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

[X. Of the Chapel of St. Thomas]

[63.]

Legend that St. Thomas's church was built be|tween Sept. and Dec. 1142.

Duryng [The heading in the Latin is, 'De Capella sancti Thome.' In the English MS. there is a (later) marginal note here: 'Saint Nicholas Churche.'] þe sege of þ^e castell of oxonforde of Kyng sthephyn, þe which moolde themperice in þe saide castell longe segid, was beeldid þe chapell of Seynte thomas (for þe parisshons of Seynte George in-to þe castell myȝht not come ne entre): and hit is to be knowe þat hit was i-beeldid vppon þe ffee of Seynte Walerye vppon þe halfe of þe x. and vij. acris þe which to vs ȝafe bernarde of Seynte Walerye, as hit is i-schewed by þe charter folowyng.

[[NOTE.—This is not the place to discuss a very interesting, but most obscure, point in Oxford topography, as to which Anthony Wood himself is more than usually hesitating (City of Oxford, ii. 112-7). Still, since it is distinctly brought up in these documents, the facts may be briefly set down. (A) Between Oxford Castle and the site of Oseney stands St. Thomas' parish church, now, and for long back, the mother church of the west suburbs of Oxford: see Map at beginning of Wood's City of Oxford, ii. (B) No. 66 describes the founding of a chapel near the gate of Oseney. Were (A) and (B) separate or the same? What were the date and occasion of their foundation and refoundation, or dates and occasions of their foundations? Oseney tradition, set out in no. 63, may at once be dismissed. Could a church have been built, on the sudden inroad of war into Oxford west suburb, between Sept. and Dec. 20, 1142? Could a church have even been begun, almost within bow-shot of a hotly-besieged castle? The most probable solution of the difficulty is to take nos. 64 and 66 together, and no. 65 as referring to a distinct building. In no. 65 we have the grant by the diocesan of a semi|domestic chapel, apparently within Oseney island, probably destroyed at the dis|solution. After Oseney, in 1152, obtained possession of St. George's in the Castle (no. 23), the abbey may reasonably be supposed to have provided a more convenient church for its large parish in the west suburb of Oxford. This would account for the Church of St. Thomas the Martyr, which seems to be implied in no. 66.]]

[64.]

About 1180. Grant to Oseney, by Bernard of St. Valerie, of the mediety of 17½ acres beside Oseney.

KNOWE all men bothe present and to be that [I], Bernarde of Seynte Walerye, ȝafe and grauntid, and with this present charter confermed, to þe church of god and of Seynte Marye of Oseney and to þ^e chanons þer seruyng god, halfe of x. and vij. acris and halfe j. acre of my lordeship in oseney, þe which lye at þe northe next to þ^e courte of þe same chanons and to þ^e tenement, of þ^e which acris þ^e lenght Is i-strechid fro þ^e wey by þe which me goeth ['a via qua itur.'] fro Oseney to þe church of Seynte George, vnto þe water þe which rennyth to þe Millis of þ^e same chanons, in-to fre and pure almys fro all seruice, sauyng þe ryȝght of our lorde Kyng, for þe helth of my lorde Kyng Henry and myne and of Anor my wife and of Bernard my sone [and [Added from the Latin. The repetitions are singular, and suggestive of forgery.] of my other children and 'parents' and my friends, and specially for the soul of Reginald my son] and for þe sowles of my fadur and modur ['pro animabus patris et matris.'] and of moolde my wife and of Symon my vncle and of oþer kennesfolkes ['parentum.'] and of my frendes, (and [The bracketed clause is brought in here by the translator, who had noticed his omission, as above.] speciall for þ^e Sowle [folio 17b] of reynolde my sone). This yifte I made in þ^e Abbey of Oseney where I a-boode In a lente ['cum moram facerem in ea in quadam quadragesima'; also suspiciously vague.] .

[65.]

About 1190. Grant to Oseney, by the diocesan, of a chapel just outside Oseney gate, for use of ser|vants and guests, free from synodals, and privi|leged as Oseney itself.

TO all cristen men to þ^e which þis present writyng shall come, Hugh [The witnesses—Stephen, chancellor of Lincoln; Roger of Rolueston (became dean of Lincoln 1195, died 1223); Nigel, dean of Oxford,—attach this to Hugh of Avalon, bishop 1186-1200.] , by þe grace of god Bisshop of lincoln, helth euerlastyng in our lorde. Knowe ye all owr beloued Sones Abbot and chanons of Oseney A chapell of our assent and wille afore þe ȝate of here courte in þere owne grownde to haue i-made, to þat specially that in hit to þere seruantes and giftes [Read 'gestes': 'hospitibus.'] or also to þere parisshons in ['in ipso confinio.'] that cooste dwellyng, whenne ['cum commodum eis fuerit, divina celebrenter.'] hit is goode to þem, diuine thynges to be done: and laste þ^e same brethrin, by cause of this chapell, with vnryghtfull vexynges or exaccions here-after be i-weried, We decree þat chapell for Euer free to be fro Sinodall and to Enioy all þe Immunitees þe which þe monastery Enioyeth. Þat this be rate and ferme with

this writyng and our seele puttyng to we avised to be strengthid. Þese witnesseses, et cetera.

[66.]

About 1222. Confirma|tion to Oseney, by the pope, of a chapel, possibly dedicated to St. Nicholas.

HONORYE [Honorius III, pope 1216-27.] , Bisshoppe, seruaunt of þ^e Seruauntes of god, to þ^e beloued soones Abbot and Couent of Oseney helth and the apostls blessyng. Þe apostell see is woned to graunte to þe goode desires and honest praieres of axers beniuolente fauor to parte ['to graunte . . . to parte' translates the one word 'impartiri.'] . Þerfore, our beloued Soones in our lorde, to yowr ryȝghtfull praiers Inclined, þe chapell of Seynte Thomas with his pertinences, all ye [For 'all ye' read 'as': 'sicut.'] ryȝghtfully lawfully and pesible ye haue hit, [to you], and by ['vobis, et per vos monasterio vestro.'] ȝow to your monastery, by thapostels auctorite we conferme and with þe help of this writyng we make hit stronge. Þerfore to [no] man vtturly ['nulli ergo omnino hominum liceat.'] be hit lawfull this writyng of our confirmacion to breke or to hit come agayne ['vel ei contraire.'] with frowarde boldenysse: and if oony man that to assay wille presume, indignacion of almyȝghty god and of þe Blessed apostls petur and powle knowe þey þem-selfe to haue i-cumme inne. Þe Date at lateranne, et cetera.

[67.]

About 1200. Grant to Oseney, by Thomas of St. Valerie, of two strips at North Oseney to make a road along|side of the land in no. 64, and of a right of ford there, provided that his meadow is not damaged. and that if the grant exceed 6d. in yearly value Oseney pay the excess as a quit|rent.

KNOW þey that be present and to be þat I, Thomas of Seynte Walerye, haue i-yeve, grauntid, and confermed with my present charter, to god and to þe church of Blessid marye of Osney and to þe chanons þere seruyng god, for me and my wife and for þe sowles of my fadur and my modur and of my aun|ceturs, in-to pure and perpetuell almes, ij. sellions or buttes of lond to a wey [Marginal note: 'a waye.'] to be made at northoseney [North Oseney (afterwards the site of Rewley abbey) was an island, amid streams of Thames, next Oseney to the North: map ii. in Wood's City of Oxford, ii.] by þ^e Diche of þe londe of þe forsaide chanons þe which [i.e. londe.] Bernarde my fadur ȝafe to þem with þe roses pathe ['cum Roseo': possibly, the 'rushy' path.] that is bitwen þe forde that is i-callid Uuerforde [Marginal note: 'Vuerford.' Cotton MS. reads 'Were-ford.'] and þe londe of þe chanons, þe wey In lenght strecchyng hit-selfe fro þ^e forsaide forde vnto þe howse þe which [was sometime] of Water lingedraper: þe forde also (that is of my ryȝght), and ['et, in utraque parte, ascensionem et descensionem.'] In eyþer [part] goyng vppe and goyng downe with-oute [MS. has 'downe with with oute.'] harmyng of my mede. And hit

is to be know that I haue forgefe to þ^e same afore [Read 'to the same afore-named chanons the ferme': 'condonavi canonicis prenominatis firmam.'] many chanons of ferme of vj. d. if so moche be to be paid; And if oony thyng ouer þoo vj. d. to be paied, þey shall paye hit to my cheker at þe fest of Seynte Myȝghell. This wey, with þe Above-saide thynges, to þe forsaide chanons I graunte, to be holde of me and myne heyres, frely and quietly, well and pesible for Euer, with-oute vexyng. And [þat] this my ȝifte and graunte sure & vnbroke abide, hit with þe witnesses of this present writyng and puttyng to of my seele, [I] þowght worþy to strenghte: þese witnisses, et cetera