Ancient funerall monuments within the vnited monarchie of Great Britaine, Ireland, and the islands adiacent with the dissolued monasteries therein contained: their founders, and what eminent persons haue beene in the same interred. As also the death and buriall of certaine of the bloud royall; the nobilitie and gentrie of these kingdomes entombed in forraine nations. A worke reuiuing the dead memory of the royall progenie, the nobilitie, gentrie, and communaltie, of these his Maiesties dominions. Intermixed and illustrated with variety of historicall obseruations, annotations, and briefe notes, extracted out of approued authors ... Whereunto is prefixed a discourse of funerall monuments ... Composed by the studie and trauels of Iohn Weeuer.

Barking.

Here lyeth Rychard Cheyney and Ioane his wyf.* 1.1 Whych Rychard dyed 1514. on whos.

...Iohn Scot and Ioane his wyf...* 1.2 1519.

Vnder the picture of a Ship sailing in the haven, this Inscription.

Desiderata porta. Inveni Portum,* 1.3 spes, et fortuna valete; Nil mihi vobiscum, ludite nunc alios.

Here are to be seene the ruines of the first Nunnery in England, built in the infancie of the Saxons conuersion to Christianitie,* 1.4 by Erkenwald Bishop of London; which he dedicated to the honour of Christ, and the blessed Virgine Mary his mother, in which he placed blacke Nunnes▪ and made his Sister Ethelburgh the first gouernesse or Abbesse ouer the rest.* 1.5 Wherein she deuoutly spent her dayes, and died the 5. of the Ides of October, about the yeare 678.

Her next successor was Hildetha,* 1.6 who gouerned her charge with great austeritie and strictnesse of life for many yeares, till being ouerladen with de••••epit old age, she laid aside the burthen of mortality, and entred into the

ioyes of heauen, the Ides of December, about the yeare 721. Many mira∣cles (saith venerable Bede) were wrought here in this Church (famous for the Sepulture of these and other Saints) at the Shrynes of these holy hand∣maidens of God,* 1.7 much confirming the doctrine of those dayes for which (in that most pregnant and fruitfull age of Saints) they were ca∣nonized, and their dayes kept holy. This house was valued at the suppressi∣on to be worth 1084. l. 6. s 2. d. ob. q.

In nomine Dei nostri et Saluatoris Iesu Christi. Ego Erkenwaldus Episco∣pus Prouincie Est Saxonum seruorum Dei seruus. Dilectissimis in Christo sororibus in Monasterio quod appellatur Berecing habitantibus quod deo auxiliante construxi. Concedo vt tam vos quam posteri vestri in perpetuum vt constructum est ita possideatis. Et ne quis Presul ••uiuslibet sit ordinis, vel qui in meum locum successerit, vllam in eodem Monasterio exerceat potesta∣tem Nec sui iuris ditione,* 1.8 contra canonum decreta, inquietudines aliquas fa∣cere presumat. Ea vero tantum faciat in predicto Monasterio, que ad vtilita∣tem animarum pertinent; ordinationes Sacerdotum vel consecrationes Ancillarum Dei. Ipsa vero sancta congregatio que propter dei amorem ibidem deo laudes exhibet moriente Abbatissa ex seipsa sibi aliam eligat cum dei timore. Omnes terras que michi ex deuotionibus Regum sunt concesse, ad no∣men eiusdem Monasterij quemadmodum donate sunt ex integro et quieto iure possideant, sicut chartule donationum continent, quas in presenti vobis tra∣didi. Et ne quis sorte improbus negator huius donationis erumpat, ideo sigil∣latim has terras in hac chartula enumerandas et nominandas optimum duxi. Quarum prima, &c.

Here he reckons vp all the Mannors, Lordships, and other donations to this his Monasterie in particular: concluding thus.

Si quis autem Episcoporum cuiuslibet dignitaris fuerit, velsi quis omnium secularium potestatum contra hanc chartulam canonice et regulariter a me constitutam contendere presumpserit, vel aliquid ex inde subtrahere; sit seperatus a consortio Sanctorum in hoc seculo omnium, et in futuro celestis Regni portas clausas contra se vndique inveniat a Sancto Petro clauiculario celestis Regni a quo michi licentia huius Priuilegij data et permissa fuerat, per os beatissimi Agathonis Apostolice sedis Presulis, cum Romam adij ante an. xviii. Ann. ab incarnatione Domini, DC. lxxvij. Chartula autem hec a medictata, confirmata in sua stabilitate nichilominus maneat.

✚ Ego Erkenwaldus Episcopus Donator pro confirmatione subscripsi.

✚ Ego Wilfridus Episcopus consensi et subscripsi.

✚ Ego Hedda Episcopus consensi et subscripsi.

✚ Ego Guda Presbyter et Abbas consentiens subscripsi.

✚ Ego Eghaldus Presbyter et Abbas consentiens subscripsi.

✚ Ego Hagona Presbyter et Abbas consentiens subscripsi.

✚ Ego Hooc Presbyter et Abbas consentiens subscripsi.

Sig. ✚ num manus Sebbi Regis Est saxonum.

Sig. ✚ num manus Sigihardi Regis.

Sig. ✚ num manus Suebred Regis.

Ex Registro regio.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Rich▪ Cheney & Ioane his wife.
• * 1.2

  Io. Scot and Ioane his wife.
• * 1.3

  Sub pictura Na∣••is in portu na∣vigan••••s.
• * 1.4

  Io. Ca••graue in vit. Erken.
• * 1.5

  S. Ethelburgh.
• * 1.6

  s. Hildetha.
• * 1.7

  Lib. 4 ca•• cum su•••••• pun••i••us.
• * 1.8

  The charter of Erkenwild to the Nunnes of Ba••king. Ex lib. Abb▪ de ••arking in bib. Co••s.