrib3 meis, Roberto Wallensi, Willo de Lunguillers, Hug. Dispens. et ceteris supra nominatis in prima carta.

III. Confirmatio Johannis de Lascy de predicta ecclesia de Rached.

MNIBUS ad quos presens pagina puenerit tam presentibz

quam futuris Johes de Lascy, constab. Cestrie, salutem. Nouerit uniuersitas vestra me concessisse et confirmasse donum patris mei dñi Rogeri de Lascy, scil. ecclesiam de Rached. cum ptinentijs suis Abbati et monachis Loci Benedicti de Stanl. in pura et ppetua elemosyna p salute anime mee et dñi patris mei et antecessorum et successorum meorum, sicut carta dñi patris mei illis de predicta ecclesia facta testatur. Et ut hec concessio rata et inconcussa pmaneat sigilli mei appositione presens scriptum corroboraui. Hijs testib3, Nicho de Lechres, Hug. de Dutton tunc temporis senesc., H. de Nouo campo, H. de Nouo mercato, Thom. de Birching, Mich. clerico de Rachedale, et multis alijs.

IV. Confirmatio domini Willielmi Couentrensis episcopi de
ecclesia de Rachedale.

MNIBUS Cristi fidelib3 ad quos presens scriptum

puenerit, Willus Dei gratia Couentr. episcopus eternam in

Dño salutem. Justis petentium desiderijs et virorum precipue religiosorum precib3 quorum vita commendabilis, conuersatio honesta, ordinis in se disciplina, et eorundem sustentationis insufficientia ad annuend. nos inuitant, paterna nos conuenit pietate condescendere. Ea ppter paupertati domus Loci Benedicti de Stanl. compatientes et eidem incrementum caritatis intuitu conferre volentes ad religionem amplificandam ibidem et elemosynam ipsius domus copiosius exequendam, ecclesiam de Rachedale cum omnib; ptinentijs suis monachis et fratrib3 in Loco Benedicti de Stanl. deo seruientib3 in pprios usus possidendam concessimus et in ppetuo confirmamus. Licitum et sit eis, decedente eiusdem ecclesie psona, ipsius ecclesie possessionem ingredi et in pprios usus in posterum illam sibi applicari, salua vicaria quinq. marcarum cum quatuor bouatis terre arabilis de terra ecclesie in eadem villa et domicilio pprio sup terram ad sustentationem vicarij perpetui, qui in eandem ecclesiam ppria persona honeste deseruiet et omnia onera episcopalia et archidiaconalia consueta et debita sustinebit. Qui quidem Abbas et Conuentus nobis et successorib3 nostris ad eandem vicariam successiue presentabunt. Saluo et nobis et successorib3 nostris iure pontificali et parochiali. Ut autem hec nostra concessio et confirmatio rata et inconcussa pmaneat eam presentis scripti auctoritate et sigilli nostri munimine roborauimus. Hijs testib3, dño H. Abbate Cestr., R. priore de Norton, Magistro Rado Maydenston Archid. de Cestr., Magistro R. de bosco, Willo de Hathfeld, Geruasio de London, Rogero decano de Wyral, et multis alijs.

* William de Cornhull, bishop of Coventry. See ante, p. 135.