cum capellis et decimis suis pertinentibus et ecclesiam de SORESTANE cum tota decima ville et ecclesiam de WIUElescum decima et omnibus consuetudinibus suis. Et si quis eis inde injuriam fecerit etc.

FORD

Hæc sunt instrumenta quibus utimur. Valeat Sanctitas vestra. Et non dependet in literis istis nisi tantum sigillum Abbatis.

A small portion of the seal still remains attached to this instrument, which is in perfect preservation.

R. the Abbot and the Convent of Saint Wandragesil or Fontenelle in Normandy, grant to H. Bishop of Salisbury, and the Chapter of the said church, the two churches of Whitchurch in Dorsetshire, which is now called Whitchurch Canonicorum, and Soreston, now Sherston, in Wiltshire; together with whatever lands and tythe they had at Wivelesford. The time when this transaction took place is to be gathered from the names of the Abbot and the Bishop. Robert the Second became Abbot of Saint Wandragesil in 1193, and was succeeded by Rainaldus in 1194, and he by Robert the Third in 1207, who continued Abbot till 1219. This succession is from the Gallia Christiana. Hubert became Bishop of Salisbury in 1188, and was succeeded by Herbert in 1194, who was bishop to 1217. This determines it to belong to the period between 1193 and 1217.

We have in the reply of the Monks of Saint Wandragesil to the request of the church of Salisbury, that they would acquaint them with the title on which they held the two churches, important facts respecting them. Whitchurch and Sherston were churches of Saxon foundation, and had incumbents in the time of the Confessor. Guntardus had succeeded to them in both churches. This Guntardus is described as Capellanus Regis Willielmi. Being desirous to retire into the monastery of Saint Wandragesil, he prevailed upon the King to grant the two churches, together with two others which he also held, to the monks of that house. This must have been done before the date of Domesday Book, in which record we find that the Church of Sherston was held by the house of Saint Wandragesil.

The possession of these churches, together with what they had acquired at Wivelesford, was recognised by Roger Bishop of Salisbury, in whose diocese they were situated; by Josceline his successor, and by the Popes Innocent the Second and Eugenius the Third, whose Privilegia are quoted.

We obtain these facts from what is the express object of the instrument: but incidentally, information, which the topographer will find valuable, is given respecting Bridton and Towcester, where were Saxon churches held by Guntardus, together with Mangesford, Upavene, and Rusteshal.

V.

Impropriation of the Church of SOUTH REYNHAM to the Monks of ACRE lately settled at NORMANSBERGH; in the time of King Richard the First.

OMNIBUS Christi fidelibus ad quos præsens scriptum pervenerit, JOHANNES Dei gratia NORWIC. Episcopus salutem in Domino. Cum quanta possimus vigilancia solicitudinis Sancte Religionis profectibus et incrementis nos decet invigilare, et eam speciali provisionis studio fovere et protegere; ea propter volumus ad universorum pervenire noticiam, nos dilectis in Christo filiis Monachis de ACRA apud REYNHAM in loco qui dicitur NORMANNESBERGHE Deo servientibus et imperpetuum servituris, Dei causa et religionis intuitu in eodem loco de novo plantato, ecclesiam de SOUTH REYNHAM canonice concessisse et confirmasse in proprios usus suos ad eorum scilicet sustentacionem cum omnibus ad eandem ecclesiam pertinentibus, habendam imperpetuum possidendam ex donacione GODEFRIDI DE LESEWYS ejusdem ecclesie patroni: Salva possessione WILLIELMI DE LEKE Rectoris ecclesie illius quamdiu vixerit, et salvis quoque honore reverentia et dignitate debitis et consuetud. sancte NORWYCEN. ecclesie, et honesta et sufficienti sustentacione vicarii qui in prædicta Ecclesia ministrabit. Et ut hæc nostra concessio confirmacio stabilis perseveret imperpetuum eam præsenti scripto et sigilli nostri patrocinio communimus. Testibus etc.

This is from a contemporary copy.

The Charter by which Godfrey de Lesewys gave the Church of South Reynham in Norfolk to the Monks of Normansbergh, which was a cell to Acre, is in the Monasticon, N. E. vol. v. p. 69. This is the Bishop's licence for the appropriation of it. The appropriation was known to Blomefield (vol. iii. p. 31), who says that it was confirmed by Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury.

It is probably a Charter of John de Oxford, who preceded John de Grey in the see of Norwich, and cannot be earlier than 1175. The expression "in eodem loco de

novo plantato" seems to point to a period nearer to the date of this instrument than 1160, to about which time Tanner fixes the foundation of Normansbergh. I place it in the reign of Richard the First, as Hubert, whose confirmation would doubtless be nearly contemporaneous with this grant, did not attain his dignity till A. D. 1193.

VI.

Grant by JOHN Bishop of NORWICH to RALPH ROMAN of certain houses in LINNE which had belonged to ISAAC a Jew, of NORWICH, at the request of KING JOHN. A. D. 1214.

OMNIBUS sanctæ Matris Ecclesiæ filiis ad quos præsens scriptum pervenerit: JOHANNES divina miseratione NORWIC: ecclesiæ minister humilis in salutis auctore salutem. Ad notitiam vestram volumus pervenire nos ad preces Domini nostri JOHANNIS illustris Regis ANGLIÆ dedisse et concessisse dilecto nostro in Christo RADULFO ROMANO et heredibus suis domos quas ISAHAC Judeus de NORWICO habuit in LINNA, sicut prædictus Judeus easdem habuit. Reservato nobis et successoribus nostris in perpetuum annuo servicio quod prædictus Judeus pro jam dictis domibus reddere consueverat. Ut autem hæc nostra donatio valida permaneat in futurum et firma, eam præsentis scripti munimine et sigilli nostri appositione duximus roborandam. Hiis testibus; Domino R. de Tywa Archidiacono de Gipeswiz, Magistro Simone de Taneto, Johanne de Micleham, Elia Benardi clerico, et multis aliis. Data per manum nostram in Pictavia apud Tailleburgum pridie Kalendas Octobris anno Pontificatus nostri sexto decimo.

This eminent prelate, John de Grey, died "in territorio Pictaviensi," according to M. Paris (Ed. 1644, p. 175), “a curia Romana rediens." The grant before us must have been one of his latest acts, as no one has extended the period of his possession of the Episcopal dignity beyond the sixteenth year, and Godwin says that he died in the 15th year of his pontificate. The date usually assigned to his death is the kalends of November 1214; but the year, according to the English computation, would be 1215. The clause "ad preces domini nostri Johannis illustris Regis Anglia" is warranted by similar expressions in other charters or records.

The character is fine, and the ink of remarkable blackness.

VII.

Release from Sir PETER DE ALTO BOSCO to the House of ST. BENNET AT HOLME of all right in the Stewardship of the said House, &c. in consideration of an annual pension of seventeen pounds.

SCIANT præsentes et futuri quod Ego PETRUS DE ALTO Bosco miles concessi et relaxavi et quietum clamavi Abbati et Conventui SANCTI BENEDICTI DE HULMO totum jus et clamium quæ habui vel habere potui in senescalcia Cenobii SANCTI BENEDICTI DE HULMO quo clamavi esse procurator et dapifer dictæ domus et in hundredo de TUNSTEDE quæ clamavi tenere ab eisdem memoratis Monachis in feodo et in THURGERTONE et in THWEIT et in ANTINGHAM et in SYPEDENE cum omnibus pertinenciis ad hæc prædicta spectantibus unde placitum motum fuit inter nos in curia Domini Regis pro me et hæredibus meis in perpetuum. Concessi etiam et dedi et quietum clamavi dictis Abbati et Conventui in perpetuam elemosinam totum jus et clamium quæ habui vel habere potui in toto tenemento et redditu quæ habui in villa de WESTWYE cum omnibus pertinenciis pro me et hæredibus meis in perpetuum illi et successoribus suis habenda et tenenda libere quiete bene et in pace sine omni calumpnia vel contradictione de me et hæredibus meis in perpetuum. Pro hac autem concessione relaxacione donacione et quieta clamacione dederunt mihi dictus abbas et Conventus septemdecim libras argenti ad uberrimam sustentacionem mee paupertatis in mea senectute annuatim ad duos terminos percipiendas in tota vita mea tantummodo scilicet ad Pentecostes et ad festum omnium Sanctorum. Ita quod nullus hæredum meorum aliquid juris in dictis septemdecim libris post obitum meum poterit habere. Et ut hæc concessio relaxacio donacio et quieta clamacio firma et stabilis perseveret huic scripto in modum Cyrographi confecto sigillum meum apposui.

Hiis testibus, Stephano de Waltone, Stephano et Thoma filiis ejus, Johanne de Ludham, Johanne Pincerna, Roberto de Skeghetone, Galfrido de Crakeforde, Radulpho de Scothowe, Ricardo fratre suo, Adam de Hecham, Johanne filio Warini, Willielmo de Burewde et aliis.

This Charter is intitled, in a contemporary hand, "Quietclamatio Petri de Hautboys de Senescalcia et toto jure quod habuit in Thurgerton et aliis.”

The gift to the ancestor of Sir Peter de Alto Bosco of the office of Steward of the Monastery was one of the inconsiderate acts of William Basset, who was abbot of Saint Benedict at Holme in the twelfth century. This is shown in the Monasticon, N. E. vol. iii. p. 63 and the present charter, which seems not to have been previously known, shows for what consideration the house became freed from the inconvenient connection.

It appears by the character, in which something of the style of the preceding century is observable, to belong to the reign of Henry the Third, at the beginning of which I have placed it, finding a Peter de Alto Bosco in the Patent Roll of the 10th of John, and in the Placita in the 15th of John in suit with the Abbey (Abbreviatio, p. 91). Under the form Peter de Hautbois and Peter de Aubois his name occurs in the Testa de Nevil.

VIII.

Grant by HENRY Duke of LOTHIER to his nephew MATTHEW DE LOVAINE of the Bailiwick of the Honour of EYE. A. D. 1224-1226.

H. Dei gratia dux LOTARINGIE marchio imperii ROMANI universis præsentibus et futuris salutem. Sciatis me ratum fecisse et confirmasse præsenti carta mea MATHEO DE LOUAIN nepoti meo donum quod dedi et concessi fratri meo GODEFRIDO DE LOUAIN patri suo: scilicet ballivam et custodiam totius terræ meæ in ANGLIA scilicet honoris EYE. Concessi autem prædicto MATHEO ad se sustinendum in custodia prænominata et balliva, tota demenia EYE et TORENDON cum pertinentibus omnibus ad dicta demenia habendam et tenendam sibi et heredibus suis de me et heredibus meis. Et ut hæc concessio et donatio firma sit et