that nevertheless that the same Priests who minister in those Churches shall have thereout all their reasonable necessaries, for the service of God, and of those Churches and of their Parishioners, and of the remainder, the Monks shall have whatever they can properly and with good faith hold, for their own support and for the benefit of the poor. And not long after that, when the Church of Saint Pancras was finished, I was invited by Lanzo the Prior, and the whole fraternity of the same Church, and being desired by them that I would cause the same to be dedicated, I willingly and gladly granted the same, and assembled the Lords Ralph' the Bishop of that Diocese, and Walkelin, Bishop of Winchester, and Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester; and the dedication being finished, when it was come to the Singing of Mass, I was summoned by the Bishops to the High Altar, and being admonished by them that I should, according to the Custom of Holy Church, provide for the Endowment of the said Church, touching which matter I was before warned and provided, they pointed out to me, and which indeed I had perceived myself, that it was no great matter to give that which I could not hold in my own hands, or for my own expences, such as Churches and Tythes. I also recollected that it was not mine, nor pure Alms which I had made to them of Hercham, which my father had given them, so that it rather seemed to me a kind of commutation, than my gift; and because I would make some increase to St. Pancras, as to my Patron, and to his Monastery, as to the head of my honour, on the day of the dedication of the Church, and in the same hour and place, I gave to God, and St. Pancras, and the Monks thereof for ever, the Tythe, not only of all my demesnes, of all my lands, of things whatsoever, whereof Tythe is due, but also the whole Tythe in Money, of all my Rents, Issues, and Profits in England, of all manner of things whatsoever, and in what manner soever the same shall become payable, out of all my Estates in England. And this Tythe of my Moneys, I offered to God upon the Altar, in perpetual endowment of the said Church: and as my Estate and my Rents increase, so shall the Tythe of the Monks increase. And I will that all my Stewards, Bailiffs, and Servants, shall so pay the Tythe of all my Moneys of my whole Estate, as they wish to be saved in the day of Judgment, that I may never hear of any complaint thereof. And if any part thereof shall be expended upon me or mine, I will that directly and without delay, they shall pay it out of my own, which if they shall not do, they shall make amends to me, and I will pay it out of their effects; and moreover they shall incur the wrath of God, and my displeasure. And I will that all my heirs shall firmly preserve this my donation, and that they also do the like, at the peril of their souls, as God shall give them his Grace, and increase their Estate. And if it should happen that I should take any thing into my own hands, of those things whence Tythes shall grow due, which shall come to the hands of others, either at rent, or by any other agreement, I will that nevertheless, they shall fully have of those things, the whole Money to the value and quantity of the Tythe which they had and have, if those things shall be in the hands of others. And whatsoever change shall be in future, or in what manner soever those things whereof the Tythe of Money shall arise, shall be allowed to the demesne of any other, the Tythe of money shall always remain to St. Pancras ; and so I promised to do, and will do at the peril of my soul; and I will that all my heirs shall so do, because this is Special Dower, with which I endowed the said Church on that day; And then before the Altar, the whole blessing which a father can give his son, and which my father gave to his heirs, who preserved his donation, I gave to all my heirs who shall preserve this my donation, and all the Bishops and all the people said, Amen; and I caused the Bishops also to bless it. And the whole curse which a father can give his sons, and which my father gave to all who should oppose his donation, I gave to all those who after me shall oppose this Donation, grant, and confirmation; and the Bishops and all the people said, Amen; and the Bishops also, in like manner, cursed and excommunicated; and all said, Be it so, be it so, Amen; and so be it for ever, Amen. Al on that day Ralph de Kainet gave and offered upon the Altar of St. Pancras, the Church of Britteli eston, and all the Tythes which he had in the same town, and the Church of Balecomb, and the Church of Hodley, and the Church of Kymer, with one Yard-land, with the Tythe and Church of Berecamp, with the land thereto belonging; and the Tythe of Corn, and Hay, and Eggs, and the Mill of Gardesey, and a Meadow at Hammes; and the Houses of Wolnod pmentarii, (an abbreviated addition of trade, uncertain if meant for pigmentarius, a Colour-maker, or pergamentarius, a Parchment-maker, or what else) in the Burgh of Lewes; and a hide of land at Alyngton. And Ralph Junior, the son of Ralph, gave and offered a hide of land at Wogham, by his father's consent; and I gladly granted all. And on the same day, Ralph de Grancourt offered upon the Altar of St. Pancras, the church of Welyngham, with a Yard-land thereto belonging; and in the same town, two hides of land, and seven acres and a half, and the Churches of St. Mary, and St. Peter of Burnham, and the Lands and Tythes thereto belonging; and the Church of Harpley, with the Land and Tythe thereto belonging; and I granted all to his Petition, Also all the aforesaid things, as well of my father's gift, as of my grant, I will, as my father willed and ordained, that St. Pancras and his Monks, shall for ever have, as freely and quietly from all services and all causes towards myself, and my heirs, and towards all my Men, as my father evermore freely had the same; and whatsoever right, liberty, dignity, and honour, my father ever had in these things, which he gave them, or ought to have had if he had retained them, and which I should have if I held the same, I will that they shall have for ever; so that if it shall happen the King of the Land shall demand of them Hidage, or Danegeld or any other Geld or service whatsoever, I and my heirs will always make them free and quit of all things whatsoever, towards the King, and all Men, that the Monks and all that is theirs may always be in peace, like as my father ordained ; wherefore I will, as he willed, that all contentions which may ever happen between the Men of St. Pancras, and me, or mine, whereby a forfeiture shall happen, the Prior of St. Pancras shall always have and take the forfeiture and amends of his Men; nor shall those who come after me, for this reason, have cause to grieve and confound the men of St. Pancras; and so I will that all my heirs shall do and hold. Also I will, and grant, and command, because of their peace, that the Prior and Monks shall for ever have the whole market of fuel-wood, at their own wood-yard, three days in a week, without any contradiction or impediment of the Burgesses, or of any others whomsoever, so long as the Carriage shall last, nor shall they for this cause incur strife or discord. Also I give to Lanzo the Prior, and all his successors, licence and power in all my Waters, and in all my Woods, wheresoever he shall come or send, to fish and hunt, in and out of my Parks, for the use of himself, and the Monk who hath the care of the sick Monks; also I give license to take Venison, for the use of their sick, wheresoever they would, in and out of my Parks, and to that Monk who procures for the Convent, I give power of fishing in all my Waters of the Rape of Lewes, at their great festivals and entertainments, and namely for the Service, (his father's Charter expresses this word by Anniversary) of my father, and mother, and mine, and also of my heirs after me, and I will that they so grant the same. This donation of all the said things, and Grants, and Confirmations, I made and offered upon the Altar, my Brother Rainald being present, and consenting, and putting on his hand and offering with me; and then the Bishops and Priors, and whole Convent received us into their fraternity, and to all the benefits of the Church in life and death for ever. All who shall maintain these Alms, and contribute to the end, or more or less, shall have such reward from God, as we hoped to have; and the Bishops confirmed this, and gave God's blessing and their own to all the benefactors of this house for ever, and excommunicated and gave the curse of God, and their own for ever, to all who should do evil to this Church, and so be it, Lord, without end, to all good benefactors according to thy great goodness; and give to evil doers judgment according to thy justice, Amen. Moreover, the good intention and desire which my father and mother had to build a Monastery at Acre (Castle Acre in Norfolk), I, for the love of God, and their salvation and mine, and of all my heirs, have taken upon me by God's grace, and have promised to God to build and finish, by the advice of the Lord Lanzo, the Prior, and principally at the pressing instance of the Countess Isabell, my wife, who hath set her heart much upon that place, and I will, like as my father willed, that the house of Acre when finished, shall always be subject to St. Pancras, and the Prior and Convent thereof, like as to their own proper Cloister, as my father's Charter witnesseth. And because my father and the Abbot of Cluni ordained, that the House of Cluni should yearly have from the House of St. Pancras, fifty shillings of English Money for all services; so also, I will, that of my own increase, which I have added to St. Pancras, the holy Church of Cluni shall understand this, and shall annually have other fifty shillings for ever; and this I did by the advice of the Lord Lanzo the Prior, and so that fr these hundred shillings, fifty on my father's part, and fifty on mine, the House of St. Pancras 201'i always be free from the Church of Cluni, and from all secular services and Gelds; and the Prior of St. Pancras shall always have his free ordination of his own house, and of all subject to him, unless touching the amendment of his Order by the Abbot, where the Prior himself cannot amend it; and that the Prior of St. Pancras for the time being, shall always pay the same, and so shall it ever remain, unless for reasonable and apt causes, like as it was agreed between Hugh, Abbot of Cluni, and my father, and as they appointed and my father's Charter, and the writing of the same Abbot, with his Seal, which my father left me testify. The Witnesses of this my Charter, are all the Bishops and all my Barons, who saw and heard these presents who have subscribed their testimony with the Mark of the Holy Cross : The Mark of The Mark of Ralph, the Bishop, The Mark of Walkelin, the Bishop, The Mark of Roger de Clare, Goslin, the Constable, The Mark of The Mark of Josfrid, the Chaplain, The Mark of Ralph, son of Ralph, We have also seen, inspected, handled and by law brought before us, a Charter of the aforesaid magnificent man, the Lord William, the second Earl of Warren, of the following tenor: Be it known to the present and future (times) that, I William, Earl of Warren, do give, grant, and by this my present Charter, confirm to God, and St. Pancras of Lewes, and the Monks there serving God, for the safety of mine, my father's, and of all our successors' souls, the Church of Conyngburgh, with the Churches, Chapels, Lands, and Tythes, and all belonging thereto; that is to say, the Church of Bradewell, with the appurtenances; the Church of Donyngton, with the appurtenances; the Church of Hertille, with the appurtenances; the Church of Fislake, with the appurtenances; the Church of Hetfeld, with the Chapel of Thorne, and all their appurtenances; the Church of Little Sandall, with the Chapel of Hornoldesthorpe, with all their appurtenances. Also the Church of Wakefeld, with the Chapel of Horbiry, and all their appurtenances; the Church of Halifax, with all its appurtenances; the Church of Dewisbiry, with the Chapel of Hertisheved, and all their appurtenances; the Church of Burton, with its appurtenances; the Church of Great Sandall, with all its appurtenances. And if it shall happen, that the lands in which the aforesaid Churches are situate, shall come to the demesne of any other, whatsoever, than mine, either by Homage and Service, or by Marriage, or in any other manner whatever, yet I will and command, that the aforesaid Churches, and all others which they have of my Fee, shall always freely and quietly remain to the aforesaid Monks for their support: so that no man, whatsoever, can or shall claim any right of Advowson or Presentation in the same Churches, except those my Monks, to whom I have given and granted, all the Right which I ever had, or can have in the same Churches; retaining nothing in the same Churches, to me or my heirs. The Witnesses hereto, are— -Ralph de Warren; Hugh de Petropont; Ralph de Plaiz; Robert de Friville; Reginald de War; Adam de Poninges; Guy de Mencecourt; William de Drosei, and many others. And we, the aforesaid, Thomas Duke of Norfolk, to whom our illustrious Lord Richard, King of England and France, hath by his Letters Patent, granted the foundation of the said Priory of Lewes, which came to his hands by the forfeiture of Richard, late Earl of Arundel and Surrey, the founder of our House, To have and to hold, to us and our heirs, as in the same Letters Patent is more fully contained: piously considering the affection and devotion which the said Lord William, the second Earl of Surrey, (the son and heir of the Lord William, the first Earl of Surrey, and Gundred his wife) the founder of our said House of Lewes, and the Confirmer and Ratifier of the Grants, and all the things, lands, and possessions above expressed, had towards our said house of Lewes, and the religious Men, thereof, affecting also, and very much commending it to the Lord Jesus Christ, and greatly desiring and willing to follow their steps as far as is in our Power, for the honour of God, and the glorious Virgin Mary, his mother, and of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and of the blessed Pancras, the glorious Martyr, the patron of our house of Lewes aforesaid, and of all Saints; also, for the safety of the souls of us, and our heirs, and of all those who have founded the said house, and for the relief of the said house; also at the devout supplication of the religious Men, Brother John Ok, the Prior of our house of Lewes, and the Convent of the same place, We have applauded, ratified, approved, and by the tenor of these presents have confirmed, perpetually to endure, all and singular the donations, grants, and confirmations, above more fully contained, which the said Lord William, the Second Earl of Surrey, and all and singular other the donations, grants, and confirmations, which the Lord William, the first Earl of Surrey, (the father of the same Lord William, second Earl of Surrey, and Gundred his wife, the founders of the same house) and William the third Earl, and Hamelin the fourth Earl, and William the fifth Earl, and John the sixth Earl, and John the seventh Earl, have in any manner whatsoever given, and by their Charters granted and confirmed to the Prior, for the time being, of our said house of Lewes, and the Convent of the same place, and their successors for ever. And whatsoever of the aforesaid premises shall by negligence have been omitted, or by the malice or hardiness of our Stewards, Bailiffs, or Servants, have been in any manner defrauded, subtracted, or detained, we have restored, re-induced, and confirmed to the entire receipt thereof, into the hands of the said Brother John, the Prior of our said House, and the whole Convent of the same place for ever; firmly and strictly injoining all our heirs and successors, who shall follow after us in our inheritance, by whatsoever title, colour, or name they may succeed, under the penalties and censures of eternal damnation above expressed, in exoneration of our self, to be charged upon all those premises, as we and they themselves wish to be saved, and to avoid the divine vengeance, and will be strictly examined in the day of Judgment, that they do applaud, ratify, approve, confirm, protect, and defend, all and singular the premises to our said House, Prior, and Convent, in pure, free, quiet, and perpetual alms, may freely, quietly, well, intirely, peaceably, unshaken, and indissolubly remain for ever. And further we will and command, for us and our heirs, that the aforesaid Prior and Convent, and their successors in our said House, shall hold and possess, all and singular the aforesaid premises, with their appurtenances, as intirely and as disengaged, as any the Predeces* k sors of the now Prior, ever more freely and quietly had, or held the same in times past; to have and to hold, to the said now Prior and his Successors, in pure and perpetual alms, and all and singular the aforesaid Premises, to be used and enjoyed, freely, quietly, well, intirely, and peaceably, as free, quiet, pure, and perpetual alms, without any diminution, contradiction, subtraction, or impediment of us, and our heirs, successors, or assigns for ever. In Testimony of all which premises, we have caused our Seal to be put hereto. Dated in our Castle of Lewes, the second day of the month of November, in the twenty-first year of the reign of Richard the Second (Anno 1398). And for the greater security of the premises, and the truth of the matter, and the expression of our will, We have put our Mark hereto, with our own proper hand; and our Freeholders (Fideles) present, in confirmation of the premises, have put their Marks hereto. The Mark of Thomas, Duke of Norfolk, aforesaid. [And so the Entry concludes in the Register-book, without the names or marks of any of the witnesses to the Charter.] As this magnificent Charter of the second Earl of Surrey is without date, according to the customs of those times, a few short observations will go near to fix the point of time, when granted, which must have been in the reign of King William the second, between the years 1091 and 1097; for the three Bishops who are witnesses thereto, Ralph, became Bishop of Chichester in 1091, and so died in 1123; and Walchelin or Walkelin, Bishop of Winton was consecrated 1070, and died 1097; and Gundulf was consecrated Bishop of Rochester, in 1076, and died Bishop of that See, in 1107. So much shall serve for the first period of Six years. Yet we may venture to assign a still closer period for the date of this Charter, viz:— between the years 1091, when Ralph became Bishop of Chichester, and 1093; for Lanfrank, Archbishop of Canterbury, dying in 1089, and that See continuing vacant four years, carries it to the year 1093; and during this vacancy it should seem, our Priory Church of St. Pancras, was dedicated by the three Bishops abovementioned; otherwise the Archbishop of Canterbury, had not the See been vacant, would assuredly have been invited to preside at the Solemnity of the Dedication of this grand Foundation; as we find Archbishop Theobald (with the Bishops of Winton, Bath, and Rochester) was invited by the third Earl of Surrey, between the years 1142 and 1146, and presided at the solemnity on the re-dedication of this Church, when it was new built, or rather enlarged. The Confirmation part of this grand Charter, notices that the Priory of Lewes came to the hands of King Richard the Second, by the forfeiture of Richard then late Earl of Arundel and Surrey; and that the same King, by his Letters Patent, granted the Castle, Priory, Barony, and Manor of Lewes, unto this Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, and his heirs, upon the Attainder and Execution of the said Earl of Arundel, who fell a sacrifice to a faction, at the head of which, was this Thomas, Duke of Norfolk, who married the Lady Fitz-Alan one of his daughters, and whose great Estate Mowbray obtained, but very shortly enjoyed, as he was not long afterwards banished the Realm, and died abroad at Venice. |