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

[263.]

1283, May 4. Suit by Oseney, to compel the rector of Wiggin|ton to pay 5s. yearly on March 20, as tithe|rent-charge due to St. George's church, long paid but now withheld. Verdict in favour of Oseney.

ACTes In the prebendall church of Buckeden, þe twysday nexte after þ^e ffest of þe Inuencion of the holy crosse, In the yere of our lorde M^o CC lxxxiij., afore vs olyuere [Oliver Sutton, bishop 1280-99. This deed is one in which the translator appears at his worst.] By the mercy of God Bisshop of lincoln, by ordinarie auctorite knowyng, in plee þ^e which was bitwene religiouse men Abbot and Couent of Oseneye (the church of Seynte George with-yn the castell of oxonforde In-to þere owne vses opteynyng), actorres, by ffrere Robert i-callid Maynarde, þere chanon, procuratour of the same actors i-ordeyned, comperyng, of þe oone partie, and Master Richard Malyngton, person of [folio 57b] þe church of Wigynton, gilty, personally comperyng, of þe oþer partie. I-purposid ['Proposito, videlicet.'] (that is to Say) In Juggement agaynste þe saide person By the foresaide procuratour þat when þe saide siris, for cause (of þem-selfe [A misrendering; 'sui' has been taken from its proper noun 'siris' and put into the next clause. Read 'the said his lords, by reason of the said church of St. George.'] ) of þe saide church of Seynte George, had be In possession, or ['vel quasi': i.e. if not in actual, then in practical possession.] as, by ['iure' goes with 'percipiendi,' 'of taking by right.'] ryȝght, of takyng v. s. euery yere, In the ffest of Seynte Cuthbert, of þ^e personys of þe saide church of Wigynton, þ^e which þere for þe tyme had be, at Oseney to Be payed, In the name of ij. parties of tithe for all thynge that is i-wonyd to be i-tithid of the Demayne of Wygynton comyng forth, to þe saide church of Seynte George, and longyng ['canonice spectantium': should come in, at end of the clause, after 'men.'] lawfully to þe saide religiouse men, and þe Same v. s. summot|longe ['aliquamdiu.'] þey haue i-take hit and lawfully haue i-had hit In

possession, or ['vel quasi.'] as: nowe þe saide person þe foresaide v. s. yerely withdrawyng, [and] theme (agayne [Omit 'agayne,' 'eosque solvere contradicendo.'] ) for to pay ynne agayne-sayng and þe Same tithis occupying [and] the myndyd religiouse men þat þey myȝght not ij. parties of þe tithes ['Wygynton' in margin.] aforenotyd lawfully take in lettyng and trowyng [Read 'trow[bl]ing': 'et perturbando.'] , thoo his lordys of þe v. s. yerely in [Read 'of'; Latin: '. . .solidorum. . . de possessione. . .spoliavit.' The English is mirk-dark through following the Latin order.] the (Such [Omit the bracketed words, brought in in error.] maner of spoylyng) for|namyd possession, or ['vel quasi.'] as, he [i.e. the parson.] agaynste ryȝght hath i-spoylyd, or ['vel quasi.'] as, oþerellys [Latin 'seu.'] such maner of spoylynges to be [do] hee commaundyd, or hit i-doo in his name had it rate, in-to his same lordys preiudice grete ['non modicum.'] and grefe. Wherefore þe saide procuratour axid ffor his fforesaide lordis and hym-selfe to be restoryd and to be browȝght to þ^e state and possession to take ['possessionem percipendi.'] , In the Saide terme, þe foresaide v. s. yerely to Oseney, as hit is dew, of þe foresaide persons of þe saide church of Wygynton In to be ['in futurum.'] , aud þe same person of þe church of Wygynton aforesaide to þe foresaide v. s. yerely, at Oseney (as hit is i-put afore), here-after to be i-payed, sentencially by vs to be condempnyd, and i-condempnyd to be i-compellyd to the paying, and ryȝght ['iustitiam.'] to hys lordys and to hym In all thynges and axinges [to ['exhiberi.' The whole sentence de|pends on 'axid' above.] be done]. [The [Added from the Latin.] aforesaid parson having heard and fully understood the statement and demand] aforesaide, afore vs Judicially he knowlegyd playne [openly: 'de plano.'] þoo ['narrata.'] thynges i-tolde, as þey were i-tolde, to be true, And þerfore þe axinges ['petita.'] , as þey were i-axid, to ofte to bee doo. Wherefore we, þe same persones confession and oþer techynges lawfulle ['alia documenta legitima.'] folowyng, the foresaide religiouse men, and þere procuratur aforesaide In there name, sentencially restore and reduce to þe state and possession to take þe Saide v. s. of þe personys of þe saide church of Wygynton, at oseney, In the ffest of Seynte Cutbert yerely hereafter, to be i-payde, And the myndyd person

of the foresaide church of Wygynton þe which for þe tyme [shall be] to pay In the tyme to come the fforesaide v. s. yerely at Oseneye, as hit Is i-put afore, by Sentence of commaundyng we condempne, of þis our sentence [the execution], to our officere and to our Archedecun of oxonforde or to his officiall or to euerich of them, al so ofte as cavse axith, committyng. Þe Date and Acte, þe daye, yere, and place, aforenotyd.