(a) A written document, signed and sealed, issued by the Crown, Parliament, a feudal lord, or some other legal authority to the people, an individual, an institution, a city, etc., granting or confirming certain rights, privileges, authority, etc.; ~ of feffement, fraunchise; ~ streit, royal charter; (b) the grete chartre, Magna Charta [signed in 1215 by King John]; ~ of the forest, a charter remedying abuses in the forest laws [issued in 1217 by Henry III].

chartre-hold, ~ land, land held by charter.

Any of a variety of formal documents, signed and sealed, as (a) an agreement or pledge; ~ of avouerie, ~ of warantise; ~ of obligacioun; ~ of pes, a treaty or pledge of peace; also fig.; (b) a deed conveying property; a title to property; (c) a letter of pardon; ~ of pardon; (d) a letter of manumission; ~ of fredom; (e) an indictment or judgment; a lawyer's brief; (f) an official account; (g) a letter containing a message.

Phrases: chartre of aquitaunce, ~ of quit cleime, a quitclaim deed or release; blank ~, see blaunk adj.; ~ in tail, a deed of entail; ~ parted, ~ parti, an indented document; ~ simple, an unentailed deed.

Fig. The guarantee or pledge of salvation (given to mankind through Christ's death on the Cross or by baptism); ~ of feffement, fredom, lif, right.

A sheet of papyrus.