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

[XVI. Of Worton]

[89.]

Reference to nos. 2, 21, 3, 23, &c.

Thabbot of Osney hath þe londe of Worton of þe yifte of Robert Doylly; and confirmacion of Roger of Iuorye, and of Henry Doylly, and of Bisshops, and of þ^e chapiter [MS. repeats 'of the chapiter.'] of lincoln, and of Kynges of Inglonde, as hit is i-schewed In þe title 'How þe church of Seynte George was i-ȝefe to þ^e chanons of Oseney.'

[90.] Bourton ['Bourton' must be in error for 'Wor|ton,' where Oseney held 2½ hides. Oseney had land at (Black-)bourton, but not of that extent, nor would it come in this titulus.] The Booke of ffeys seyeth þat thabbot of Oseney holdeth ij. hides of londe and dj. in Borton in-to ffre almes of þ^e prebende of Seynte George.

Worton: see in no. 21.

[91.]

About 1170. Agreement between Oseney, and Einsham, about tithes in Worton, Einsham taking a perpetual lease of the tithes at quit-rent of 2s. (see no. 78).

B. by þ^e Grace of god Bisshop of ['of Lincoln or' is inserted by the translator and 'I.' EXPANed to John, without warrant of the Latin. The names are Bartholomew, bishop of Exeter 1161-84; and Jordan de Meleburn, dean of Chichester up to 1178. The first of the witnesses is Simon, abbot of St. Alban's 1166-88.] lincoln or of Exceter and John ['of Lincoln or' is inserted by the translator and 'I.' EXPANed to John, without warrant of the Latin. The names are Bartholomew, bishop of Exeter 1161-84; and Jordan de Meleburn, dean of Chichester up to 1178. The first of the witnesses is Simon, abbot of St. Alban's 1166-88.] Deen of Chichester to all cristen men helth. Knowe ȝe all a stryfe (þe which was longe i-stered bytwene thabbot of Eynesham and N. clerke of Karsynton and thabbot

of Oseney vppon tithis of j. hide of londe in Worton þe ['qu[a]e dominium eiusdem villule esse perhibetur.'] which is i-sayde to be þe lordeship of þe same litull towne) In this maner in owr presence, be transaction, to be decidid: that þe church of Eynesham þe forsaide tithis shall holde for Euer, þerof ȝeldyng euery ȝere to þe church of Oseney ij. s. at þ^e ffest of Seynte Myȝghell. So truly, afore vs [the which] (of owr lorde þe pope commaundement) that cawse to be i-know and i-termined hade i-hāke [So in MS. The Latin shows 'h' ought to be 't,' and the stroke over 'a' to be a bungled correction of the error: ead 'i-take.' 'Coram nobis, qui ex domini pape mandato causam illam cogno|scendam terminandamque susceperamus.'] hit, ffeyth of eyþer parte i-plyȝght betwen þem: at Newberye hit was i-doo.

[92.] An Inquisicion i-maade in þ^e hundrede of Wotton of þ^e ffredoms or liberteys of þ^e same.

1259, Nov. 26. On inquisi|tion, whether Oseney and its tenants (in Worton and Hens|ington) owed suit to Wootton hundred, Oseney pro|duced nos. 13 and 31 establish|ing exemp|tion.

HIT is to be remembrid that, when þer was i-maade an In|quisicion In þe full hundrede of Wotton by þe commaundement of owr lorde Kyng Henry þe soone of Kyng John þe ȝere of his reyne xliiij., in þ^e full hundred of Wotton, Weþer þabbot of Oseney and his men of Worton and Hensynton oftid or were i-wonyd to do sute to þ^e forsaide hundred, ffrere William Sutton, procuratour of Oseney, schewed charters of lordis Kynges of Inglonde of liberteis or ffredoms, that is to say, a charter of Kyng Henry þe j., and A charter of Kyng Henry þe Sone of Kyng John, In þ^e which openly was i-conteyned that thabbot of Oseney and his men of Worton and of Hensynton be quite of Schires, Hundredis, Danyȝeldes, all maner Sutes, commune pleys, (with Sock sack [folio 22a] tol and theam and Infangenthefe), and of all maner exaccions and Demaundis, outetake murthur i|preued. The which also i-rede and i-vndurstande, þe hundrede with oone assent and consent Juggid þe saide Abbot and all his men of Worton and of Hensynton of all maner of Sutes of þ^e hundrede of Wotton to be quite for Euer. And in-to witnesse of this thyng Robert Kyngton, þen Baylyfe of þ^e hundrede of Wotton, and Sir Gilbert of Hide, Knyȝght, and Robert Romely, and Aleyne Romely þe yongur, and Robert of Worton [Wotton, in the Latin.] , and

William of litull Barton, clerke, and Petur of þ^e same, and Roger of Wodestoke, and John of Barton, clerke, and John labanc, and Thomas of ffule ['Fulewelle': no 'and Will.' occurs in the Latin. Possibly the translator meant 'Fullandwell,' for 'Fulwell.'] and Will., þe which at þe hun|dred were present whenne þe fore thynges were Inquired or axid and Juggid, to this writyng put to þere seeles þ^e day that is to say of Wodenysday afore þ^e fest of Seynte Andrew þ^e ȝere of þ^e reyne of Kyng Henry þe soone of Kyng John xliij[j] [Marginal note: 'Henry 3.' The year is xliv in the Latin, and above.]

[93.] A confirmacion of Syr Hugh Plesettis of liberteys and ffredoms.

1300, June 8. Recitation, by Hugh of Plessets, of no. 39, i.e. of Robert Doyly II's renuncia|tion of feudal rights over Oseney, and con|firmation of it.

TO all cristen men this present writyng to see or to here, Hugh of plesettis [Hugh of Plessets succeeded (no. 260) in 1291 to the barony of Hooknorton (formerly of the Doyly family); was summoned to Parliament as baron in Feb. 1299/1300; died 1301.] , Knyȝth, helth in owre lorde. Knowe ȝe me to ['inspexisse cartam.'] haue i-lokyd or seen þe charter þat which Robert Doylly maade to god and to seynte Marye and to þe chanons of Oseney, conteynyng these wordis:—

Know all cristen men that I, Robert Doylly, grauntid and with my charter confermed, for me and my heyres, to god and to þe church of Seynte Mary of Oseney and to þ^e chanons þer seruyng god and for Euer to serue, for my helth and of Edith my wife and my kynnesfolkes and of my ffrendes, in-to ffre pure and perpetuell almes, all londes rentes tithis tenementes and possessions both of þ^e church and of þ^e layfee þ^e which þey haue off my ȝifte and of þ^e ȝiftes of my men, and þe which of me or my heyres or my men they maye gete in tyme to be, in all [my] maners, with all fredoms [Marginal note: 'Note þ^e fredoms of þ^e founder.'] and free customs þe which I Euer had or oony of my aunceturs or in tyme to be maye gete or oony of my heyres maye gete. I grauntid also to þ^e same chanons and to here successours, for me and my heyres, that þey haue þer courte for Euer ffre in all my maners [In the margin: 'Cudelynton' with underneath a carefully drawn hand pointing to it.] of all þere men for all maner transgressions and Defautes where-so-Euer and whenne-so-Euer and of what-Euer thyng þe[y] happe; And that þey and þere men be quite for Euer fro all maner sutes of

my courte and of my heyres, and of vywe [of] freplegges all ['all' in error for 'or.' In no. 39, p. 43/15 the corresponding clause is 'and of lawday.' The court-leet represented the delegated jurisdiction of the king exercised by the lord of the manor.] courte riall, and of þoo thynges that longe to vywe, and of all sutes of my Milles, and of all helpes tallages exaccions quarels and demandis; And [if] for flyȝght or felonye oony of þere men ofte to lese his catall, þey shall be of þe same chanons, withoute oony withholdyng to me or of my heyres; and if [Lines dropped out: cp. no. 39, p. 43/21, 22, 23, 24.] þere tenauntes of þe same chanons haue be i-founde or i-arested I graunte for me and my heyres to þe saide chanons and to þere successours what-so-Euer thyng þere [Lines dropped out: cp. no. 39, p. 43/21, 22, 23, 24.] mowe to fall for Euer; Also, if they or þere men be amercid agaynst me or my heyres or my baylyffes or my men, for oony maner cawse trespase or forfet, all þe mercynges and mercementes and all fynys and all profettes and all owte-goynges of pleys þe which come forthe of them or of þere men shall be of þ^e same chanons, withoute oony with|holdyng to me or to my heyres, wheþer hit be for a defawte or for oony oþer cawse. I haue i-grauntid also to þ^e same chanons and to þere successours that noþer I, noþer my eyres, noþer none In owre name, noþer of owr, maye hereafter axe of þ^e forsaide chanons or of her successours or of þere men ony custom or seruice or bondage, noþer to put þere men in preson or in-to bondys or in-to stocke for oony trespase or forfet, but with open thefte or manslawȝtter vppon [folio 22b] my demayne londis þey haue be take and attached. I will also and surely charge, for me and my heyres, þat þe forsayde chanons and þere successours and þere men haue well and in pece, In all my maners wodes and waters pondys and ffischynges, fre fisshyng and fre Entre and owte-goyng and pannage of þere hogges quyte (oute-take styvys and my parkes i-closid in): and [that] þey haue ffre commune to þere shepe and hogges, and to all oþer bestis In all my maners and in woodis, and [that] þey be not Imparkid or poynyd but þey be i-founde In open harme: that, if hit happe, by a wedde [i.e. surety.] þey maye receyue þere bestes; and after, by þe vywe of lawfull men, þe harme þat þere bestes haue i-doo, owte [of] my courte, þey may make to [be] emendid. To þese thynges I haue i-grauntid, for me and my heyres, þat þey haue housboote

and heyboote and to be i-brendid resonably at þere granges in my woodys In þoo places where I haue woodys. Also I graunte, for me and my heyres for Euer, þat þe saide chanons and þere successours may chese to þem and ordeyne a prelate to þere will after þe decese of Euery prelate, with-oute lette of me or of my heyres: and þat þey may put, haue, and doo awey, In all here granges, kepers suche as þey seme expedient to þem and þere howse: and that this my ȝifte, graunte, and charter confirma|cion, be stable and sure for Euer, to this writyng I haue i-put my seele. These witnesses: Geffrey arthor, Roger of Amery, ffulke of Oyly, Hugh of Tywe, Robert ffiȝt Widon, philippe of Hampton, Raph ffiȝt Raph, Roger testarde, Roger of Amory, and oþer.

ffor þis ['Ego igitur.'] , I, þ^e forsaide Hugh of plesettis, all þe ȝiftis grauntes and confirmacions above i-write, as hit is above i-write, I-maade to god and to þe church of Seynte Marye of Osney and to þ^e chanons þere seruyng god, hauyng ['ratas habens et gratas.'] i-confermed and plesid, for me and my heyres, them to god, to þe church of Seynte marye of Oseney above-saide, and to þe chanons In hit seruyng god, graunte, ande for Euer-more with this present writyng conferme. In-to witnesse of this thyng this present writyng with my seeles pryntyng I haue i-strengthid hit. These witnysses: Henry thisteldene, that tyme shreve of Oxonforde; John of Elfesfelde [i.e. Elsfield.] , Richard of Amory, John of prewes, Walter of Wyȝhthull, Knyȝthtes; Symon of Grenehull, þat tyme stywarde of Walyngforde; Roger of Bewbeche, Hugh of Barton, Henry of Dichele, and oþer. i-ȝefe and i-doo at Osney, þe Wodenysday nexte afore þe fest of seynte Barnabe thapostele, þe ȝere of our lord M^lCCC., and In the ȝere of þe regne of Kyng Edwarde þe soone of Kyng Henry xxviij.