(She lincoln 1Recorb S ociety (FO R T HE ANCIENT DIOCESE AND T HE CO UNTY O F L INCO LN)

VO LU M E 1 8

TR AN S CR IPT S

CHAR TE R S

R E LAT ING T O GILBER T INE HO U S ES

E DIT E D BY F M . . STENTON

T HE

'P U B L I C A T I O N S

OF T HE lincoln 1Reco rb S ociety (FO R T HE ANCIENT DIOCESE AND T HE CO U NTY OF L INCO LN)

FO UNDED IN THE Y EAR

V OLUME 1 8

FOR T HE YEAR EN ING OT H SE PTEMB E R 1 2 0 D 3 , 9

T R A N S C R I P T S

CH A R T E R S

r e la tin g to the Gilb e r tin e Ho us e s

‘ S IX LE O R S G ' BU O , M BY , ATLEY , LLI N GT N ,

A ND A LV I N G H A M

d e d w h a ran s at o n fr o m t he E it , it t l i ,

’ ’ Ki ng s R e m e mb ran c e r s Me m o r an d a R o ll s

No s. 1 8 1 8 a n d 1 8 3 , 5 , 7

M . A . M . F STENTON , .

PR FE R F M ERN H T R U N VER L L EG E REA NG O SSO O OD IS O Y , I SITY CO , DI

HO R NCAS T LE PRINTED FOR T HE LINCO LN R ECORD S OCIETY BY

W N N 2 H GH S K. M R S REE . O TO O S , 7 , I T T

CONTENTS

PREFACE ERRATA

I NTRODU CTION ix -xxxvi

S IXLE PRIORY

ORMSB Y PRIORY

OAT LEY PRIORY

BULL INGTON PRIORY

A LV INGHAM PRIORY 1 02 - 1 1 3 — I NDEX I PERSONS AND PLACES — I NDEX II CO U NTIES AND CO UNTRIES — INDEX III SUBJ ECTS 1 63 - 1 67

PREFACE

c whi c h f f c The harters ollow are printed in ull , with the pre ise

c o f spelling and pun tuation the manuscript , but without any attempt to m f reproduc e its employment o f capital letters . For s o words which c ertain ly or probably a re mistakes o f the exchequer transcriber are

indica ted by the addition o f [s ic] to such words . Contractions are W i . s c i n extended here the proper extension un ertain , it is printed ita lic exc ept in the fe w c ases where no plausible extension presents

f m tr o f c . an sla itsel , when a mark ompendiu is added to the word The

tion is intended to be a literal representation o f the Latin . It i s sometimes d ifficult to find appropriate equivalents fo r the tautological

Of c i s phrases late thirteenth entury charters , but it hoped that a rendering o f the Latin word fo r word may be useful to those who wish

c o f f to be me ac quainted with the ormulas O medieval documents . The c harters are numbered in the transcript from whi c h they are here f printed , and these numbers are ollowed in this text .

My espec ial thanks are due to two people who have helped me to f f prepare this volume . My wi e has advised me throughout the writing O

c o f i s the Introduction , mu h the translation in the text her work , and the

c a f book ould not have ssumed its present orm without her assistan c e .

C c hi s anon Foster has prepared the Index , whi h means that unique knowledge Of medieval Lin c olnshire topography is at the service o f f us e . those who this volume For mysel , I would express the hope that

o f this book o f c harters may be only the first a series . No county has a

L c a n d i n more interesting social history than in olnshire , regard to no

o f county is social history illustrated by a greater number early, and as

c . yet unpublished , do uments

. S E O F M . T NT N . U C niversity ollege ,

Reading ,

1 22 . 2 May, 9 ERRATA

— d f l. o r n f R r ea R s o n s o o o . P xii , last f Gilbert obert obert Gilbert — . 1 o r Pre stw ald r ea d U , 5 f . ’ xv l Prestwold — 2 8 . . 1 . U o r a a n st r ea d . ' , no l 3 , Engl f g against — U 2 . . o r r ea d . ” 9 , no . l 3 , Engl f arms alms — . d A kth r . 2 E . o r r ea c o e l 7 , ngl f Authorpe p

1 — a d 0 . 8 . o r r . e . 3 , no , Engl f grandson nephew — 1 . . o r r ea d . 3 , no . l 4 , Engl f arms alms ’ — d . 8 . r man n r r r ea . 1 o e 34 , no l , Engl f manner — 1 Lat r lllb t ea d b r ti . . G e e r i r Gille e 2 . o 4 , no 3 , f

— l n s 2 d c io . 1 . o r r ea s 47 , no . l . , Engl f sellions d 8 . 2 o r r ea 3 , no note depopulated nearly depopulated — r P r ea d P . 8 . . 2 . o 9 , no l , Engl f hillip hilip — 1 w itn e s se r ea d . 1 00 . 2 . o r , no . l , Engl f witness — f c . . te r i nse r t o 1 0 . . a 7 , no l 4 , Engl f soul and that Ela my ountess — 1 1 6 s v f a dd S . . . Al red ee Glentham — 1 1 8 a dd Azo . See Grainthorpe .

— d o f o f 1 2 a d C . . . 3 onan s John s Mengi , 55

‘ 1 24 C r o sh o lm fo r 8 r ea d 1 0 1 .

d ro st s witn 8 . a d . C e e . , Wm de , , — 1 2 a dd . o f . o f . U 7 Garsa dau John s Mengi , 5 5 ‘ INT R O D U CTI O N

NC R E AS ING expenses and a falling revenue c ompelled

Henry IV , eight times in his Short reign , to Obtain extra

ordinary grants O i money from Parliament and Convocation . The charters o f whi c h Copies are printed in this book were Shown to the barons of the Exchequer by the attorney Of five Lincolnshire o f o f G O monasteries the Gilbertine order , the priories atley , rmsby , S ix le Alvingham , , and Bullington , which claimed that their posses c sions were exempt from such taxation . The Ex hequer allowed the claim . The charters which had been submitted as evidence were ’ enrolled upon the Memoranda Roll o f the King s Remembrancer with a record o f the circumstances which had led to their produ c tion . O n I O 1 0 6 C May , 4 , the Canterbury onvocation granted to the o f king a tenth all ecclesiastical property , with the stipulation that the possessions of poor nuns and of the Hospitallers should be

. O n 1 0 exempt the morrow of the Close of Easter , 4 7 , William O f C a tle Ward , as attorney for the nuns y , appeared at the Exchequer to complain that although the nuns had been certified poor by the

o f d . bishop Lincoln , their possessions had nevertheless been taxe ‘ The taxation had proceeded on the ground that in the roll o f the ’ n o w particulars Of the taxation , that is , in the record called the ' ' ' Tax a tzo P a as N ze zola z p é , these possessions were entered under the name o f the prior a n d not under the name of the nuns o f Gatley . It ’ fo r t o was therefore William Ward , the nuns attorney , Show that these possessions had been expressly granted to the nuns by the charters Of their founders and benefactors . With this object he submitted the twenty - nine c harters which form the C a tle y series in the present volume and were transcribed consecutively at this point c in the re ord of the proceedings . The case for the nuns was then continued by the argument that they and their predecessors had been seised Of these possessions ‘ ’ from the time o f gift . The brethren mentioned in the charters had never formed a eo n v en tus ; they were always removable at the will of the master Of S e mpr i n gh a m ; and apart from their personal requirements in food and c lothing they held nothing o f this property us e ffi o f except to the and profit o f the nuns . The o cials the Exc hequer thereupon examined the roll of the particulars o f the taxation and recorded the parts o f the roll relating to the priory o f

C a tle y . From the Memoranda Roll Of Trinity term in the previous year they assured themselves of the exemption of poor nuns , and they re ferred to the letter o f the bishop of Lincoln certifying the X I NTRODUCT I ON

o f C atle o f nuns y poor within the meaning the Clause of exemption . It remained to prove that the possessions granted by the charters which had been produced were identical with the possessions f f assigned t o the prior o Gatley i n the roll o particulars . The bi shop his of Lincoln was required to give certificate to this effect , and his ' 6 O I 0 ro v e d letter dated from Liddington , ctober , 4 7 , p the identity . ’ The barons o f the Exchequer therefore allowed the n un S claim to

exemption . o f At the same time , the nuns Haverholme were successfully o prosecuting a similar claim n identical grounds . The example s e t by Gatley and Haverholme was followed o n the next occasion by the f o O S ix le . O n 1 1 0 nuns rmsby , Alvingham , and 4 November , 4 7 , the C anterbury C onvocation granted the king a tenth a n d a half tenth

c . f of all ecclesiasti al property At the ollowing Easter , William o n o f Ward appeared at the Exchequer behalf these three priories ,

produced their Charters , and secured their exemption . For the next two years the government were able t o avoid recourse to fresh taxa

. O n I 1 1 0 o tion 7 February , 4 , the Canterbury C nvocation voted

another tenth and half tenth o f ecclesiastical property . A demand for the first instalment of this tax produced another appearance o f fo r William Ward at the Exchequer , this time as attorney the o f e m rin h m priories S p g a and Bullington . The same procedure i produced the same result as n former years .

The story of these appeals illustrates the meticulous , deliberate , industry which distinguishes the offi cials o f the fifteenth century o f Exchequer . This is most clearly shown in their treatment the c charters which were put i n as evidence . The Exchequer lerks were not allowed merely to record the passages which were material

to the appeals . They transcribed the charters at length , with their

. n o t full sealing and attestation clauses They were , it is true , bound

to a literal reproduction o f the texts before them . They often represented the names o f persons and places i n fifteenth century

Spellings instead of the earlier forms o f the original documents .

They were sometimes tired and careless . Even an Exchequer clerk no t ffi was a copying machine . But their industry , guided by o ce o f rules , preserved , upon the whole with Singular accuracy, a mass An material which otherwise would have vanished without trace . Exchequer enrollment is a poor substitute for a series of original

charters , but it generally compares very favourably with the Copies of documents made within a monastery for its own purposes in its

cartulary . The rolls which have supplied the transcripts printed in this boo k are the following

Xi Catle . 1 c 1 8 . S . Ex hequer Memoranda Roll 3 , Easter , m ( y eries)

. . O S 2 . 1 8 5 , Easter , m xii ( rmsby eries) l m m . xiii (A vingha

Series) .

x iiii S ix le S . m . ( eries)

llin t o n . 1 8 In . x i Bu S 7 , Hilary, ( g eries) I NTRODUCT I ON x i

f . 1 8 O these rolls , No belongs to the Easter Term of Henry IV ,

1 a 1 0 . . 2 n 3 April to 9 M y , 4 7 No belo gs to the Easter Term of

1 0 2 20 1 0 . . Henry IV , 4 April to May , 4 9 No 3 belongs to the

o f 1 2 2 t o 1 2 1 1 1 . Hilary Term Henry IV , 3 January February , 4 The charters o f S e mpri n gh a m priory entered on the t hird of these

rolls have already been printed by the late Major E . M . Poynton in lo s t Gen ea i N . n S . . d o the g , . , vols xv , xvi The only ocument entered o n 8 behalf of Haverholme priory the roll for Easter, Henry IV , is c f 1 the detailed harter o confirmation issued by Edward I I I in 3 3 7 . ‘ - ln da tire fia r er R ols i n Ca e r C z l v o l. It is fully abstracted the of ( iv ,

0 . pp . 4 5 and has therefore not been reprinted here

The Sixty -two charters in this book which relate to the possessions of S ix le priory form a material addition to the monastic

history of Lincolnshire . No cartulary of the house has been

preserved , nor are any of its original title deeds at present known to

exist . The charters which are printed here have been used in the ' ' S ix le i n Vi cto r ia Co un t s t o r o L z n eoln slur e article on priory the y y f ,

(ii , but none of them has ever yet been published . They form

a long and interesting series , and most of them relate to a part of Lincolnshire from which few medieval documents have come down

to the present time . The house was founded at the middle of the twelfth century .

by William s o n o f Ha c o n . The founder must have been an o ld

. o f man He does not seem to have survived the accession Henry I I , a n d he was already holding land in Lindsey before 1 1 1 8 (Tb e L i n coln ' s lz z r e S ur v e 1 1 y , ed . Greenstreet , plates 3 , 4 , Ediva , his wife ,

Old E a d ifu . Ha c o n bore the common English name g , his father , Do mes da B ook 2 appears in y (Record Commission , i , f. 3 5 ) as tenant ’ Ha c o n s of a small estate in Hainton under Roger of Poitou . From name it may probably be inferred that the family had been estab i h ls e d i n Lincolnshire before the C onquest . It was certainly of f considerable importance in the reign o Henry I I . The possessions of Thomas s o n of William son of Ha c o n were widely scattered over s o n o f Ha c o n s o n the county . Ralf and Simon his were each ixle t o S . benefactors priory , though their gifts were not large The

male line of the founder ended after a generation in Grace of Saleby , i n daughter of Thomas son of William , who occurs these documents as granting to S ix le priory a tenement i n East Barkwith which had ’ S ix le escheated to her through its tenant s felony ( , The original endowment of the priory consisted of the Church S ixle S ixle of , and lands in , North Willingham , and Nettleton S ix le -fiv e ( , Within the next thirty years it had acquired a large estate i n the villages between Market Rasen on the west and the o f o n heart the Wolds the east , and between Hainton on the south

and Tealby o n the n o rth . Lying apart from this central territory x ii I NTRODUCT I ON

u n C were smaller possessions in Thoresway , Rothwell , H ndo , oven

ham and Grainthorpe , Aisthorpe , and Lincoln . Most remote of o f o f all from the priory was the church Saleby , the gift Thomas s o n Ha son of William of c o n . These possessions are succinctly described i n a long charter of Henry I I which is one o f the f o . 1 1 8 remarkable features the series (no By 9 , the priory certainly ranked among the better endowed o f the new Lincolnshire

monasteries . Its possessions were increased in the next century by a n d grants at Toft by Newton , West Middle Rasen to the west of S ix le n , at Holton , Beckeri g , East Barkwith , and Bleasby , to the

- - south west , and at Binbrook and Kirmond to the north east . Most o f of this new property lay within a Short distance the priory , but i n d thirty miles away , at Helpringham Kesteven , there live three serfs whom the priory had received by the gift o f Simon s o n o f o f S ix le Philip Kyme ( , o f - O f Most this property had come in by small gifts a bovate , o r o r forty acres , a mill . Some Lincolnshire monasteries , Louth fo r o f t Park and Alvingham , example , Obtained much heir property c f O in very small par els by the gift o peasants . The rmsby charters o f c Or ms b 2 in this book include several examples su h gifts ( y , 4 , 44 No grants by men o f this c lass were enrolled among the S ix le i n charters . Most o f the benefa c tors of this house stood high the

scale of feudal tenure . These c harters include grants by members S c o t e n i of such families as Punchardon , Malet , , Percy , Bayeux , ’ C r r f o f c C e v e u e d Is i n i . o raon , q , and Most the great houses entral i i Lindsey are represented by grants to S x le pr ory . Henry I I himself i t s S ix le was among benefactors ( , C ertain charters in this series record the grant o f considerable

estates . The priory was willing to take land at a very substantial F o r fo r . rent , and to pay a very substantial consideration a grant a fo r o f hundred pounds down , which he needed the expenses a journey o f - i n - o f to Louvain , the brother law Henry I , o f granted to the priory his whole manor Ludford , except the fees of the knights who held of him there , at a yearly rent Of twelve pounds S ix le t o ( , The priory undertook pay twelve marks a year to Matthew o f Tealby for his land in North Willingham and Osgodby S ix le s o n ( , and four pounds a year to Robert of Robert for the ix l S e 1 6 . . village of Legsby ( , ; cf no These are all considerable f sums , and the command of large quantities o ready money by even

a small religious house like S ix le i s a fact o f some social importance . i It certainly contributed materially to the creation o f the monastic estates which were arising all over Lincolnshire in the second half o f the twelfth century . 1 0 86 O I n , the village of North rmsby was divided between three i n B e ure re o f tenants chief, Drew de , the bishop Lincoln , and Ivo

Taillebois . Their fees i n the village were still distinct in the reign

of Henry I ; and Ormsby priory , soon after its foundation received ‘ m s o n fi f d o f t he gifts fro each fee . Gilbert of Robert , the rst oun er

x iv I NTRODUCT I ON

o f any cartulary this priory , nor of any original charters relating to 1 1 Ca lle 1 . 6 it The priory was founded before 57 ( y , ) in an island o n o f n o w the western boundary Walcot , then , as , a chapelry of Billing Ca tle i n hay ( y , Its original endowment lay the villages of

Billinghay and Walcot : it included the church o f St . Andrew o f i Billinghay and the chapel of Walcot . M uch of t s property lay t o w within a short distance the est of the house , in Digby , Dorring

ton , Scopwick , Rowston , and Timberland . Few early documents

have so far come from this quarter, the district between the Witham t o and the hills which rise form the Lincoln Edge . In the north of

this district , between Branston and Scopwick , Thurgarton priory

was an important landowner , and Nocton priory was established . In the south , around Ruskington and Anwick , Haverholme priory f had a large interest . Few o the records of these houses have been G published . The atley Charters which relate to the large medieval villages between Timberland and Brauncewell fill a serious gap in

the distribution of early Lincolnshire documents . ’ Before the twelfth century was over , the priory had also acquired i n 1 1 a scattered property the west riding of Lindsey . As early as 5 7 , it received a to ft and forty acres of arable at C otes near Ingham Ca tle 1 1 2 ( y , Before the end of 7 , it had acquired a considerable

n o s . 1 8 holding at Glentworth ( , From various benefactors in this century it received three eulta raz and two acres o f meadow at

I ngleby (no . a toft and a eulta ra at Hardwick near Torksey i n o f . i n (no . five acres the fields Torksey (no and six acres o f the meadows Trent marsh (no . At the other end of the c t o al a n county , it be ame entitled a s t rent from a p at Gosberton In i n (no . the next century it acquired an interest outside L — c o ln s hire itself a holding of a toft and two bovates at Saltby i n

n o . north Leicestershire , with its tenant and his issue ( The most interesting of these documents is undoubtedly the

o f B a rd o lf . long charter Thomas , the second in the series Thomas o f was seneschal of Normandy , and held the king a moiety of the fie f o f Als li n Domesday Geoffrey e . Something will be said later o f e about the curious terminology this charter , but its special ‘ interest lies in the Circumstances under which it was made , at

Wansford when I , Thomas , crossed over from Stamford fair in the ‘ t h e o f 1 1 8 fo r year from incarnation the Lord 4, the ‘ ’ ’ prosperity o f o ur journey now with God s favour begun . Many ‘ royal charters o f the twelfth century were dated i n tr a nsfr e ta zi o a e

r e is . g , and issued at the port from which the king was about to sail The us e o f the verb tr a nsf r eta r e in this charter implies not only that

Thomas was returning from England to Normandy , but also that he Ne n was about to begin his journey by water at Wansford . The is d alrea y a considerable stream at Wansford bridge , but it does not suggest a port from which travellers set o ut to cross the sea . The nuns of Bullington submitted very few of their title deeds r i n 1 1 1 o f i n to the Excheque 4 . Hundreds original Charters favour I NTRODUCT I ON Xv of this house are still preserved in the great Harleian and Cottonian c c a t olle tions the British Museum . The meagre series which is printed here would of itself give a very inaccurate impression of the wealth of the house or the number of its individual benefactors . Its chief merit i s that it includes an almost perfect copy of the charter i n which Simon s o n of William states that he has founded a house o f of religion in his park of Bullington (no . The substance this document has long been known , but no satisfactory text has yet been printed . For a charter which c a n be little if at all later than the accession of Henry I I it is drafted with unusual brevity and precision its style anticipates the typical work of the later years of the century .

Brief as the series is , it includes copies of more than a dozen twelfth century Charters which otherwise would have been forgotten . Three of them relate to the Churches o f Hoton and Pr e stw ald in n north Leicestershire ( o s . 3 to The others are isolated documents which do not always reveal all the circumstances of the grants which they record . They Should be read as a supplement to the long series of original charters to Bullington priory published in Da n ela w /za r t er s 1 C (pp . to The chief features of interest which they present are the attestations of peasants to the early Charter o f T ho ra ld s n f o n o o Warin (no . the gift of a mill near Donington ’ n o t Bain , with the stipulation that the grantor s men are to grind his o f there without leave (no . the passage which shows a man le i obvious native ancestry , Magnus of Burgh Marsh , hold ng in the reign of Henry I I five bovates of land for the eighth part o f a ’

. o n e knight s service (no and the reference to English tenant , s o n o f c William Godri , succeeding another Englishman , Edric Hin d e n fe r i n o f Wa in fle e t y , the tenure a toft and twenty acres in a (no . The circumstan c es which caused the attestations to n 1 1 t o important charter of confirmation (no . ) end with the names of a smith , a carpenter, a plumber , and a mason must remain a matter i a m for speculation . The organisation of the order of S e mpr n gh is illustrated b y the charter in which prior Gilbert I I appropriates the ’ f priory s land in Boston to the uses o the i n firmary (no . The territorial history of Bullington priory is more fully recorded than c that of any other Lincolnshire house of its order , and these harters o f are a useful , if small , addition to the series its surviving muni ments .

o n e . 1 8 With exception , no , all the charters to Alvingham priory which are printed here are copied into the thirteenth century cartu o f L a ud M S lary this house (Bodleian Library , , The fifteenth century transcript from which they are now published reproduces the attestation clauses in full : they are nearl y always omitted from the cartulary . The Alvingham series is very Short , and includes none o f the numerous grants by free peasants i n the east of Lincoln shir'e which make the cartulary an important document for social history . x v i I NTRODUCT I ON

Five o f the twenty charters in the series relate to a small O property at Reedness on the Yorkshire use , near the land which f Ormsby priory possessed in the adjoining village o S win e fle e t . Of o f None these charters is earlier than the reign Richard I . Most o n of the Lincolnshire charters , the other hand , are early . I n particular, the first charter of Hamelin the dean (no . and the c o f S c o t e n i Amfre d o f harters Hugh de , William of Friston , Leg

Me rle i n o s . bourne , and Roger de ( 3 , 4 , 5 , belong to the very f middle o the twelfth century . The remainder present few unusual i n s o n features , but the long charter which Brian of Hamelin ’ confirms his father s gifts in Alvingham and Grainthorpe (no . gives an interesting picture of a marsh village at an early date—its - o f salt pans , the strips arable abutting on the meadow , and the grouping of dwellings around the village Church . s o n o f The priory was founded by Roger Jocelin , the brother of

Gilbert o f S e mprin gh a m . The most interesting figure a mong its ‘ ’ early benefactors is Hamelin the dean , apparently the rural dean k of L o uth e s wapentake . His personal history is confused by the extraordinary Circumstance that a brother of his also bore the name

d . Hamelin , and was like him a rural ean in east Lincolnshire (no By descent he belonged t o the native Anglo Danish stock o f this n region . He possessed a considerable estate i Alvingham and Grain

In s o n . thorpe , which he was succeeded by his eldest Brian Most , his o f if not all , of land lay within the great soke Gayton , a fran o f o f o f chise the count Brittany , to which the greater part both f Alvingham and Grainthorpe belonged . Three quarters o the Church A h l o ld o f o f . t e w o f St Alvingham , which Hamelin was parson , were ’ a nnexed to the land which he held o f the count s fee (no . The t o s o n odd quarter belonged Roger of Jocelin , the founder of the o f S priory , in virtue a separate manor in the village . oon after the o f o f foundation the priory , Roger gave his quarter the church to t h e the nuns , with consent of Hamelin , who was parson of the whole . Hamelin subsequently resigned all his rights as parson into o f the bishops hand for the benefit the nuns , and finally gave them the three quarters o f the c hurch which were appurtenant to his land in Alvingham . It was a complicated transaction , and it therefore illustrates the more clearly the confusion of interests i n a village c church , whi h was a commonplace in the middle of the twelfth century , but had generally been reduced into some sort of order by f the early part o the thirteenth .

Although written instruments recording grants of land have in o f survived large numbers from the middle the twelfth century , they were never i n the middle ages indispensable to a valid transfer of possession . The essential condition precedent to an effective gift s ac t was livery of sei in , the by which the grantor put the grantee I NTRODUCT I ON xvii

into physical possession o f the land at issue between them . For a rtie s o in o r o n o r i n this , the p person , by attorneys , might meet w sight o f the land to be c onveyed . This a s the normal procedure

c . i n the thirteenth entury and afterwards At an earlier date , it would seem that possession might effectively be transferred by a symbolic action . The donor might hand to the donee some article , w a s a stick or a turf, representing the land which the subject of his w a s o f gift . In neither case any written evidence the transaction t o - c indispensable in law . Even day , the ancient symboli al transfer o f i n o f is the essential part a conveyance court copyhold land , ’ conveyan c e by surrender and admittance . The written entry upon the roll of the court o f the manor is merely evidence o f a transaction which h as already taken place in court . In the same way the private charters of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries are merely records o f transac tions which are valid in themselves without further testimony .

These documents h e a r their Character upon thei r face . A normal charter o f the middle ages is expressed in the past tense . The donor states that he has given and gra nted and by this his present Charter confirmed to the donee whatever i s the subject o f a a s his gift . A charter is essenti lly , this formula implies , the in confirmation of an act which already lies the past . Its object is to provide testimony more permanent than that of mortal witnesses , to supply written evidence against any who might hereafter c . In hallenge the gift to which it relates early times , before clerks o ut o f s e t had worked a common form phrases , a Charter will often f r l . o bear a close resemb ance to a private letter There is , example , a marked epistolary character about the early charter by which William s o n of Goer in his o ld age releases all his right i n the o f S ixl n church of North Willingham to the nuns e ( o . The same chara c ter belongs to the ancient royal writs from which the private c charters of the middle ages are descended , documents su h as those in which Edward the Confessor used to make known his pleasure to

a n d . c his bishops , earls , thegns Tra es of this origin may still be observed in the highly formal private documents o f the thirteenth century . t A let er ought to bear an address . Many early Charters Open with a greeting addressed Spe c ifically to individual persons . Geoffrey son o f Robert of Keddington greets the bishop of Lincoln and all the Chapter of St . Mary before he recites how he has granted the church of Keddington and the land o f T h urkill to the nuns of

Alvingham (no . Ralf of Wyham addresses a charter to his lord , o f f c Robert bishop Lincoln , and all the faithful o holy hurch Or ms b hi ( y , Earl William of Albemarle greets all s barons and a n d Or ms b c the faithful of Christ present future ( y , In every ase , the persons whom a grantor selected to re c eive his greeting c ould o r c materially help hinder the Observan e of his charter . The bishop

of Lincoln was the feudal lord of Ralf of Wyham . He was not the xv iii I NTRO DUCT I ON

f lord of Geo frey of Keddington , but he and his chapter could give f ’ the sanction of ecclesiastical penalties to Geo frey s charter . Earl William ’ s charter readj usts the service due to him from a part of his

fee , and was therefore interesting to all his barons . Phrases which imply that a lord is announcing to his men the purport o f a charter are an appropriate introduction t o documents which record grants o f o f o r land to be held by military service , the creation a new tenancy , o ld the confirmation o f an one . They are less Obviously in keeping o f with grants land in alms to a religious house . Land thus granted o f should be free from the burden feudal service . Charters s p e c ifi ’ cally addressed to the grantor s men will only occur as exceptions i n o f a series of documents made in favour the religious . If Eudo o f Mumby announces to all hi s men and friends that he has made a grant to Bullington priory it is because he has reserved to himself ’ B ulli n ton the eighth part of a knight s service ( g , Specific greetings of any sort become steadily rarer i n private documents as An time goes on . y private charter which opens in this way may at once be provisionally assigned to the twelfth century . The general ’ salutation of all C hrist s faithful or all the sons o f mother church i n lasts longer . More than half the charters this book begin with some variety of this phrase . And already by the middle of the twelfth century , many Charters were being made without any initial

o f . formula greeting The unaddressed notification , Opening at once with words like Know all m e n by these presents is as old as any type o f private document . It was employed before the Norman o f t i n Conquest , some the earlies Charters this collection are cast

. In into this form , and it survived the middle ages themselves form it is still a letter , but an open letter . To the greeting or words o f notification there follow immediately in a normal charter the words o f gift . They present little variety througho ut the period covered by the charters which follow . The ’ ’ a ed i c ncess i et lza e r es en ti ea r ta eo n i r ma v i phrase , o , p f was already well ’

i n II S . established the earliest years of Henry reign Generally , d ed i though by no means invariably , Clerks Observe the rule that should not be used i n charters which are only the confirmations of o f earlier gifts . The Chief interest of the words gift lies in the fact o r that in the twelfth century they often include a statement , convey wh o a n implication , that parties might afterwards contest the Charter have consented to its provisions . A gift might easily be contested ’ c by the donor s heirs or by his lord . His wife might laim that it had been made from the portion o f his estate which had been assigned to her in dower . It is this danger which explains the tendency of twelfth century draftsmen s o to frame the words of gift as to express the consent o f wife o r heirs o r lord . There were several ways o f asserting this consent . The Simplest way was to associate the consenting parties with the donor in the phrase o f o f greeting or notification , and to cast the words gift into the plural n umber . The first charter in this book runs in the names of I NTRODUCTI ON x ix

Hac o n William son of , Thomas his son and heir, and Ediva his wife S iz la In c ( , the twelfth entury , Charters were often made to run s o n o f i in the joint names o f a man a n d his wife . Thomas Will am f S c o t e n i and Agnes his wi e , Walter de and Elena his wife , Jocelin ’ the queen s brother and Agnes de Per cy his wife ; are thus associated i n S ixle n o s . 8 2 O charters to priory ( , 4 , ther combinations

. S Ta ke ll were possible ampson , Gilbert his uncle , and all his heirs , jointly make a gift o f turbary to O rmsby priory (no . Charters were less often drafted in this form after the beginning o f the thirteenth century , though it was long possible for two or more brothers who were occupying an undivided inheritance to mak e c harters running in their joint names . Even in the twelfth century it was more usual fo r the formula of consent to be inserted as a parenthesis into words of gift which

‘ remain in the singular number . Walter de Neville states that he has given land to Bullington priory with the assent and will and s o n a n d consent of Cecily his wife , Alexander his and heir, his other B ulli n to n heirs ( g , Matthew of Tealby , in a similar context , ' C r e v e ue r asserts the consent of Reginald de q his lord , Maud , ’ ’ Reginald s wife , and Alexander , Gilbert , and Simon , Reginald s o f S ix le sons , and his own sons , William , John , and Ralf ( , The frequent insertion of such passages helps to explain the high value

which t welfth century charters bear for the genealogist . But the phrases which assert the c onsent of interested parties are noteworthy ’ o f in other ways . The reiterated assertion the heir s consent is a memori a l of a time when no part o f a family inheritance could safely

be alienated against the will of its members . Their consent was i n often asserted charters of the early thirteenth century , but it is o f rarely introduced into the stereotyped formulas a later time . When it had become a matter o f common form to state that the a n d u donor his heirs would warrant a gift , it was superfluo s to

record the assent of the heirs to its provisions . Every charter includes some description of the property to c which it relates , whether that property onsists of acres , churches ,

. c or men These descriptions become steadily more pre ise , and e a s . therefore mor elaborate , time goes on Information as to the detailed distribution of land over the common fields of a village is to be found in c harters of the thirteenth century rather than in those o f is the twelfth . It unusual for a twelfth century charter to include an exact definition o f each parcel of land comprised in a scattered o f holding . C lerks this age were generally content to identify individual strips by the name of some lo c al feature near which they c respe tively lay , and to leave the determination of their exact position to the memory of those who s a w the grantee put in seisin

. i t ffi of the land Under Henry I I , for example , was su cient for T ho ra ld of Welton le Wold to speak o f s i x a c res o f his free socage L o fd ale as they lay separately on the east of , without even naming Or ms b the village in whose territory those acres lay ( y , When xx I NTRODUCT I ON

all other evidence fails , the terms in which a parcel of land is defined will often decide whether a charter belongs to the time o f H enry I I or to that of Henry I I I . Nevertheless the passages in twelfth century charters which illustrate the arrangement of Open fields are very precious . The open field system can be traced back in England as far as the a seventh c entury . It is the very found tion o f all English medieval life , but the facts which illustrate its nature before the Norman

C onquest are fragmentary and often obscure . Most o f them are derived from the clauses which describe the boundaries o f estates c o f granted by royal harter , and descriptions village boundaries o f i n generally leave the core the village territory darkness . More over , the documents which have survived from this remote time are distributed very unevenly over the country . More than a hundred genuine charters remain to illustrate the topography o f Berkshire i n the tenth century . With Lincolnshire , as with the north and east o f England generally , the kings of the age before the Conquest had c o f little to do . Among all the royal harters the tenth c entury only ' o f o n Ae t h e l l one , Edgar s grant Barrow Humber to bishop wa d a ula r i um S a x o n i ea m 1 0 C r t 2 . ( , 7 ) relates to Lincolnshire This gives especial importance t o the twelfth c entury c harters which come from this county . The information which they supply about open fields t may be meagre , but it is the earlies information which we possess f i n t h about the rural economy o the shire . And regard to e volume n o n o t of this evidence other County , even Yorkshire , is the rival of

Lincolnshire . o f o f I n the actual plotting the Open fields , variations detail were i n a s bound to arise so considerable a region Lincolnshire . Never th e le s s a n d , except for the Marsh the Fens , where a different economy o f prevailed , the chief features the system were remarkably constant .

The arable land of a village was normally , perhaps universally in the r o f twelfth centu y , divided into two great fields , each which lay fallow f in alternate years . The alternate fallowing o the two great fields explains a phrase of which there are several examples in these c Charters , to the effect that the lands to which the harter refers lie half on one Side of a village and half o n the other . The two sides of a village are its t wo great arable fields . A piece of land which lay i n o n e o n o f wholly field , one side a village , would bring in nothing f t o its possessor i n every other year except a mere right o pasture . In o f the charters which follow , gifts land are divided equally o f O B ulli n to n between the two fields a village at xcombe ( g , East B ulli n to n Ca lle o t h e rb Barkwith ( g , Cotes near Ingham ( y , F y Or ms o Or ms b ( y , and North Kelsey ( y , The practice was o f general i n every part Lindsey ; it certainly prevailed in Kesteven , though it is less c ommonly recorded there ; it h a s n o t been observed in charters which relate to Holland . Each great arable field fell into a large number o f smaller divisions which are generally called cultu r oe in Latin documents and

xxii I NTRODUCT I ON

as an early example of the Danish word ea r still applied to meadow Ca tle a n in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire ( y , By almost

universal custom , a certain portion of meadow went with a Share i n

the Open arable fields ; it provided winter keep for the plough beasts .

Even when waste land was broken up for tillage , the new arable B might be provided with appurtenant meadow . Thomas a rd o lf grants to Gatley priory les b re kke s and twenty - six adjacent acres ‘ ’ i n i n of arable Digby field , five bovates of meadow the west ing i n o f and the same number the east ing of Digby , and two bovates o f o Ga tle meadow in the east ing by reason the land of the br cks ( y , The b r ekkes of this do c ument are stretches o f waste land cleared o f for cultivation . The bovates meadow which go with them are a ur t e n shares in the village meadows , each considered a suitable pp

ance to a bovate of arable . The whole terminology of this passage 1 1 is very remarkable . I t Shows that even in 84 men were allowing

themselves a lax use of the technical words of I ural economy . This laxity was common enough i n the later centuries of open field n o t economy , but it is expected to occur in a charter issued by ’ Henry II s seneschal of Normandy. The references to pasture i n these charters do not fairly represent the importance which belonged to rights of pasture i n

. In medieval economy Like a Share the village meadows , they were o f a necessary appurtenance any arable holding , and they were O n generally determined by its extent . the other hand, the village n o t wastes of Lincolnshire were limitless , and in the twelfth century the development of sheep farming was encroaching upon their surplus resources . Charters which grant pasture for a flock of sheep generally define its size . Flocks of two hundred sheep were common Ca tle 1 1 6 B ulli n to n s ix ( y , 4, , g , Flocks times as large were ’ possible . Thomas d Arci grants to Alvingham priory pasture for a ‘ ’ thousand Sheep by the great hundred in the territory , the arable o n o f o f C o n e s b fields , each Side the village y y , but particularly in the ' Hlv z n lza m S ix le village waste ( g , priory was allowed to make a sheep - fold in the fields o f South Cadeby ; Gatley priory might make o f C S ix le 2 Ca tle a fold in the waste Dunsby by ranwell ( , 5 ; y ,

Sheep were ubiquitous i n medieval Lincolnshire .

In the later middle ages , a clear distinction was drawn between a seu a s tur a o f p a and p . The latter word denoted the right turning o ut animals to feed wherever in the village territory it was lawful for them to go . The former word denoted the portion of the village

fo r . territory set apart the feeding of animals , the village waste Already In the twelfth century these words had probably acquired their distinct meanings though clerks were not yet consistent in o f their usage . Early in the reign Henry I I , earl William of - i n r a tis a s t m s e t Albemarle confirms lands to Ormsby priory p , p , a s tur i s Or ms b h n o t p ( y , The clerk who composed his c arter need be thought guilty of superfluous verbiage . I NTRODUCT I ON xxiii

The movement towards precision is an important phase i n the history of conveyancing . It becomes peculiarly interesting when it corresponds to a change in contemporary thought . Such a Change undoubtedly came over the general conception of the position o f the i n village Church the course of the twelfth century , a Change which itself is one result o f the contemporary effort to emancipate the

c . In o f whole western church from feudal ontrol the reign Henry I I , as in Domesday Book , a century earlier, a village church was commonly regarded as a source o f monetary. profit to its owner . The grant of a church at this time conveyed more than an a d v o w son , it carried the revenue derived from glebe , tithes , and offerings . Agnes daughter o f William de Perc y expressly distinguishes her right S o f of patronage in the c hurch of t . Helen Ludford from the actual S ix le C o f church with its appurtenances ( , harters this age therefore normally treat a church as a piece of property to be granted with all its appurtenan c es like a mill o r an agricultural i holding . S up r de Bayeux grants to the nuns o f S ixle all that belongs t o him in the c hurch of Little Wykeham with a toft and i n other things , namely , lands , meadows , pastures , and waters S ix le Put re l o f ( , Robert grants to the nuns Bullington the church o f Hoton in Leicestershire and its advowson with all a pp ur ’ t e n a n c e s f B ulli n to n in lands , tithes , and o ferings ( g , The owner s rights over his church were qualified by the necessity o f providing o f for the support of a priest , but the establishment permanent vicarages was still a novelty at the end of the twelfth century . It is only in the thirteenth century that c lerks come to re c ognise that the c c o f grant of a hur h is essentially the grant an advowson , and frame their formulas accordingly . Charters continually illustrate the feudal side o f the history o f the village churc h . No feature o f that history is more remarkable c than the common practice by which shares in su h a Church , its f profits and appurtenances , were annexed to di ferent fees within a village . The practice followed naturally from the cooperatio n of several lords and their respective men in the original endowment of a church . It was commonest in a region like Lincolnshire , where from a remote time most villages had been divided between a o number of lords , and the persons wh possessed shares in a village church in the twelfth century can often be identified as the successors o f the lords between whom the village itself had been d i v Ide d 1 0 in 66 . Although fractions of churc hes are now and then entered in Domesday among the appurtenances of manors , the length to which the division of churc hes had been carried would i hardly have been s us pe c t e d h a d it not been fo r the survival of the charters by which portions of churches are conferred upon the

- re lI Io us . S c o t e n i o f g Lambert de , for example , granted two thirds le the church of Stainton Vale to the nuns of Alvingham (n o . A Sixth part of Nettleton church belonged to a holding of five bovates i n that village which formed part O f the original endowme nt I NTROD UCT I ON

S ix le S ix le of priory ( , A third part of the same church was o f Iv o o f appurtenant to the tenement son Alden in Nettleton , which

passed as an escheat to Henry I I , and was given by him to the same S ix le 1 2 00 O house ( , Before , rmsby priory had Obtained the o f o t h e rb c whole F y hurch , but it acquired a quarter from Roger de s o n Amfr id Clere , another quarter from William of , and half from Wild e ke r Or ms b 8 Hugh de ( y , , 9 , In addition to a quarter o f o f Amfrid the church , William son also granted to the priory a ’ a n d o f quarter of the arable , meadow , marsh Hugh de Twit s ’ i n o f Or ms b demesne Fotherby , and a quarter Hugh s demesne toft ( y , o f There had Obviously been a partition the manor , and it had involved a c orresponding partition o f the church annexed t o the

estate . There is a close connexion between feudal and ecclesiastical ’ geography . A man s tenants were expected t o pay their religious ’ a s c dues to their lord s church , just they were expe ted to grind their ’ is corn at their lord s mill . And it Often , perhaps generally , the feudal aspect o f a village church which supplies the best clue to the

obscure circumstances o f its fo undation . These circumstances were often more complicated than would

be inferred from the terse language of early charters . A charter o f never tells the whole history the property with which it deals , but i n it sometimes records suggestive facts an incidental way . Hugh fo r o f O de Bayeux , example , granted to the nuns rmsby all that he had by hereditary right i n the mediety of the church of Grimoldby ’ ‘ whi c h he claimed to hold o f the earl o f Richmond s fee namely that part which Alan and his brothers gave to the aforesaid nuns Or ms b ( y , The charter says nothing more about Alan and his o f O h a s brothers , but a copy of their Charter to the nuns rmsby been preserved and deserves to be printed

i No t um S it c un c t is s an o t o mat r is e c c le si e filIIs q uo d n o s fr at r e s v id e li c e t Alan us d e Ais t e rb y e t R a n d ulfus d e G ime s b y [s i c ] e t Wille lmus e t R o ge r us T h o ma s e t S iwa r d us filii T h uraldi d e Ai s t e r b y c o n s e n s u e t a s s e n s u h e r e d um e t R o b e r t i filii Gilb e r t i d e M an n b y d e dimus c o n c e s s imus e t h ac p r e s e n t i c h ar t a n o st ra c o n fir mau imus d im id ia m p ar t e m e c c l e s i e d e Gr ime sb y [s i c ] c um o mn ib us p e r t i n e nt iis s uis d e o e t b e at e Mar i e e t c o e n o b i o s a nc t im o n iali u m d e O r me s by i n p ura m e t pe r pe t uam e le mo s i n a m pr o sa l ut e n o st r a e t pr o a n i mab us an t e c e sso r um n o st r o r um F un d at a m e n e n b . i st i fe u n r a d M S 20 C . 2 o o s t o L ns . d ( , 7 , p 44 )

The family was certainly o f native origin . T h o ra ld o f Asterby ’ gave a toft and croft in S a ltfle e tb y o f the count o f Brittany s fee to o A n l I o n T h o rald o f M n . V I s the Templars ( g , , Alan of Asterby and his son attest a final concord made in 1 1 83 in the court o f the ’

o o f Da n ela w Cha r ter s . count s s ke Gayton ( , no The count of

Brittany is the same person as the earl o f Richmond . His soke of o r l Gayton included part of both Grimoldby and Gayton . T h a d of o n e Asterby may well have been of his more important tenants , but in status he must have ranked as o n e o f the numerous sokemen who inhabited these villages in the twelfth century . The association o f the six sons of a ma n o f this class in the grant o f half a church o f founded o n the ir la nd is a fact exceptional interest . I NTRODUCTI ON x x v

In c The tendency towards precision of phrase , visible harters i n o f which relate to Churches , may also be observed grants quite a c different nature . Already under Henry I I , a lord ould include his ’ ' tenant s land with his own home farm under the phrase d o mim u m S ix le o n e ( , From a very remote age it was possible for man to transfer to another the services which a third m a n owed to him . In b e the twelfth century , it was very unusual for these services to IS described In the charter which transferred them . There generally ’ nothing In such a document to shew whether a tenant s service meant a money rent or the performance o f a heavy routine o f agricultural i s labour . The modern student also continually perplexed by the uncertainty whether the m a n whose service was thus granted was perso nally free or unfree . The clerks o f the twelfth century employ the same form of words in relation to either case . They nearly ’ always express the grant of a tenant s service i n the form of a grant ’ d of the tenant s person , and they rarely intro uce any words which ’ i m a n define the tenant 5 status . It s never safe to assume that a who in the twelfth century is granted by charter i s personally unfree . This confusion may be illustrated by the words used by William s o n n of Roger in relation to o e of his tenants in Tealby . I have given ‘ i e to God and St . Mary and the nuns of S x l and their brethren my ‘ o f B r a b o f whole tenement the fee of Ralf de y , namely four bovates ‘ of arable land with four tofts which Blundel held and a mill i n Tealby whi c h Blundel held of the same fee I have also given them the aforesaid Blundel with all his posterity and with his whole ‘ o n e o f o f tenement , namely with bovate land which is the fee of ’ Mo n t b e o n S ix le Roger de g ( , If it is natural to presuppose the unfreedom of a man who is given with his issue and tenement to s e e i n ma n who a religious house , it is obviously unwise to a serf a

s . holds at the very lea t a bovate of land , a mill , and four tofts c Sometimes , though rarely , external eviden e helps to determine f o . the status a man conveyed by charter Jocelin of Louvain , in his S ix le important Charter relating to the manor of Ludford ( , grants to S ix le priory Richard s o n of Ulf with his heirs and his tenement . ‘ ’ Some slight presumption in favour o f Richard s liberty is raised by ’ c the reference to Richard s heirs . At a later time harters never ’

o f se a ela . mention a serf s heirs ; they speak his issue , his g But this distinction was certainly not rigorously observed in the twelfth ’ i n century , and Richard s status cannot be inferred from the terms which his lord refers to him . That he was free is suggested very strongly by his appearance as witness to a later charter in the S ix le series (n o . Attestation almost always implies the liberty of the ’ he attestor . The Impression of Richard S freedom 1 8 confirmed by t fact that i n 1 202 he is the successful plaintiff In a plea of mort ’ d a n c e st o r i n As s iz e R oll 8 . touching a toft Ludford ( , 47 , m a n The evidence for his freedom is conclusive , but it is unusual combination of circ umstances which permits it to be brought together x v i I NTRODUCT I ON

This i n d e fin it e n e s s o f phraseology is not merely o f technical

interest . Vagueness i n legal formulas always implies a corresponding vagueness o f thought . Clerks in the twelfth century fail to draw a clear line between freedom and serfdom be c ause su c h a line was not

present to their minds . All recent work tends to the conclusion

that , apart from rightless Slaves , the mass of English peasants was c originally possessed of personal freedom . Geographi al situation , o f accidents personal fortune , the policy Of individual lords , all operated to draw an arbitrary line separating men whose ancestors o f had once held the same position in the world their day . But that even i n the thirteenth c entury the line was not of ancient establish ’ ment i s shown by the difficulty which the king s justices often felt in

pronouncing upon the status o f individuals . The c lerks o f the

twelfth century were wise in not attempting the task . As i n the thirteenth century the features distinctive of servile c u o f condition become more learly defined , the lang age Charters

c . n a ti v a s n a becomes more expli it The word , born serf, is ofte pplied o f S ix le c . to the names unfree persons who are granted by harter (cf , Before the end o f the twelfth century a formula was evolved which is very consistently employed in later conveyances o f the

unfree . The serf is granted to his new lord with all h is issue and ’ h is c with all hattels . He i s generally granted with all his land as hi s well , but a serf was rarely disassociated from holding , and there o f was no real need to specify it . An early example this formula may be seen in the grant of Henry Wyker Of Friskney to Ormsby Or ms b In o f priory by Gilbert of Benniworth ( y , the reign Henry I I I it may always be understood that a person c onveyed in is n a ti v us i s these terms unfree , even if the conclusive word not

applied to him . The formula expresses something o f contempt for ’ ’ the serf s quality . The grant o f a serf s chattels was intended to ’ a n d s e uela imply that all he had was his lord s , the word g is o f contumelious . It should n o t be assumed that the baseness condition implied in this formula meant that the serf lay at his ’ lord s mercy . He was protected by the custom o f the manor in

which he lived , a custom which already must often have acquired o f w the sanction antiquity . But the phrases in hich serfs are v granted are themsel es facts , and they testify to the prevailing trend

of opinion . I n the Closing decades o f the twelfth century a charter will ’ sometimes record the grant o f a tenant s homage and chattels Or ms o fo r ( y , A generation later it would be highly unusual a

grant to be expressed in these terms . As the thirteenth century o n goes , clerks become more and more consistent in their observance o f the important distinction between a grant o f the issue and chattels ’ of a serf and a grant o f a free tenant s homage and service . The contrast is neatly drawn in the charter by which Beatrice de Ve rli S ix le grants to priory the homages , rents , and services of three free a n d s o f tenants in East Barkwith , and the persons , ch attels , i sues I NTRODUCT ION x x v u

o f n a ti v i S ix le two her in the same place ( , The act of homage , ’ m a n c by which a placed himself under a lord s prote tion , was a

distinctive incident o f free tenure i n the thirteenth century . A lord ; would be indiscreet if he allowed , his serf to do him homage the ’ reception of homage would be construed in the king s courts as a n ’

. t admission of the tenant s freedom In the twelf h century , the grant ’ of a man s homage w a s normally equivalent to a grant o f his service . fo r Is in i t o S ixle It was , example , enough for William de to grant priory the homages of David and Robert sons of Gladwin of S taple S c o t e n i ford , and for Lambert de to grant to the same house the o f hi s S tale 6 1 homages William and Ivo , men ( , , But by the middle o f the thirteenth century the ancient force had departed from o f the ceremony homage . — Grants o f land to the r e ligio n s are usually made in alms i n o f free , pure , and perpetual alms , according to the perfected formula

n . the thirteenth century . These words were o t verbiage The free f dom o alms is a matter o f public rather than o f private law . At the beginning o f the thirteenth century it means that suits concerning ’ such land are n o t a matter for the king s courts ; they c a n only be o o f in terminated in those f the church . The definition a grant alms as pure is intended to bar the grantor o r his heirs from exacting

. o r secular services from the land The alms must also be perpetual , o r the grantor his heirs may afterwards revoke the gift . Here again , draughtsmen observe a n in c reasing precision o f phrase a s time goes o n f . A grant in pure and perpetual alms could never o itself free a piece o f land from burdens incumbent upon it while it was in the ’ donor s hand . Their incidence was determined by independent negotiation between grantor and grantee . The tenement in Tealby which William s o n o f Roger gave t o S ix le priory in pure a n d perpetual alms remained charged with a rent of t e n shillings t o ’ B ra b o f S ix le William s lord , Ralf de y ( , It is more remarkable a c t that Roger Mustel , in the very of reserving a rent of a hundred

Shillings to himself, could describe his gift as made in pure and S ix le perpetual alms ( , It is evident that he was using the word ‘ ’ a n c o f alms in untechnical sense , to des ribe the motive a grant n o rather than the quality of tenure . A hundred years later , one would have ventured to us e these words i n s o inappropriate a

context . Most charters granting land in alms include a statement o f the

pious motive inspiring the gift . The charter is made for the health ’ of the grantor s soul and fo r the souls of his departed kin . The succession o f such phrases is broken i n o n e instan c e by a remarkable ’ variant . Roger de Clere states that he has ac quired Hugh de Twit s ’ fee by battle in the king s court , that he has therefore thought it ’ right to devote some part of that fee to God s service , and that he has accordingly given a quarter o f Fotherby church to Ormsby Or ms b G priory ( y , Two charters in the atley series suggest that a story which has n o t been told lies behind a commonplace grant in I NTROD UCT I ON

O o f G G alms . liver Wendover grants land in lentworth to atley priory for the souls of his father and mother and especially fOr the o n O s o n in soul of William s of Warin . liver his confirming the gift records that he and his heirs have been reconciled with all the kin o f s o n Ca tle 1 William of Warin by this confirmation ( y , 9 , Apart c from these exceptional cases , there is mu h to suggest that a donor o ften received what was really a substantial consideration for a grant I r r n fo r in alms . n e t u c ertain land and wood in Linwood the prior of S ix le granted a corrody in that house to Robert de Hudha m for S ix le i ( , grants coincided with the the whole of his l fe ' ’ Many r e c e t io n o f (c f. i i p the grantor s daughter or niece into a monastery S ix le o f i n , The passage highest personal interest this book is that which records how in the abbey church o f Revesby Roger o f S e m ri n Mustel made a grant in the hand his uncle , Gilbert of p g ’ o u c ham , the oc asion when Gilbert received his nephew s two S ix le daughters into the order of nuns which he had founded ( , I n the perfected charter o f the thirteenth century words are always inserted t o define the tenure by which the grantee Should i n hold the land . After much experiment , clerks everywhere England

employ almost identical formulas for this purpose . I n a grant of land

at a yearly rent the normal formula runs , To have and to hold of me a n d c my heirs , rendering yearly so much money at su h appointed o f terms . The formula , with the necessary variation language , was appropriate to enfeoffments fo r military service and fo r the perform

ance o f specific personal duties . It w a s less appropriate to grants in i n alms . It was certainly felt the twelfth century that there was i n t o something unseemly asserting that lands given a church , that G o d is , essentially , to and his saints , were to be held of a secular i n grantor . Even the thirteenth century this impropriety is generally i n elemos i n a avoided , although the fact that land held was subject like other land to the legal rules o f tenure is inevitably recognised i n t he o f c c f Or ms b 8 formulas many harters ( . y , 44 , 4 , 5 3 , The clause itself is derived in the last resort from the formalwords in which the kings of the eleventh and twelfth centuries enjoined the observance he o f their writs . Traces o f the connexion are sometimes to remarked

i n early charters . There is a n evident relationship between Ralf of ’ ‘ Wy h a m s Wherefore I will and desire that the aforesaid nuns have ‘ ’ and hold this alms freely and honourably o f me and my heirs ’ Or ms é II s ( y , and Henry , Wherefore I will and firmly command ‘ that the aforesaid nuns have a n d hold all the aforesaid things ’ as the charters o f the aforesaid donors bear witness Ca tle o f ( y , I n the last decades the twelfth century , formulas which Open i n this way were seldom put o ut in the name o f any ’ t ene n a um o f person less august than the king , and the familiar clause

the thirteenth century bears no obvious Sign of its royal origin . By the end of the twel fth century a charter generally contained

a clause of warranty . It was intended to commit the grantor to the f duty o proving his title , if required , to the lands which were the

xx x I NTRODUCT I ON

. a n often , perhaps usually, chosen There is no trace of y rule that a man should choose to receive his pledge one who could compel him o r to observance by secular or spiritual penalties , his lord his bishop . The lord of Dorrington and his s o n pledge their faith in the hand of c Ca tle the lord of Anwi k ( y , These lords were peers o f Ralf ’ Ha ls e li n s fee . There is some evidence of a custom by which a w ’ woman would pledge her faith in a oman s hand , and before women witnesses . Hugh Malet , for example , asserts that his mother and i n o f wife have pledged their faith the hand Agnes , Richard Blan ’ i n a n chard s wife , the presence of Mabel , wife of Ralf the knight , d ’ R o mfar s S ix le Amabel , wife ( , Such cases are interesting as o f i n evidence of the Special treatment women twelfth century law . The whole subject of the pledging of faith is at present imperfectly i n illustrated by published texts , and the examples recorded these o n charters are important this account . I t would seem that in the twelfth century a grant by charter was still far from secure until it had been fortified by appropriate

. n ceremonies The pledging of faith was only o e o f them . It might — sometimes be combined with the taking of an oath z Roger Mus t e ile an d William his s o n pledged their faith to Observe a charter i n the o f o f hand Robert son of J ulian Horbling , and made oath to the ff i n S ix le S ia le 2 same e ect as they touched the Gospels church ( , 9 ; ' lza . Alw rz m Cf g , A more remarkable illustration of the multiplica ’ tion o f ceremonies is afforded by a long a n d d e t a ile d charter to S ix le priory involving the recognition o f mutual duties by the grantor and S ix le the convent ( , The grantor and his son pledge their faith

n h e u . t i t hand of a third party , Robert de Al eto It is hen recorded a how the convent has given twenty m rks to the grantor , twenty

s o n . Shillings to his eldest , and three marks to his lord The convent on its part binds itself to keep faith with the grantor and his heirs , after which the grantor and the convent ratify their agreement in i n o f h . Lincoln cat edral the hands Robert the bishop Finally , the document is authenticated by the seals o f the grantor and the

o f . chapter Lincoln The transaction is unusually complicated , but it is probable that the expression o f a grant i n writing was often less important to the parties than the performance of ceremonial acts of a which the charter itself m kes no record . The authenticity o f a document was established by the append ’ f f . o mg o the grantor s seal The use a seal , originally confined to o f persons of high rank , was general among the free peasantry the north by the end of the twelfth century . A clause in which a grantor states that he has confirmed hi s charter by the addition of his seal is a matter o f common form by the second quarter o f the thirteenth

c c . century . O asional examples are found in much earlier documents 1 1 66 w W Before , Robert , ste ard of illiam de Perci , states that he has confirmed his alms to O rmsby priory by the witness o f his seal and o m e n Or ms o In 1 1 8 B a r d o lf the witness of go d ( y , 4, Thomas adds a postscript to a long charter stating that he has confirmed I NTRODUCT I ON xxxi

Ca tle with his seal the gifts which it recites ( y , A similar clause concludes a charter to S ix le priory which cannot be precisely dated t S ix le In but almost certainly belongs o the reign of Henry I I ( , ’ the king s c ourts o f the twelfth century the authenti c ity of a seal was held to imply the authenticity of the charter from which it hung . A m a n whose genuine seal w a s appended to a spurious document must bear t he loss he had deserved for not keeping his seal carefully Gla n v ill ( , x , The function o f a seal was to authenticate a document : the f i s function o a witness was to provide living testimony to t provisions . O n o riginally , doubt , the witnesses to a charter were present when it c is was exe uted . There every reason to believe that the Seven persons ’ B a rd o lf s t o G Ca lle 2 who attest Thomas Charter atley ( y , ) were actually present at Wansford in 1 1 84 when Thomas gave the charter o ix l to some representative o f the priory . An early grant t S e priory was made in the hand o f Robert the archdeacon at a synod in Lincoln i n o f o f cathedral the presence and hearing many witnesses , some whose names are recorded i n the c harter . But before the end of the twelfth century it was possible for a person t o be asked by letter to attest a charter which had already been made . He was not o f required to swear to the authenticity of a particular piece writing , o f ten o r is c i n but to the terms a grant , the of a document , as it alled S ix le S ix le a charter in the present book ( , It is therefore unwise to assume that the witnesses to a charter of the late twelfth o r the thirteenth century were all present in the same place at the same is o ff time unless there some definite evidence t that e ect . The attestation o f the whole parish o f Billinghay to the first charter in the Gatley series suggests that the charter was made before all the parishioners assembled in the parish church . The description of a ’ group of witnesses to T h o ra ld o f Welton s charter t o Ormsby as ’ ma lt i a li i a e s aen e suggests that the charter wa s made in the court o f Gayton soke within which franchise lay the land which was the Or ms o c subject of the charter ( y , But such ases are exceptional , and it is n o t well to argue very c losely from the mere association of a individuals in n attestation clause . Nevertheless these clauses s upply in the aggregate a large body of valuable and too little regarded material for social history . C o f harters relating to the region which Lincolnshire is a part , are distinguished from those which come from the south and west by the condition of many of those who are vouched as witnesses . A Lincolnshire charter o f the twelfth century is often attested by a numb er of m e n o f no parti c ular wealth and o f undistinguished social position whose names prove descent from the native Anglo - S c a n din o f avian inhabitants the shire . The attestations o f su c h men as R o m ha r S ix le p of North Willingham ( , Haldan and Sax of S ir le C he t e l O Or msb Nettleton ( , and Rolf of Nun rmsby ( y , S i ward o f Or ms b s o n Humfrey son of g Louth ( y , William of S a Or msb S iwa h Or ms b u in of Hallington ( y , t of Benniwort ( y , xxxii I NTRODUCT I ON

T ho rald o f ' Manby are highly characteri stic o f

northern charters in the twelfth century . Me n o f similar condition attest in groups the early charters of Ralf le Noro is to S ixle and T h o ra ld s o n o f S in le 60 B ulli n to n Warin to Bullington ( , ; g , There c a n be no question of the personal freedom of these men . Their attestations would have no value if they could n o t give independent

testimony should it be demanded . Sometimes , though rarely , the personal independence o f an individual witness c a n be inferred from

facts recorded in other documents . William son of Suain o f Halling is s o n ton , for example , almost certainly a of the Suan who gave a n M o n A n l acre in H allington to the nuns of Legbourne ( . g . , v , o f But although witnesses this kind were certainly free , their position is obviously different from that o f the tenant by military service o r ’ the member of a great man s household . They are peasants . Their predecessors must be sought among the sokemen of the Domesday i n Survey , and their appearance the twelfth century agrees with all the other facts which Show that the ancient independence of the free landholders o f the northern Danelaw survived the shock o f the

Norman C onquest a n d the troubles that followed it . Such me n o f a n appear in every collection Charters relating to this region , d their attestations form a n important part of the evidence whi c h distinguishes the medieval society o f the north from that of the Da n e a w lza r te rs - i f. l i i m a n o ri als e d c C . c c v . south ( , pp ) Private charters rarely bear a date before the last years o f the f thirteenth century . O nearly two hundred documents printed in this book , only three , and those among the latest , are precisely dated S i nle 2 6 Ca tle 2 6 B ulli n to n to a day ( , ; y , g , Five are merely dated o f Or ms b 2 1 Ca lle 2 1 B ullin to n by the year the I ncarnation ( y , y , , 4 ; g , 2 Alv in ha m o f Ca tle 5 ; g , two , by the year the reigning king ( y , 1 6 , I n only one case is there any obvious necessity for the C dating of a charter . Alexander de recy states that he has received ’ t wenty years rent for the land that he has j ust granted ; it was important that he should indicate the time from which those twenty r un Ca tle o f c years were to ( y , It is the absence a date whi h i o f i i n expla ns , the wide limits t me which are assigned to charters this book , limits defined partly by the names of individuals which i n occur the charters , and partly by the formulas in which the ch arters are expressed . Naturally , the test of handwriting cannot be applied to date documents which are preserved in a transcript .

The loss is less than might appear . The evidence of handwriting will always distinguish a document written under Stephen from o n e written under John : it will by no means always determine whether a document was written under Henry I I or in the earliest years of

Henry I I I . I t is a valuable supplement to other indications of date , but in a conflict between the evidence of handwriting and that o f formulas the evidence of formulas is generally to be preferred . The succession of p hrases derived from the terse and effective writs of Norman kings is bro ken in o ne charter by an isolated I NTRODUCT I ON xxxiii

formula descending from a far earlier time . A charter Of Alan son f i n o William of Welton , which itself contains nothing remarkable , ends with the unexpe c ted words Ha n c do n a cio ne m qn icmn gn e min n er it ' v ltur b a v e r it a na tkern a s it Or ms b e ( y , These words are a meagre survival o f the formidable clause in w hi c h an Old English charter imposed extreme penalties upon the souls o f all who Should go o f against its provisions . After the Norman Con q uest the clause c anathema soon be c ame obsolete except in ecclesiasti al documents . o f Kings ensure the observance their charters by a money penalty , the royal forfeiture of ten pounds . The utmost that a private grantor could do was to pray his heirs o r successors to maintain his charter . The introduction of an anathema into a private charter of the mid - twelfth century i s a warning that the orderly development o f c ommon form may sometimes be interrupted by a reversion to

very ancient habits of thought and expression . The difference between the charter formulas of the twelfth and the thirteenth centuries h a s often been discussed in the preceding

paragraphs . It is something more than a techni c ality of an obsolete c system of law . It is an important so ial fact that in the thirteenth ’ c entury a man s position i n society is not reflected by the formulas o f the charters which were issued in his name . This had not always been the case . At the middle of the previous century there had been little difference in style between the writ of the king and the charter

of o n e o f his greater tenants . Documents o f either class then bore the form of a notifi c ation o f certain facts or commands addressed in most cases to the persons whose duty it was to take cognisance of

what was told them . Earls and greater barons , like the king , had commonly enjoined the observance of their charters in a clause ua r e 0010 e t r nz ite r r eci io Opening with the words Q fi p p . Their Charters often close with the name of the place at which they were f o . executed , in imitation of the dating Clause a royal writ They certainly did not think it essential to promise a warranty of their grants . Long before the year 1 200 the features appropriate to a royal writ had begun to disappear from the charters of even the ’ greatest among the king s subjects . It might easily have been other

wise . Some of the features which have been described persisted in

isolated survivals long into the thirteenth century . But the general ’ submissio n o f the greatest m e n in the land to the ruling o f the king s j usti c es upon the phraseology o f a charter which is to be valid is one of the most remarkable results of the work of Henry I I and the m e n i n . t h e who were trained his court I n thirteenth century, if a symbol ’ fo r or initial is substituted the grantor s name , it will generally be

impossible to guess his rank . William L un g e spe was an earl and a ’ s o n i n king s , but there is nothing in his charter to the nuns of Alv g n 1 1 ham ( o . ) which might not have been written in the name of one

o f his . An d t h e o f tenants at other end the scale , there is nothing in the mere formulas of a grant to distinguish the charter o f a free

peasant from that of his lord . It is true that no man holding by ' I NTROD UCT I ON

e n o o o unfr e te ure c uld alienate any p rti n of it by charter at all . For such a one there was only the procedure which began with a surren ’ ’ i n der into the lo rd s hand the lord s court . But a free man holding e by a free tenure , even if he is the humblest of p asants , will cast the o f record a conveyance into the universal common form . He will promise warranty and authenticate his charter with his seal . If he ’ often asserts that his grant is made with his lord s assent , it was wise fo r any tenant of whatever rank to consult his lord be fore he alienated

’ o T o a ny part f his fee . the modern reader most private charters of the thirteenth century seem commonplace . He is tempted to regret l the varied anguage , the unexpected forms of expression , which distinguish the draftsmanship of an earlier age . He may remember that the labours of many me n went to achieve the commonplace that

. o f i n wearies him For the victory common form is , the last resort , ’ o f u the victory the king s j dges , and of the king who stood behind them , over the forces of social division which were inherent i n feudalism . The earliest documents i n the series which follow were written within a century of the Norman C onquest . It is n o t surprising that a Old they include several fr gments of English legal terminology .

By far the most interesting of these is the occasional description of. o r a n tw a r e a piece of land as containing so many bovates carucates . S ixle priory received a carucate a ut w a r e in S ix le and five bovates a n twa r e s o n Ha c o n S inle in Nettleton from William of ( , Maurice de C raon gave to the same house a carucate a n tw a r e in West S i xle Of S c o t e n i i n S ix le Wykeham ( , The estate Lambert de a n t w a r e a n d comprised demesne reckoned at three bovates , two a ntw a r e S i nle Utw a r e i s o n e o f bovates held by two tenants ( , ‘ o f Old w er ia n a number words connected with the English verb , to ’ a n tw a r e defend . Land held was land to be defended or answered ’ for before the king s offi c ers in the matter o f public burdens . By far the most important of these burdens were the gelds , the royal taxes , f a u tw a r e i n o which the Danegeld was the chief. The phrase a ’ r a o eld n m twelfth century cha ter is equivalent to the phrase g , which n recurs o n every folio i the Domesday Survey . The description of ’ a holding as five bovates a a g eld um o r a n tw a r e was not intended to indicate the number of real , arable , bovates which it contained . It merely meant that the land was assessed at that number o f bovates o f to the Danegeld and similar taxes . The details this assessment raise the most difficult problems encountered by the student of Domesday Book ; they only arise incidentally i n relation to a c o lle c tion of charters . But the passages in charters which estimate land a n tw a r e are of great value in themselves as proving that the system of national taxation which originated before the Conquest was still maintained in Lincolnshire in the second half o f the following century . 0 w a r n otlz Another word derived from the same root Is , which occurs in what may be called the foundation charter of Bullington n priory . Simon son of William grants to the uns whose house he I NTRODUCT I ON xxxv

had founded all the land In Faldingworth which he held i n w a r m ”: ’ 5 B ullin ton II o f William Bechet fee ( g , The word is only found I

northern documents , and Is rarely used In them , but its meaning is o f plain . It denoted a form rent which was exacted two fold if a day

s o . i n arrear, three fold if two days in arrear , and on indefinitely

Customs of this kind have a very ancient appearance . The word r n o t/z o f Old w a is itself English origin , and it may be presumed that Simon son of William i n respect to this land of Faldingworth wa s subject to conditions of tenure accepted by some pre - Conquest predecessor . Enough has perhaps been said to Show the bearing of these f charters upon the medieval history o Lincolnshire . They also throw light o n the dark period which preceded the middle ages In themselves . the ninth century the whole great region of which Lincolnshire is a part had been settled by the men o f a Danish a t o army . Tr ces of their settlement are be observed In many scores

of local names . It is less often remembered that they are also ’ recorded in documents writt en when the events o f Alfred s time had

become a matter of ancient history . It may be well to indicate two lines of inquiry along which facts o f value fo r the history of the ninth f century may be sought in the charters o the twelfth and thirteenth . I o f n the first place , a very large number Lincolnshire place o o f names end in the syllable y , originally an independent word o f Danish origin meaning a village . The first part such names

generally consists Of a Danish personal name , often , though happily b o f not always , worn down into unintelligibility y generations local

usage . The men whose names are recorded In this way must have lived at some time during the two centuries between the Danish

settlement and the Domesday Survey , but it is generally impossible

to date them more closely . In two cases , twelfth century evidence suggests that the man who left his name to a Lincolnshire village

lived not long after the settlement of the ninth century . The place names Legsby and Cadeby are derived res pectively from the Danish

personal names L e gg r a n d Kati . It cannot be a coincidence that a L e e s h o u o f spot named g once existed within the territory Legsby , and a spot named Ka t e h o u existed within the territory that once o f C S inle supported the lost village South adeby ( , 3 5 , The li on O na u r word represents the ld Norse g , a burial mound , and there is abundant evidence i n northern sources to Show that such a mound

w a s generally called by the name of the person buried i n it . It may safely be inferred that the original L e gg r and Kati of Legsby and South Cadeby were buried i n or under the mounds which afterwards

came to bear their names . This in its turn implies that these me n

each lived in the heathen time . Mound burial would have been o f S c a n din impossible after the conversion the Danelaw , and the avian heathenry of the north presented little resistance to Christian S influences . There is every reason to believe that Legsby and outh C adeby were both called after men who lived n o t later than the first

half of the tenth century . These cases do not stand entirely by xxxv i I NTRODUCT I ON

n o r h themselves , is it antecedently probable t at they are exceptional . w a s c S c a le h a u A s s oc . A r cli it There once a place alled near Scawby ( .

S oc R e or ts 8 . n . 1 a d p for 5 4 , p the Danish personal name S ka lli

is the first element i n each name . C ases like these are interesting fo r in themselves , but they have a greater value their bearing upon the history o f the most Obscure and most momentous phase of

Lincolnshire history . In the second place , Danish personal names continued to be c used in Lin olnshire until the latter part of the thirteenth century . The number and variety o f the names o f this kind that are recorded i n private charters finally settles o n e question o f the first importance : n o t o It proves that the Danish influence in Lincolnshire was due , t

a few hundred leaders ruling a subject English population , but t o o f m e n o f the settlement an entire army , comprising every rank . Nothing less than this is required to explain the intensely S c a n din avian personal nomenclature O f this region two hundred years and

. a re more after the first settlement Many English names , it is true , i n recorded the charters that are printed here . The Danish name s n n far outnumber them , and the E glish ames themselves have some times assumed a new and strange form through their adoption by

men among whom Danish habits of speech were still preserved . a d ri c s o n F re w in Alv in /i a rn Old me J of ( g , 4) bore the English na E ad ric o f E a d ric a d r i c , but the Danes Lincolnshire turned into J , j ust as their northern kinsmen converted the Old English E o fe rwi c into the Jorvik which has produced the modern York . There is n o need to attempt a complete list o f the Danish names which may b e

found in these Charters . Their character may be gathered from such

K e t ill . Tn r i r l . N . d . N N O O . C he t e O . examples as ( ) , Thore ( ) , Toue ( ’ l e l nzn a T U /t l A e m n n r . N . lhil N . d O . N. O o U c O . u fi) , ( f ) , g ( Og ) , Kare ( ’ l i . H r K r i R d rn a r r o i a . N N t . N . S w O d R u m h a r O . . O ), p ( f ) , Rolf ( f ) , ( ’ m A r n r . z / w r Gn n n i . z r S a t . N . N O O . g ) , Gunny ( ) , and Arngrim ( g ) There is an evident resemblance between these names and thos e which i n an earlier age had been borne by the men w ho settled t he C villages o f Lincolnshire . harters of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries often prove the c ontinued employment of the personal

names which are recorded i n local nomenclature . The Lincolnshire Ke t s b lo y , Thoresby , and Gunby near Burgh Marsh , are derived

Ke t ill T h o r i r . from the personal names , , and Gunni Kari is com pounded in the Lincolnshire and Leicestershire C areby ; and Ogm un d r in the Nottinghamshire Egmanton and the Lancashire i n i n Am o un d e rn e s s . Yo l the Skinner , who held a toft Glentworth o f Ca tle the reign Henry I I ( y , bore the Scandinavian personal name which is compounded in the name o f Yaw th o rp e in Manley wapentake . These examples , to which many might be added , are enough to show the persistence in Lincolnshire of the ancient e Danish personal names of the region . And this persistence mor than anything else creates that sense of entering another country which is felt by anyone who after much reading o f southern charters turns to the regio n beyond the Welland .

S ixle Prio ry

[ 1 ] C untis C hristi fid e lib us Wille lmus filius Hac o n is e t Thomas filius e t heres eius e t uxor Edina in C hristo f s alut e m Notum sit vobis n o s d e dis se i n perpetuam e le mo si na m t o ta m t e rra m n o s t ra m quam h ab uimus in S ixla videlicet unam c aruc at a m a ut wa re c um omnibus que ad [earn] pertinent in pratis pas c uis e t pa st uri s e t terra arabili e t e c c le s ia m Ip s i us ville s an c tim o n ia lib us ibidem deo s e ruie n t ib us Dedimus e c i am eis locum m o le n din i quem h a b uim u s super aquam de T e ue lsb y e t duas b o uat a s terre in Wy fly n gh am c um prato quod ibidem h a b uimus c um pa st uris e t ceteris p e rti n e n c iis Dedimus e c iam eis quinque b o ua ta s terre in Ne tt ilt o n a a utte ware c um omnibus pe rti n e nt iis suis in a q uis e t pratis e t p a s c uis e t m o le n din is e t a lii s rebus c um sexta parte ecclesie ips ius ville que ad candem t e rra m pe rti n e t Ipse vero s an c t imo n iale s in h ac terra b o a tis e i n a uie tab unt videlicet de quinque v in N tt lt o a . c q duas marcas que d e b e n t ur he re dib us R o c e li n i pro s upradic t a terra de S ixla f He c omnia dedimus eis libera e t quieta ab omni e x ac c io n e e t s e c ulari s e ruic io i n perpetuam po s e s s io n e m e x c e ptis d ua b us s upradic ti s marcis argenti HuiuS nostre d o n ac io n is testes sunt Epis c o p us Li n c o ln i ens is R o b e rt us secundus R o ge r us de Amari cantor matris ecclesie Lin c o ln iens is R o c e lin de R igge sb y R o b e rt us Foliot R o b e rt us de 1 B o r S n i a f s fili Ha u arc w d Lambertus de c o t e R d ulu us c n .

[2] C untis san c t e matris ecclesie filIIs Agnes filia Wille lmi de

Percy e t here s . s alut e m Notum sit vobis omnibus quod ego Agnes vidua post o b it um J o c e lin i s po n s i mei concessi e t dedi e t h ac carta mea c o n firm aui in puram e t perpetuam e le m o s in am Ius pat ro n a t us ecclesie s a n c t e Elene de L udfo rth e t i ps am e c c le s ia m c um omnibus p e rtin e n c iis suis deo e t beate Marie e t c o n ue n tui mo n ialium e t c an o n ic o rum abbatie de S ixle ad s uste n t a c io n e m e o rum pro salute domini regis e t mea e t h e re d um me o rum e t anima J o c e li n i s po n s i m e i e t a n imab us patris e t matris mee e t omnium a n t e c e ss o rum me o rum Hanc vero e le mo s i n am ego e t heredes mei post me waran t iz ab imus eis perpetuo contra omnes homines ut semper ad s aluac io n e m a n imarum n o st rarum pro d e s s e p o ss it coram hiis t e st ib us Galfrido de Percy Willelmo de Mure rs Teobaldo 1 de Dalt o n a Go de wi n o ] Willelmo de Saleby Thoma de Saleby Willelmo de Dalt o na Radulfo filio Ke t e lli Radulfo de Midilt o n a Roberto filio Od o n is Walt e ro de S kytb ro k Henrico de F a lc hi n gha m E udo n e de Ho ut o n a Ac hard o c ape llan o Ricardo decano de TIrInt o n a Radulfo persona de He i n tona Willelmo c ape llan o de Wifly ngna m Willelmo c ape llano de Ludfo rda S ixle Prio ry

1 o f Ha c o n [ ] To all the faithful of Christ , William son and

Thomas his s o n and heir and Ediva his wife send greeting in Christ . Be it known to you that we have given i n perpetual alms all our land ’ i n S ix le o n e utwa re which we had , namely carucate , a , with all in w e things which belong to it meado s , pastures , feedings , and arabl

land , and the church of that village , to the nuns servin g God there . We have moreover given them the site o f the mill which we had on o f i n the water Tealby , and two bovates of land North Willingham with the meadow that we had there with pastures and other appur a t e n n c e s . We have moreover given them five bovates of land in ut wa re Nettleton a with all appurtenances in waters , meadows , o f pastures , mills , and other things , with a sixth part the church of

that village , which belongs to the same land . But from this land , i n t wo namely from the five bovates Nettleton , the nuns shall pay marks whi c h are due to the heirs o f R o s c e lin for the aforesaid land

of S ixle . All these things we have given them in perpetual possession free and quit from all earthly exaction and serv ice save the two 1 o f Cir ca 1 1 0 aforesaid marks silver . [ 5 ] 1 T s c art e r i a The ar ian t s far e un m o r t an t e x e i s r e e e as n o . v i c h h p t d 1 3 . p pt ‘ t at i n i n e 1 o f t h e L at i n t e x t t h e se c o n c o r e a s do [ we te r m i n st e a o f i n lza c h l 3 , (d py d d te Th e f r m r i s c e r r m . o e t a i n c re c t r ly o .

2 T o o f m [ ] all the sons holy other church , Agnes daughter and

heir of William de Percy sends greeting . Be it known to you all o f m that I Agnes , as widow, after the death Jocelin y husband , have granted and given and by this my charter confirmed in pure and perpe tual alms the right of patronage o f the church of saint Helen of Ludford a n d the church itself with all its appurtenances to God and blessed Mary and the convent O f the nuns and canons o f the abbey S ixle of for their support , for the safety of the lord king and myself r o f n d and my hei s , and for the soul Joceli my husban and the souls a n of my father and mother d all my ancestors . Moreover I and my heirs after me will warrant this alms to them for ever against all L a t n . e men , that it may always avail for the salvatio of our souls [ Hen ry [ L] 1 The s ac e o f e e f ac an i n t e man usc r i p o n wo rd l t v t h pt . 2 TRANSCRI PTS OF CHARTERS

Alano persona de C ap ram o n t e G alfrido de Whyt c h ale Thoma de Ha in to n a Willelmo filio eius Radulfo filio LG ua rin i gtR ic ardo filio eius Radulfo clerico de Hotham Wa lt e ro de S c o t e n e y Roberto de O rmesby Henrico M ustel Alano filio Brieni de We lle t o n a Willelmo a m de Wyfly n gh .

[3] U n iue rs is s a n c t e matris ecclesie filIIs R o b e rt us filius Roberti de T e gn e g f s alut e m Notum sit u n iue rs it a ti vestre me c o n c e s s is s e d e dis s e e t h a c mea carta c o n fir m a s s e i n puram e t perpetuam e le mo s in a m deo e t c a n o n ic is e t m o n ia lib us ecclesie beate Marie de S ixle e c c le s ia m sancti Thome de L e gge s b y e t quicquid iuris in ea h ab ui cum omnibus p e rt i n e n c iis o b ue n t i o n ib us e t lib e rt at ib us suis liberam e t quietam impe r pe t uum de me e t h e re dib us meis nulla parte aut re c la m ac io n e in ea mi c hi vel h e re dib u s meis retenta Hanc autem d o n a c i o n e m eis concessi e t feci tam libere e t quiete S i c ut a liqua elemosina liberius e t melius potest dari viris r e ligio s is pro a n ima b us patris e t matris mee e t a n t e c e s s o rum m e o r um e t a mic o r um e t pro salute mea e t h e re d um m e o r um quam d o n a c io n e m ego e t heredes mei m a n ut e n e b im us e t wa ra n t iz ab imus deo e t prefato c o n ue n t ui de S e x le erga omnes homines impe rp e t uum tanquam puram e t perpetuam e le mo s i n a m n o s t ra m Hiis t e s t ib us Willelmo decano de Ko uer munt Roberto de Aln e t o G a lfrid o de C o n st e n t i n Alano Malet R a d ulph o T o ka rd R a n ulfo de B re ke s a rd R ad ulph o la Abe Dionisio fili de S ixle Iuo n e de Ludford Alano o suo .

[4] C untis C hristi fide lib us Wille lm us fili us R o ge ri de T aue le s b y f s alut e m in domino U n i ue rs it a t i vestre i n n o t e s c a t me d e dis s e e t h ac mea carta c o n fir ma s s e In puram e t perpetuam elemo sinam c an o n ic i s e t m o n ia lib us de S ix le e c c le s ia m omnium sanc torum de T a ue lle s b ury [s ic] c um omnibus p e rt in e n c iis e t lib e rt at ib us suis libere e t quiete bahendam e t t e n e n d a m S ic ut aliq ua : elemosina liberius e t melius ad re ligio n e m dari potest Hanc vero e le mo s i n a m dedi eis pro anima patris mei e t omnium a n t e c e s s o rum me o rum e t ” pro salute anime mee e t uxoris mee e t he re d um m e o rum v iuo rum e t d e fun c t o rum Hanc e c ia m ego Wille lmus e t heredes me i dona

c io n e m w a ra n tiz ab imus erga omnes homines impe rpe t uum . Huins d o n a c io n is mee testes sunt R o b e rt us c ape llan us de We t e wa n g Alre dus persona de L udfo rda R adulphus persona de Hay n to n a Ala n us persona de Wyfly n gh am Landri persona de Wykh am R a d ulphus Cle ric us de Hotham R a d ulph us filius Warini de Hay n t o n a Simon filius R ad ulphi G o c e lin us filius Ae lre di d e L udfo rd a Ala n us filius s ac e rd o ti s de Ne ut o na R adulph us abbas Andreas filius R ad ulphi de Hotham Th o rst a c ius de Hotham Alexander filius L andri Ernis nepos R a dulphi filii Wa r in i Ricarda s filius R ad ulphi abbatis de Hay n t une Besing Wille lmus S t ab ularius Albinus e t multi alii

[5 ] C untis s an c t e matris ecclesie filIIs Wille lmus filius Goer . salut e m in C hristo Quoniam i n s e n e c t ut e po situs fin e m meum immine re uide o c upie n s pro uide re saluti anime me e dedi sancti r [3] To the whole body of the sons of holy mother chu ch ,

Robert s o n of Robert de T e gn e g sends greeting . Let the whole a n d body of you know that I have granted , given , by this my charter confirmed , in pure and perpetual alms , to God and the canons and o f S ix le o f nuns of the Church of blessed Mary , the church saint Thomas of Legsby and whatever right I had i n it with all its appur te n a n c e s , offerings , and liberties , free and quit from me and my heirs

o r . for ever , reserving to me or my heirs no part claim in it More over I have granted and made this gift to them as free and quit as an d any alms may most freely best be given to religious men , for the o f souls my father and my mother and my ancestors and friends , and for my safety and that of my heirs . And I and my heirs will maintain a n d warrant this gift to God and the aforesaid convent of S ixle against all men fo r ever as our pure a n d perpetual alms . [Hen ry [ L]

[4] To all the faithful of Christ , William son of Roger of

Tealby sends greeting in the Lord . Be it known to the whole body of you that I have given and by this my charter confirmed , in o f S ixle pure and perpetual alms , to the canons and nuns the church o f All Saints of Tealby with all its appurtenances and liberties , free and quit , to have and to hold as any alms may most freely and best be given to religion . Moreover I have given this alms to them for the soul of my father a n d the souls of all my ancestors and fo r the safety of my o w n soul and that of my wife a n d those of my heirs living d and eparted . Also I , William , and my heirs will warrant this gift L a te Hen r [ L against all men for ever . [ y ]

[5 ] To all sons of holy mother church William s o n of Goer sends greeting in Christ . Since I am set in old age I see my e n d approaching . Wishing to provide for the safety of my soul , I have 3 TRANSCR I PTS OF C HARTERS

m o n ialib us de S ixle quic quo d [s i c] iuris h ab ui in ecclesia de Wyfly n g ham in perpetuam e t liberam possessionem c um omnibus que ad c andem e c c le s i a m pertinent que de iure meo sint e t ma n s ura m unam C alump n ia m vero que v e rs ab a t ur inter me e t Math e um de T e ue le sb y de media parte ecclesie de Wy fly n gh a m quam ipse c la m ab a t ad ius suum pertinere sedata est quia nichil quod ad feudum suum pe rt in e t michi vel meis i n i us te re t in e re volo Verum e c ia m bonum e s t michi ut s a n c timo n iale s de S ix le partem illa m eccles ie quam ip s e Matheus c la ma uit e t eis dedit h ab e a n t impe rpe t uum sine aliqua r e c la m ac i o n e mei vel m e o r um HO C totum feci pro salute anime mee e t m e o ru m ut re t rib uc io n e m bonam m e re a r a Christo domino in vitam eternam C uius d o n ac io n is testes sunt Walt e rus abbas de Ky r ke s te d Philippus abbas de R e ue s b y R a d ulphus abbas de Parco Lude Gilb e rt us abbas de S uin n e s ha fd Wille lmus de B e re uilla Walt e r us C le ric us de Hue ie le R a d ulph us filius Ha c o n is e t filii eius Simon e t R o b e rt us R a d ulphus C le ric us de Hotham Wille lmus de Insula Ha me lin us d e c a n us Ap rin us sacerdos Hanc d o n a c io n e m feci coram capitulo s a n c t e matris ecclesi e Lin c o ln i en s i s manu mea posita in manu Dauid a rc hidia c o n i locum Roberti a r c hidiac o n i t e ne nt is pre sente Hun frid o s ub d e c a n o Rogero p re s e n t o re Reginaldo s implic i Rogero p ar uo Ha m o n e cancellarlo Ma gis t ro Wige ro R a d ulph o de C ham [ s ic] Magis t ro S ilb a rd o e t pluribus a liis rogans omnes ut h ui us mee d o n a c io n is testimonium pe rhib e re n t Ipsi ue ro mee p e tic io n i s at is fac ie n t e s sigilli sui a t t e st a c io n e d o na c io n e m ro b ra meam c o o ue run t .

[6] Sciant cunti s a n c t e matris ecclesie filII quod ego Wille l mus filius Math e i de T e ue sle b y [s i c] c upie n s p ro uid e re saluti anime mee dedi a s s e n s u patris mei Ma the i e t matris mee M atilde e t fra t ris mei R a d ulphi e t h a c carta mea c o n firm a ui C hristi a n c illis de o denote in S ix le s e r uie ntib us quicquid hahn i e t nostri iuris est in ecclesia de Wy fly ngha m videlicet dimidia m partem ecclesie in liberam e t perpetuam e le mo sin a m c um omnibus que ad e a n d e m e c c le s ia m pertinent nostro feudo adia c e n tib us Ho c t o tum feci pr o me ipso e t pro omnibu s amicis meis v iui s e t de fun c tis e t pro anima fr at ri s mei Johannis defunct i ut omnium peccatorum s uo rum veniam p o s sit habere i n vitam eternam Amen C uius d o n a tio n i s testes ’ sunt Wille lm us d e c a n us de C h e uer mo n a Ala n us sacerdos de T e ue le s b y Sixto [s ic] sacerdos de Wy fly n gh am R a d ulfus C le ric us de Ho t h e i e t G o s e li n us frater eius R a d ulfus filius Wa ri n i de He i n t o n a R ad ulfus abbot R ic a rd us fili us Angeri Wille lmus Wither Rom ph ar us C le ric us Alure d us Cle ric us Ino de L udfo rd a Wille lmus

t h o rt e s main s .

1 [8 ] C untis C hristi fid e lib us Thomas filius Wille lmi e t Agnes uxor e i us f s alut e m S c ia tis n o s c o n c e s s is s e de dis s e e t presenti carta c o n firm as se deo e t beate Marie e t s a n c tim o n ia lib us n o st ris de S ixle i n liberam e t perpetuam e le mo s i n a m ecclesias de Saleby e t E st rasy n c um omnibus pe rti n e n c iis suis e t quicquid iuris i n eis hab uimus a d S IXLE SERI ES 3

given to the nuns of S ixle whatever right I had i n the church of North

i n a n d o s , Willingham perpetual free p session , with all things belong

o n e . ing to the same church which are of my right , and toft More t h e over, dispute which was in progress between me and Matthew of c Tealby con erning the moiety of the church of Willingham , which he

claimed to belong to his right , has been appeased , because I wish to

keep nothing unjustly for me or mine which belongs to his fee . S ixle Truly also it is good to me that the nuns of , without claim of o me or mine , Sh uld have for ever that part of the church which the

same Matthew claimed and gave to them . All this I have done for o f o the safety of my soul and the safety my kinsf lk , that I may earn

a. good recompense from Christ the Lord in the life eternal [w i tn es ses] I have made this gift in the presence of the chapter of the o f i n v holy mother church Lincoln , with my hand the hand of Da id o f the archdeacon set in the place Robert the archdeacon , in the o f - a n d o tlze rs presence Humphrey the sub dean [ ] , asking all that f they would o fer witness of this my gift . They indeed granting my

petition have confirmed my gift by the witness of their seal . [ 1 1 5 6- 1 1 62 ]

[6] L e t all the sons of holy mother church know that I s o n William of Matthew of Tealby , wishing to provide for the o f safety my soul have given , with the assent of my father Matthew h and my mot er Maud and my brother Ralf, and by this my charter C r G o d have confirmed , to the handmaids of h ist serving devoutly in S ixle i n , whatever I had and belongs to our right the church of l t he North Wi lingham , namely half of the Church , in free and per e t ual ms all i p al , with things apperta ning to our fee which belong to

. All the same church this I have done for myself, and for all my s a fo r l friend live and dead , and the sou of my dead brother John ,

that he may h ave pardon of all his si n s in t he life eternal . Amen . [Hen ry [ L]

1 8 C o [ ] To all the faithful of hrist , Th mas son of William and

n s f . Ag e his wi e send greeting Know that we have granted , given , and the present charter confirmed in pur e and perpetua l alms to le ss e d o u r S ixle e S God , Mary , and nuns of , the church s of aleby and East Rasen wi th all their appurten ances a n d whatever right we 4 TRANSCRI PTS OF C HARTERS s ust e n t a c io n e m t re sd e c e m canonicorum qui [i n ] ecclesia beate Marie de S ix le deo e t pre dic t is s a n c timo n ialib us p e r pe t uis temporibus min is t ra b un t pro salute nostra e t omnium n o s t ro r um e t pro anima bus a n t e c e s s o r um n o s t ro rum E t hanc d o n ac io n e m n o s t ram warant iz a b imus eis contra omnes homi n es e t heredes nostri post n o s impe rpe t uum Hiis t e s tib us Rogero c a p e lla n o de S ixle Willelmo c a pe lla n o de Wyfly n gh a m S e rlo n e c ape lla n o R ad ulpho persona de Ha y n t o n a Radulfo de Hotham R a d ulph o fili o Wa ri n i de Hay n t un e Wa lt e ro clerico de Witga le Alexandro de B o le s e b y Wa lt e ro e t R ad ulph o filiis Wa lt e ri de S c o t e n e i Ricardo filio Dra dulphi [s ic] filii

Wa rin i e t a liis multis .

[9] Cuntis Christi fid e lib us H ugo de B a io c i s s a lut e m U n i ue rs it a t i vestre i n n o t e s c a t me c o n c e s s i s s e d e dis s e e t hac mea c arta c o n firm a s s e i n puram e t perpetuam e le m o s i n a m deo e t beate Marie e t c a n o n ic is e t m o n ialib us de S ix le ibidem deo fa mula n t ib us e c c le s ia m beati Petri de Ka t e b y c um omnibus pe rti n e n t iis e t liber t a tib us suis libere e t quiete e t i n t igre [s zc ] S ic ut aliqua elemosina . liberius melius e t ple n i us dari potest ad e o r um s u st e n t a c i o n e m E t s c ie n d um quod tunc eis c o n t uli hanc meam e le m o sin a m quando pr e dic t us c o n ue n t us s uc e pit G e ue uxorem meam a c eam in capitulo s uo ho n o rific e s e pe li uit pro anima sua e t pro salute mea e t omnium a mic o rum m e o rum E t ego e t heredes mei w a ra n tiz a b imus pre fa t a m e le m o s i n a m pre t ax t o c o n ue n t ui erga omnes homines i n pe r p e t uum f Hiis t e s t ib us Radulfo decano L i n c o ln i ens i Pagano Ada c a n o n ic is Li n c oln iens ib ns C lemente decano Willelmo c ape lla n o de Wyfly n gha m Radulfo clerico de Ha y n tun e Alano persona de Wiu illigh a m Roberto decano de R o the we lla G alfrid o de Wy t ka le

L a n dric o clerico Radulfo de Hotham L a mb e rt o d e S c o t e n i Thoma .

fili o Wille lmi Roberto de O rmesby R a n ulph o de Wit ka le . Eliseo de Albeni Rogero Must e illa Willelmo filio Ma t he i Jordano Rat Philipp o Rab o t Ada de R o t h e we lla Ac e de S a in liz e t Willelmo filio suo Thoma de G o ldi n gt o n a Willelmo de Parys Edmundo

monetario O sb er to filio T o rge r Domina R o e is a c o mitis s a de Bedford .

[ 1 0] Notum sit cuntis C hristi fid e lib u s quod e go Ma uri c i us de C run dedi i n perpetuam e le m o s in um s a n c t im o n ia lib us e t fra t rib us de S ix le t o t a m t e rra m quam Alicia amita mea habuit de fe o d o meo i n Wikh a m e t i n L udfo rt h a videlicet in Wy kha m unam c ar uc a t a m terre a utw a re e t duas b o ua t a s In L udfo r t ha c um omnibus pe rt in e n c iis ‘ suis in terris a q uis e t pratis e t m o le n di n is e t b r ue ra e t in p a s t uri s c um dimidia parte m o n a s t e rii de Wikh a m He c omnia dedi eis libera e t quieta ab omni e x ac c i o n e e t s e r uic io s e c ula ri S ic ut a liqua d o n a c i o n e m elemosina liberius dari potest . Hanc autem feci supra dic tis s a n c t imo n ialib us i n manu venerabilis patris nostri Roberti episcopi L i n c o ln iens i s in castello de E s la fo rd Hiis t e s t ib u s Warino abbate de Valle Dei Gilberto de S e py n gh a m e t fratre Alexandro de Po c hin t un Wlfric o sacerdote de B run um Thoma sacerdote de Rauceby B a ldwin o filio Gilberti de B run um R adulfo

‘ 5 TRANSCRI PTS O F C HARTERS

de la Haia Willelmo filio H aou n O s b e rt o de B o de b y O s b e rt o de S ume rt b y R a d ulph o de R o pe s ley Roberto de Lime n iun c um multis a liis Radulfo de Ae n c o urt G a ufrid o sacerdote de B o d e b y Ricardo sacerdote de S c apwik Alure do filio Alexandri e t Gera rdo fratre s uo R a d ulph o c e lla ra rio de Kyr ke s t e d Willelmo filio Alar di Roberto filio Wille lmi Guse de B utti rwic Thoma sacerdote de R is c hin t un a Ae lric o sacerdote de Stowe Wa lt e ro de Pasci Brienno Po c hin n de t u e .

[ 1 1 ] Notum s it cuntis C hristi fid e lib us quod ego S upir d e B a io c is a s s e n s u e t c o n c e n s u he re d um me o r um dedi s an c timo n ialib us que deo s e rui un t i n S ix le i n perpetuam e le m o si n a m quicquid hahni i n ecclesia de parua Wikh a m c um tofto e t ceteris rebus scilicet in terris pratis e t p a sc uis e t a quis Et ut anim e mee ub e rius pro fic ia t s up e ra ddi quinque acras terre que v o c a n t ur Wa rlan t E t d e i n de consilio p ro b o r um v iro r um a c a mic o r um m e o rum concessi e t dedi pre dic t is s a n c tim o n ia lib us t o t a m t e rra m h uius mo di que wa rla n t v o c a t ur scilicet i n territorio He s t wyka m de e o de m feudo cuius s unt prenominate quinque acre E t h o c i n presenci a canonicorum h o s pit alis L i n c o ln i ens i s e t fratrum e iusd e m domus e t Wille lmi c le ric i Hugonis de B a io c is e t R a d ulfi Wila i n E t n e quis eas fatigare vel inquietare p re s umat han c lib e rt at e m d o n a ci o n is mee scripto meo c o n firm aui ut libere t e n e a n t S ic ut aliqua e le mo sin a lib e rius a fid e libus tenetur Hanc autem d o n ac io n e m fecit [s i c] i n san cta matre ecclesia Lin c o ln iens i In communi si n odo In manu Roberti arc hidia c o n i pro salute anime mee e t me o r um v iuo rum scilicet e t m o rt uo rum p re s e n tib us multis e t a udie n t ib us Umfrid o scilicet s ub d e c a n o Ha mo n e c a n c e lla rio Ma gi s t ro Rainaldo s implic i Wige ro Ma gis t ro Rogero pa ruo Rogero fratre a rc hidia c o n i Ha me lin o decano Roberto d e lAln a i Willelmo de Ke ue r mun t Ricardo S c ro p Radulfo filio H n ii No uilla a c o i s cum d uo b us fil s suis . Gilberto de Thoma filio Wille lmi Hacan is Alexandro de Ble se b y c um Alano fratre eius

Radulfo clerico de Hotham c um multis a liis .

[ 1 2] C untis C hristi fid e lib us Thomas filius Wille lmi e t Agnes uxor eius s a lut e m S c i at i s n o s c o n c e s s i ss e d e dis s e e t presenti carta c o n firma s s e deo beate Marie e t s an c tim o n ialib us de S ixle e t e a r um fra t rib us c a n o n ic i s e t la ic is In perpetuam e le m o si n am e c c le si a m de Saleby c um pe rt in e n c iis suis e t quicquid iuris i n eis h ab uim us de consensu Wille lmi filii nostri libere e t quiete ad s us t e n t a c io ne m t re s d e c im canonico rum qui i n e c clesia beate Marie de S ix le deo e t p re dic tis s an c timo n i a lib us pe rpe t uis temporibus mini st ra b un t pro salute nostra e t om n ium n o s t ro rum e t pro a n im ab us a n t e c e s so rum n o s tro rum Et hanc n o s t ra m d o n a c io n e m waran tiz a b imus eis contra omnes homines e t heredes nostri post n o s impe rpe t uum Hiis t e s t ib us Rogero c ape lla n o de S ix le Willelmo c a pe llan o de Wy n e ly n gha m S e rlo n e c a pe lla n o Radulfo persona de Hai n t un e Radulfo de Hotham R ad ulpho de Hay n t o n a Wa lt e ro clerico de Witga le Alexandro de Ble s b y Wa lt e ro e t Radulfo filiis W a lt e ri de S c o t e n i S IKLE SERI ES 5

1 1 t [ ] Be it known to all the faithful of Christ that I , Supi de a n i n Bayeux , with the assent d consent of my heirs have given pe rpetual alms to the nuns who serve God In S ix le whatever I had In w the church of Little Wykeham ith a toft and other things , namely i n s lands, meadow , pastures , and waters , and that it may more richly profit my soul I have added five ac res o f land which are called ’ f m e n a nd wa rla n t . o And further , with the counsel honest that of my friends I have granted and given to the aforesaid nuns all the land of that sort which is called w a rla n t in the territory of East Wy keham f An d of the same e e as are the aforenamed five acres . I have done this in the presence of the brethren o f the hospital o f Lincoln and in

. o f f the presence of William the clerk Hugh de Bayeux , and Ral ili n r u W a . o And lest anyone Should dare to vex dist rb the nuns , I r have confi med the freedom of this my gift with my writing , that

they may hold as freely as any alms IS mos t freely held by the faithful . Moreover I have made this gift i n the common synod in the holy e In mother Church of Lincoln In the hand of Rob rt the archdeacon ,

the presence and hearing of many , for the safety of my soul and the B e o r e 1 1 62 r o ba b cir ca souls of my kin alive and dead . [ f , p ly

[ 1 2] To all the fa ithfIIlo f C hrist Thomas s o n of \Villia m and

Agnes his wife send greeting . Know that with the consent of s o n William our we have granted , given , and by the pre s ent i n charter confirmed , perpetual alms , to God , blessed Mary , and the u o f S ixle h la n ns , and their bret ren , canons and y , the church of l In Sa eby with its appurtenances and whatever right we had it , free and quit for the support of thirteen canon s who shall for ever serve a n d a S ix le God the s id nuns in the church of blessed Mary of , for ki n a n the safety of ourselves and of all our , d for t he souls of our o ur ancestors . And we and heirs after us for ever will warrant this Hen r [ L gift to them against all men . [ y ] 6 TRAN SCRI PTS OF C HARTERS

Ricardo filio R ad ulfi filII Wa rin i Gilberto de Osgo t he b y I n one

filio Gilberti Roberto de He n e rle .

1 [ 1 4 ] C untis s a n c t e matris ecclesie filiis Lambertus de S c o t e n e i s alut e m S c iatis me d e dis s e e t c o n c e ssisse e t h a c presenti c arta mea c o n fir ma s s e deo e t ecclesie beate Marie de S ixle e t s a n c tim o n i a lib us e t fr at rib us e arum c le ric is e t la i c is ibidem deo s e r uie n t ib us totum d e m e n i um meum i n S ix le scilicet tres b o uat a s terre a u twa re c um t o ftis e t c ro ftis e t omnibus pe rt in e n c iis infra villam e t extra [e t] t o t a m partem terre mee e t n e mo ris mei de Kine t h o rpa quod uo c a t ur Stort liberas e t quietas ab omni s e c ula ri s e ruic i o Pr e t e re a ego Lambertus dedi e t concessi deo e t c o n ue nt ui p re dic t e ecclesie de S ixle duas b o ua t a s terre in S ix le a utw a re c um c ro ft is e t omnibus p e r t in e n c iis infra villam e t extra e t homagium duorum h o mi n um ibidem c o mo ra n c ium Wille lm i scilicet e t Yuo n is frat ris eius e t he re d um e o rum e t ha b ui in eadem villa e t t o t a m o quicquid partem terre mee e t n e m o ri s in territorio de Ki n e th o rpa quod v o c a t ur Mic he lhage libere e t quiete ab omni e xa c c io n e e t s e r ui c i o in puram e t perpetuam e le m o s i n a m Concessi e c ia m eis ut nemus ut rumq ue scilicet Stort e t Mic h e lh a ge i n c lud a n t vel per fo s sa t um vel per s e pe m e t quicquid eis lib ue rit inde faciant H anc vero d o n ac io n e m feci eis e t c o n firm a c io n e m pro a n imab us patris e t matris mee e t om n ium a n te c e s s o rum me o r um e t pro mea me o rumque salute e t w a ra n tiz ab o eis e t heredes mei post me erga omnes homines de omnibus s e r uic iis e t c o n s ue t udin ib us e t e x a c c io n ib us impe rpe t uum Ne c n o n vero concessi eis e t h a c carta c o n firma ui excambium illud quod ipsi fratres de Markeby fe c e r un t de una parcata terre ante h o s tium b a rc a rie e o ru m scilicet fratrum de S ix le ut eadem terra sit e o r um possessio de me e t h e r e dib us meis imp e rpe t uum Hiis t e s t ib us Roberto del Annei G alfr id o de Wit ka le Radulfo clerico de He i n t o n a Radulfo clerico de Hotham Hugo n e de S c o t e n e i Simone de Gri mke lth o rpa Alexandro de Ble s e b y Willelmo filio Ma t h e i de Te ue le s b y Willelmo filio R o ge ri de T e ue le sb y Ha mo n e les Ka n c e is Hugo n e Malet de L in d e w o d e e t Gilberto fratre eius Radulfo le abbe de He i n t un e Henrico de Wyfly ng lz a rn De rc h e n de

Wyfly n gha m Augustino de Wic h a m Acca famulo Alberti Grelle .

[ 1 5 ] U n iue rs is s a n c t e matris ecclesie filIIS J o c e lin us frater regine s a lute m S c i at i s quod a s s e n s u e t voluntate domini regis e t c o n c e s s u uxoris mee Agn e t i s de Perci e t h e re d um m e o rum concessi e t dimisi e t h a c carta mea c o n firm aui s a n c t imo n ialib us de S i xle e t e a r um frat rib us c a n o n ic is e t c o n ue rs is i n perpetuam feudi fir ma m totum m a n e ri um meum de L udfo rd a c um omnibus pe rtin e n c iis suis e t quicquid ibidem iuris h a b e b a m infra villam e t extra tam i n re ddit u quam in ho mi n ib us e t in omnibus ceteris re b us plene e t integre e t ho n o rific e e t Sine omni occasione e t placito S ic ut liberum e t d e me n ium m a n e rium meum quod dominus rex michi dedit pro s e ruic io meo quando p re dic t a m Ag n e t e m michi in uxorem dedit n ullo Iure michi vel h e re dib us meis inde re t e n t o preter s e ruic ia e t 1 [ 1 4 ] To all the sons of holy mother church Lambert de

e n i . S c o t sends greeting Know that I have given , granted , and by this my present ch a rter confirmed to God and the church of blessed S ix le Mary of and the nuns and their brethren , canons and lay , in S ix le o f serving God there , all my demesne , namely three bovates ’ utware land a with tofts , crofts , and all appurtenances within o f the village and without , and all my land and grove Kingthorpe which is called Stort , free and quit from all earthly service . More G o d over I , Lambert , have given and granted to and the convent o f the aforesaid c hurch of S ix le two bovates o f land i n S ix le a ’ utwa re with crofts and all appurtenances within the village and without , and the homage of two men dwelling there , namely the William and Ivo his brother , and homage of their heirs , and i n whatever I had the same village , and all my land and grove called Mic he lhage i n the territory o f Kingthorpe free and quit from all exaction and service in pure and perpetual alms . I have also granted to them that they may enclose both the grove o f Stort and o f Mic h e lha e that g either by a ditch or a hedge , and do therewith what pleases them . Moreover I have made them this gift and con firmatio n for the souls of my father , my mother and all my ancestors , a n d and for my own safety and that of my kin , and I my heirs will warrant it to them from all services , customs , and exactions , against

. all men for ever , Moreover I have granted and confirmed to them in this charter the exchange which the brethren o f Markby made o f one rood of land before the gate o f the Sheepfold of the brethren o f S ixle that the same land may be their possession held of me and my Hen r heirs for ever . [ y 1 N o 1 i s a u i c f n I s e I . e . 3 d pl at e o o . ( p )

1 o f [ 5] To the whole body the sons of holy mother church , ’ Jocelin the queen s brother sends greeting . Know that with the assent a n d will o f the lord king and with the consent of my wife o f dimise d Agnes de Perci and my heirs I have granted , , and by this my present charter confirmed to the nuns o f S ix le and their i n brethren , canons and lay brothers , perpetual fee farm all my manor d of Lu ford with all its appurtenances , and whatever right I had i n me n a n d there within the village and without , as well in rent as i n all other things , fully , completely , and honourably , and free from all suit and plea , even as my free and demesne manor which the lord king gave me for my ser vice at the time when he gave me the afore said Agnes to wife ; reserving n o right t o me or my heirs except t he 7 TRANSCRI PTS OF C HARTERS

t e n e m e n t a milit um me o rum que ipsi tenent in eadem villa e t preter d uo d e c im libras argenti quas michi e t h e re dib us meis a n n uat im p e rs o luan t in L udfo rd a sine malo ingenio scilicet vi libras ad pente cost en e t vi libras ad fe s tum Sancti Martini per hominem mitt e nd o quem ego e t uxor mea e t heredes mei ad h o c a ss ig n aue rimus c um litt e rarum n o st ra r um mandato C oncessi e c ia m eis R ic ard um filium Ulf c um h e re dib us suis e t cum t e n e m e n t o eius libere e t quiete infra p re dic t a m feudi firma m E t h e c omnia w a ran tiz ab o eis libere e t quiete erga dominum regem e t erga omnes homines e t h e re d e S mei post me impe r pe t uum pro p re dic tis d uo d e c im libris a n n uis de omni bus s e c ularib us s e ruic iis e t a ux iliis e t c o n s ue t ud in ib us e t e x ac c io n i bus e t de omnibus rebus Pro concessione h uius rei w a ra n t iz a n d e e t c o n firmac io n e dedit c o n ue n t us pre dic t i loci de S ixle michi e t uxori mee centum libras argenti i n die qua hanc c a rt a m re c e pe runt quas ego ab eis s us c e pi J e re s o lim a m p r o fe c t urus ad s umpt us it in e r is mei He c omnia a fli d a ui in manu Thome filii Wille lmi fide lit e r e t absque malo ingenio eis tenenda a me e t he re dib us meis imper pe t uum Hoc ipsum a ffid av e ru n t precepto meo E rn ulfus pre s b it e r de Pe t te wo rthe R a d ulphus filius meus e t J o c e li n us nepos meus e t Wille lm us Ha ut e riue e t Simon de Wauro Ga lfrid us de Perci s e n e sc a llus meus Wille lmus C le ric us meus Wa lt e rus C le ric us de ’ Ho rke s t o u R o b e rt us filius Roberti Wille lmus de Murr e r s R ic ard us de G a lmyt un e coram hiis t e s t ib us Roberto de Ho s pit ali Galfrid o de Witkale Alano de Ke ue rm ut L an d ric o clerico Willelmo e t Ricardo c a pe lla n is de Wyfly n gh am Radulfo de Hotham Thoma filio Wille lmi Simone filio R a d ulfi Willelmo de Atune L amberto de S c o t e n e i e t Wa lt e ro fratre eius Willelmo de B aio c is Hugo n e Malet Rogero Mus t e ile Thoma de B e s e b y Alano de Malb e rth o rp a Roberto filio R a d ulfi Hug o n e de S c o t e n i Radulfo clerico de He i n t un e Alano de We lle t un e G a lfrid o albo Willelmo de Perci Roberto filio p re s b e t e ri [s i c] de Ka ile s th o rpa O sb e rto de Lincolnia P Willelmo de arys . [1 6] Notum sit cuntis C hristi fide lib us tam futuris quam pre s e n t ib us quod ego R o b e rt us filius Roberti a sse n s u uxoris mee Emme e t h e re d um m e o rum concessi e t dimisi impe rpe t uum ecclesie S a n c t e Marie de S ix le e t omni c o n ue n t ui ibidem deo se ruie n t i villam de L e gge sb y t o t a m e t integram c um omnibus pe rti n e n c iis que infra quatuor di uis a s e iusd e m ville c o n tin e n t ur si n e ali n o retene mento T e n e n d a m de me e t de he re dib us meis in feudi'rmam per quatuor libras michi vel he re dib us meis a n n uatim reddendo quad 1 r a gin t a solidos ad fe st um sancti Michaelis e t pre dic t us c o n ue n t us fa c ie t fo rin s e c um s e r uic ium dimidii milit i s per n ummo s suos michi vel he re dib us meis salva comuni [s ic] pastura s ic ut fuit inter Hot ham e t L e gge sb Hanc vero firm a m p re n o min at am e t s e ruic i um pre dictum e go vel e re d e s mei vel a liquis ex precepto nostro i n cenobio de S ixle terminis p re dic tis s us c ipie mus s ic ut ante pro mis sum est E t s c ie n d um quod ego R o b e rt us e t heredes mei h o c feudum e t tene mentum waran tiz ab imus pre dic to cenobio contra omn e s homi ne s S IKLE SERI ES 7 serv ices and tenements o f my knights which they hold in the same vil o f lage , and twelve pounds silver which the nuns Shall pay to me and

my heirs yearly in Ludford without guile , namely six pounds at Whit s un t ide and S ix pounds at the feast of saint Martin sending them by the man whom I a n d my wife and my heirs shall assign for this r purpose by the appointment of o u letters . Moreover I have granted to them Richard s o n o f Ulf with his heirs and with his tenement free and quit within the aforesaid fee farm . And I and my heirs after h a n d me for ever will warrant to t em all these things freely quietly , for the aforesaid twelve pounds yearly , against the king and against m e n a n d all from all services , aids , customs , exactions , and from all things . For the grant and confirmation of the warranty hereof the convent of the aforesaid place o f S ix le o n the day in which they received this charter have given to me a n d my wife a hundred pounds of silver which I received from them as I was about to s e t o fo r ut for Jerusalem the expenses Of my journey . I have pledged my faith i n the hand of Thomas s o n o f William that all these things Shall be secured to the nuns by me and my heirs faithfully a n d E r n ul o f without deceit for ever . At my command f the priest s o n Petworth , Ralf my , Jocelin my grandson , William Hauterive ,

Simon de Wauro , Geoffrey de Perci my steward , William my Clerk , s o n o f Murre rs a n d Walter clerk of Horkstow , Robert William de , Richard o f Ganton have pledged their faith to this i n the presence Hen r [ I of these witnesses . [ y ]

[1 6] Be it known to all the faithful of C hrist as well future as present that I Robert son of Robert with the assent of my wife Emma and of my heirs have granted and dimise d for ever to the church of saint Mary of S ixle a n d the whole convent serving G o d o f a ur there , the village Legsby whole and entire with all its pp t e na n c e s which are contained within the four boundaries o f the same village without any exception ; to hold o f me and my heirs i n fee

- m farm rendering four pounds annually to me and y heirs , forty l shillings at the feast o f saint Michael a n d the aforesaid convent Shall do the forinsec service o f half a knight through their pence to me and my heirs I reserving the common pasture as it was between

Holtham a n d Legsby . Mo reover I or my heirs o r another at our command shall receive this aforenamed rent and aforesaid service i n the monastery of S ix le at the aforesaid terms as is premised . And be it known that I Robert an d my heirs will warrant this fee 8 TRANSCR I PTS OF C HARTERS

propter firma m e t s e r uic ium s ic ut in presenti carta c o nt in e t ur Huins rei testes sunt Magister Malger R ad ulfus d e Hotham Ala n us ’ ’ sacerdos Stephanus de Kill Ma rm a n d uc de Ar G o d e frid us de ’ Hap Wille lm us filius R o ge ri Thoma fili us R a d ulfi R o b e rt us filius Wa lt e ri de Perc i Ricardo [s ic ] filius Roberti Hugo nobilis Hum ” ’ fre i d e We lle to n a An s t rit de Harp R ic ard us filius Stephani Hugo filius Alani R o b e rt us e t T o rs ta n ns fratres eius G alfrid us filius ’ Roberti Thomas de Killing Rumi de Po c li n g to n a T o rsta nus de e t R a d ulfus s ic filius Hotham frater eius Rogero [ ] Pagani .

[ 1 7] O mnibus C hristi fid e lib us presentem c art am v is uris uel a udit uris Simon filius Philippi de Kyma s a lut e m No ue rit un iue rs it a s vestra me p ro salute anime mee e t a n t e c e s s o rum e t s uc c e s s o r um m e o r um c o n c e s s i s s e d e dis s e e t ha c presenti carta c o n firmas s e deo e t beate Marie e t c o n ue n t ui de Sixilla i n liberam p uram e t perpetuam e le m o s in a m R a d ulfum filium Walt e ri de He lp n gh a m [s i c] n a tiuum meum c um c a t a llis e t tota sequela sua c um decem e t s e x acris terre l 2 e t c um toto quo idem R a d ulfus manet E t R o b e rt um c are c a n um n at iuum meum c um c at a llis e t tota sequela sua c um una bouata terre e t terre [s ic ] c um un o tofto in quo idem R o b e rt us manet E t Gal fr id um F a uke s n a t iuu m meum c um c at allis e t tota sequela sua c um una bouata terre e t uno tofto in Helpringham in quo idem G a lfrid us manet Et t o t a m t e rra m meam quam h ab ui infra quatuor d iuis a s de Ke ue rm un d c um p e rtin e n c ii s cum dominico manso meo i n eadem villa e t quicquid ha b ui tam in lib e r i s quam i n v illa gii s [s ic] e t i n omnibus a liis s e r uic iis re dditib us r e le uiis w a rdis s e c t is e t e s c ae tis in villa de Ke ue r mu n d Habendum e t tenendum eidem c o n u e n t ui libere quiete e t p a c ific e s ic ut a liq ua elemosina melius uel liberius haberi vel teneri po t e rit ab a liq uib us viris re ligio s is impe rpe t uum E t ego e t heredes mei w a ra n tiz ab im us a c quie t a b im us e t d e fe n d e m us omnia pre dicta s i c ut pre dic t um est p re dic t o c o n ue n t ui de Sixilla s ic ut liberam puram e t perpetuam e le m o s in a m n o st ram de omnibus contra omnes homines impe rpe t uum Et ad cuius [s zc] rei perpetuam s t ab ilit at e m presentem c ar t am sigillo meo c o rro b o ra ui Hiis t e s tib us domino Rollano de Ne uilla domino Normanno Darcy domino Philippo C h aun c y domino Willelmo de Al ueto domino Radulfo de Berke warda magist ro Nic h o lao de S po n dona persona de By n b ro ke Roberto de Baio c is de T e ue lb y Johanne de C laxby Alano clerico de Win l ingham Willelmo de C ro st e s e Reynero de Sotby Ricardo T us c he t de Hay n t o n a Ricardo filio Thome de eadem He n rico filio Wille lmi de L udfo rd a

[ 1 8 ] Omnibus C hristi fide lib us presentem c art am v isuris vel ‘ a udit uris magister Od o de Kilke n n i s alut e m No ue rit un i ue rsita s vestra me diuin e pie t ati s intuitu pro salute anime mee e t omnium a n te c e sso rum e t s uc c e ss o rum me o rum c o n c e ss is se d e dis se e t h ac presenti carta mea c o n fir masse deo e t beate Marie e t c o n ue nt ui de Sixilla in liberam e t perpetuam e le mo sin am d o minic um mansum meum in Ho wto n a c um e dific iis i n e o de m sitis e t o mnes terras

9 TRANSCR I PTS OF C HARTERS re ddit us e t t e n e m e n ta e t omnia prata e t omnes t o ft o s e t c ro ft o s e t omnimoda iura que a liq ua n d o a liq uo modo h ab ui i n v illis e t infra quatuor d iuis a s de Ho ut o n a e t B e ke ry n ga sine a liq uo re t in e m e n t o c u m m o le n di n o meo ad v e n t um i n territorio de Ho ut o n a Sito scilicet ex dono Johannis filii R e in e r i de Ho ut o n a e t de dono Alicie matris l e ius de m Johannis e t de dono Thome Must e llmin o ris de We st iry n g tona e t de dono Wa lt e r i North de Ho ut o n a e t de dono R a d ulfi S w e t b y t h e b a n de eadem e t de dono Gilberti filii Johannis de B e ke ry n ga e t de dono B artho lo m e i filii Ri c ardi de Ho ut o n a Siue c uius c umq ue d o n ac io n i s sint s e u v e n dic io n is nichil michi vel he re dib us meis inde retente [s i c ] Habenda e t tenenda eidem c o n ue n t ui de Sixilla libere quiete e t p a c ific e e t integre c um omnibus p e rti n e n c iis suis a i s ia m e n tis lib e r t a t ib us lib e ri s communis ad omnia pre dic t a p e rt i n e n t ib u s infra villas e t extra fa c ie n d o inde pro omnibus dominis fe o do rum que eis inde de iure d e b e n t ur T ra didi e c ia m eidem c o n ue n tui omnes cartas p re n o mi n a t o r um simul c um presenti carta mea e t c iro gr a phum i n curia domini regis c o n fe c t um ut pre d ic ti e t e o rum heredes eidem c o n ue n tui faciant w ar a n t um cum necesse fuerit quod michi vel h e re dib us meis facere d e b uis s e n t Et ut h o c donum meum stabile e t i n c o n c us sum imp e rpe t uum p e r ma n e t [s ic ] presentem c a rt a m sigilli mei i n pr e s s i o n e m u n it a m eidem c o n ue n t ui inde t ra didi in testimonium perpetuum Hiis t e stib us Roberto m are s c a llo memorati m agist ri Johanne filio Roberti clerico e ius d e m m agist ri Wa lt e ro de Kareby Willelmo Blawn Chard de Ne tilt o n a Willelmo filio F ulc o n i s de eadem Wa lt e ro filio Alani de Wyfli nglza rn Rogero filio Wille lmi De rky n Alano Wyles de eadem villa .

[ 1 9] O mnibus C hristi fide lib us presentem c art am v isuri s vel aud it ur is Beatrix de We rly s a lut e m No ue rit un iue rs it a s vestra me pro salute anime mee a n t e c e s s o rum e t s uc c e s s o rum m e o rum c o n c e s s iss e -d e dis s e e t ha c presenti carta mea c o n firm a ss e deo e t beate Marie e t c o n ue n t ui de Sixilla in liberam puram e t perpetuam e le mo sin a m ho m a gia re ddit us e t s e ruic ia que Hugo de Ho lle w e lla Andreas fili us Gilberti le Bretun de B a rke w o rda e t R o b e rtus Must e ll de Wyfly n gha m liberi homines mei michi facere s o le b a n t e t d e b e b a n t pro o m n im o dis t e n e m e n t is quod de me t e n ue r un t in villa e t infra i s e a rkb o rd a s i c c um e rtin e n c iis quatuor d ui s a . d Est W [ ] omnibus p Videlicet de Hugo n e de Ho le w e lla re ddit um x1 d e n a rio r um de Andrea filio Gilberti le Bretun re ddit um X s o lid o rum e t de Roberto m Ib Must e lla de Wyfly n gh a m re ddit um unius libre cimini c um o n us aliis s e ruic iis michi aliquo modo aliquo casu a liq uo tempore de e i s d e m d e b it is nullo iure michi e t h e re dib us meis inde re t e n t o salua tameh michi e t h e re dib us meis ad uo c a c io n e ecclesie de B arc h ewo rda Pre te re a dedi concessi e t h ac presenti carta mea c o n fir m aui p re dic t o c o n ue n t ui de Sixilla in liberam puram e t perpetuam e le m o s in am Walt e rum Est e t J o h a n n e m de S pIn Is de li s s uIs E st b arke w o rd a n at iuo s meos c um c at allis e t omnibus s e que i n e i i s ue d c um d uo b us to ftis e t d uab us b o uat is terre cum pe rt nc q e S IKLE SERI ES 9

i n situated the same , and all lands , rents , and tenements , and all a ll r meadows , and tofts and crofts , and all manner of ights that I had at any time i n a n y way in the villages and within the four B e ke rin a n boundaries of Holton and g without y reservation , with my windmill standing in the territory o f Holton ; namely those lands c o f s o n o f o f whi h I had by the gift John Reiner Holton , and by o f the gift of Alice mother of the same John , and by the gift Thomas o f o f W Mustel the younger West Torrington , and by the gift alter a n d S we tb the b a n North of Holton , by the gift of Ralf y of the s o n o f same , and by the gift of Gilbert of John Beckering , and by o f o f o f the gift Bartholomew son Richard Holton , or of whatsoever

o r t o . gift sale they may be , reserving nothing me or my heirs S ix le To have and to hold to the same convent of freely , quietly ,

and peaceably , and completely , with all appurtenances , easements , i s liberties , and free commons pertaining to all that aforesaid fo r within the village and without , doing thence all things to the lords n of the fees those thi gs which are due from them by right . I have also conveyed to the sam e convent all the charters of the aforenamed

persons together with this my present charter, and the indenture o f made in the court the lord king , so that when it is necessary the aforenamed people and their heirs Shall make the warranty to the

convent which they should have made to me or my heirs . And that

this my gift may remain stable and unshaken for ever , I have

delivered this present Charter , strengthened by the impression of my Ci r ca 1 2 0 seal , to the same convent in perpetual witness thereof. [ 5 ]

S i c ss i fo r i n ni o i s : p o bly r .

[ 1 9] To all the faithful of Christ who shall see o r hear this i i Ve rl . present charter , Beatr ce de sends greeting Let the whole body of y o u know that for the Safety of my soul and the souls of my ancestors and successors I have granted , given , and by this my present charter confirmed in free , pure , and perpetual alms to God and blessed Mary and the convent of S ixle the o homages , rents , and services that Hugh de Holl well , Andrew s o n o f Mus t e ll Gilbert the Breton of Barkwith , and Robert of Willingham my free men were wont and ought to do to me for all manner of tenements which they held of me in the village an d a ur within the four boundaries of East Barkwith , with all pp t e n an c e s Ho lle we ll ; namely from Hugh de a rent of forty pence , w s o n o f from Andre of Gilbert the Breton a rent ten shillings , and from Robert Mus te ll o f Willingham a rent of one pound of i n cummin , with all other services due from the same to me any manner from any cause at any time , reserving no right therefrom to me and my heirs , saving nevertheless to me and my heirs the o f c advowson the chur h of Barkwith . Moreover I have given , i n granted , and confirmed this my present charter to the aforesaid c S ix le i n onvent of free , pure , and perpetual alms , Walter East and J ohn Thorn s of East Barkwith my born serfs with their chattels and I O TRANSCR I PTS OF C HARTERS me t e n ue run t in villa e t in territorio de B a rke wo rd Habend um e t ‘ te n end um p re dic t o c o n ue n t ui de Sixilla libere quiete integre bene e t i n pace s ic ut a liqua elemosina melius uel liberius haberi vel teneri potest in [s i c] aliquib us viris r e ligio s i s impe rpe t uum E t ego Beatrix e t heredes mei wa ra n t iz a b im us a c quie t ab im us e t d e fe n d e m us omnia p re dic t a ut p re dic t um e s t pre dic t o c o n ue n t u i de Sixilla sic ut liberam puram e t perpetuam e le m o s in a m de omnibus contra omnes imper pe t uum In cuius rei testimonium presentem c a r t a m sigillo meo i c o rro b o ra u . Hiis t e s t ib us domino Reginaldo de J e r pe luiul [s ic ] domino Roberto persona de West B a r kw o rd a Willelmo de B le syb y Reynero de S o tt e b y Willelmo de B e ny n gw o rd a Radulfo de Ha wlay de Ho ut o n a Philipp o de Merle de S un t ho r pa Thoma Mus t e ll de T r n t o n a filio y y g Ricardo Thome de Hay n t o n a .

[20] Cuntis C hristi fid e lib u s Thomas filius Wille lmi filii ‘ Ha c o n i s s a lut e m S c ia t is me pro amore dei e t pro salute mea e t a mic o rum m e o rum v iuo ru m e t m o rt uo r um c o n c e s si s s e d e d is s e e t hac mea carta c o n firm a s s e deo e t beate Marie e t c o n ue n t ui m o n ia liu m canonicorum e t fratrum de Sixilla ibidem d e o fa m ula n c i um in puram e t perpetuam e le mo s i n a m quatuor b o uat a s terre e t dimidia m b o uat a m terre i n territorio de Hay n t o n a cum omnibus lib e r t at ib us e t p e rtin e n c iis suis Videlicet illas duas b o ua t a s terre quas Od o p ris b it e r [s i c ] ’ tenuit e t illa m b o uat a m terre que fuit G o d ui n i G ule s ue ll E t ad fa c ie n d a m quar ta m b o uat a m terre dedi prefato c o n ue n tui u n d e c im ’ acras terre quas T o ra ld us Wa m n all tenuit qua rum decem acre e t d imidia acra ia c e n t d e ue r s le est de Hay n t un e e t dimidia acra del west de Hay n t o n a e t de meo d e m e n io dedi eis d e ue rs le est de Hay n t o n a n o ue m acras terre Dedi etiam e is illa m dimidia m b o ua t a m terre que fuit Angeri coci He c omnia concessi e t dedi prefato c o n ue n t ui libera e t quieta ab omni s e ruitio s e c ula r i e t e x ac c io n e in puram e t perpetuam e le m o s in a m . E t ego e t heredes mei m a n ut e n e b imus e t wara n t iz a b imus plenarie e t integre prefato c o n ue n t ui hanc e le m o s in a m mostram i mpe r pe t uum erga omnes homines e t a c quie t ab im us de omni re Hiis t e st ib us Johanne e t Benedicto de T a ue ls b y Rogero c ape lla n o de Sixilla Willelmo c a pe lla n o de Wiuilli n gha m J o c io m a gi s t ro de L udfo rd a Alano persona de C he ue rmo n t Simone c a pe lla n o domini Thome Rogero l s c e de Spenser [ i ] .

[ 2 1 ] O mnibus s an c t e matris ecclesie filIIs pre s e n t ib us e t futuris Thomas de S c o t e n e y filius Wille lmi filius R o g e r i f s alut e m No ue rit un iue rsit a s vestra me di ui n e pie t ati s intuitu pro salute anime mee e t omnium a n t e c e s s o rum e t s uc c e s s o r um m e o rum c o n c e s s is s e e t h ac presenti carta mea c o n firm a ss e deo e t beate Marie e t c o n ue n t ui de Sixilla in perpetuam e le m o si n a m t o t am t e rra m meam a rab ile m e t pratum in d o min ic is e t in s e ruic iis quam hah n i infra quatuor diuis a s de We s t wy kha m c um omnibus pe rt i n e n c iis excepto s e r uic i o unius t o fti e t d uar um b o ua t arum quam R ic ard us C le r ic us de Bin b ro ka e t Auic ia uxor e i us et heredes e iIi s d e m Auic ie de me S IKLE SERI ES 1 0

with all their issues , with two tofts and two bovates of land with appurtenan c es which they held of me in the village and territory of S ix le Barkwith . To have and to hold to the aforesaid convent of c i n freely , quietly , ompletely , well , and peace , as freely as any alms may best and most freely be had or held in any manner by religious

m e n fo r ever . And I Beatrice and my heirs will warrant , acquit , and defend all the aforesaid things as is aforesaid from everything against

m e n fo r a s . In all ever free , pure , and perpetual alms witness whereof I have confirmed the present charter with my seal . [ Ci r ca 1 2 2 0]

[2 0] To all the faithful of Christ Thomas s o n o f William s o n fo r d of Ha c o n sends greeting . Know that the love of G o and the o f safety of myself and my friends alive and dead I have granted , a n d c i n a n d given , by this my charter onfirmed pure perpetual alms , to God a n d blessed Mary and the convent of nuns canons and S ixle brethren of , serving God there , four and a half bovates of land In the territory o f Hainton with all their liberties a n d a pp ur t e n o f O d o auces , namely those two bovates land which the priest held , ’ a n d wa s G ule s ue lls that bovate of land which Godwin , and to make up the fourth bovate Of land I have given to the aforesaid c o f T h o ra ld W a m n all o f c convent eleven a res land which held , whi h o f a n d ten acres and a half lie towards the east Hainton , a half acre o f o f to the west Hainton , and I have given them nine acres land from o f my demesne to the east Hainton . Moreover , I have given them ’ o f that half bovate land which was Anger the cook s . All these things I have granted and given to the aforesaid convent free a n d quit from all worldly service a n d exaction i n pure and perpetual

alms . And I and my heirs will maintain and warrant this o ur alms to the aforesaid convent fully and completely against all men for H [ . en r L ever , and we will acquit it from everything [ y ]

2 1 o f c [ ] To all the sons holy mother Chur h present and future , S c o e n i n o f n Thomas de t s o William s o of Roger sends greeting . Let the whole body o f you know that o ut of respect fo r divine piety for the safety o f my soul and the souls of all my ancestors and su c c essors I have granted a n d by this my present charter c onfirmed i n perpetual S ix le alms to God and blessed Mary and the convent of , all my a n d i n i n c arable land meadow , demesne and service , whi h I had a urt e n within the four boundaries of West Wykeham , with all pp a n c e s c tw o , ex ept the service of one toft and bovates which Richard the clerk o f Binbrook a n d Avice his wi fe and the heirs of the same I I TRA NSCR I PTS O F C HARTE RS tenent e t tenere d e b e n t Ha b e n d a m e t t e n e n d a m eidem c o n ue n t ui libere e t p ac ific e i n c ro ftis e t t o ft is in viis e t s e miti s pratis e t p a s t ur is a q uis e t m o le n din is e t omnibus a liis a is ia m e n t is infra villam e t extra S ic ut aliq ua elemosina melius uel liberius haberi e t teneri potest ab a liq uib us viris re ligio s is imp e rpe t uum Reddendo inde mi c hi e t h e re dib us meis a n n uatim dim idia m marcam argenti scili c et medie tatem ad Pe n te c o s te n e t m e die t a t e m ad fe st um sancti M artini pro omnibus que a c c id e re po t e r un t Et ego Thomas e t heredes mei w a ra n t iz ab im us e t d e fe n d e m us e t de omnibus a c quie t ab imus eidem c o n ue n t ui t o t a m pre dic t a m t e rra m c um omnibus pe rt in e n c iis contra omnes homines imp e r pe t uum E t S i forte c o n tige re t quod pre dic t us c o n ue n t us a liquo tempore aliquid ali o n i pro pre dic t a terra pro d e fe c t u mei uel h e re d um me o rum c o a c ti p e r s o lue ri n t id michi uel h e re dib us meis in p ro x imis terminis p re dic t e dimidie marce s o lue n d e c o mput a b it ur Et ut donum meum is t ud semper stabile pe rm a n e a t hanc presentem c a rt a m meam sigilli mei m un imi n e d ign um duxi c o ro b o ran d a m Hiis t e st ib us G a lfrid o tunc priore de Markeby Thoma tunc priore de Ir fo rd a G a lfrid o vicario de E s twikha m Ricardo vicario de Kat e b y Ha me lin o vicario de Ludfo rd a Radulfo vicario de We s twy kha m Thoma persona de Parua L udfo rda Wa lt e ro de Kylly n gho lm milite S up e rio de B aio c is Roberto B r e tti uilla [ s ic ] Simone de G rimpe ltho rpa Roberto de Hotham Roberto de B a io c i s d e T e ue lb y Willelmo de Ble s e b y Willelmo filio Gy n e ri de R a sy n Alano clerico de Wyfli ngka rn Willelmo abbate de Hay n t o n a Ricardo filio Thome de Hay n t o n a Hugo n e de Burg Willelmo filio Alani de eadem Roberto filio Alicie de E stwy kha m Willelmo filio Lews de Ludford Willelmo fllio De rky n de Wyfli ngna rn Walt e ro Wyles i Alano filio Eudo n s .

[2 2] Omnibus C hristi fid e lib us presentem c a rt am v is uris uel a udit ur is R ic a rd us filius Henrici de Offin gt o n a s alut e m No ue rit 1 universitas v estra c o n c e s sis s e d e dis s e e t ha c presenti carta mea c o n firma s s e d e o e t beate Marie e t c o n ue n t ui de Sixilla ad perpetuam fe o d i firm a m t o t a m t e rra m e t totum tenementum que hahn i i n villa e t infra quatuor diuis a s de By n b ro ka tam i n d o mi n ic i s quam i n . s e r uic iis libere t e n e n c ium e t Ville n agiis c um omnibus v illa n is e t corum s e c t i s e t c at a lli s E t s e rui c ium e t homagium domini Johannis de S aun t o n a e t h e re d um snorum scilicet s e r uic ium d imid u fe o di unius milit i s quod de me tenuit in eadem villa e t t o t a m illa m partem quam h a b ui in m o le n di n o de By n b ro ka E t totum s e ruic ium e t re dd it um que h ab ui in Wa rgh o lm c um omnibus p e rtin e n c iis tam scilicet in re liuis [s ic ] w a rdis s e c tis e t e x c a e tis quam in omnibus a liis s e ruic iis d ic t is terre t e n e me n t o e t re ddit ui a diac e n tib us c um omnibus a liis a is ia m e n t is lib e r ta t ib us lib e ri s c o mm un ib us in pratis p a s c uis e t p a s t ur is in a q ui s viis n e t s e miti s infra villam e t extra Sine a liq uo re t e n e me n t o Habendum e t tenend um eidem c o n ue n t ui libere quiete e t pac ific e impe rpe t uum Reddendo inde a n n uat im michi e t h e re dib us meis octo libras e t dimidia m marcam argen ti ad quatuor anni t e r min o s videlicet ad Natale domini q uad ragin t a solidos S IXLE S ERI ES I I

a n d Avi c e hold and ought to hold of me . To have to hold to the c r same onvent f eely and peaceably , in crofts and tofts , in ways i n and paths , meadows and feedings , waters and mills , and all other easements within the village a n d without a s any alms may a n d m e n o f best or most freely be had held by any religion , for ever , d ren ering therefrom yearly to me and my heirs half a mark of silver , fo r all things which may arise , half at Whitsuntide and half at the feast of saint Martin . And I Thomas and my heirs will warrant , c s defend , and a quit to the same convent all the afore aid land with

it s c . all appurtenan es , from all things against all men for ever And if by change it Should happen that the aforesaid convent at any time Should be forced to pay anything to anyone for the aforesaid land through my default o r that o f my heirs it shall be charged against me and my heirs in t he following terms o f payment of the aforesaid half mark . And that this my gift may always remain stable , I have seen fit to confirm it with the protection of my seal . [1 2 2 8 1 T e s r e fix f r h e d ate s a e d by t he a tt e st at io n o f t h e pr i o r o Ma kby .

[2 2] To all t he faithful o f Christ who Shall see or hear this c s o n o f o f ffin to n present harter Richard Henry U g sends greeting . a n d Let the whole body of you know that I have granted , given , by this my present charter confirmed to Go d and blessed Mary and the convent of S ix le at perpetual fee farm the whole land a n d the whole tenement which I had in the village a n d within the four boundaries of Binbrook as well in demesne as in the services o f free tenants and in villein lands , with all the villeins and their issues and chattels and S aun t o n the service and homage of Sir John and his heirs , namely ’ the service of half a knight s fee which he held of me i n the same village and all that part that I had in the mill of Binbrook and all the service and rent which I had in Wragh o lme with all a ppurt e n u i n i n a ces as well reliefs , wardships , suits , and escheats as all other t services attaching to the said land , tenement , and rent , with all o her c easements , liberties , and free ommons , in meadows , pastures , and i n feedings , waters , ways , and paths , within and without the village without any reservation . To have and to hold to the same convent freely, quietly , and peaceably for ever , rendering therefrom yearly to me and my heirs eight pounds and half a mark of silver at i n a C four terms the year , n mely at hristmas forty shillings and 1 2 TRANSCR I PTS OF C HAR TERS e t v igin t i d e n a ri o s e t ad Pasca q ua dra gin ta solidos e t v igi n ti d e n a rio s e t ad fe s t um Sancti Johannis baptist e Xlsolidos e t XX d e n a rio s e t ad fe s t um sancti Michaelis q uad ra gin t a solidos e t v igin ti d e n a rio s michi e t he re dib us meis uel certo nuncio nostro per litt e ra s nostras patentes in domo de Sixilla pe rs o lue n d o s pro omnibus s e ruic iis e t consuetudini bus e x a c c io n ib us e t d e ma n dis que a liq uo modo a liquo casu a liq uo tempore a c c id e re po te r un t imp e rp e t u um saluo tameh fo ri n s e c o s e r uic io quod tam per liberos quam per uilla n o s s o lue t ur E t ego R ic a rd us e t heredes mei w a ra n tiz a b im us a c q uie t ab imus e t defende mus t o t a m p re dic t a m t e rra m e t tenementum e t omnia alia prenom inata c um pe r tin e n c iis p re dic t o c o n ue n t ui de Sixilla ut pre dic t um est pro pre dic t o annuo s e ruic io de omnibus contra omnes homines impe rpe tuum E t ad cuius rei perpetuam s t a b ilit a t e m presenti carte i n modum c i ro gra phi c o n fe c te signum meum e t signum pre dic ti c o n ue n t us mutuo est a ppo s it um Hiis t e s tib us domino Thoma de S c o t e n e y domino Willelmo de Aln e t o Roberto de B a io c is de T e ue lb y Alano de Be s e b y Stephano de Ir fo rd a Ricardo T o c he t de Ha y n t o n a Ricardo filio Thome de eadem Ricardo clerico de

By n b ro ke Willelmo de B o re we lla de eadem .

[23] C untis C hristi fid e lib us Wille lm us filius R o ge ri de T av e le s b y f s a lute m Vobis un iue rs is notum S it me c o n c e s s is s e 1 d e dis s e e t h a c mea c o n firma s s e deo e t s a n c t e Marie e t m o n ialib us d e S ix le e t fra t rib us e a r um c a n o n i c is e t la i c is i n puram e t perpetuam e le mo s in a m totum tenementum meum quod tenui de feudo R a d ulfi B rayb o f infra villam de T a ue le sb y vel in territorio de T a usle b y [s ic] scilicet quatuor b o ua t a s terre a ra b ilis in territorio de T a ue le s b y cum quatuor t o ftis i n eadem villa quos tenuit Bli n de l[s ic] e t m o le n di n um i n T a ue le sb y quod tenuit B lun d e llus de e o d e m feudo cum omnibus a liis pe rti n e n c iis suis i n pratis e t pas t uris i n viis e t s e mitis libera e t quieta ab omni s e c ulari s e r uic io e t e xa c c io n e excepto quod ipsi s o lue n t a nn ua t im pro omni s e c ulari s e ruit io prefato R ad ulph o Bray bof e t he re dib us suis post e um decem solidos argenti quinque solidos i n die Pasche e t quinque solidos ad fe st um Sancti Michaelis Dedi e c iam eis pre dic t um Blundel c um omni p o st e rit a t e sua e t c um toto t e n e me n t o e t s e rui c io suo impe rpe t uum scilicet c um una bouata terre que est de feudo R o ge ri de Mume gume De feudo etiam R o ge ri de Mume gun e dedi e is i n villa de T a ue le s b y totum illum toftum qui fuit R o ge ri de Mume g un e e t Ade filii sui ita magnum e t integrum s ic ut fuit quando melius e t ple n ius i n ha b it a ue run t i n puram e t perpetuam e le mo s in a m Dedi e c ia m eis G alfrid um cocum e t heredes suos c um t e n e m e n t o s uo e t dimidia bouata terre e t d uo b us t o fti s in T aue le s b y quorum unus t o ft us ia c e t versus aquilo n e m de domo R a d ulphi c e so rt us [s ic] alter vero versus o c c id e nt e m de m o le n d in o p re dic t a rum m o n i ali um e t meas duas s e lio n e s terre versus orientem de m o le n din o mo n ialium e t me um pratum pro x imum illo mo le ndi n o ad aq uilo n e m e t infra fo s sat u m suum ad pre dic t um m o le n din um suum duas s e lio n e s terre que fue ruut G o dfrid i quorum [s ic] lo n git ud o est de mo le n di n o illo versus a q uilo n e m e t la t it ud o ad o c c id e n t e m

1 3 TRANSCRI PTS OF C HARTERS

Concessi e c ia m eis e t c o n fir ma ui quicquid eis dedit Hugo filius Here burg secundum c a r ta m suam infra fo s s at um suum vel extra Dedi e c ia m eis s uffic i e n t e m in territorio de T a ue le s b y p as t ura m ad quad rin ge n t a s o ue S e t lib e rta t e m habendi fa ld a m suam omni die anni ad illas q ua d ri n g e n t a s o ue s ub ic un q ue v o lue ri n t super t e rra m suam e t c o mm un e m pa s t ura m ad tanta animalia que ad tantum feudum pertinent in eadem villa He c autem omnia s up ra s c ript a con c essi dedi e t h a c mea presenti carta c o n firm a ui deo e t c o n ue n t ui de S ix le in puram e t perpetuam e le m o s i n a m c um libero in t ro it u e t e x it u i n viis e t s e mit is e ius d e m v ille f e t h e c omnia w a ra n tiz a b o prefato c o n u e n t ui erga omnes homines impe rp e t uum e t heredes mei post me f Hiis t e s tib us Willelmo c a p e lla n o de Wyfly n gh a m Johanne c a p e lla n o de T a ue le s b y Rogero c a p e lla n o de S ixle Ricardo decano de Tyr y n gt o n a Alano persona de Ke v e rm o un t Radulfo clerico de Hotham J o c e o clerico de L udfo rd a Wa lt e ro de S c o t e n i R a d ulph o filio Wa ri n i Willelmo filio Ricardi Blundel S e rlo n e c a pe lla n o Thoma filio Wille lmi filii Ha c o n i s Willelmo filio s uo Ricardo filio R ad ulfi de Hay n to n a e t multis a lIIs

1 [24 ] C untis C hristi fide lib us Walt e rus de S c o te ny e t uxor eius Elena filia Wille lmi filii Goer f s a lut e m i n C hristo Notum s it omnibus qui hanc c a rt a m n o s t ra m le ge ri n t vel audie rin t nos d e dis s e i n perpetuam e le m o s i n a m s a n c t im o n ia lib us de S ixle quicquid h a b uimus in ecclesia de Wy fly n gha m c um omnibus p e rti n e n c iis suis nostri iuris in t o ftis e t ceteris terris nichil terreni comodi [s i c] nobis retinentes de p re dic t a d o n a tio n e nostra ut h a b un d a n tius prosit a n im ab us n o s t ris in futuro Ho c autem fe c im us a sse n s u patris uxoris mee videlicet Wille lmi filii Goer qui eis dedit quicquid iuris i n p re dic t a ecclesia habuit e t carta sua c o n firma ui t C a lump n ia m vero que v e rs a b a t ur inter nos e t Math e um de T a ue le s b y de media parte ecclesie de We y fly n gha m re mis im us e t c o n c e s s im us partem illa m ipsi Mat heo ad opus s a n c t imo n ia li um de S ix le quibus ipse concessit e t dedit qui c quid iuris h a b e b a t i n p re dic t a ecclesia S up e ra dd im us e t dedimus p re fa ti s s a n c t im o n ia lib us a mpla m m a n s ura m in ultima parte ville i n occidente ex ut raque parte vie que earn separat ut c um pre dic t a ecclesia eam h ab e a n t in perpetua possessione cum omni libertate e t Sine fa t iga tio n e terrene e x a c c io n is vel s e r uic ii H ui n s d o n at io n i s nostre testes sunt Wille lmus d e c a n us de C he uer rn un t Ala n us sacerdos de T he ue les by Sixto [s ic] sacerdos R ic a rd us sacerdos de Wyfly n gha m R a d ulph us c le ric us de Ho t h e im e t Go c e li n us frater eius Alue re d us c le ric us R o mfar us c le ric us de L udfo rd a R ad ulph us fili us Wa rin i de Ha int o n a Ricard a s filiu s Angeri Wille lm us Wither R a dulphus abbot Ivo de L udfo rd a ’ Ha mun d us R ic a rd us de Muln R o mpha rus de Wyfly n gh a m Rad ulfus fili us Ma t he i Wille lmus t o rt e main s Wa lt e r us abbas de Kyr chested Philippus abbas de R e ue s b y R a d ulphus abbas de Parc o Lude Gilb e rt us a bbas de S uin e sh a fd Wille lmus de B a n e v illa Wa lt e r us c le ric us de Hue ie le R a d ulfus filius Hac o n is e t filii eius

Simon e t R o b e rt us Wille lmus de Insula . S IKLE SERI ES 1 3

’ o f in land which were Godfrey s , which extend length from that mill towards the nort h and i n breadth towards the west . I have also granted a n d confirmed to them whatever Hugh s o n o f He re b urg gave to them within his ditch or without according to his charter . I have also given to them enough pasture i n the fields of Tealby for four hundred sheep a n d liberty of having their fold every day of the year for those four hundred Sheep wherever they wish on their land , and common pasture fo r as many animals as belong to a fee of this size a n d in the same village . Moreover I have granted , given , confirmed by this my present charter all these above -written things in pure and perpetual alms to God and the convent of S ix le with free entry and o f a n d exit in the ways and paths the same village , and I my heirs after me will warrant all these things to the aforesaid convent He n r [ L towards all men for ever . [ y ] 1 S ca a upply r t . 2 s f R e r d e M n tb e n e a c ar uc ate an d a a f In t h e L i nd e Sur ve o . I I o o o h y y , , g g ld h l i n Te a un f M rt a n lby o f t he c o t o o i . 3 f r n 2 Thi s n ame p ro bably st a nd s o the de F o rc us o f o . 5 .

1 [ 24 ] To all the faithful o f C hrist Walter de S c o te n i and Elena o f s o n o f his wife daughter William Goer send greeting in Christ . Be it known t o all who shall read or hear this o ur charter that we have given in perpetual alms to the nuns of S ixle whatever right we had i n the Church of Willingham with all its appurtenances i n n o in tofts and other lands , reserving earthly advantage to ourselves from the aforesaid gift , that it may more abundantly profit our souls i n the future . Moreover we have done this with ’ s o n the assent of my wife s father , namely William of Goer, who gave to them whatever right he had in the afores a id church and confirmed it also by his charter . We have released the claim which was at issue between us and Matthew of Tealby concerning the moiety o f the church o f Willingham and have granted that part to the said Matthew to the us e o f the nuns o f S ixle to whom he himself h a s i granted and given whatever right he had n the aforesaid church . In addition we have given to the aforesaid nuns a spacious messuage at the western end o f the village o n both sides o f the way which divides it , that they may hold it with the aforesaid church in per pe t ualpossession with every liberty a n d without the burden of earthly Ci r ca exaction or service . [

1 N is a u c a o . 2 i te o f n 4 d pl o . 7 . I 4 TR A NSCRI PTS o r C H A RTERS

[2 5] Notum Sit cuntis C hristi fid e lib us pre s e n tib us e t futuris quod ego Matheus de T aue le s b y a s se n s u domini mei e t [s i c] R e gi n a ld i de C re ue q ue r e t uxoris ei us M a t Ild zs e t omniu m filio r um s norum scilicet Alexandri Gilberti e t Simonis de C re ue q ue r e t m e o rum filio r um e t h e re d um m e o r um Wille lmi Johannis e t R a d ulfi concessi e t d imis s i i n feudum e t perpetuam possessionem c o n ue n t ui s a n c t e Marie de Sixilla t o ta m t o rram meam de Wiuilligha m c um omnibus p e rtin e n c i i s suis infra villam e t extra nullo Iure michi vel h e re dib us meis inde r e t e n t o scilicet n e c de re ddit u n e c de h o min ib us n e c de a liq ua re ad illa m t e rra m pertinente e t tres solidos re ddit us in An go th e b y vel ips a m meam t e rra m S i c o n ue n t us malue ri t in An go t he b y pro d uo d e c im marcis quas idem c o n ue n t us pe r s o lue t michi e t h e re dib us meis a n n ua t im pro omni s e rui c i o impe rpe t uum scilicet quatuor marcas i n p urific a t io n e beate Marie e t quatuor marcas ad pe n t e c o s t e n e t quatuor marcas ad fe st um Sancti M ichaelis E t s c ie n d um quod pro hiis d uo d e c im marcis quas a n n uatim michi s o lue n t e t h e re dib us meis ego e t heredes mei imper p e t uum wa ra n t iz a b im us prefato c o n ue n t ui p re dic t a m t e rra m de Wiuilligha m e t pre fa t um re ddit um t ri um s o lid o rum siue ips a m t e rra m in An go the b y e t a c quie t a b imus de omnibus s e r uic ii s domini regis e t a d v o c at o r um e t d o mi n o rum n e c n o n e t de omni alio s e ruic io e t iure e t consuetudine e t a ux ilii s e t omni e x a c c io n e e t c a lump n ia e t murd re e t re le f e t de omni re erga dominos meos e t regis ministros Et Si c onti n gat quod pro d e fe c t u mei vel he re d um m e o rum p re fa t us c o n ue n t us aliquid d e d e r it regi vel v ic e c o m iti vel dominis vel min ist ris vel a lic ui alii b omini pro eadem terra in firma p re dic t e terre mi c hi vel h e r e dib us meis c o mputa b it ur infra p re dic t a s d uo de c im marcas e t ipse c o n v e n t us i n tantum quietus e rit E t 1 s c ie n d um quod Si c o ga t ur c o n ue n t us de fir m a mea facere fo rin s e c u m servitium fa c ie t quidem quantum p e rti n e t ad feudum unius milit is Unus vero de c o n ue n t u unus vero de h o m in ib us de Wi uilligha m sequitur [s i c] placita regis e t v ic e c o mitis e t n o s a c q ui e t a b im us e o s de omnibus fore factis [s ic] e t Si c o n ue n t us Se a c q uie t a ue rit nobis c o mp ut a b it ur michi e t h e re dib us meis in firma nostra Han c vero c o n ue n t io n e m t e n e n d a m fid e lit e r e t w ar a n t iz a n d a m p re dic t o c o n ue n t ui versus omnes homines impe rp e t uum ut s up ra sc ript um e s t a ffid a uim us Sine malo ingenio ego Mathens e t Wille lm us p rim o g e n it us e t heres meus e t a n t e n o min a t i filii mei i n manu Roberti de Aln e t o , E t h o c vobis n o t ific e t ur q uod p re fat us c o n ue n t us dedit michi i n initio h ui us c o n ue n c io n is extra firm a m v igin t i marc as argenti ut e i concederem sepe n o mi n a t a m t e rr a m ad istam firm a m perpetuam e t Willelmo filio meo v igin t i solidos ad p a lle frid um e m e n d um e t domino meo Reginaldo de C re ue q ue r dedit c o n ue n t us tres marcas C o n ue n t us vero in veritate s p o po n de r un t fide m s e rua re michi e t n E t u he h e re dib us meis post me de terra illa e t de firm a s o lue d a . t c c o n ue n t io nostra firm a e t inconcussa p e rs e ue re t coram venera bili viro Roberto secundo Li n c o ln ie ns i episcopo in capitulo matri c is ecclesie per manus nostras i n m a n ib us eius c o n c e s s i m us e t pe pigim us e t sigillo nostro c o n fir m auim us e t sigillo ips ius c apit uli pendente S IXLE SERI ES 1 4

[25] Be it known to all the faithful of Christ present and ‘ future that I , Matthew of Tealby , with the assent of my lord C re ue ue r o f Reginald de q , and of his wife Maud , and all his children , C re ue ue r namely Alexander , Gilbert , and Simon de q , and of my sons a n d and heirs William , John , and Ralf, have granted demised in fee and perpetual possession t o the convent o f saint Mary of i xle S , all my land of Willingham with all its appurtenances within w the village and ithout , reserving no right to me or my heirs therein , i n i n m e n no r neither rent , nor , in anything belonging to that land and three shillings o f rent in Osgodby o r my land itself in O sgodby t c o n if the convent shall prefer it , for welve marks which the same fo r vent shall pay to me and my heirs yearly for all service ever , o f namely four marks at the purification the blessed Mary , and four c marks at Whitsuntide , and four marks at the feast of saint Mi hael . And be it known that fo r these twelve marks whi c h they Shall pay yearly to me and my heirs , I and my heirs will warrant the aforesaid land of Willingham and the aforesaid rent of three Shillings o r the in O fo r land itself sgodby to the aforesaid convent ever , and we will c o f a n d o f a quit it from all service the lord king , and of guardians , c c a n d lords , and also from all other servi e , and right , and ustom , from c aids , and from every exa tion and suit , and from murder , and relief ’ ’

a n d ki n s o ffic e rs . and from everything, against my lords the g And if it happen that through my default or that of my heirs the afore c said onvent Shall have given anything to the king , or the Sheriff, o r ffic o r or the lords , the o ers , to any other man for the same land it Shall be charged to me and my heirs within the aforesaid twelve i n o f c marks , the rent the aforesaid land , and the onvent Shall be quit to that amount . And be it known that if the convent Shall be 1 forc ed to do forinsec service o ut o f the rent due to me it Shall only ’ c o n e do as mu h as pertains to o n e knight s fee . Moreover man from the convent and o n e from the m e n o f Willingham [ Shall] follow the pleas o f the king and the Sheriff and we will acquit them from all forfeitures , and if the convent shall have c t o a quitted itself it shall be charged us , namely to me and my heirs in our rent . Moreover I Matthew, and William my firstborn s o n and heir , and my aforenamed sons have pledged our faith with out guile i n the hand of Robert de Aln e t o faithfully to hold and warrant this agreement as is above written to the aforesaid convent against all men for ever . And be this known to y o u that the in aforesaid convent the beginning of this agreement have given to me , o f beyond the rent , twenty marks silver that I should grant them s o n the often mentioned land at this perpetual rent , and to my

William twenty Shillings to buy a palfrey , and to my lord Reginald C re ue ue r c de q the onvent have given three marks . Moreover the convent have promised in truth to keep faith with me and my heirs after me concerning the land and the payment o f the rent . And that this our agreement may remain firm and unshaken we have made and contracted it before the venerable man Robert the second , c i n t e c b o u bishop of Lin oln , the chapter of h mother hurch , y r 1 5 TRANSCRI PTS OF C HARTERS

c o ro b o ra uim us teste ipso capitulo e iusd e m ecclesie Roberto archi diacono Umfrid o s ub d e c an o Radulfo de Kaham Rogero p re se nt o re Reginaldo Simplice Rogero p a r uo He rue o filio Wille lmi Pagano c a n o n ic is e ius d e m ecclesie Rogero de De rre b y Ada de Mun d e uile Yle b e rt o Willelmo decano de C apra monte Roberto de Al u eto Willelmo c a pe lla n o de Wi uilligham Alan o presbitero de T a ue lles by Roberto clerico de R o thw e lla Radulfo clerico de Hotham Thoma de Arci Ada de Mun b e gun Wid o n e de Ver Willelmo filio Ha c o n i s Gilberto de Ne uile R a d ulph o filio Ha c un is Rogero filio F ulc o n is Willelmo Wa c e lin Oliver de Ue n d o ue re Rogero de B e ny n g w o rd a Roberto de Halle i Alexandro de Ble s e b y Rabodo Philipo R a b o d e [s i c ] Fulc a ldo Testard Herberto de F o rc iis L e t a rd o de R ab urn e in C hristo . [2 6] U n iue rs is sa n c t e matris ecclesie filIIs ad quos p re se n s scriptum p e r ue n e r it R o b e rt us Burnell permissione diui n a B a t ho n i en s is e t Wille ns is [s ic] e pis c o p us s alut e m i n domino No ue rit un iue rs it a s vestra me dimis s is s e d e dis s e e t ha c presenti carta nostra c o n firm a s se deo e t beate Marie e t priori e t c o n ue nt ui de Sixilla in puram e t perpetuam e le mo sin a m totum m a n e rium nostrum de Toft i ux t a ' We s t ra sy n i n c o mit a t u Li n c o ln i e n s i c um a d uo c a c io n e ecclesie e ius d e m nille cum omnibus fe o dis e t re dditib us n o s t ris ad dictum ma n e riu m de Toft qualit e rc umq ue p e rti n e n tib us tam de uillis de

‘ Aby e t Strubby e t Saxilby quam quib us c umque aliis locis Et cum omnibus terris re ddit ib us pratis p as c ui s p a s t uris a quis viis s e mitis ho m agii s fid e lit a lib us wa rdis re le uiis e x c ae t is Ville n agiis seu n at i ui s c um omnibus c at alli s e t s e q ue lis suis e t c um omnibus a liis s e ruic iis e t lib e rt at ib us p re dic t o m a n e rio quo c umq ue modo infra uilla m e t extra pe rt ine nt ib us Sine aliq uo re t e n e me n t o Et cum omnibus terris t o ft is t e n e me n tis pratis pas c uis e t past ur is n o s t ris infra uilla m de B e le s b y e t extra c um omnibus lib e rt atib us e t pe rtin e n c iis suis Sine q uo uis re timep t o [s ic] S ic ut omnia p re dic ta ple n ius hab uim us 1 s i c quando [ ] de dono m agist ri Johannis de Lada . Ita quidem quod n e c nos n e c heredes nostri seu a s sig n a t i n e c a liquis occasione nostra s e u nomine nostro i n a liquib us s upra dic t is a liquo d ius vel c la mium de c e te ro e xige re vel vendicare p o t e rim us q uo c umque modo set h a b e a n t e t t e n e a n t omnia s upradic t a bene e t i n pace libere e t i n t rig re [s ic] de domino rege imp e rpe t uum fac ie n d o ad wa rd a m castelli sui de Do ue ria s e ruic ia debita e t consueta quantum pe rt i n e t ad tantum tenementum Hanc autem dimis s io n e m concessionem e t c o n fir mac io n e m fe c imus eis pro salute domini regis E dwa rdi e t pro salute nostra a c pro salute a n im ar um n o s t ra r um o m n iumq ue a n te c e s s o rum e t suc c e s s o rum n o s t ro rum In cuius rei testimonium presenti scripto sigillum nostrum appo s uI mus Hiis t e s t ib us Magist ro Radulfo de Wy kh am tunc archi diaconi Bath o n i ens i m a gis t ro Alano de Wykha m Domino Ada de T o ut he b y milite Gilberto de B e n y n gwo rt h de B le se b y Roberto de T imb e rlo un d de eadem Rogero de S ix le e t a liis Datum ’ apud London i n festo sancti Michae lis ann o regni regis Edw a rdi s eptimo . S IXLE SERI ES 5

a n d hands in his hand , and we have confirmed it with our seal f corroborated it with the pendent seal o the same chapter . [ Cir ca

1 T h e se wo r d s mus t b e un d e r s t o o d as re fe r i ng t o t h e p r o v i s io n c o n t a i n e d i n n n t h e p re vio us se t e c e . 2 In r o uc t io n S e e t d .

[26] To the whole body o f the sons of holy mother church to whom the present writing Shall come Robert Burnell , by divine

i n . permission bishop of Bath and Wells , sends greeting the Lord a n d Let the whole body of you know that I have demised , given , by this our present charter confirmed in pure and perpetual alms , to a n d o f S ix le God blessed Mary and the prior and convent , all our o f manor Toft next West Rasen in the county of Lincoln , with the o ur advowson of the church of the same village , with all fees and i n o f a s rents pertaining any sort to the said manor Toft , well from S the villages of Aby, trubby, and Saxilby as from all other places , a n d with all lands, rents , meadows , pastures , feedings , waters , ways , paths , homages , fealties, wardships , reliefs , escheats , villein o r lands , born serfs with all their chattels and issues , and with all other services and liberties appertaining i n any way to the o r aforesaid manor within the village without , without any reserva o ut a n d tion ; and with all lands , tofts , tenements , meadows , feedings , a n d pastures within the village of Beelsby without , with all their liberties and appurtenances without any reservation , as when we had m all the aforesaid things ost fully by the gift of master John of Louth . S o o ur o r n o r indeed that neither we , nor heirs assigns , anyone o ur because of us or in name , shall in any manner be able to enforce o r assert any right or claim from henceforth in anything that is afore said , but the convent Shall have and hold all the aforesaid things of the lord king well and in peace , freely and completely for ever , doing thence for the keeping of his castle of Dover the services due and c u ac stomed as much as pertains to a tenement of this size . Moreover a n d we have made this demise , grant , confirmation to them for the fo r o w n a n d safety of the lord king Edward , and safety , for the safety of our souls and the souls o f all our ancestors and successors . In witness whereof we have s e t our seal to this our present writing [Witnesses] Given at London in the feast of saint Michael 2 S e te mbe r in the seventh year of the reign of King Edward . [ 9 p , 1 2 79

1 S i c r o a fo r L u a t h at i s L o ut , p b bly d , , h , 6 TRANSCR I PTS OF C HARTERS

[27] Notum S it cuntis C hristi fid e lib us tam futuris quam r e s e n t ib us filius Wille lmi a s s e n s u e t p quod e zgD o Thomas uxoris mee h e re d um m e o rum d e di e t concessi deo e t s a n c t e Marie e t san cti m o n ia lib us de S ix le e a r umq ue fr a t rib us quicquid h a b ui sub dominio meo de Astorp tam in r e d dit u quam ceteris rebus in ” perpetuam e le m o s in a m liberam e t quietam ab omni s e c ula ri s e rui c i o Hanc do n a c io n e m feci eis pro anima patris mei e t matris mee e t nomina tim pro Simone fratre meo e t pro salute mea e t uxoris mee e t here dum m e o r um Hui n s d o n ac io n is testes sunt Radulfo Ho dha m [ s i c ] W ille lm us sacerdos R ic a r d us filius Angeri e t Wille lm us frater eius Wille lm us Wyt e r Gilb e rt us de An ge the b y Humfrid us de We lle t o n a ’ Ho s e rt us W l Ho d s ic p de yham G a fr id us Ve alt Philippus o c o [ ] .

[2 8] U n i ue rs is s a n c t e matris ecclesie filiis ad quos pre s e n s s c riptum pe rue n e rit R o ge rus Derc y miles s alut e m In domino No ue rit un iue r s i t a s vestra me p ro salute an i me mee o m n i umque a n t e c e s s o rum me o r um d e dis s e c o n c e s s i s s e e t hac presenti carta mea c o n firm a s s e deo e t beate Marie e t c o n ue n tui de Sixilla in puram e t perpetuam e le mo s i n a m liberam e t quietam ab omni s e c ula r i s e ruic io e t terrena e xa c c io n e totum capitale me s ua gi um meum c um e d ific iis suis e t c um omnibus a liis t o ft is meis i n villa de Ne tilt o n a c um u n i ue rs is liberta t ib us e t p e rt i n e n c iis suis qu o d quidem m e s ua gium ia c e t inter mesu a gium Ricardi Blanchard e t me s uagium Johannis le clerk E t t o t a m t e rra m n o s t ra m e t tenementum c um pratis pas c u is e t pa st uris V IIS aq uIS v 1 ua rIIS e t c um omnibus re ddit ib us meis re le uiis communi b us e t o m n imo dis s e ruic iis e t c um s in g uli s aliis lib e rt at ib us e t per tin e n c iis Sine a liq uo re t e n e m e n t o q ue c umque h ab ui ex c uius c umq ue d o n a c io n e seu concessione i n villa e t i n territorio e ius d e m ville de Ne t ilt o n a q uo c umq ue modo videlicet s e x b o uat a s terre a r a b ilis e t dimid ia m q ua rum tres bouate terre i a c e n t i n campo occidentali e t 1 tres bouate terre e t d imidia in campo occ identali e iusd e m ville de Ne tilt o n a e t e c i a m S i plus ibi h a b e at ur Sine aliquo re t e n e m e n t o ut pre dic t um e st Tenendum e t habendum dicto c o n ue n t ui libere quiete e t pa c ific e s ic ut a liq ua elemosina liberius vel melius dari vel teneri potest Ego n ero R o ge rus e t heredes mei vel quic umq ue t e rra m meam quo c umq ue iure po s s e d e rin t pre fat um me s uagi um c um omnibus t o ft is p re dic t i s e t t o t a m t e rra m e t tenementum s upra dic ta m cum pratis p a sc uis p ast ur is viis aq uis v iua riis e t c um omnibus re ddit ib us meis r e le uiis c o n s ue t udin ib us e t o m n imo dis s e ruic iis e t un iue rs is a liis lib e rt at ib us e t pe rt in e n t iis suis sine a liquo re t e n e m e nt o ut pre dictum est prefato c o n ue n t ui e t s uc c e ss o rib us suis w a ran tiz ab im us d e fe n d e m us e t de omnibus rebus contra omne s homines C hristianos e t J ud e o s a c q uie t a b imus impe rpe t uum In cuius rei testimonium presenti scripto sigillum a ppo s ui Hiis t e stib us domino Stephano de Lund domino Thoma Darcy fratre meo milit ib us Rogero clerico de S t a lin gb urgh Ada de S ay n t ma r ila n d de Caster Thoma de Wikha m iux t a N e t tIlt o n a Ri c ardo Blanchard de Ne tt ilt o n a Johanne le a liis Ne ttilt o n a clerk de eadem et . Datum apud In vigilia sancti mo B a rt h o lo me i a ppo st o li [s i c] anno domini millesimo cc se pt uage s imo sexto Et a nno regni regis E dwa rdi quarto

I 7 TRAN SCR I PTS OF C HARTERS

[29] O mnib us s a n c t e e c c le s ie fi lu s R o ge rus Must e ile e t Will elmus filius eius e t heres e t c e t e r i heredes sui f s alut e m Notum sit vobis nos d imi s is s e e t c o n c e s s i s s e e t h a c presenti carta c o n firm a s s e impe rpe t uum s a n c t im o n ia lib us de Sixilla e t c arum fra t rib us c le ric is e t la ic is t o t a m villam de L e gge s b y plene e t integre c um omnibus per t i n e n c iis suis e t lib e rt a t ib us que infra quatuor d iuis a s campi e i us d e m ville c o n ti n e n t ur scilicet in pratis pasc a is e t b o s c is e t pla n i s e t terra arabili i n a q uis e t m o le n din is et in e c c le s iis i n viis s e mit is e t in omnibus locis nichil nobis inde re t e n t o preter sex marcas quas a n n ua tim p e rs o lue n t pro omni re nobis perti nente videlicet tres marcas ad Pascha e t tres marcas ad fe s t um sancti Michaelis C o n c e s s im us e c ia m eis e t c o n firm a uim us perpetuo tenen W dum de nobis totum feudum nostrum in y fly n gh a m c um omnibus pe rti n e n c iis eius infra villam e t extra libere e t quiete ab omni re pro v i gin t i s o lid is quos nobis a n n uat im p re d ic ti s terminis p e rs o lue n t scilicet ad Pasca decem solidos e t ad fe s t um sancti Michaelis decem solidos Fa c ient etiam nobis pro L e gge s b y e t pro Wy fly n gha m fo ri n s e c um s e ruic ium quod n o s e x c e dit in d e n a r ii s scilicet quantum p e rt in e t ad feudum d imidii milit is He c omnia c o n c e s s im us eis tenenda de nobis in perpetuam e le m o si n a m pro a n im ab us omnium a n t e c e s s o r um n o s t ro r um c um d ua b us filia b us meis quas magister Gilb e r t us a u un c ulus meus s usc e pit in o rdin e m s a n c timo n ia li um s n arum E t h e c w a ra n t iz ab im us illis erga regem e t dominos e t omnes homines imp e rpe t uum fid e mea e t Wille lmi filii mei super h o c i n t e r po s it a in manu Roberti filii Julian de Ho rb e lin ghe e t sacramento a nobis facto ta c t i S s a c ro s a n c tis e ua n ge liis in ecclesia beate Marie de S ixle Hiis t e st ib us Thoma c a pe lla n o e t Gilberto clerico de S e mpry n gh a m Andrea e t J o c e li n o filiis Roberti de Ho r b li n ge Willelmo e t Jordano filiis Briani de Po i n t o n a Radulfo clerico de S e mpy n gh a m Hugo n e filio Ma ur ic ii Willelmo de Ormesby Tenor h uius carte c o n firm a t us est a t te st at io n e c o n ue n tus de Valle Dei ut re s e rue t ur Radulfo de Odham pars n e m o r is in o c cidente cum cultura de L e ge s ho uwa n g e t pastura c um ceteris a n im alib us in c o m n h m mun io n e in mora c um h o min ib us meis i n Wy fly g a . [3 0] Omnibus Christi fid e lib us J o c e lin us frater Regine e t Agnes de Percy uxor eius s alut e m S c iat i s quod c o n c e s simus e t per hanc c art a m n o st ra m c o n firm auimus ecclesie s a n c t e Marie de S ixle e t c o n ue n t ui e ius d e m ecclesie tenementum quod tenent de Roberto filio Roberti scilicet t o t a m L e gge s b y sie ut carta pre dic t i Roberti t e s t a t ur e t carta Wille lmi de Percy eis c o n fir m at e t quod tenent de e o in Wyfly n gham s ic ut carta ip sius Roberti t e st a t ur s aluis fo ri n s e c i s . s e ruic i i s regis e t n o s t ris C o n firma uim us e c i a m eis quod tenent de Roberto de Ha lle i scili c et unum toftum e t s ali n am unam in Ke rm un thorp e t pratum in Ha d e st a n e fe n e S ic ut carta eius t e s t at ur . Hui n s carte testes sunt G a lfrid us de Percy G a lfrid us d e Wit hc ale Wille lmus e t R ic a rd us p ris b e t e ri [s ic] de Wy fly n gh am Andreas c le r ic us de L e gge sb y Thomas filius Wille lmi Wille lm us de Atun Thomas de B e s e b y G alfrid us Albus De r ky n de Wyfly n gh am

R o b ert us filius R ad ulfi filius Warin i Alanus de Malb e rtho rp. S IXLE SER I ES 1 7

2 9] To all the sons o f holy Church Roger Must e ile and hi and illia m his s o n and heir and s other heirs send greeting . Be it known t o y o u that we have demised and granted a n d by this present fo r o f S ix le a n d charter confirmed ever to the nuns their brethren , o f clerks and laymen , the whole village Legsby fully and completely with all its appurtenances and liberties contained within the four

boundaries of the field of the same village , namely in meadows ,

feedings , and woods , and plains , and arable land , in waters and W mills and in churches , in ays and paths , and in all places , reserving nothing therein to ourselves except s ix marks which fo r they Shall pay yearly everything belonging to us , namely three W marks at Easter and three marks at the feast o f saint Michael . e have also granted and confirmed t o them to hold o f us for ever all our fee in Willingham with all its appurtenances within the uit ’ fro m fo r village and without , free and q everything twenty Shillings us f which they Shall pay to yearly at the a oresaid terms , namely at f Easter t e n shillings and at the feast o saint Michael ten Shillings . They Shall also do to us for Legsby and Willingham forinsec uS service in pennies which go beyond , namely as much as pertains

to the fee o f half a knight . All these things we have granted to them to hold o f us i n perpetual alms for the souls o f all our an o es t wo tors , with my daughters whom master Gilbert my uncle has

re c eived into the order of hi s nuns . An d we will warrant all these t hIn s g to them against the king, and the lords , and all men for ever , by my faith and that of William my s o n pledged i n this matter i n the hand o f R obert s o n o f Julian of Horbling and by the oath made by us a s we touched the most holy gospels i n the church o f blessed l Mary o f S i x e . [Witnesses] The tenor o f this charter has been confirmed by the attestation o f the convent of Vaudey that there 1 may be reserved to Ralf of Odham part o f the wood in the west together with the cultu ra of L e ge s ho uw a n g and pasture with other i animals n the moor i n common with my men o f Willingham . [Hen ry 1 T hi s n ame p ro b a bly s tan d s fo r t h e l o st v ill age n o w r e pr e s e nt e d by Ho lth am C ar r s e n L an d S ix l b t we e e gsby e .

’ 0 T o o f [3 ] all the faithful Christ , Jocelin the queen s brother and Agnes d e Percy his wife send greeting . Know that we have granted and by this our charter confirmed to the church o f saint o f S ix le o f Mary and the convent the same church , the estate , o f s o n o f namely all Legsby , which they hold Robert Robert , as the charter o f the aforesaid Robert bears witness and the charter o f o f William de Percy confirms it to them , and that which they hold i n the same Robert North Willingham as his charter bears witness , c c saving the forinse servi e of the king and our own service . We have also c onfirmed to them that which they hold of Robert de Ha lle i n , namely one toft and o e saltpan in Grainthorpe and a m d i n Hen r ea ow n Au stin Fe as his charter bears witness . [ y I 8 TRANSCRI PTS O F C HARTERS

[3 1 ] C untis C hristi fid e lib us R o db e rt us de Hudha m s a lut e m No ue rit un iue rs it a s ue s t ra me d e d is s e e t c o n c e s s is s e e t h a c presenti carta c o n firm as s e deo e t beate Marie e t c o n u e n t ui de S ix la in puram e t perpetuam e le m o s i n a m t o t a m illa m partem terre e t n e mo ris in Li n t hw e it que ia c e t extra fo s s a t um n e m o r is mei de L e g e s h o u inter le No r t hw o d e e t le B o n d m a n w o d e e t a b utt a t versus austrum super c a mpum de L e gg e s b y e t item t o t a m illa m partem terre extra fo s s at um prefati n e m o ri s mei apud apud [s i c] s e pt e mpt rio n e m que Similiter i a c e t inter le No r thwo d e e t c ult ur a m de le B o n d ma n w o de e t a b utt a t versus le north super le more de L e g e s b y Pre t e re a quietam c la m a ui eis t o t a m o c c a s io n e m meam o m n imo di s in prefata cultura e t i n prefata mo r saluo tameh michi c h e m in o per i n t r uit um [s i c] pro c a ra t is [s i c] meis Hanc e le mo s i n a m feci e is quando Nic h o la us prior de S ix la ex a s s e n s u c o n ve n t ui [s i c] dedit michi c o ro di um in domo s ua ad t o t a m vitam meam Hiis t e st ib u s Willelmo de B a io c is e t Ad a fratre suo Ricardo T us c h e t e t Willelmo abbate de He i n t un Ricardo Seli e t Radulfo filio Ha m o n is de Wy fly n gh a m S c o e n e i Phili Thoma de t ppo de Ty mb e rlun d .

[3 2] C untis C hristi fid e lib us Hugo Malet frater Gilberti Malet s alut e m S c iat is me d e d is s e e t c o n c e ss i s s e e t h a c presenti carta mea c o n fir m a s s e deo e t c o n ue n t ui beate Marie de S ix le t ria n gula m terre i n territorio de L i n dwo d e que a b ut t a t super Flid wd e del west uid e lic e t tres acras terre cum bosco d e s up e r crescente Co n cessi e c i a m eis ut s um a n t illas tres a c ras infra fo s s at um suum e t ut illu d fo s sat u m d i uid a t b o s c um e o r um de Flid wd e e t de Ho b e rg e s in duas parte[s ] usque in antiquum fo s s a t um de L e gge s h o w Dedi e c i a m eis ad illa m d iv is s io n e m [s ic ] faciendum la t it udi n e m v igi n t i pedum la rgit e r de terra mea u b ic umq ue terra mea i uxt a ia c ue r it per c irc uit um scilicet decem pedes ad fo s s at um faciendum e t decem pedes ad uiam faciendum i nter ut rumq ue fo s s at um ut in occidente e t in oriente p o s s i n t fo s s a re in quadrum in occidente versus austrum usque ad parchum e t in oriente versus s e pt e n t ri o n e m u sque ad b o s c um Roberti de B odham C o n firma ui e c ia m eis illa m t ri a n g ula m terre a ra b ilis i n e o d e m territorio iux t a le m o r apud s e pt e n t rio n e m n e m o r is mei que a b utt a t super c ult ura m e o rum de Flidwd e de west plenarie concedendo ut illa m t e rra m i n c lud a n t ad p re fa t a m c ult ur a m de F lidwd e e t de Ho b e rge s c um sepe uel fossato prout melius p o t e run t usque in antiquum fo s s at u m de L e g e sh o w e apud s e pt e mt r io n e m i uxt a le more de L e gge sb y Pre t e re a quietam c la m a ui eis t o t a m c o mmu n io n e m o m n imo dis in p re fat is fo s s a t is cum c h e min o e t i n prefata cultura e t bosco de F lidwo d e e t Ho b e rge s de me e t de h e re dib us meis e t de omnibus h o mi n ib us meis impe rpe t uum He c omnia w a ra n t iz a b imus e is ego e t heredes mei ita libera e t quieta s ic ut aliq ua elemosina ecclesie c ath o lic e potest c o nfirm a ri pro e o quod [ad] i n st a n c ia m meam d e d e run t de territorio s uo illa [m] pre n o min atam partem n e mo ris d iuis i ad e lo n ga n d um b o sc um Hugonis de Bai o c is usque ad Ligge s ho w c um libero e x it u super t e rra m c orum S I KLE SERI ES 1 8

1 Hudh a m [3 ] To all the faithful of Christ , Robert de sends o f greeting . Let the whole body you know that I have given , c c i n granted , and by this present harter onfirmed pure and perpetual alms to God and blessed Mary and the c onvent o f S ix le all that portion o f land and wood i n Lynwode which lies without the ditch o f my wood o f L e ge s h o u between North Wood and Bondman Wood and abuts towards the south o n the field of Legsby ; and also all that portion o f land without the ditch o f my aforesaid wood to the north whi c h likewise lies between North Wood and the cultur a o f Bondman Wood and abuts towards the north on the moor o f

Legsby . Further I have released to them all my claim which I had i n cultu r a in any sort the aforesaid and in the aforesaid moor , o f fo r reserving nevertheless to myself a way entry my waggons . I made this gift to them when Nicholas prior o f S ix le with the assent i n f o f the convent gave me a corrody his house o r all my life . [ Ci r ca

2 o f [3 ] To all the faithful of Christ , Hugh Malet , brother

. I Gilbert Malet sends greeting Know that have given , granted , and by this my present c harter confirmed t o God and the convent o f blessed Mary of S ix le the triangle of land i n the territory of Lynwode F lidw o o d o f which abuts on to the west , namely three acres land with the wood growing thereon . I have also granted to them that c they may take those three acres within their dit h , and that that dit c h may divide their wood of F lid wo o d and Ho b e rge s in two parts o as far as the o ld ditch of L e gge s h u . I have also given them from my land the breadth o f fully twenty feet wherever my land lies adjacent e throughout the whole circuit , to make that division , namely t n feet t e n to make a ditch and feet to make a way between either ditch , so o n i n that on the west and the east they can dig the form of a square , on the west towards the south as far as the park , and on the east o f Ho dh towards the north as far as the wood Robert de a m . I have also confirmed to them that triangle o f arable land in the same field c o n cu next the moor to the north of my wood , whi h abuts their ltur a of Flidw o o d to the west ; granting fully that they Should enclose that land to the aforesaid cultur a of Flidwo o d and Ho b e rge s with a o r c hedge dit h as best they Shall be able , as far as the old ditch o f L e e s ho w g to the north , next the moor of Legsby . Further I have quit c laimed to them from me and my heirs and from all my m e n for ever all common o f every kind i n the aforesaid ditches and i n the aforesaid cultur a and wood of F lidwo o d and Ho b e rge s together with a road . All these things I and my heirs will warrant to them as freely and quietly as a n y alms c a n be confirmed to the Catholic

Church , because at my instance they have given of their territory that aforenamed part o f the divided wood to extend the wood of Hugh of Bayeux as far as Ligge sh o w with free exit on their land Hen r to the north . [ y 1 9 TRANSCR I PTS O F C HARTERS

s e i n m i i apud pt e n t r o e . Hi s t e st b us Petro Malet de Ireby Willelmo clerico de Monte B e go n is Wa lt e ro Gisors Gilberto Blanchard e t R o mpha r fratre eius Radulfo filio decani e t Alano fratre eius He rn i s de Ne nella Lamberto de S c o t e n i Willelmo Mustel Roberto de B a io c is Alano de B e s e b y Thoma de B e ke ry n g Thoma Malet Ble presbitero Alexandro de s e b y .

[3 3] C untis C hristi fid e lib us Gilb e r t us Malet frater H ugonis Malet de L i n dwo d e s a lut e m S c iat is me c o n c e ss is se e t q uie t um clamasse de me e t he re dib us meis imp e rpe t uum deo e t mo n ialib us c a n o n ic is e t frat rib us de S ix le in puram e t perpetuam e le m o si n a m quicquid iuris ha b uimus ego e t heredes mei e t precipue o m n e m c o mm un io n e m pasture infra fo s s a m de Flidwd e t de Ho ub e rge rs [s ic ] e t nemorum p re dic t o r um canonicorum de S ixle e t ut fo s s a t um suum h a b e a n t e t e m e n d e n t circa prefata n e m o r a quam melius p o t e r un t imp e rp e t uum bene e t in pace c oncessi e t sigilli mei a ppe n s io n e c o ro b o ra ui e t c o n fir m aui Hiis t e stib us R a d ulph o c a pe llan o de Lin d e wd e Rogero c a p e lla n o de S ix le Thoma Malet persona ecclesie de Ly n d wd e Willelmo de B a io c is Hugo n e Malet Wa lt e ro filio J urdani de L in dwd e Mas c her s e r uie n t e Hugonis de B a io c is fili Li n Thoma o Roberti de dwde .

[3 4] Notum sit cuntis Christi fid e lib us quod ego Wille lm us filius Ricardi de Lincoln i a dedi e t concessi e t q uie t um c la m a ui i n puram e t perpetuam e le m o si n a m c o n ue n t ui beate Marie de S ix le totum j us meum e t c la mium quod hahni infra b o sc um illo rum de Li n dw o d e in pastura e t i n terra e t in omnibus a liis rebus suis [s ic] a liq uo re t e n e me n t o pro a n imab us patris mei e t matris mee e t omnium a n t e c e s s o rum m e o r um n e c n o n e t pro salute mea e t m e o rum ut par t ic ipe s s im us o rat io n um e t fra t e rn it a tis e o rum imp e rpe t uum E t ut h e c d o n ac io mea e t quieta c lam a c i o perpetuum robur o ptin e a t e a s presenti cart a c o n fir ma ui per me e t heredes meos impe r pe t uum w a ra n tiz a n d a s H iis t e st ib us Alexandro c a p e lla n o de Wy c h a m Ricardo c a p e lla n o d e Wi c ha m Alano clerico de Kayle st o rp Henrico clerico de Wyfly n gh am Wy go t fe ra ri o de L i n dw d e Clemente fratre eius Thoma filio S iwa rdi de Hainton Ricardo filio Ulf de fl Ludford Radulfo filio Ha mun di de \Vy y ngh a m .

[3 5] C untis Christi fide lib us H ugo Malet filius Ala n I s a lut e m S c iat is me a s s e n s u e t c o n c e s s u Hugonis Malet domini mei e t uxoris mee Ma ha lt e t matris mee e t he re d um me o rum c o n c e s s i s s e d e dis s e e t ha c mea carta c o n firm a s s e in puram e t perpetuam e le m o s inam deo e t m o n i alib us de S ix le t o t a m partem meam de le Bond mawd e i n territorio de L e gge sb y quod nemus e t que terra v o c a t ur Ho ub e rge s f scilicet totum nemus e t t o t a m [t e rra m] que est inter Fliwd e e t L e gge s ho w e e t b o s c um R a d ulfi de Ho dh a m apud septen t rio n e m t e n d e n t e m un dique usque ad mor in latum E t totum nemus e t t o t a m t o rram a d iuis a que venit de Flidwd e t e n d e n te m a S IKLE SE R I ES 1 9

o f o f [ 3 3 ] To all the faithful Christ , Gilbert Malet brother

Hugh Malet of Linwood sends greeting . Know that I have granted and quitclaimed from me a n d my heirs for ever i n pure and perpetual o f S ixle alms to G o d and the nuns , canons , and brethren whatever n d c o f right I a my heirs had , and especially all ommon pasture F lid w o o d Ho ub e r e s o f within the dit c h of and g , and that the woods ix l of the aforesaid canons of S e . And I have granted that they may have a n d maintain their ditch about the aforesaid woods well and i n c a n c c o n peace as best they for ever , and I have orroborated and Hen r firmed this by appending my seal . [ y

[ 3 4] Be it known to all the faithful o f Christ that I William s o n of Richard o f Lin c oln have given and granted and released in pure and perpetual alms to the convent of blessed Mary of S ix le all my right and claim whi c h I had within their wood o f Linwood in i n pasture , and land , and in all other things without any reservation , o f for the souls of my father and my mother and all my ancestors , o n - o f and also for my w safety and that my kin , that we may be partakers i n their prayers and brotherhood for ever . And that this my gift and quitclaim may remain firm for ever I have confirmed these things i n this present charter to be warranted by me and my Ci r ca 1 2 00 heirs for ever . [ ]

o f s o n o f [3 5] To all the faithful Christ , Hugh Malet Alan c o f sends greeting . Know that with the assent and onsent Hugh o f Mah a lt o f Malet my lord , and my wife , and my mother , and of my a n d in heirs , I have given , in this my charter confirmed pure and t o o f S ix le perpetual alms God and the nuns , all my part of Bondman o f Wood in the territory Legsby , which grove and land is called Ho ub e r e s lid wo o d g , namely all the grove and all the land between F and L e gge s h o w e and the wood of Ralf of Ho dha m stret c hing thence i n towards the north as far as the moor breadth , and all the grove a n d F lidw o o d all the land from the boundary which comes from , 2 0 TRANSCRI PTS O F C HARTE RS

re fa t m m o E t capite occidentali usque ad p u r in latum . item totum nemus e t t o t a m t e rra m t e n d e n te m a prefata divisa usque ad Lege In showe longum . C oncedendo [ s i c] eis plenarie ut illud nemus e t . t e rra m illa [s ic] pro p e ra re n t e t faciant qui c quid eis melius pla c ue r it S ic ut t e a carta patris mei st t ur . E t s c ie n d um e s t quod mater mea e t uxor mea h o c Ipsum ultimo q uie t u m c la m a ue r un t e t a ffid a ue run t s e insuper nunquam facturas inde c a lu mp n ia m i n manu Ag n e t i s uxoris Ricardi Blanchard p re s e n tib us t e s tib us Ma b ilia ux o re R a d ulfi m ilit is e t Amabili ux o re R o mfa re Q ua mo b re m ego e t heredes mei h e c a c q uie t a b imus de omni iure e t ea w a ra n t iz a b im u s erga omnes homines impe rp e t uum p re dic t o c o n ue n t ui de S ix le S ic ut n o s t r a m puram e t perpetuam e le m o s i n a m H ils t e stib us O s b e rt o c a p e lla n o de C astre Roberto decano de R o t hw e lle Hugo n e Malet de Hir b y Thoma fratre suo Hugo n e Malet e t Gilberto fratre s uo Yuo n e Sax e t Radulfo fratre suo Hugo n e de G re sb y e t Thoma fra tre s uo R o m pharo de Ne tt ilt o n e t Radulfo fratre suo Wia rd o de Nichole Alano de C lax b i B r ia n n o de We lle t o n O s b e rt o de N i c hole Radulfo clerico de Ho dhe im e t G o c e li n o fratre s uo Haldan e t Sax de l Ne tti t o n .

[3 6] Omnibus Christi fid e lib u s presentem c a rt a m v is uris vel a udit uris Philippus filius Philippi de T i mb e rlun d a s a lut e m f No ue r it u n i ue rs it a s vestra me pro salute anime mee e t a n t e c e s s o r um m e o r um c o n c e s s i s s e d e dis s e e t h a c presenti carta mea c o n fir m a s s e deo e t beate M arie e t c o n ue n t ui de Sixilla i n liberam puram e t perpetuam e le mo s i n a m s e r uic i um homagium e t r e ddit um q ue Wille lm us de Ty mb e rlun d a frater meus e t heredes s ui michi facere s o le b a n t pro t e n e me n t o quod de me t e n ue run t in B le s e b y scilicet d imid i a m mar c a m a n n uat im de h e re dib us di o ti Wille lmi fra t r i s mei pe rc ipie n d a m scili c et q ua d ra gin ta denaris [s i c] ad fe s t um sancti B o t ulphi e t quad ragi n t a d e n a ri o s ad Natale domini Concessi e c i a m e t dedi eidem c o n ue n t ui de Sixilla in liberam puram e t perpetuam e le m o s i n a m t o t a m ius e t dominium quod h a b ui uel a liq uo modo habere p o t ui in c apitali manso c um d o min ic is c ult uri S ad p re dic t um mansum p e r ti n e n t ib us que pre dic t us Wille lm us frater meus e t heredes s ui a liq ua n d o de me t e n ue r un t in n illa e t i n territorio de Ble s e b y cum h o m a giis w a rd iis re le uiis e x c a e t is s e c tis curie d e ma n dis e t a liis s e r uic iis que michi e t h e re d ib u s meis meis [s ic] a liquo modo a liq uo casu inde a c c id e re pote runt imp e r pe t uum Pre t e re a dedi e t concessi eidem c o n ue n t ui de Sixilla In liberam puram e t perpetuam e le mo s in am re ddit um unius libre pe pe ris q ua mWille lm us filius Ricardi de Ble s e b y michi debuit pro fl tribus b o uat i S terre e t d uo b us t o fti s In villa e t in territorio de B le s e b y que Wille lm us de Mun d e uile quondam de me tenuit cum h o m agio warda re le uio e t e x c ae t o e t omnibus a liis s e ruic i i s que michi inde a liquo modo c o n t ige re p o s s e n t Habenda e t tenenda eidem c o n ue n tui de Sixilla libere e t quiete e t p ac ific e S ic ut a liq ua elemosina melius vel liberius haberi vel teneri po t e r it ab a liq uib us re ligio sis Imper e a n iz ab im s pe t uum . E t ego Philippus t herede s mei w ra t u acquieta

2 1 TRANSCRI PTS OF C HAR TER S

b im us e t d e fe n d e mus omnia pre dic t a ut p re dic t um est p re dic t o c o n ue n t ui de Sixilla s ic ut liberam puram e t perpetuam e le m o s in a m n o st ra m de omnibus contra omnes homines impe rpe t uum In cuius rei testimonium presentem c art a m sigillo meo c o ro b o ra ui Hiis t e stib us domino Ada uic ari o de Wi ue li n gh am domino Radulfo uic a rio de T e ue lb y domino Reginaldo de J e rpe n uile Willelmo de Ble se b y Thoma Mus t e lla de Ty ry n gt o n a Hugo n e de He lwe lla ’ Ricardo T us c e l [s ic] de Hainton Ricardo filio Thome Ricardo Frende de eadem Petro de Murre rs de F run tho rp a Henrico filio f Wille lmi de L u o rd a .

[3 7] O mnibus hoc scriptum v i s ur is vel a udit u r i s W a lt e r us filius Wille lmi d e He s t ra s i n f s a lut e m No ue r it u n iue rs it a s vestra me c o n c e s s is s e e t d e d is s e c o n ue n tui de Sixilla S it um unius grangie ad d e c im a m suam impo n e n d a m i n curia mea quam per liberum serui o ium de e o d e m c o n ue n t u t e n e o i n villa de He st ra sy n e t liberum i n t ro it um e t e x it um ad carras e t c a re c t a s w a s per curiam meam ad d ic t a m gra n ge a m [s i c] absque omni impedimento mei uel m e o rum Pre t e re a concessi eidem c o n ue n t ui e t e o r um t e n e n t ib us liberum i n t ro it um e t e x it um per portam meam ad domos suas p ro p ria s que Site sunt i ux t a curiam versus orientem Et ad h uius rei perpetuam s t a b ilit a t e m pre s e n s scriptum sigillo meo munitum eidem c o n ue n t ui d ig n um duxi c o n fe re n d um Hiis t e s t ib us Radulfo uic a r io de Rasin Johanne d e C lax s e b y Willelmo de Ble se b y W a lte ro filio Germani de Me n s a re n Johanne filio Thome Willelmo filio Hamu n de eadem O s b e rto filio Thome de We s t ra sy n Willelmo fratre suo ill Rogero filio W e lmi de eadem .

[3 8] Notum s it cuntis C hristi fid e lib us quod ego Nic h o la us ‘ de W a di n gh a ni dedi e t c oncessi e t h a c presenti carta mea c o n firm a ui deo e t c o n ue n t ui s a n c t e Marie de S ix le in puram e t perpetuam e le mo s i n a m t o t a m t e rra m meam i n E s t ra s n e e t tenementum de feudo Ricardi de Flet quod Wille lmus fili us Ha c o n is e t Thomas filius eius t e n ue r un t de me hereditario iure e t s e ruic i um e o r um quod michi fe c e r un t per annum videlicet dimidia m marcam argenti Hanc autem d o n a c io n e m e t e le m o s i n a m fe c i e i s pro salute anime mee e t omnium a n t e c e s s o r um m e o r um quam e c ia m e le m o s i n a m ego e t heredes mei contra omnes homines eis w ara n t iz a b imus Huius d o n a c io n is testes sunt R a d ulfus de C a h a m Paga n us c a n o n ic us Wille lmus de Rumare Wille lm us filiuS Wille lmi de C o le uile Wa lt e r us B e c R ic a rd us de Flet Wa lt e rus Bek Matteo de Ben y n gwo r tha Wille lm us de Mun d e u ille R ic a rd us de Ha lt o n a Da uid de T o ti n gt o na Wille lm us de F ulle t e b y R ic a rd us de Wa d i n gwo rd e Wille lm us de Ble se b y fili us Alexandri Nic ho laus persona de Saleby Gilb e rt us de An go t e b y e t Hugo filius eius Adam le Mut re R o b e rt us T o ud e b i de C a ham Wice de . S IKLE S ERI ES 2 1

d will warrant , acquit , and efend all the aforesaid things as is afore said from all thi ngs against all men to the aforesaid convent of S ix le

a n d . In for ever as our free , pure , perpetual alms witness whereof Hen r I have confirmed the present charter by my seal . [ y

s e e o r s o n [37 ] To all who Shall hear this writing , Walter of o u William of East Rasen sends greeting . Let the whole body of y know that I have granted a n d given to the c onvent o f S ix le the Site o f in one grange , to store their tithe , my court which I hold of the o f same convent by free service in the village East Rasen , and free entry and exit for their waggons a n d carts through my court to the said grange without any hindrance of me or mine . Further I have granted to the same convent and their tenants free entry and exit through my gate to their o w n houses situated next the court to the A d f east . n for the perpetual security o this matter I have seen fit

t to . to grant his writing , strengthened by my seal , the same convent [Hen ry

8 o f [3 ] Be it known to all the faithful Christ , that I Nicholas o f Wa din gh a m have given and granted and by this my present charter G o d confirmed , in pure and perpetual alms , to and the convent of saint Mary of S ix le all my land and tenement i n East Rasen o f the o f s o n Ha c o n fee Richard of Fleet , which William of and Thomas s o n his held of me by hereditary right , and their service which they f o . did to me each year , namely half a mark silver Moreover I have made this gift and alms to them for the safety o f my soul and the souls of all my ancestors , which alms also I and my heirs will 1 1 - 1 1 6 warrant to them against all men . [ 53 2 ] 2 2 TRAN SCRI PTS O F C H ARTER S

[3 9] Cuntis C hristi fid e lib us Thomas filius Wille lmi filII Ha c o n i s f s a lut e m No ue rit un iue rs it a s vestra me pro amore dei c o n c e s s is s e d e d is s e e t h a c mea carta c o n firm a s s e deo e t beate Marie e t c o n ue n t ui m o n ia li um canonicorum e t fratrum de S i xle i n puram e t perpetuam e le m o s i n a m m o le n d in um meum quod uo c a t ur Eryg my ln i n territorio de E st ra s e n e t locum illins m o le n d in i videlicet illud m o le n din um quod S it um e s t versus le E s t de villa de Rasen c um omnibus pe rt in e n c ii s e t lIb e rt a t ib us suis te n endum de me e t h e re dib us meis libere e t quiete sine omni s e c ula ri s e r uic io e t con s ue t udi n e E t Si famuli mee domus fe c e r un t molere ibi b la d um meum d a b un t rectum m ult ra m [s i c] de meo blado I nsuper dedi eis duas acras terre d e ue rs le north e t d e ue rs lest illins m o le n di n i i ux t a ad latus ad m a n s ura m suam fa c ie n d a m uel ad suam v a c he ri a m e t duas alias acras terre i ux t a stagnum suum ad le s u quod v o lue ri n t habere Dedi e c ia m e is p a s t ura m ad decem vac o as e t ad unum t aurum super illud more e t i n t e rtit o rio de E s t ra s e n e t ad v it ulo s illarum v a c c a r um donec v it uli h a b e a n t tres an u os e t ad v igin t i porcos e t liberum e x it um e t i n tro it um ubique per t e rra m meam ad e o s e t ad a ue ria s ua ad suam v a c h e ria m e t m a n s ura m Concessi e c iam eis ut c a pia n t s uffic ie n t e m t e rra m ad stagnum suum emen dandum [s i c] de mea terra ubi uo lue ri n t super le mor d e ue rs e le North Concessi e c i a m eis ut re m o ue a n t sedem illins m o le n di n i versus le E s t vel versus le West ut eis pla c ue rit e t ut omnes qui v o lue ri n t molere ad illud m o le n di n um libere illuc ue n ia n t e t libere d i s c e d a n t u n d iq ue per t e r ra m meam Sine a liq ua re t e n c i o n e aut v e x a c io n e Ne c ego n e c heredes mei fa c ie m us aliquid vel ante vel retro illud m o le n di n um unde cursus aque impe dia t ur e t illud m o le n di n um d e t e rio re t ur s e t ut melius p o t e run t e m e n d a b un t illud stagnum e t e x a lt a b u n t He c omnia concessi dedi e t c o n fir m a ui d e o beate Marie e t c o n ue n t u i de S ix le i n puram e t perpetuam e le m o s in a m pro salute anime mee e t Agn e t is uxoris mee e t pro salute anime Wille lmi de Saleby filii e t . h e re dis mei c um corpore s uo ad c o q ui n a m suam ut ex e o imper p e t uum e m a n t pisc e m E t e go e t heredes mei w a ra n t iz a b im us c o n ue n tui e t a dquie t a b im us omnia he c de omni re versus omnes homines i mpe r pe t uu m e t ut m o le n din um illud i mpe rpe t uum c o n firm e t ur l tantum ad pis c e m emend a m c o n ue n t ui m agist r o R de Semp y n gh a m a s s e n s u t o c i us c o n ue n t us de S ix le hanc d o n a c io n e m n o s t ra m ad p i s c e m e m e n d um i n s tit uit cum e c c le s iis de E s t ra s n e e t de Saleby e t firmit e r precepit ut unus vel duo pro arbitrio m agi s t ri impe rpe t uum a s s ig n e n t ur qui harum d ua r um e c c le s ia rum e t hui n s m o le n din i r e d dit us ad t e rm i n o s suos susc ipient e t pisces e m e n t e t sigilli sui a pp e n s io n e han c c a rt a m n o s t ra m c o rro b o ra uit Hiis t e s tib us E ud o n e c a pe lla n o de S a lle b y Simone c ape lla n o domini Thome He r ue io cleri c o Go s la n i E ue rm u Rogero c a pe lla n o de S ix le Johanne c ape lla n o de T e ue lle s [s zc ] Wa lt e ro de S c o t e n i Willelmo armigero suo Rogero le De s pe n c e r M atheo de Ha ry n gt o n a Willelmo filio Roberti Mir uld Rad ulfo de Malb e rth o rpa Iuo n e filio Fa n e go lfi S I KLE SER I ES 2 2

o f [39] To all the faithful of Christ , Thomas son William son o f o u of Hac o n sends greeting . Let the whole body y know that I a n d c o n for the love of God have granted , given , by this my charter firmed i n pure and perpetual alms to G o d and blessed Mary and the o f S ix le convent of nuns , canons , and brethren my mill called B r m ln i n o f t yg y the territory of East Rasen , and the Site tha mill , namely that mill which is Situated to the east of the village o f[E a s t ] o f Rasen , with all its appurtenances and liberties , to hold me and

my heirs freely and quietly without any earthly service and custom .

And if the servants of my house grind my wheat there , they shall

give due multure of my wheat . Moreover I have given them two o f o f acres land to the north and to the east that mill , beside it , to o f t o make their dwelling or their vaccary , and two other acres land the

south o f their mill dam to have at their pleasure . I have also given them pasture for ten c ows and one bull o n the moor and in the o f o f territory East Rasen , and for the calves those cows until the ’ o ld fo r calves Shall be three year s , and twenty pigs , and free exit and entry everywhere through my land fo r them and for their plough o beasts to their vaccary and dwelling . I have also granted t them that they may take enough land wherever they wish from my land

o n the moor towards the north to repair their mill dam . I have also granted to them that they may remove the Site of that mill towards o r the east west at their pleasure , and that all who wish to grind at that mill may c ome there and go freely everywhere over my land without any hindran c e or vexation ; n o r will I nor my heirs do anything either before or behind that mill to hinder the fl o w o f water o r d a m damage that mill , but they Shall mend and raise that mill as

best they may . All these things I have granted , given , and confirmed G o d a n d c o f S ix le to , blessed Mary the onvent in pure and perpetual alms fo r the safety o f my soul and that o f Agnes my wife and for o f s o n e e the safety of the soul of William Saleby my and h ir , tog ther s o b fo r with his body , that with these things they may uy fish their c fo r kit hen ever . And I and my heirs will warrant all these things to the c onvent and acquit them from everything against all men for f r ever . And that that mill may be confirmed o ever to the convent fo r fis h o f S e m r i n h a m solely buying , Master Roger p g with the assent o f c o f S ix le o ur the whole onvent has appropriated this gift , together c l fo r with the chur hes of East Rasen and Sa eby , the buying of fish , and has firmly enjoined for ever that one o r two Shall be assigned at the discretion o f the master to receive the rents o f these two churches o f fis h and this mill at their terms and to buy , and he has confirmed o ur f o f L a te Hen r o r this charter by the a fixing his seal . [ y R i cha r d

1 S i c f r ma i st o g e r . 23 TRANSCR I PTS OF C HARTERS

[40] O mnibus C hristi fid e lib us presentem c a rt a m v is uri s vel

a udit u r is Thomas S c o t e n e y [s ic] s a lut e m . No ue rit un iue rs it a s vestra me a tt o r n a s s e liberos homines meos de media Rasen s c ilicet Gilb e rt um 1 Sharry Thome fili um W a lt e ri c a rpe n t a r ii R o ge r um de Ne t t ilt o n a E r n i s i um Aliciam filia m Wa lt e ri Wille lm um p i s c at o re m Ay n e rum G a lfr id um b e rc a r i um R a d ulfum filium Ha m u n di e t heredes suos ut ipsi s o lua n t omnimoda s e r ui c ia que modo fiun t vel a liq uo modo i n po s t e r um michi e t h e re dib us meis a c c id e re po t e run t deo e t beate Marie e t c o n ue n t ui de S ix la In liberam puram e t perpetuam e le mo s inam impe rp e t uum i n quibus michi t e n e b a n t ur pro t e n e me n t o quod de me t e n ue run t i n media Rasen Ita quod ego vel a liq ui s h e re d um m e o r um imp o s t e rum aliquid iuris uel C la m ii in di c to t e n e m e n t o re ddit u e t s e r uic iis a liq uo modo e x ig e re n o n p o s s im us Ego vero e t heredes mei w a ra n tiz a b im us p re fa t i s h o mi n ib us e t h e re d ib us suis totum tenementum quod de me t e n ue r un t in villa prenominata pro p re n o min a ti s r e dd it u e t s e r uic io c o n ue n t ui de S ix la c a rit a t iue c o n c e S S is secundum te n o re m carte quam inde h ab e n t Et ad h uius rei perpetuam s e c urit at e m presentem c a rt a m sigillo m e o c o rro b o ra ui Hiis t e s t ib us domino Willelmo B ur de t e t Willelmo de Al ueto m ilitib us Willelmo Blanchard de Ne tt ilt o n a m agi s t r is Nic ho la o de 2 S p o n d un persona de By n ib ro ka Henrico de C astra tunc b a lliuo de No r th re hi n ga Roberto de B a io c i s Willelmo de Ble s e b y Johanne

de C laxby .

[4 1 ] Omnibus C hristi fid e lib us presentem c a rt a m v i s uri s vel a ud it uris Thomas de S c o t e n e y f s a lut e m No ue r it un iue rs i ta s vestra me c o n c e s s is s e d e d is s e e t h a c presenti carta mea c o n fir m a s s e deo e t beate Marie e t c o n ue n t ui de S ix la i n puram e t perpetuam e le m o s in a m annuum re ddit um decem e t septem s o lid o r um e t duorum d e n a r io r um i n Medi a Rasen scilicet de Gilberto S n a rry n o ue m d e n a r io r um de Thoma filio Wa lt e r i c a rp e n t a r ii decem e t quatuor s o lid o r um de Rogero de Ne tt ilt o n a decem e t octo d e n a ri o rum de E r n i s io quinque d e n a rio ru m de Alicia filia Wa lt e r i duorum d e n a rio ru m de Willelmo pi s c a t o re unius denarii de Ay n e ro unius denarii de G a lfrid o b e rc a ri o unius denarii de Radulfo filio Ha m un d i unius denarii c um omnibus a liis s e r uic iis pe rt i n e n c iis e t e ue n tib us videlicet in h o magiis re le uiis w a rd is e t e x c a e tis e t omnibus a liis que michi vel h e re dib us meis a liq uo modo a liq uo casu v e la liq uo tempore a c c id e r e po t e ra n t [s zc] de p r e dic t is h o mi n ib us vel he re dib us e o rum impe rp e tuum Habendum e t tenendum eidem c o n ue n t ui libere quiete e t pac ific e s ic ut a liq ua elemosina melius vel liberius ab a liq uib us viris re ligio s is haberi vel teneri p o t e r it im pe rpe tuum E t ego Thomas e t heredes mei waran t iz a b im us a c quie t ab imus e t d e fe n d e m us dictum re ddit um e t se r uic ium pre di c t o c o n ue n t ui i n omnibus e t per omnia S ic ut p re dic t um est contra omnes homines impe rpe t uum E t ad hui n s rei perpetuam s e c urit at e m presentem c art am sigillo meo c o rro b o ra ui H iis [testi bus] dominis Willelmo B urd e t e t Willelmo de Aln e t o militib us Willelmo Blanchard de Net tilt o n a magistr is Nic h o lao de S po n d un a S I KLE SE R I ES 2 3

[40] To all the faithful o f Christ who shall see or hear the

t S c o t e n e . presen charter , Thomas y sends greeting Let the whole body of you know that I have attorned my free me n of Middle S s o n Rasen , namely Gilbert harry , Thomas of Walter the carpenter;

Roger of Nettleton , Ernis , Alice daughter of Walter , William the A n e r f s o n fisherman , y , Geo frey the Shepherd , Ralf of Hamund , and G o d their heirs in free , pure , and perpetual alms for ever , to pay to a n d o f S ix le blessed Mary and the convent , as they were bound to o f o r me , all manner services which are now done may in the future accrue t o me and my heirs for ' the tenement which these men held S O n o r o f of me in Middle Rasen , that neither I any my heirs may in a n future exact any right or claim in y way in the aforesaid tenement , Mo r e r ' I o . e o v t rent , and services , and my heirs will warrant the afore said m e n and their heirs the whole tenement which they held o f me i n the aforenamed village for the aforenamed rent and service , S ix le o f charitably granted to the convent of , according to the tenor

the charter which they have thereof. And for the perpetual security

of this matter I have confirmed the present charter by my seal . [Hen ry

1 S i c fo r Tb oma ru .

2 R o d e n a n d i s r e u re i n is e r o H mhi h a m i s i n s e r t e h e re i n n o . 1 i t g y g d 4 , q d h ac e a so pl l .

[41 ] To all the faithful of Christ who shall see or hear the

S c o t e n e . present charter , Thomas de y sends greeting Let the whole o f a n d body you know that I have granted , given , by this my present c harter confirmed i n pure and perpetual alms to G o d and blessed Mary a n d the c onvent o f S ix le a yearly rent o f seventeen shillings a n d i n twopence Middle Rasen , namely from Gilbert Sharry nine s o n pence , from Thomas of Walter the carpenter fourteen shillings , o f from Roger Nettleton eighteen pence , from Ernis five pence , fis h e r from Alice daughter of Walter two pence , from William the m a n o n e A n e r o n e f f penny , from y penny , rom Geo frey the Shepherd s o n o n e one penny , from Ralf of Hamund penny , with all other i n services , appurtenances , and profits , namely homages, reliefs , c a n wardships , and escheats , and all other things which accrue to me o r my heirs i n any way by any chance or at any time from the afore m e n Or said their heirs for ever . To have and to hold to the same

convent freely , quietly , and peaceably , as any alms may best or most n freely be had or held by a y religious me n for ever . And I Thomas

and my heirs will warrant , acquit , and defend the said rent and service in all things and through all things to the aforesaid convent as is me n aforesaid against all for ever . And for the perpetual security of

this matter I have confirmed the present charter by my seal . [Henry 24 TRANSCRI PTS OF C HARTE RS persona de By n b r o ka e t Rogero de Hy mhi n gh a m Henrico de C astre tunc balli n o de No rt h re hin ga Roberto de B aio c is de T e ue lb y

Wille lm o de Ble s e b y Johanne de C laxby .

[ 42] O mnibus Christi fid e lib us presentem c art a m v is uris vel a ud it uri s Beatrix quondam uxor Thome de S c o t e n e y f s alut e m No ue r it un i ue rs it a s vestra me in libera vid uit a t e mea post mortem d ic t i Thome quondam viri mei r e mi s is s e e t de me imp e rpe t uum quiete clamasse deo e t beate Marie e t c o n ue n t ui de Sixilla totum ius e t c la miu m quod h ab ui vel a liq uo modo habere potni nomine dotis siue a liq uo alio iure in omnibus terris pratis e t pa s t uris t o ft is e t c ro ft is r e d dit ib us e t in o m n im o di s p o s s e S s io n ib us que dic t us Thomas de S c o t e n e y quondam u ir meus q ua n d o c umq ue In tota vita sua c a rt i s suis e i s d e m c o n t ulit I n cuius rei testimonium presentem c a rt a m sigillo meo c o rr o b o ra ui Hiis t e s t ib us domino Radulfo vicario d e T e ue lb y d o mi n o Ad a vicario de Wy fly n gh a m domino He n r ic o d e c a n o de W a le s c ro ft W a lt e ro filio German i de Media Resen Roberto filio Wille lmi de T e ue lb y Willelmo filio De rky n W alt e ro Wyles Thoma

Sely de Wyfly n gh a m .

[43] C untis Christi fid e lib us p re s e n tib us e t futuris R ad ulfus fili us Ri c ardi de Ha i n t o n a f s a lut e m No ue rit u n i ue rs it a s vestra me d iuin e pie t a ti s intuitu e t pro salute anime mee e t omnium a n t e c e s s o r um m e o r um e t h e re d um d e d is s e e t c o n c e s s i s s e e t h ac presenti c arta mea c o n firm a s s e d e o e t beate Marie e t c o n ue n t ui de S ix la in puram e t perpetuam e le m o s in a m unum toftum in villa de Ha i n t o n a c u m omnibus pe rt i n e n c iis suis illum scili c et toftum qui i a c e t i n proximo iux t a toftum Ri c ardi filii Alani i n occidentali parte que [s ic ] tenet de m a tri c e ecclesia L i n c o ln i en s i Tenendum e t habendum bene e t in pac e libere e t quiete S ic ut a liqua elemosina ' liberius v e lm e li us potest dari viris re ligio s is e t e g o p re fat us R a d ulfus e t heredes mei w a ra n t iz a b im us h u n c p re dic t um toftum cum p e r ti n e n c ii s S ic ut puram e t perpetuam e le m o s i n a m n o st r a m prefato c o n ue n t ui de S ix la e t d e fe n d e m us de omnibus rebus contra omnes homines im pe r pe t uum E t ut he c mea d o n a c io e t c o n firm a c io rata Sit e t s t a b ilis impe rpe t uum eam sigillo meo c o ro b o ra ui H iis t e s t ib us Ni c h o la o tunc c a p e lla n o de Ha in t o n a Roberto de Hotham Willelmo abbate Ricardo fratre eius Willelmo de Wihum clerico fi i Ha i n t o n a c filio lo Alani de Alano lerico Ricardo Alicie .

[44] O mnibus C hristi fid e lib us presentem c a rt a m v i s uris vel a ud it u ri s R ic a r d us T us c he t de He y t o n a f s alut e m No ue rit un i ue r s it a s vestra me d iuin e pie t a t is intuitu pro salute anime mee e t a n t e c e s s o rum m e o r um c o n c e s s i ss e d e dis s e e t h ac presenti carta mea c o n firm a s s e d e o e t beate Marie e t c o n ue n t ui mo n ialium de S ixla i n puram e t perpetuam e le m o s i n a m t o ta m t e r ra m meam i a c e n t e m inter b e rc a ria m d ic t a rum mo n ialium de Hay t o n a e t c himin um ext e n de n s versus Wllin gha m a magno c himi n o ze x t e n d e n s ve rsu s

25 TRANSCRI PTS O F CHARTERS

Ludam e t inde versus austrum orientali latere curtis dicte b e r c arie i n longum decem e t octo pe rt ic ar um scilicet tam duas partes meas terre quam t e rc ia m partem quam matri mee inde c o n tigit in dote ad C la ud e n d a s e t e dific a n d a s b e r c a ria s ad opus e a r un de m s ic ut e isd e m melius v id e ri n t e x p e dire Habendum e t tenendum dicto c o n ue n t ui si e ut a liq ua elemosina melius vel liberius haberi vel teneri potest ab a liq uib us viris re ligio s is impe rpe t uum E t ego R ic a rd us e t heredes mei wa ra n t iz a b im us a c q uie t at a b im us e t d e fe n d e mu s eidem c o n ue n t ui dic t a m t e rr a rn c um libero i n t ro it u e t e x it u cum omnibus lib e rt a t ib us di c te terre a di a c e n t ib us S ic ut liberam puram e t p e rpetuam e le mo s i n a m n o s t ra m de omnibus contra omnes homines impe rpe t uum E t ad h uius doni mei perpetuam firmit at e m presentem c a rt a m sigilli mei i n pre s s io n e m un it a m dicto c o n ue n t ui d ign um duxi c o n fe re n d a m Hiis t e st ib us domino Roberto de Hotham Roberto ’ c lerico de Wlly n gh a m Roberto de Must ro ill de eadem Ricardo filio Thome de He y n t o n a Ricardo frende de eadem Willelmo abbate de eadem Alano clerico Johanne Wace de He y m t un a [ s ic] Ricardo abbate de eadem Simone Rat de eadem Ricardo S c rure s a liis de eadem e t m ultis .

[45] O mnibus s an c te matris ecclesie filIIs Thomas filius Wille lm i de S a lle b y f s alut e m No ue rit un iue rs it as vestra me d e di s s e e t presenti carta c o n fir m a s s e deo e t beate M arie e t c o n ue n t ui de S ix le cum corpore meo quatuor b o ua t a s terre i n territorio de Hain tona c um t o ft is e t omnibus aliis pe rt in e n c iis suis i n villa e t extra d ua S scilicet b o uat a s c u m tofto que fue r un t Hugonis d e s ti n ad e e t unam b o ua t a m c um tofto que fuit Alani filii Johannis e t unam b o ua t a m c um d uo b us t o ft is que fuit Wille lmi filii Angeri in liberam e t per p e t ua m e le m o s in a m salua h e re dib us meis fo rin s e c o s e ruic io Hanc d o n a c io n e m feci p re dic t o c o n ue nt ui pro salute anime mee e t uxoris mee e t he re d um m e o rum e t omnium a n t e c e s s o rum Hiis t e s tib us Radulfo decano de Ha i n t o n a Radulfo clerico de Kuke wald a Johanne clerico de S o t e b y Ricardo de Hay n t o n a Ricardo abbate Rogero ’ dispensatore Roberto de Hotham Rogero Pun fo ll Matheo .

[46] C untis C hristi fide lib us R a d ulfus abbas de Ha i nt o n a s alut e m Notum S it un iue rs it at i vestre quod ego concessi e t h a c carta mea c o n fir m a ui deo e t c o n ue n t ui s a n c tim o n i alium de S ixla d o n a c io n e m quam Wille lmus frater e t dominus meus fecit eis quando mater nostra recepta fuit i n e a rum c o n so rc ium de d uab us b o uatis terre in territorio de Hay n t o n a e t uno tofto que fue r un t C o ls awin [s i c] in puram e t perpetuam e le mo s in am ut eas h ab e an t e t t e n e a nt imper p e t u um S ic ut a liqua elemosina liberius p o s sid e tur Sine re c lam a c io n e a me e t ab he re dib us meis S ic ut carta Wille lmi pre dic t i frat ris mei t e st a tur qui e a n d e m t e rra m eis dedit e t carta domini mei Thome filii Wille lmi qui ipsa m t e rram a c quie t ab it eis erga omnes homi n es de omnibus se c ularib us s e ruic iis e t omnibus rebus S ic ut in carta eius c o ntine tur Ipse ue ro c o n ue n tus co ncessit mi chi e t uxori me e S IXLE SER I ES 2 5

road leading to Louth , and thence towards the south by the east Of a i n Side of the yard the s id Sheepfold , length eighteen perches namely as well my two parts of the land as the third part which fell then c e to my mother in do wer ; fo r enclosing and building

sheepfolds for their us e as it shall seem best to them . To have and to hold to the said convent as any alms may best or most freely be had or held by any religious men for ever . And I Richard and my heirs will warrant , acquit , and defend the said land to the same o convent , with free entry and exit , with all liberties appertaining t the said land , against all men from all things for ever as our free , pure , and perpetual alms . And for the perpetual strengthening of this my gift I have seen fit to convey the present charter protected uer la te by the Impression of my seal to the said convent . [ Q y Hen ry

T o [45 ] all the sons of holy mother church , Thomas son of f William o Saleby sends greeting . Let the whole body of you know that I have given and by the present charter confirmed to G o d and a n d o f S ix le blessed Mary the convent together with my body , four bovates of land in the territory of Hainton , with tofts and all their other appurtenances in the village and without , namely two bovates ’ ’ d e s t i n a d e s with a toft which were Hugh , and one bovate with a ’ s o n a n d o n e toft which was Alan of John s , bovate with two tofts ’ ‘ s o n a lmS which was William of Anger s , in free and perpetual , reserving forinsec service to my heirs . I have made this gift to the aforesaid convent for the safety o f my soul and that of my wife and La te Hen r those of my heirs and all my ancestors . [ y

6 i n C [4 ] To all the faithful hrist , Ralf abbot of Hainton sends greeting . Be it known to the whole body of you that I have granted and by this my charter confirmed to God and the convent of the nuns of S ixle the gift which William my brother and lord made to them when our mother was received into their fellowship , of two bovates ’ of land in the territory of Hainton and o n e toft which were C o lsw a in s In pure and perpetual alms that they may have and hold them for ever as any alms may most freely be possessed , without reclaim by o f me or by my heirs , as the charter the aforesaid William my brother who gave that land to them bears witness , and the charter of my lord Thomas son of William , who will acquit that land to t he m a ga i n s t all me n from all secular services and all things as is n his contai ed in charter . Moreover the convent has granted to me and 2 6 TRANSCRI PTS OF C HARTERS quod post o b it um nostrum s e pult ura m c um ipsis h a b e b imus e t par t ic i pe s e r imus omnium bonorum que fiun t In domo e o rum [s i c] e t pro nobis fie t i n omnibus impe rpe t uum s ic ut pro fratre e t sorore Hiis t e st ib us Radulfo clerico de Ha i nt o n a e t persona Roberto clerico s uo Radulfo milite filio Wa ri n i Ricardo filio ips i us e t E n i s a ud o

armigero eius .

[47 ] C untis C hristi fide lib us presentem c a rt a m v is uris vel a udit uri s R ic a rd us filius R a d ulfi T us c h e t de Ha i n t o n a f s alut e m No ue rit u n iu e rs it as vestra me diui n e pie t a t is intuitu pro salute anime mee e t a n t e c e ss o r um e t s uc c e s s o rum m e o r um c o n c e s s is s e d e dis s e e t h a c presenti carta mea c o n fir m a s s e deo e t beate Marie e t c o n ue n t ui de S ixle in puram e t perpetuam e le mo s i n a m homagium e t s e ruic ium Ricardi filii S iwa rd i de Ha in t o n a e t h e re d um sn orum quod michi d e b uit pro d ua b us b o ua t i s terre e t uno tofto que de me tenuit h e re dit arie in territorio e t in villa de Ha i n t o n a C oncessi e c ia m e t dedi eidem c o n ue n t ui totum ius e t dominium quod hahni li uel a quo modo habere pot n i i n . p re d ic t o t e n e me n t o scilicet i n h o m agi o s e r uic io warda e t re le uio e t e xc a e t a uel a liquo alio modo Habendum e t tenendum dicto c o n ue n t ui in puram e t perpetuam e le m o si n a m si e ut a liq ua elemosina melius vel liberius ab aliq uib us viris re ligio s is haberi vel teneri p o t e rit impe rpe t uum Et ego R ic a rdus e t heredes mei w ara n tiz a b imus a c quie t ab im us e t defe u dem us eidem c o n ue n t ui tenementum pre n o mi n at um c um pre fatis h o ma gi o s e r uic i o warda re le uio e x c a e t a e t omnibus aliis pe rt i n e n c i i s S ic ut puram e t perpetuam e le m o s i n a m n o s t ra m scilicet de omnibus fo ri n se c is e t omnibus a lii s que aliquo modo a pre dic t o t e n e me n t o exigi po t e r un t contra omnes homines impe rpe t uum E t ut h o c donum meum e t c o n c e s s io mea semper rata e t i n uio la b ilia pe r m a e a n t [s i c] presentem c a rt a m inde eidem c o n ue n t ui c o n fe c t a m sigilli mei i n re s s i o n e di n um rro b o ra n d a m t e s t ib us p g duxi c o . Hiis dominis Roberto de B re tt e ula Willelmo de Pa n t o n a Willelmo Burdette milit ib us Johanne de J e r pun uilla Willelmo de Ble s e b y Ga lfrid o ’ fratre eius Thoma Mustela de T ir in gt o n a Roberto Mus t re ll Roberto clerico Johanne fili o G a lfr id i de Willingham Willelmo abbate

Ricardo filio Thome Ricardo abbate Alano clerico de Ha in t o n a .

[48] Omnibus hanc c art a m v is uris vel a udituris Gracia de ’ Saleby quondam uxor Briani de lIS le f s alute m No ue rit un i ue r sitas vestra me in mera v id uit at e e t libera potestate mea post mortem dic t i Briani quondam viri mei pro salute anime mee e t a n t e c e s so rum me o r um d e d is s e c o n c e s si s s e e t hac presenti carta mea c o n fir mas se deo e t beate Marie e t c o n ue n t ui de Sixilla scilicet ad s us t e n t a c io n e m c amisiarum m o n ialium i n liberam puram e t perpetuam e le mo s i n am t o t a m t e rra m tam in terra arabili quam in prato que fuit R o ge ri filii R ad ulfi hominis mei i n territorio de E stb a rke wrd a c um capitali m e suagio e ius d e m R o g e ri in eadem villa c um omnibus p e r tin e n c iis in pratis pa sc uis pa s t uri s aq uis viis semitis e t om n ibus aliis a i s ia S IKLE S ER IES 2 6

my wi fe that after o ur death we shall have a burying place with them and shall be partakers of all the good works whic h are done i n us i n their house , and that for shall be done for ever all things as fo r He n r [ L a brother and a Sister . [ y ]

o f s e e o r [47] To all the faithful ' Christ who shall hear the s o n T us c he t o f present charter , Richard of Ralf Hainton sends o f o f greeting . Let the whole body you know that at the impulse divine piety for the safety o f my soul and the souls o f my ancestors a n d t and successors I have granted , given , by this my presen charter a n d a n d confirmed , in pure perpetual alms to God blessed Mary and the c onvent of S ix le the homage and service o f Richard son of S o f a n d c iward Hainton his heirs , whi h he owed to me for two bovates of land and o n e toft whic h he held o f me hereditarily in the

territory and in the village of Hainton . I have also granted and given to the same convent all right and lordship which I had o r in c any way ould have in the aforesaid tenement , namely in homage , o r a n service , wardship , and relief, and escheat , in y other way to have and to hold to the said convent i n pure and perpetual alms as a n y alms may best o r most freely be had o r held by any religious

men for ever . And I Richard and my heirs will warrant , acquit ,

and defend the aforenamed tenement with the aforesaid homage , c service , wardship , relief, es heat , and all other appurtenances to the f same convent against all men for ever , namely rom all forinsec services and from all other things whi c h c a n be demanded i n any manner from the aforesaid tenement , as our pure and perpetual alms . And that this my gift and my grant m ay always remain firm and inviolable I have seen fit to confirm the present charter , made therein for the same convent , by the impression of my seal . [Ea rly Hen ry

8 o r [4 ] To all who Shall see hear this charter , Grace of Saleby w f . o wido of Brian de Insula , sends greeting Let the whole body you know that I , in my full widowhood and free power , after the o f o f death the said Brian my late husband , for the safety my soul o f and the souls my ancestors have given , granted , and by this my present charter confirmed , in free , pure , and perpetual alms to God S ixle fo r and blessed Mary and the convent of , namely the o f maintenance the shifts of the nuns , all the land , as well i n s o n In arable as meadow , which was Roger of Ralf ’ my man s in the territory o f East Barkwith with the Chief messuage f o the same Roger i n the same village with all appurtenances a n d In meadows , pastures , feedings , waters , ways , paths , all 7 TRANSCR I PTS O F C HARTE RS

mentis e t lib e r ta tib us dicte terre e t m e s ua gio a dia c e n tib us infra villam e t extra que michi e s s c ae t a uit [s ic] per fe lo n ia m ab e o d e m Rogero fac t a m nullo iure c la mio vel e x a c c io n e vel demanda mi c hi vel here d ib us meis de dicta terra vel me s ua gio retentis Tenenda e t habenda libere quiete p a c ific e e t integre dicto c o n ue n t ui S ic ut aliqua elemosina liberius vel melius ab aliquib us viris re ligio s is teneri potest vel haberi impe rpe t uum Et ego Gracia e t heredes mei w a ra n t iz ab im us a c q uie t a b imus e t d e fe n d e mus dic ta m t e rra m e t m e s ua gi um c um omnibus pe rtin e n c iis suis prefato c o n ue n t ui S ic ut liberam puram e t perpetuam e le mo s i n a m n o st ra m de omnibus rebus d e ma n dis e t ex a c c io n ib us aliquo casu dicte terre vel m e s uagio c o n tin ge n tib us contra omnes homines impe rpe t uum E t ut mea he c d o n a c io rata pe rma n e at e t s t ab ilis imp e rpe t uum presentem c art a m sigilli mei i n pre s si o n e ro b o ra t a m dicto c o n ue n t ui t radidi in testimonium Hiis t e s tib us Willelmo priore de B ulin gt o n a Ricardo c e le ra rio de eadem Simone de R o pp e le Alure d o de Glentham milit ib us Philippo de As c e llis tunc uic e c o mit e L in c o ln iens i Ricardo fratre suo Roberto de B a io c is de T e ue lb y Willelmo filio Ricardi Ricardo filio Thome de Hain 1 tona Adam filio R a d ulfi de T o uy e b y Willelmo de Ble s e b y Roberto de Hotham Johanne de C laxby Willelmo de T y mb e rlun d Thoma Mus t e lla de T i ri n gt o n a Roberto Mus t re lla de Willingham Ricardo Frend de Ha i n t o n a Thoma de E n gle t e r Ha mun d o fratre s uo

[49 ] Omnibus Christi fid e lib us presentem c a rt a m v is uris vel audit uri s Stephanus de Gaunt de S a lt e b y mile s f s a lut e m No ue rit un iue rs it a s vestra me pro salute anime mee a n t e c e s s o ru m e t s uc c e ss o r um m e o r um c o n c e s s is s e d e dis s e e t h ac presenti carta mea c o n firm as s e d e o e t beate Marie e t c o n ue n t ui de Sixilla in liberam puram e t perpetuam e le m o s in am omnes terras re ddit us e t t e n e me n t a c um s ali n is q ue c umq ue h ab ui tam in dominico quam in lib e ris e t v illa n is infra villam e t quatuor diui s is de Wa rgh o lm e t G e rm e rth o rpa H abenda e f tenenda eidem c o n ue n tui d o S ix la libere quiete integre e t pac ific e s ic ut aliqua elemosina melius uel liberius haberi vel teneri po t e rit ab aliquib us viris re ligio s is c um omnibus pe rt in e n c iis suis impe rpe t uum E t ego Stephanus e t heredes mei w a ra n tiz a b im us a c quie t a b im us e t d e fe n de m us omnia p re dic t a p r e d ic t o c o n ue n t ui de S ix lla s ic ut liberam puram e t perpetuam e le mo s i n a m n o s t ra m de omnibus rebus que a liq uo modo a liq uo casu a liquo tempore a c c ide re p o t e run t con tra omnes homines imp e rp e t uum E t si aliquid ciro graffum inter dictum c o n ue n t um e t me de dicto t e n e m e n t o e t s alin is c o n fe c t um a liquo aliq uo [s ic] tempore i n ue n t um fuerit nullius sit momenti n ullius q ue ua lo r is In c uius rei testimonium presentem c a rt a m sigillo meo ro b o ra ui f Hiis t e s tib us domino Reginaldo de G e rpe n uilla milite Ricardo T us c he t Ricardo filio Thome de Hain tona Roberto Hard de R is e b y Wa lt e ro de Wy ue lli n gha m Johanne

Mar e s c allo de T e ue lb y Ricardo de Hotham . S IXLE S ERI ES 2 7

other easements and liberties attached to the said land a n d wit hi rr messuage , the village and without , which escheated to me through the felony done by the said Roger , reserving to r i n me o my heirs the said land or messuage no right , claim ,

o r . or exaction , demand To hold and to have to the said convent freely , quietly , peaceably and completely as any alms may most freely o r best be held or had by any religious men for ever . And c a n d an d I , Gra e , my heirs will warrant , acquit , defend the said land and messuage with all its appurtenances to the aforesaid convent against all men for ever , from all matters , demands , and exactions by any chance touching the said land or messuage , as our free , pure , and perpetual alms . And that this my gift may remain firm a n d stable for ever I have in evidence delivered to t he said convent the present charter strengthened by the impression of my seal . [M i cb a elma s 1 23 2 - 1 23

1 ec u R ti us To be b y .

[49 ] To all the faithful of C hrist who shall s e e or hear the

c o f . present harter , Stephen de Gaunt Saltby , knight , sends greeting Let the whole body of you know that for the safety o f my soul and the souls of my ancestors and successors I have granted , given , and by this my present charter Confirmed , in free , pure , and perpetual o f S ix le alms to God and blessed Mary and the convent all lands , i n rents , and tenements , with saltpans , which I had as well demesne i n t he as free men and villeins within village , and the four boundaries o f Wr a ho lm e g and Grainthorpe . To have and to hold to the same S ix le convent of freely , quietly , completely , and peaceably with all fo r a s appurtenances ever , any alms may best or most freely be had or held by any religious men . And I Stephen and my heirs will warrant , acquit , and defend all the aforesaid things to the aforesaid c o f S ixle f onvent against all men for ever , rom all matters which may befall in any manner by any chance at any time as our free , pure , and perpetual alms . And if any indenture made between the said c onvent and me concerning the said tenement a n d saltpans Shall be found at any time it Shall be of no moment and o f no value . In witness whereof I have c onfirmed the present charter by my E r seal . [ a ly Hen ry