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

[IX. Of the Weir near Oseney]

[59.] The locke of Osney.

About 1180. Grant to Oseney, by Bernard of St. Valerie, of a lock on Thames, and the water|course which fed Oseney mills.

BE [The MS. marks nos. 59, 60 with a big marginal bracket, and has, opposite the beginning of 59, the marginal note: 'shewe the Rolle in latten for this.'] hit i-knowe to all true men of holy church þat I, barnarde of Seynte Walerye, haue i-ȝeve and grauntid, and with my present charter confermed, to þe church of god and of Seynte marye of Oseney and to þe chanons þere seruyng god, my goter or locke ['gurgitem meum.'] by themse, with þ^e course of water þe which rennyth to þe myllis of þe Same chanons In osneye, in-to ffre pure and perpetuell almes, [quiet] fro all Seculer seruice and Demaunde, for þe helthe of my lorde þe Kyng Henry and myne and of Anor my wife and of Bernarde my Soone and of my oþer ffrendes. These witnesses, Gerarde my nevowe þe Vicounte ['vicedomino de Pinkeni.'] of pinkeny, Master John of Brideporte, and oþer.

[60.]

1315. After sworn evidence of a jury of fourteen, Oseney had leave to put a board in Oseney lock, and, if neces|sary, also a 'fillet.'

A INQUISICION i-made for þe planke and philete to be i-put in þe loke.

Inquisicion i-take By William of Hakeburn, þen Baylyffe of þe hundrede withoute þe Northȝate of oxonford, þe yere of Kyng Edwarde [Marginal note: 'Edward 2.'] þe Soone of Kyng Edwarde þe ix, by þe oþe of Gilberte Shipton, william of Eynysham, of Adam Tilhurste, Robert queynton ['Quenintone.'] , William Broun, Robert Grynder, Water Wareborowgh, Hugh of Barton, John leyge, [Richard [Added from the Latin.] of Blox|ham, Walter of Hereford, Walter mareschal, Robert of Legge] William Weston, þe which seyne by þere othe that þabbot of Oseneye shall put in his locke on table ['ponet . . . unam tabulam.'] of þe brede of ij. fote and dj. with iij. borys or holys, And if hit be nede and lacke of water he ['su[per]ponet unum filetum.'] shall vppon put oon philet of þe brede of halfe a foote. In-to witnysse of thys thyng þe forsaide swore men haue put to þere seelys. i-ȝeve at oseney þe day and þe yere a-forsaide.

[61.]

About 1142. Grant and confirma|tion to Oseney, by Maud, empress, of (a) Ald|were, exempted from quit|rent of 4s.; (b) quit|rent of 5s.5d.½d.¼d. (see no. 14); (c) Lang|ney; (d)dowager|queen Alice's gift (no. 83); with manorial jurisdic|tion.

MOOLDE themperice, þe dowghter of Kyng Henry, and lady of Englissh men, to Archiebisshops Bisshops Abbotes Erles Barons Justices Schreves Mynsters and to all her true men Englisshe and ffrenshe [The Latin observes the Norman order, 'omnibus fidelibus suis, Francis et Anglis.'] of all Inglonde helth. Knowe ye me to haue i-yeve and to haue i-grauntid, in-to perpetuell almes, to god and to seynte Marye of Oseney and to þe chanons þere seruyng god, for þe state and stabylnesse of þe Reame of Inglond & þe helth and welefare of my lorde Erle of Aungye and of my ['et liberorum meorum.'] ffree childron and for my [folio 17a] ne and for þe sowle of Kyng Henry my fadur and of quene moolde my Modur & of our aunceturs and for þe helth of my sowle and remission of my synnes, þ^e goter or locke [Marginal note: 'The locke called aldewere.' Oseney rentals place it in St. Michael at South Gate parish. It was, perhaps, the lasher of that mill which afterwards became the mill of the Black Friars.] þat is i-callid aldewere, fre and quite, þe which was i-woned to pay by yere to my fferme of Oxonforde iiij. s.; And with-in þe borowgh of oxonforde, v. s. v. d. ob. qua. þe ['quos reddere solebant, de Langabulo per annum, de terra illa qu[a]e dicitur "Octovirgate regis" cum burgabulo et omnibus aliis rebus.' Landgable was a small payment to the Crown by certain houses in towns. Oseney charters indicate that perhaps one house in five paid it. In 1142 Oseney held about twenty houses in Oxford, the landgable of which amounted to this 5s. 5¾d. This landgable was col|lected by the bailiff of the king's property in Beaumont, called the 'Ehtyerds of the King,' 'octo virgate regis,' being two hides in extent. In the Pipe Rolls the allow|ance to Oseney of these exemptions of 4s. and 5s. 5¾d. is regularly recorded.] which þey woned to pay of þe langabule by yere of þat londe of þe londe of þe Kyng viij. yerdes, with Burbabull [In an original charter of King Stephen to Oseney (now at Christ Church) the word appears as 'Brugable.' It was a pre-Norman tax paid by certain houses for the right to brew. When (in 1280) the Cartulary was compiled, the scribe seems not to have known the meaning of the word, and to have tried to explain the word as 'burg-gable.'] and all oþer thynges and customs to þe same londe perteynyng; And þ^e Ile of langeneye with all thynges perteynyng to hit, þe which Geffrey Chamburleyne of Glymton a-fore me [i.e. in my presence: 'coram me.'] to þem in-to almes grantid and quite-claymed; and j. hide of londe of Staunton þe which lieth at Hanborowgh by þe Brigge of Bladon as quene Adelide ȝafe hit to þem, for þe sowle of Kyng Henry my fadur and with her charter confermed. Wherefore I will and surely charge þat þe forsaide church and chanons þe forsaide tenauntries holde, well and in peece, worschipfully frely and quietly, with socke, sacke, tol, and them, and Infangenthefe,

and all oþer customs and fredoms þe which they had whenne þey were in þe Kynges lordeship. These witnesse, et cetera.

[62.]

About 1225? Quit-claim to Oseney, by William (son of Elias), fisher, of his in|terest in Aldwere.

TO all cristen men to þ^e which this present wrytyng shall come William ffiȝt Helie ffissher ['piscator.'] helth in our lorde. Knowe ye all me to haue relesed and quite-claymed, for me and myne heyres for euer, to Richard [Probably Richard de Grey,abbot 1221-9.] Abbot of oseneye, my locke [Marginal note: 'The said locke.'] or goter þe which is i-callid Aldewere, and all my ryȝght in hit þat I had or myȝght haue. And þat [this] relese and quyte|clayme be sure and stabull for euer, This present writyng with my scele I haue i-strengthid. These witnesses, et cetera.