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

[203.]

1442/3, Jan. 27. Grant by Oseney, to Merton priory, of a per|petual lease of Oseney rights in the tithe of the de|mesne|lands of Dunstew, at a quit-rent of £1 6s. 8d., Merton to discharge all burdens due by the tithe, with penalty of 13s. 4d. on each occasion of the quit|rent being in arrear.

TO all cristen men to þe which these presente letters Endentid schall come, Thomas, Abbot of Oseney of lincoln diocise, and John, prior of þe priory of Merton of Wynchester diocise, and of the same places couentes, helth In the Sauiour of all men and vndowtefull feith to þese presente writynges to ȝeve. Where, bitwene vs þ^e saide Abbot and Couent of Oseneye of þe oone partie, and þe foresaide prior and Couent of Merton proprietaries and persons of þe parisch church of Dunstywe of þe saide lincoln diocise to vs and to our priorye vnyed ['unite.'] and annexid and Incorporate of þe oone [Read 'other': 'ex parte altera.'] partie, by occasion and sake of a porcion of tithis of þe lordeschip and of þe Demayne londes of þe lordeschip of Dunstywe allias ['alias.'] tywe (withinne þe saide parisch of Dunstywe i-sette) comyng forth, grete dis|sencions and discordes were i-sprunge, we þe saide Abbot and Couente of Oseney affermyng ij. parties of þe tithis of þe fore|saide lordeschip to vs and to our monastery, bothe by þe strenght of an oolde ȝifte and graunte of þe foresaide tithis to vs and to our monastery aforesaide In þ^e fundacion of oolde tyme to be maade, and also of oolde & laudabile and lawfully prescripte custome, to haue i-conteyned [Read 'i-perteyned': 'pertinuisse.'] , to perteyne, and ['et pertinere debere in futurum.'] to perteyne

to be dewe In tyme to Be; and to vs [For 'to us,' read 'we.' An ablative absolute is translated as if it had been dative.] aforesaide prior and couent of þ^e priory of Merton proprietaries and persons the foresaide In contrarie affirmyng þe porcion of þe foresaide tithis and þoo tithis to vs and to our priorye aforesaide by ryȝght and name of our parisch church aforesaide of Dunstywe to perteyne: At þ^e laste, we, þ^e foresaide [abbot] & prior [folio 44b] and Couentes aforesaide, stryves controuersies and discordes (as hit is i-put afore) bytwene vs i-sprunge and [i.e. and those which.] þe which (by þe occasion of þe fore-put þynges) myȝght fall or happe In tyme to be likely [Goes with 'myght': 'verisimiliter pos|sent euenire.'] to put awey willyng, after diuerse tretynges In þis parte i-had, owr ffrendes comyng Bitwene, couetyng to avoyde þe hurtes of stryves, of þe consent and wille of Reuerende ffadur In criste and of lorde Sir ['domini.'] william (chaddeworth [Omit 'Chnddeworth,' inserted in error and not in the Latin. William Alnwick, bishop 1436-49, is meant. John Ched|worth was bishop 1451-71.] ) by þe grace of god Bisshop of lincoln ordinarie of þe place, haue i-compownyd and haue i-acordid In-to this maner: þat is to saye, that we þe fore|saide Abbot and couent of þe foresaide monastery of Oseney, for vs and owr successours, all þ^e foresaide tithis in þe saide parisch of Dunstywe (how-so-Euer we haue i-had, haue, or scholde ofte to haue), and [i.e. and in consideration of those things which: 'et pro hiis qu[a]e.'] for them þe which to vs of þe foresaide prior and couent vndur been i-grauntid, to þe same prior and Couent and to þere successoures we ȝeve, relese, and (to [Omit 'to.'] ) þe same tithis to þe same prior and Couent & þere successours we graunte for Euer and conferme. And we, þe foresaide prior and Couent of þ^e priory of Merton, for þe porcion of þe tithis above-saide, ȝeve and graunte to þe foresaide Abbot and Couent of þ^e monas|tery of Oseney of [Read 'and.'] þere successours for Euer, a perpetuell rente or cense or ȝerely ['prestacionem annuam.'] graunte [of] xxvj.s, viij. d.: to be had and to be take of vs and of our successours (of þe saide church of Dunstywe, proprietarijs and persons), at Oseney aforesaide, In the ffest of all Seyntes Euery ȝere tyme ['in futurum.'] to be, And also all charges to þe saide tithis longyng we (prior and Couent afore|saide of Merton and our successours) schalle bere and schall vndergoo for Euer. And ouer, we graunte, for vs and our

successours, that if hit happe þe foresaide rente, moneye, or preste ['prestacionem.'] after oony terme [when] (as hit is i-saide afore) hit ofte to be payde, withinne [i.e. by the space of: 'per.'] vj. monethis (and [Omit the bracketed words, inserted in error.] if hit) Be by-hynde vnpaied, or [we] þe forsaide charges and Eueriche to þe saide tithis longyng not to bere or to paye, þat þenne we (þe foresaide prior and Couent of Merton be i-holde to þe foresaide Abbot and couent of þe monastery of Oseney and to þere successours for euery lacke or Defawte of this maner of payment xiij. s. and iiij. d. for Euer. In-to witnesse, et cetera. The date xxvij. daye of þe moneth of Jenyvere ['Iunii,' in the Latin.] In the ȝere of our lorde M^lCCCC^moxliij^o, And In the ȝere of þe Reyne of Kyng Henry þe vj. after the conqueste xxj^o.