The english register of Godstow nunnery, near Oxford : written about 1450 / edited with an introduction by Andrew Clark.

PLACES UNIDENTIFIED WHEN THE MS. WAS FIRST SENT TO PRESS

PIDDLE ATHELAMPSTON, DORSETSHIRE

[Exchequer-MS. folio iib] Charter for 20s. rent in Adelinkton.

About 1145. Grant to Godstow, by Muriel de Bohun, of a rent|charge, to found an obit.

MURIELLA de Boun gave 20s. rent in Adelinkton, viz. in Dereseth, which William son of Bricher used to pay to her, to be paid to the kitchen on her anniversary.

Witnesses: Herbert, chaplain and keeper of Godstow; James, steward of Godstow; Magister Rogerus Glovernia.

[[NOTE.—Identification supplied by Rev. H. E. Salter. In 1200 the bishop of Salisbury held, as two knights' fees, five small manors, viz. Prinnesley, Piddle Athelampston, and three others. At an earlier date Muriella de Bohun, wife of Ralph de Bruere, occurs as giving away land in Prinnesley (Hutchins's History of Dorset, iv. 298.]]

BALDON and BROAD-ENSTONE, OXFORDSHIRE

[Exchequer-MS. folio 183] Charter of Thurstan, dispensator of the king of England.

1234, Nov. 29. Grant to Godstow, by Thurstan Despencer, of a rent|charge, to endow an obit on Sept. 9 for his son Amalric.

THURSTAN Despencer, with the consent of his wife Lucy, gave to Godstow 5s. of yearly rent for the soul of Amauri his son, viz. 3s. to be taken of his men of Bradenston and his fee in that vill with the homages, and 2s. in Baldindon from Andrew of the chequer, to provide a pittance on the morrow of the Nativity of the Virgin, i. e. on the anniversary of Aumari his son.

Witnesses: Ralph Despencer, parson; Adam Despencer, knight; Absalom and Bernard, chaplains; Gilebert of Biham; Reoland Bluet. Eve of St. Andrew, 1234: at Godstow.

[[NOTE.—Rev. H. E. Salter identifies both places for me. Baldindon is Baldon, Oxfordshire, where the Despencers had a manor of six hides. Broad-enstone is a hamlet, in Enstone parish, Oxfordshire, which was held, by the Despencers, of the Abbot of Winchcombe.]]

COMBE MYLLE.

[NOTE.—The mention of the bishop of Lincoln suggests that this place was in that diocese, and it has been therefore assumed to be Combe Longa by Woodstock in Oxfordshire. The witnesses (Exchequer MS. leaf 183, back) supply no clue to the locality, being Hugh, chaplain; Ralf of Monemut. (i. e. Monmouth: Canon of Lincoln, circ. 1150-80); Sayer of Quincey; Fulk Trussell, &c. The date is also fixed by the absence of the property from pope Eugenius III's confirmation, 1145, and from Henry II's first confirmation, 1156, and its presence in Henry II's second confirmation (no. 879), 1165. Against the identification with Combe Longa is the fact that the manor of Combe Longa was in the King's hands from 1154 on|wards; so that its miller, in making his grant, would have appealed to the King, his overlord, not to the bishop. The extant accounts of the manor (in Public Records Office) are not early enough to help us. Rev. S. Spencer Pearce, Vicar of Combe, tells me that there is no mention of the mill in the accounts 1243-99, but in those of 1304-11 it is plainly in the King's own hands.]

[folio 149] A Charter of Norbert for the mylle of Combe I-made to the holy mynchons of Godestowe.

About 1160. Norbert, donor of the mill to Godstow, asks the bishop of Lincoln, Robert (de Chesney), bishop 1147-68), to effect his purpose.

THE sentence of this Charter is, that Norbert willed to be know to the Robert Bisshop of lyncolne fadirhode and to all trew cristen peple of the chirche, that he, for the helthe of his sowle, yaf and graunted into perpetuell almesse, to god and to the chirche of oure lady of Godestowe and to the holy mynchons there seruyng god, his mylle of Combe with all that longith therto. Wherfor he besily praied his hyghnesse that he wold maynteyn and defende the same holy mynchons, for the love of god, in the same almesse. These beyng witnesse, & cetera.

HORSEFORD, IN NORFOLK.

[NOTE.—Among the witnesses are Walter and Jordan, chaplains, and Walter Maleth. Herring were cured at the fishing-port. Oseney, e.g., Rev. H. E. Salter tells me, had tenements at Dunwich and at Yarmouth for the supply of herrings. Margaret, wife of Hugh de Cressi, in 1175 inherited Horseford manor from her father William de Chesney. It had belonged to the family since 1086 (Blomefield's History of Norfolk, x. 433).]

[folio 149b] A Charter of Margery Cressy, I-made to the mynchons of Godestowe, for v. cartlode of wode of aldur of her wode I-called horforde, xv. dayes after myghelmasse yerely to be take, to dry ther heryng.

About 1180. Grant to Godstow, by Margery Cressy, widow, of wood at Michael|mas to dry their herring.

THE sentence of this charter is, that Margery Cressy, in her fre wedowhode, for goddis sake and for the helth of her

sowle and of the sowles of her fadir and modir and of her aunceturs and successours, graunted, & cetera, into pure and perpetuel almesse, to god & cetera and to the mynchons of Godestowe ther seruyng god, v. cartlode of wode of Aldur ['de alno in bosco meo de Horsford' in the Latin.] in her wode I-called horford to be take by yere, that is to sey, xv. dayes after myghelmasse, to drye there heryng ['ad suum allec siccandum': herring being then in the midst of their season. The nuns probably bought a considerable quan|tity to dry for winter use. Herrings were brought up the Thames in barges, and, during Lent, Abingdon Abbey claimed toll of each barge so laden (Wood's City of Oxford, i. 427).] . And that this her graunte, & cetera.

HUMESWORTH OR HINNESWORTH.

[Exchequer-MS. folio 185b] Charter of Peter of Brumelingham for the mill of Humesworth.

About 1160? Grant to Godstow, by Peter of Brumelingham of a mill and a rent-charge.

PETER and his wife Felicia, gave, with their daughter to be a nun, their mill of Humesworth [Writing indistinct: possibly 'Hinnes|worth.' See Highworth mill, in no. 886 § 59.] and 2s. of rent at Hespes.

Witnesses:—Wacheline, abbot of Abingdon; Nicholas, monk of Evesham; Magister Roger and his nephew Simon; and the donor's sons William and Hugh.

PETHAM, IN KENT.

[Exchequer-MS. folio 184b] Charter of Alan de Leia for 5 acres in perpetual alms.

About 1190. Grant to Godstow, by Alan of Leigh, of five acres in Petham, in exchange for a rent|charge.

ALAN of Leigh lets all men, French and English, know, that with his daughter Amphelisia to be a nun, he has given to Godstow, with consent of his son and heir Roger, five acres which lie above the house of the parson of St. Peter of Far|ningeham on the east, which acres belonged to the mill of Farningeham, and which Godfrey son of Godwin of the bridge held of him in exchange for that half-marc of rent [This rent-charge, given by Alan of Leigh, is found in Henry II's third charter (no. 886), 1182.] which Richard of Grai used to pay to the nuns in the tenure of Putham,

as he has held the land, or as his lord William of Einesford held it who gave that land to him with his sister Maud in free marriage (in libero matrimonio).

Witnesses:—William, dean of Wortun (? Horton); Elias, cleric of Einesford; Thomas, nephew of Agnes the abbess: at Einesford.

[[NOTE.—Rev. H. E. Salter happily identifies these places. Horton-Kirby, Farning|ham (church dedicated to SS. Peter and Paul), and Eynsford are adjacent parishes, south of Dartford in Kent. Petham is a small manor in Farningham parish (Hasted's History of Kent, i. 300).]]

VLEBERNE.

[Exchequer-MS. folio 153] Grant of the advowson of the church with all its pertinents.

1234, Nov. 29. Grant to Godstow, by Thurstan Despencer, of the ad|vowson of Vleberne, to found two obits.

THURSTAN, dispensator domini regis Anglie, with the wish of his mother Alde Bluet and of his wife Lucy, granted to Godstow the jus patronatus of the church of Vleberne [Ewelme, Oxfordshire, is the only De|spencer advowson in the Testa, 1240, which is at all like Vleberne (or Uleberne). The witness Ralph Despencer was rector of Ewelme.] , as soon as a vacancy occurs, the fruits to go to the kitchen of the convent on the morrow (Sept. 9) of the Nativity of Mary, to keep the anniversary of Ammaurice his son (who is buried at Godstow); if Godstow procures the appropriation of the church, one half is to be applied for his son's anniversary (as before), and the other half is to go to the kitchen on St. Valentine's day (Feb. 14), to keep the anniversary of Ammaurice [Almaric Despencer, flor. temp. Ric. I.] his father. Dated 1234, vigil of St. Andrew.

Witnesses:—Ralph Despencer, parson; Adam Despencer, knight; Gilebert of Biam; Reoland Bluet.