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

FRAMPTON ON SEVERN.

[folio XLb(50b)] Chaunter [A slip for 'charter.' Printed in Monast. iv. 366.] of walter clifford of Framton for þe mille þere & a litil mede.

About 1180. Grant to Godstow, by Walter of Clifford (died about 1190), in commemo|ration of his wife Margaret and daugh|ter Rosa|mond (died about 1176), of a mill (but ex|empting his household corn from toll), with a meadow, and con|firmation of the salt-pit in Wiche (no. 199).

THE sentence of þis euidence is, þat walter clifford grauntid & gafe, for þe helþe of his sowle & for þe sowlis of his wife Margaret clifford & of his dowhter Rosamunde & oþer frendis & predecessours, to þe churche of Godestowe & to þe minchons þer seruinge god, his mille of framton with all his pertinences, & [a] litil mede ['quoddam pratellum.'] liinge vndur þe mille, þat is callid lechtun, in-to pur & perpetuel almis, freli & quietli fro all exaccion & demaunde, sauinge þe griste of his owne howsholde the which sholde be quiet to him & to his heiris of þe tolne; & of [Omit 'of.' 'Et eciam salinam meam in Wichia.'] his salte in Whiche with all þe pertinences, he grauntid & gafe also, in-to pur & perpetuel almis, perpetuelli to be holde, as freli & quietli as euer he helde hit whenne [folio XLI(51)] þat he helde hit beste. This gifte made he, with þe consent & assent of þe kinge & his heiris: & walter clifford þe yungur, þe sone & heire of walter clifford a-fore-seide þe whiche made þis gifte, grauntid hit euin as his fadur grauntid & gaf hit. Also he confirmid hit with his seele for euir: & is with-oute date.

Chartur of walter clifford for þe mille of framton euin þe same þat is a-fore.

About 1180. Confirmation to Godstow by Walter of Clifford (died 1222), the donor's son, of no. 156.

Chartur of Richard Clifford for þe mille of framton.

About 1195. Confirma|tion to Godstow, by Richard of Clifford, lord of Frampton, the donor's second son, of no. 156, and grant of the toll (exempted in no. 156).

THE sentence of þis chartur is, þat Richard clifford grauntid, & confirmid, to god & to þe howse of Godestowe & to þe holi minchons þere seruinge god, þe mille of framton with all his pertinences, in-to pure & perpetuel almis. Furþermore he gaf &

grauntid to hem, in-to encresinge of his fadurs gifte, þe tolne of þe griste of his lordeship & howse-holde of framton of all cornis, holli & fulli, fre & quit fro all customs & exaccion seculer: & þat his gifte and graunt miht be sure, he set to his seele: and is with-owte date.

Anoþer acordinge to þe same, almoste worde for worde.

About 1195. Duplicate of no. 158.

Ageiniste þe vicari of framton for þe tithis of þe mille þere.

1228. Pope Gre|gory IX's commis|sioners, in the suit made by the vicar of Frampton, appointed 1228, 6th April, exempt Godstow from pay|ing tithes of Framp|ton mill, by a papal privilege.

THE sentence of þis euidence is, þat pope Gregori sende a delegaci to þe priores of lanton & of seint Oswalde, & to þe dene of Gloucetur, of worcetur diocese, þat þei sholde here Stephin, vicari of Framton, plaine, & þe abbas, defendaunt, vppon tithis & oþer thinges þat þe seide abbas & oþer wrongin him; also ende hit lawfulli, aftur þat þei haue knowe þe cause bitwene hem, appele sette a-side; & þat þat þei decreid þat þei make hit sureli to be kept: witnes þat bin callid & namid, if þei withdrawe hem for fauor drede or haterad, þat þei be constreinid bi þe censure of þe churche, appele cesinge, to sei þe trewthe: & if þei all miht not be at þe doinge of þis, at þe leste yet tweine sholde execute þis maundement: the date at rome, at Seint petur, þe viij idus of aprille, þe secunde yere of his popehode. þe abbas of Godestowe & þe couent I-callid a-fore hem bi the autorite of þis maundement, whenne þat þe seide vicare askid þe tithis of þe mille of framton bi þe commune lawe in þe name of þe church of framton a-fore hem of þe fore|seide abbas & couent þat þei sholde be assinid to him; þe contrari parte seide ageine, þat þei were wrongefulli vexid vppon þese þinges, for asmuche as þei were I-priuilegid specialli of þe pope þat þei sholde pai no tithis of here millis. Thus all þinges lawfulli I-do, aftur þei had sei þe tenowre of þe foreseide priuileges, & con|siderid þat þei were wrongfulli I-callid & vexid bi lawe ageiniste here priuileges for to pai þe tithis of here millis, & þat þei wer exempte bi the auctorite of þe pope, þei assoilid hem fro þe fore|seide impeticion for cause of her priuilege & bi þe councell of wise men; & put þe vicari afore-seide, þat vexid hem for þe fore|seide tithis, to silence: & in-to witnes of þis þei put to here seelis.

Title absent.

1304, July 20. Grant by Godstow, to William, carpenter, and his heirs, of the mill. Quit-rent, 30s. yearly. Obligation to keep in repair, and to rebuild, if destroyed by flood or fire. Liability to distraint.

THE sentence of þis endenture is, þat þe xxxij. yere of þe reine of kinge Edwarde, vppon seint margaretes dai virgin, hit was a-cordid [folio XLIb(51b)] bitwene þe religius ladiis, dame Aliȝ Gorges, bi þe grace of god abbas of Godestowe, & þe couent of þe same place of þe on parte, & william of Framton, I-callid carpinter, of þe oþer: þat is to sei, þat þe fore-seide abbas & couent gaf grauntid & toke to þe seide william & to his heiris here mille of framton, with all his pertinences, seutis, & liberteis, to be had & to be holde, to him & to his heiris, freli quietli & for riht heritage for euer, of þe chife lordis of þe fee, doinge to hem seruices dewe þerof & I-wonid, painge þerof yerli to þe seide religius ladijs xxx. shillings of siluer, þat is to sei, at candelmasse, xv. shillings, & at midsomur, xv. shillings, for all seruices & seculer demaundis: & þe fore-seide religius abbas & couent warantiȝed & defendid to þe fore-seide william & to his heiris or assinis þe fore-seide mille with all his pertinences bi þe fore-seid seruices of xxx. shillings: & if hit happinde þat þe fore-seide william cese in his paiment, in all or in parte, or þat þe fore-seide mille be drownid, brennid, or distruid bi defaute of amendinge to be do here-aftur in oni wise, he bounde himselfe his heiris & all his londis & tenementes þat he had or miht haue in þe towne of framton & in all oþer places in þe shire of Glowcetur & also in all þe sheres of Inglonde to þe distressinge of þe attornei of þe seide religius women abbas & couent þat he miht distresse & kepe the distressis or sille hem also ofte as hit is cesid in þe paiment of þe seide rent, & þat þe fore-seide attornei (þe wiche þat þe seide religius women sende or make attornei bi her opin writinges) haue of þe goodis of þe seide william for euiri distreininge I-made j halfe marke for her harmis & expenses. In-to witnes of þis, þei put to þis writinge endentid her seelis, euirich a-geiniste oþer: & is with-oute date.

Composicion I-made bitwene Robert fitȝpagane lorde of framton & þe abbas of Godestowe & þe couent for xxx. shillings of yerli rente.

1312, April 4. Confirma|tion to Godstow, of the quit|rent (as in no. 161), by Robert son of Pain, lord of Frampton, on his ac|quiring the mill from William, carpenter. Powers of distraint.

THE sentence of þis composicion is þis, þat how william I-callid carpinter, of þe towne of framton, gaf to Robert fitȝ

pagane lorde of þe same towne, & confirmid bi his chartur of feffinge, j watur mille, with þe ponde, close, & pasture liinge þer-to, & with þe seute of grindinge, & all oþer pertinences, in þe fore-seide towne, to be had & to be holde, to him & to his heiris or assinis as hit is fulli contined in his fore-seide chartur, for þe whiche mille þe same william a-fore was wonid to pai to þe ladi abbas and couent of Godestowe, he willid to be knowe þat he was I-bounde bi þis present writinge for him-selfe & for his heiris all his maner of framton, with his mille þerwith a-fore|seide, to pai þe xxx. shillings a-fore-seide of yerli rent [At the dissolution, 1540, Godstow was still receiving £1 10s. from Frampton mills.] to þe fore|seide abbas of Godestowe & to þe couent of þe same place fro yer in-to yere, & for to kepe þe fore-seide william harmeles her|aftur for euir fro all hurtes distreininges or greuis þerof. In-to witnes here-of his seele was hangid to þis writinge. The date at wode Eton, þe iiij. dai of aprile, þe v. yer of þe reine of kinge Edwarde þe sone of kinge Edwarde.