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

[Exchequer-MS. folio 64b] DE IMBESET.

Charter of William de Venuȝ [Letters indistinct: 'Venuȝ' or 'Vennȝ.'] and his wife Alis.

About 1170. Grant to Godstow, by William of Venuȝ, of land.

SAID William and Alice gave to Godstow, with two daughters to be made nuns, all the land they had in Himbeset, free of all service save that of the king.

Witnesses:—Reginald, priest; Walter of Venuȝ and Peter his son.

[folio LII(61)] A Charter of William of Venuȝ of iiij. mark that he borowed of the chirch of Godestow to agayn|by his lond of hymbeset that he yaf to the said chirch the which iiij. mark he shold paye ayene withyn x. yere.

About 1170. Acknow|ledgement to Godstow, by William of Venuȝ, of a loan of £2 13s. 4d.

THE sentence of this charter is, that william of venuȝ borowed iiij. mark of siluer of the chirche of Godestow, by the handes of Osecunde [Possibly 'E. secunde.' The Latin has in one line 'manu E' and the next line begins 'secunde abbatisse.' In any case this is an abbess new to the list of Abbesses.] , abbesse, to bye his lond of Hymbeset the which he yaf to the forsaid chirch. And the forsaid william borowed the forsaid iiij. mark, the same yere that the strif was bitwene kyng henry the second and the Cardenales that were I-sent fro Rome to reconsile Thomas the Archebisshope with the forsaide kyng. And the forsaid william shold pay the forsaid iiij. mark withyn x. yere after the forsaid terme, or his heires yf he died. These beyng witnesse, & cetera.

A confirmacion of a mark of Rent by Iohn of Venuȝ.

About 1240. Confirma|tion to Godstow, by John of Venuȝ, of rent|charges given by his grand|father William, viz. 8s. 4d. in Emp|shott and 5s. in Worldham.

THE sentence of this confirmacion is, that Iohn of Venuȝ for the helth of his sowle and of his auncetours and successours, graunted, and confermed with his writyng, to god and to oure lady seynt mary and to seynt Iohn Baptist of Godestow and to the Abbesse and covent there servyng god, a marke of rent, the which william his grauntsire alias Belesire yaf to hem: to be hold and I-had, to the same Abbesse and to the forsaid covent, of hym and of his heires, into pure and perpetuel almesse, takyng therof yerely of Gilbert of dene and of his heires at the Natiuite of Seynt Iohn Baptist viij. shillings iiij. d. for the tenauntry that the forsaid Gilbert of dene held of hym in the towne of hymbeset, and takyng of hym-self and of his heires yerely at Mighelmasse v. shillings in the towne of werdleham. And hit is to be knowe that he and his heires shold warantiȝe to the forsaid Abbesse and covent the forsaide marke of rent agaynst all men. And that his confirmacion shold be stable and sure, he sette his seale to this present writyng. These beyng witnesse, & cetera.

A charter of Richard of Dene of Hymbeset of a relese that he made to Emme Abbesse of Gode|stow and to the covent of the same of the lond of the Breche in the towne of Hymbeset.

About 1253. Quit-claim to Godstow, by Richard of Dean, of a war|ranty over lands in Empshott, and substi|tution of warranty elsewhere, Godstow paying £5 6s. 8d.

THE sentence of this evidence is this, that Richard of dene relesed and quyte-claymed, of hym and of his heires, to Emme, Abbesse of Godestow, and to the Covent of the same and to theire successours, all his right and clayme that he had or myght have in [In the Latin: 'in dotacione warancie quam waranciam vocavi versus praedictam abbatissam.'] the vowry of the warantiȝyng the which he vowed to the forsaid Abbesse of the lond of the breche in the town of hymbeset, the whiche warantiȝed Thomas of dene the whiche ['The whiche' = who.] held no lond of hym and therof was he [i.e. Thomas, 'et inde implacitatus fuit.'] impleyde; and of his lond of Hogton he warantiȝed to the same Thomas;

and for this relesse and quyte clayme the forsaid abbesse yaf to hym viij. mark of siluer. Into the witnesse of that he put to this writyng his seale. These beyng witnesse [Witnesses: John of Stane, Thomas Makarel, James of Norton, Robert of Wodecote.] , & cetera.

[folio LIIb(61b)] A Charter of the fynall accorde bitwene Richard of Dene and Emme abbesse of Godestowe for the lond of the Breche.

1253, July. Quit-claim to Godstow, by Richard of Dean, of land in Empshott, and grant of the land by Godstow to Osbert of brech and his heirs at a quit|rent of 7s., reserving to Godstow the right of imparking cattle in Osbert's yard.

THE sentence of this fynall [accord] is this, that there was I-made acorde in the kynges Court at Westmynster, fro the day of Seynt Iohn Baptist into xv. dayes, in the yere of the reigne of kyng Henry the sone of kyng Iohn xxxvij, afore Roger of Turkelby, Alayn of Watsand, Gyles of Erdyngton, and william Trussell, Iustices, and other trew liege men of the kyngis there beyng present, bitwene Richard of dene and dame Emme, Abbesse of Godestowe, for the lond of the breche, the whiche Richard of dene vowed to warantiȝyng and the which warantiȝed to her of two parties of half a yerde lond with the pertynentis in Hymbeset, wherof 'assise of his auncetours' was I-meved bitwene them in the same Courte: that is to sey, that the forsaid Richard knowleched the forsaide lond with his pertynentis to be the right of the same Abbesse and of her chirche of Godestowe. And for this recognicion, fyne and accorde, the same Abbesse, at the axyng of the forsaid Richard, yaf and graunted to Osberte of brech and to Emme ['Eue,' below.] his wyf the forsaid lond with his pertynentis, to be had and to be hold, to the forsaid Osberte and Eue and to the heires of the same Eue, of the forsaid Abbesse and other that succede her for ever, paiyng therof by yere vij. shillings at the natiuite of Seynt Iohn Baptist, and do all the services therof the which longen to the forsaid lond. And the forsaid Abbesse and other Abbesses that shold succede her or tho that shold succede the forsaid Osbert and Eue and the heires shold warantiȝe the forsaid lond with the pertynentis by the forsaid services ayenst all men for ever. And furthermore the same Osbert and Eue graunted for hym|self and for the heires of the same Eue that the forsaid Abbesse and other Abbesses that shold succede her afterward shold have her parke at her wille in the Courte of the same Osbert and Eue

and the heires of the same Eue in the same towne, to put ther bestis there to be inparked, with-out any agayn seiyng or lette of the same Osbert and Eue and her heires for ever.