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

DAGLINGWORTH.

[NOTE.—The pension of 2s. paid by this church to Godstow is mentioned in pope Nicholas IV's Taxatio, 1291, and was still paid at the dissolution, 1540 (Monast. iv. 375).]

[folio XXVI(37)] Chartur of Raph bloet for the churche of Daglingworthe.

About 1150. Grant to Godstow by Ralph Bloet, of the advow|son of the church.

THE sentence of this chartur is, þat Raph bloet gaf, & grauntid, to god & to our ladi & to seint Iohn baptiste & to þe churche of Godestowe & to þe holi minchons þer seruinge god, his churche of Daglingworth, wiþe all his pertinences, into perpetuel almis, for þe helþe of his sowle & of his predecessours, freli & quietli fro all seculer seruice: & is with-oute date.

[[NOTE.—Witnesses are Matthew, archdeacon of Gloucester (died 1177); Robert of Meisi; Robert of Everci, &c.]]

[folio XXVIb(37b)] Chartur of watur bloet confirminge þe gyfte of þe churche of Dalingworþe.

About 1150. Confirma|tion to Godstow, by the donor's brother Walter Bloet, of no. 146.

THE sentence of þis chartur is, þat watur bloet gaf & grauntid, & confirmid, with his writinge, to god & to þe churche of our ladi & of seint Iohn baptiste of Godestow, & to þe minchons þer seruinge god, for þe helþe of his sowle & of his aunceturs & successurs, þe gifte þe whiche sire Raph bloet, his brother, made to hem & confirmid with his writinge, Also the churche of Dalingworþe, with all his pertinens, in-to pur & perpetuel almis: & þat his graunt shold be sure, he put to his seele: & is with-oute date [Witnesses: (the donor) Ralph Bloet, and Stephen of Silcestria.] .

Chartur of william bloet confirminge þe same gifte a-fore of the churche of Dalingworþe.

About 1220. Confirma|tion to Godstow, by the donor's nephew William Bloet, of no. 146.

THE sentence of þis chartur is, þat william bloet, for þe sake of charite & loue, for his owne helþe & for þe sowlis of his aunceturs & successours, grauntid, & confermid with his writinge, to god & to þe church of our ladi and seint Iohn

baptiste of Godestowe & to þe minchons þere seruinge god, þe churche of Dalingworþe, with all his pertinences, in-to pure & perpetuel almis, fre & quiete fro all seculer seruice & exaccion, as his vncles Raph & walter bloet gaf & grauntid & confirmid to þe fore-seide minchons, as her charturs witnessin: & þat his gifte & confirmacion sholde a-bide stable & firme, he put to his seele to þis present writinge: & is with-oute date [Witnesses: 'Sir' Simon of Hinton, Absalom of Stanton, Sir Ralph Harang, Sir William of Sewekesworthe.] .

[folio XXVII(38)] Confirmacion of Raph prior of wircetur general vicari of Roger bisshopp of wircetur for þe churche of Dalingworthe.

About 1165. Confirma|tions to Godstow, by Sir Ralph Bloet and by Ralph de Bede|ford, prior of Worces|ter (1146|89), vicar|general of Roger, bishop of Worcester (1164-79), of the advow|son of the church.

THE sentence of this confirmacion is, þat whenne Raph, prior of wircetur, kepid þe stede of Roger, bisshoppe of wircetur, Raph bloet [The re-grant by the donor was possibly due to some confusion caused by the fre|quent vacancies in the see, bishop Simon dying in 1149/50; bishop John Pagham, in 1157; and bishop Alfred, in 1160.] , knyht, grauntid & confirmid, in þe presence of þe seid prior & of mathewe, archedecun of gloucetur, to þe abbas & to þe mynchons of seint Iohn baptiste of Godestowe, þe churche of Dalingworth, in-to perpetuel almis, in þe full chapitur of þe clerkes of cicetur: þe same raph also, bi þe autorite þat he had, confirmid to þe fore-seid churche, abbas, & minchons, þe fore|namid gifte, & strengthid hit by þe ordre of þis writinge, & bi settynge to of his seele; & is with-oute date.

Conuencion I-made bitwene þe churche of Gode|stowe & Iohn of Cundewille vppon þe church of Dalingworþe.

About 1165. Promise to Godstow, by John of Cundewell, incumbent, to pay Godstow a pension of 2s. out of the church, and oath of fealty to Godstow.

THIS was þe conuencion bi-twene þe churche of seint Iohn baptiste of Godestowe, & Iohn of Cundewell, clerke, vppon þe churche of Dalingeworth: þat þe fore-seid Iohn sholde haue to pension j. besaunt or ij. shillings yerli with-in þe vtas of seint Iohn baptiste, in the name of þe fore-seid churche of Dalingworþe, to be paid at Godestowe: & to þis couenaunt to be holde þe fore|seid Iohn made an othe bodili in þe presens of þe Abbas & of all þe couent & of mony oþer feiþful men, euin as he had made

couenaunt a-fore bi-twene hem in the chapitur at cicetur, to þe whiche oþe were presente sir Raph, prior of wircetur, & maistur petur, þe archedecun's official of þe same place. Also he did make þe oþe of fewte, to be [true] to þe fore-seide churche of Godestowe: & if hit fille þat þe seid Iohn wolde goo backe fro þe fore-seide conuencion, þe abbas reseruid to her selfe, bi þe same Iohn consentinge, þe goinge a-geine to all quarell þat she had bi-fore a-geiniste him: & is with-oute date.

[folio XXVIb(37b)] Chartur of Maunsel [In error. The Latin has 'Mauger.'] bisshoppe of wyrcetur confirminge the same gifte of þ^e churche of Daling|worthe.

About 1200. Confirma|tion to Godstow, by Mau|gere, bishop of Worces|ter (1199|1212), of no. 149.

THE sentence of þis confirmacion [is], þat Mansel [In error. The Latin has 'Mauger.'] , bisshope of worcetur, willid & acceptid wilfulli þe gifte þat Raph bloet made to þe church & to þe holi minchons of Godestowe of þe churche of Dalingworþe, þe which þe seid Raph grauntid to hem, in-to pur & perpetuell almis, & walter bloet his broþer confirmid to hem, as he had sei bi her charturs: & þis gifte Raph, sumtime prior of wyrcetur, kepinge þe stede of goode william [In error. The Latin has 'Roger, of good memory, formerly bishop of Worcester.'] sumtime bisshoppe of wircetur, Also confirmid hit to hem: þer-fore þat þis gifte myht bide firme & stable in time to come, he decreid, with þis present writinge, to confirme hit vndur þe witnes of his seele, & willid & ordeinid, bi the autorite þat he was [Read 'had as.'] bisshoppe, þat þe fore-seid minchons sholde take of þe fore-seide churche þe same pension þat þei wer wonid to take in þe timis of his predecessours, þat is to sei, j. gilden or twei [The figures 'ii.' are written over the word.] shillings yerli, in þe feste of seint Mihel, to be paid to hem, sauinge to him & to his successours þe ryht þat longyth to þe bisshoppe [Witness: W. de Verdun, archdeacon of Gloucester.] .

[folio 152b] A fynall acorde I-made bitwene William Bluet and felice Abbesse of Godestowe for the avowry of the chirch of dalyngworth.

1225,April. Quit-claim to Godstow, by William Bluet, of all title in the advowson, in con|sideration of mention in Godstow prayers.

THE sentence is þat a fynal acorde was I-made, in the kynges courte at westmynster, fro the day of Ester into a monthe, the

ix yere of the reigne of kyng henry the sone of kyng Iohn, afore martyn of patishill, [folio 153] Thomas of Muleton, Thomas Heydon, Robert Lexynton, Geffrey Sauuage, and other trew men of the kyngis there at that tyme beyng present, bitwene William Bluet [See no. 148.] , axer, and Felice, Abbesse of Godestowe, deforcer, by Absolon, Chapeleyn, I-put in her stede to gete or to lese, of the Avowrye of the chirch of Dalyngworth, wherof hit was I-pleyd bitwene þem in the same Courte: that is to sey, that the forsaid William [knowliched] the avowry of the said chirch to be the right to the same Abbesse and to ther chirch of Godestowe, and relesed hit, and quyte-claymed, of hym and of his heires, to the same abbesse and abbessis the which shold succede to her, and to her chirch of Godestowe for ever. And for this recognycion, relese, quyte-clayme, fyne, and acorde, the same Abbesse resceived the same William and his heires in all benefetis and prayers that shold be do afterward in the chirche of Godestowe.

Presentation by Godstow to the rectory of Daglingworth.

1509, May 25. Letter by Godstow, to Silvester Gigles, bishop of Worcester (1498-1521), intimating vacancy of the rectory by death of John Wilcokes, claiming the yearly pension of 2s. to Godstow, and also a pension of £2 to Thomas Heywode, Decret. Bacc., a former rector, and pre|senting John A. for institution.

[folio 223] Reuerendo in christo patri et domino domino Siluestro dei gracia Wigorniensi episcopo, eius ['vestro' is written over 'eius' as a correction.] ue vicario in spiritualibus generali, vestre humiles et deuote in christo filie, Isabella Braynton, permissione diuina monasterij beate marie virginis et sancti iohannis baptiste de godstow abbatissa, et eiusdem loci conventus ordinis sancti benedicti lincolniensis diocesis, omnimodas obediencias et reuerencias tanto patri debitas cum honore. Ad rectoriam ecclesie parochialis sancti iacobi de daglyngworthe dicte Wigorniensis diocesis, per resignacionem Magistri Iohannis Wilcokes vltimi rectoris eiusdem vacantem, et ad nostram presentacionem pleno iure spectantem cum omnibus suis iuribus et pertinencijs vniuersis, Salua nobis annua pensione vnius bizancie vel duorum solidorum infra octauas natiuitatis sancti iohannis baptiste, nomine predicte ecclesie de Daglyngworth, apud Godstow predictam per rectorem soluendo|rum, ac eciam pensione quadam annua cuidam Magistro thome heywode in decretis bacallario quondamque rectori ibidem, videlicet, quadraginta solidorum ad duos anni terminos per

eundem rectorem predicto Magistro heywode soluendorum, videlicet ad festa annunciacionis beate marie virginis et sancti michaelis archangeli per equales porciones, omnimodo salua, Dilectum nobis in christo Dominum I. A. Capellanum vestre reuerende paternitati intuitu caritatis presentamus Supplicantes humiliter et deuote quatenus predictum Dominum Iohannem ad rectoriam ecclesie parochialis de Daglyngworth sepedictam admittere velitis ipsumque rectorem in eadem canonice instituere dignemini graciose Ceteraque peragere et facere que vestro in hac parte incumbunt officio pastorali. Datum in domo nostra capitulari sub sigillo nostro communi xxv die mensis maij Anno domini M^oCCCCC^o ix^o.

[[Leaf 223, back, is blank.]]