The English register of Oseney abbey / by Oxford, written about 1460. Ed., with an introduction and indexes, by Andrew Clark.

[XIV. Of Cutslowe and Frees [The MS. draws triple attention to this section—by a marginal note 'Note Cudes|lawe And ffrees,' by ink-markings in the heading, and by an elaborate sketch of a hand, opposite no. 80, pointing upwards. Wood's Life and Times, i. 217-8, describes Frice as a pasture-ground on the south borders of Yarnton and Kidlington parishes.] (north of Oxford)]

[79.] A Charter of Robert Doylly þe secunde, of Cudes|lawe and ffrees.

Pro|fessedly 1149? Excerpt from the pretended grant to Oseney by Robert Doyly II, of Frees chapel (belonging to St. George's church) as in no. 21.

BE hit i-knowe to all cristen men that I, Robert Doylly, willyng and consentyng Edithe my wife and my soones Henry and Gilbert, ȝefe and graunt, in-to pure and perpetuell almes, et cetera. Et Infra, 'thre hides of londe in Cudeslawe, with men, tithis, and oþer pertinences; and þe Chapell of ffrees, with þe mansion and londe agaynste þe Chapell towarde þe west, with ffedynges and pasturis and his oþer pertinences,' et cetera. Seke this charter in þe title 'Howe þe church of Seynte George was i-ȝefe to þe chanons of Osneye.'

[[NOTE.—Nos. 79 and 80 bring us back into the circle of forgery and blunder. Frees (no. 79) was not a Doyly property at all, but belonged to the St. Valerie family. Roger of Ivri, who died before 1100, is made, in the title of no. 80, to con|firm a grant by Robert Doyly II, who did not come into his estate till after 1115.]]

[80.] A confirmacion of Roger of Iuory of þ^e same.

Excerpt from no. 3, and refer|ence to no. 22.

'KNOWE þey that be present and to come þat [folio 20a] I, Roger of Iuory, for þe helth of our lorde Kyng and of all þ^e Reame and also for þe helth of my lorde Robert Doylly and of Aldithe his wife and þe helth of myne, haue i-grauntid and with my present charter haue i-confermed' as hit is i-write above in 'þe fun|dacion.' Also hit is to be notid that we haue confirmacion of Geffrey of Iuorye vppon þe same aforsaide, and many oþer confirmacions of þ^e same also.

[81.] A charter i-yeve to Richard, Erle of Cornwayle, of þ^e commune In Erdynton.

About 1245. Undertak|ing by Ose|ney, to ac|cept a mes|suage at Frees, without claiming pasture|rights in Yarnton.

TO all cristen men to þe which this present writyng shall come, ffrere John [John de Reading, abbot 1229-35, or John Leech, abbot 1235-49.] , By þe mercy of god Abbot of Oseney, and þe Couent of þe same place, helth. Knowe ȝe all that whenne lorde Richard Erle of Cornewayle had i-grauntid to vs a mese that Adam porter ['pontarius' in the Latin. Thomas of St. Valerie had bound Oseney to keep up the causeway (calcia) at Frees. This Adam probably attended to that duty.] helde sumtyme with his pertinences at ffrees,

we bownde vs to þe same and to his heyres by our present writyng that, by-cawse of þ^e saide mese with þ^e pertynences, commune of pasture in his maner of Erdyngton we maye not axe. In-to witnesse of þe which thynges we haue i-put to oure seele, et cetera.

[82.] A charter bitwene vs and Water of Croxforde of þ^e crofte of þ^e ffrees.

About 1260. Grant by Oseney, to Walter of Croxford and heirs, of land at Frees, at quit|rent of 6s, 8d., tenants to pay all burdens, and not to convey the land to others: re|peated in no. 106.

KNOWE all men that in this wise hit was a-Cordid bitwene Richard [Richard of Apletre, abbot 1254-67.] Abbot of Osneye and þ^e Couent of þe same place of þe oone partie, and Water Croxforde of þe oþer, that is to say, that þ^e seide Abbot and Couent lete ['dimiserunt et tradiderunt.'] and toke, to þ^e saide Water and to his heyres, a crofte, or þat telth, þe which is agaynste þe Chapell of ffrees of þ^e west partie, with Dichis, medis, and oþer pertinences: to be holde and had, to þe forsaide Water and to his heyres, to perpetuell fee-ferme, ȝeldyng þerof ȝerely to þ^e saide Abbot and Couent dj. a marke at Osney, that is to say, in þe Daye of Seynte Myȝghell or a-fore xl. d. and in þ^e day of þe Annunciacion of owr lady Seynte marye or a-fore xl. d.; and þ^e same Water and his heyres shall susteyne and aquite all burdons towchyng þe same crofte or telth with his owne costis; and hit shall not be lawfull to þe saide Water and to his heyres þ^e saide crofte or telth to sell ȝefe or bequeth to oony man or in oony wise to aliene. [And if] that he doo or his heyres doo, hit shall be lawfull to þ^e forsaide Abbot and Couent and to here successours þe saide crofte or telth to Entre and to haue for Euer, withoute Impediment or lett of þe saide Water or his heyres: and ['et ut h[a]ec dimissio et perpetue firme tradicio.'] þat [this] dimission or lettyng and of perpetuell farme takyng be sure and stable for Euer, [þ^e] parties to þ^is writyng in maner of A charter i-maade, Eueryche agaynste oþer have i-put to þere seeles. These witnysses. et cetera.