and Arrowe, and Eccleshal, and Hildeburgwrth, and Grafton, and Withlakesford, and Dorsiton, and other lands which he hath in the Sheriffdom of Warewic, that you take heed that he may hold them in great honour peaceably; and that he hath and holdeth them for the use of the Servants of God, with my good peace and protection. And I command thee, R. Sheriff, not to suffer any one to do wrong to the Abbot, in any matter, because I will not permit it; but will that he shall hold his own possessions fully, with sac, soc, and all customs; and if any one presumes to do injustice to him and he makes complaint to me, I will afford him full satisfaction as to the matters of which he complains. No. VII. CHARTER GRANTED BY WILLIAM II. TO THE ABBEY. Translated from MS. Cotton. Vesp. B xxiv. WILLIAM King of the English to Urso the Sheriff, and other Sheriffs and Officers under whom the Church of Evesham holds lands, greeting :-Know ye that I will and command that the said church shall have and hold all the honour pertaining to it in peace and liberty, with the lands, and under such laws and customs, as to clerks and laymen, as it ever held them in the time of King Edward, and of my father, and from me; and as claimed by the Abbot when he pleaded before me against the Bishop S. and objected to the interference of that prelate or any other powerful person to the prejudice of the rights and privileges of the Church of Evesham. Therefore if the Bishop or any other should make any claim on the Abbot as to the privileges granted to his church by my Father or by me, he shall not be bound to answer the plea, except in my court. Neither shall the Bishop hold ordinations or synods there alone, or by his sole authority, unless he is requested by the Abbot so to do. This Charter was written in the year of the Incarnation of Our Lord, 1100, by the command of King William. Dated, Winchester, at the Paschal feast. Witnesses: A. Archbishop of Canterbury. M. Bishop of London. R. Bishop of Lincoln. R. Bishop of Durham. G. Abbot of Westminster. R. Abbot of St. Albans. And many other Barons. No. VIII. CHARTER OF HENRY I. CONTAINING A GRANT OF THE HUNDRED OF BLACAHURSTE TO THE ABBOT AND MONKS OF EVESHAM.—Translated from Harl. MS. 3763, fol. 69. HENRY King of England to the Archbishops, Bishops, Abbots, Earls, Barons, Sheriffs, and Officers, and to all his liegemen, French and English, in all England, greeting Know ye that I have granted and by my present Charter confirmed to God and the Church of the Blessed Mary of Evesham, to the Abbot and all his Successors, and to the Monks there serving God, and their successors, that they shall 8 Samson Bishop of Worcester, who died A.D. 1112. have and hold, in frank-almoigne, the Hundred of Blacahurste, with all things pertaining to it, as their full and free property. See ye that no Sheriff or any of his officers shall question their legal right to it. I will also and firmly command, for the health of my soul and those of my ancestors that the Abbot and Monks shall have and hold all their lands and possessions, in all places wherever they have lands, in good peace, freely, quietly and honorably, in churches, in tithes, in other property, in parishes, in wood, in plain, in meadows, in pastures, in waters, and mills, in paths and highways, likewise in all other places, with sac and soc, tol and teme, and infangthof, and customary rights, exempt from pleas of the shire and hundred, from geld and Dane-geld, from hidages and talliages, from taxes for building or repairing castles, roads, and bridges, from murchre, and carriage, and purveyance, and from every secular service, and servile work, and from scutage, save and except the service for four knights' fees and a half, in military expeditions which I undertake in person. Also, on the petition of Randulf, Chancellor, I will and allow that at Edwardestowe shall be a port and a market on Thursday every week, and that the said Church of Evesham shall have there for ever all customs and dues, for the use of that church, as I have myself in all my ports and burghs. And I will and command that the Abbot and Monks and their servants shall be exempt from toll throughout all England for all goods which their men can attest to be their own property. Witnesses: 9 ANSELM, Archbishop [of Canterbury]. SAMSON, Bishop [of Worcester]. Dated, Westminster ROBERT, Earl of Mellent. [prior to Nov. 18, 1100, when Abp. Thomas died]. HENRY, Earl of Warwick. No. IX.-VALUATION OF THE ABBEY POSSESSIONS, AS GIVEN BY THE ROYAL COMMISSIONERS. Abstracted and translated from Roll 33 Henry VIII. in Augmentation Office, entitled "Monasterium de Evesham: Comput' Ministrorum Domini Regis." Half fee in farm, in the town of Evesham Rent of the site of the monastery, with the demesne land 33 1 9 41 16 1 6 13 4 . 0 13 4 Perpetual payment from the Church of St. Lawrence [made 9 Synonymous with "murage," a tax levied for repairing the walls of fortified towns. £ s. d. £ s. d. Rent of the Mill, with the Fishery 15 6 8 Half fee in Farm, in the town of Evesham [made by the curate to the abbot and his successors]. Rents to the Registrar. Dues of Wood 0 9 4 132 5 9 Domain of Bengeworth. Rent of the Site, with the Demesne Land. 44 8 10 Manor of Sambourne and Whitlaxford, with Ilmington 49 10 2 73 3 2 Cell of Penwortham, annexed to the late monastery, rent of the Manor County Lands lately purchased by the abbot of Evesham, in Lands and possessions of the Priory or Cell of Alcester, Distant Bailiwicks [Ballivat Forensicor'] Total amount [addition corrected.] £1829 10 1 No. X.-ARMS AND INSCRIPTIONS IN THE CHURCH OF ST. LAWRENCE. On Flat Stones in the Chantry. IN memory of a most dutiful child and affectionate sister, Isabella REA, she died 24th August, 1753, aged 41 years.-William Clarke ADAMS died 14th February, 1827, aged 57 years.. Here lies the body of John BEARCROFT, gent. son of John Bearcroft, esq. of Meergreen in this county, who died March 14, 1753, aged 35 years. Also the body of Jane DICKENSON, daughter of Mr. Thos. and Jane Dickenson of the city of Worcester, granddaughter of John Bearcroft, esq. who died September 23, 1753, aged 4 years. Also near this place lies the body of Philip BEARCROFT, gent. who was buried May 14, 1729, aged 44 years. Underneath is interred the body of Isabella REA, relict of William Rea, gent. She died in the 82d year of her age, June 18th, 1763.-Also the bodies of her 24 and 4th sons, who died in their minority. Here lyeth the body of William REA, gent. who departed this life the 7th day of October, 1715, aged 57 years and 5 months.-Sub hoc saxo requiescit Samuel, filius primo genitus Gulielmi REA et Isabella Conjuge, qui mensibus octo non plene per actis hanc vitam terrenam cum cœlesti commutavit, die 24o Apr. A.D. 1701. ARMS. A chevron engrailed, between three garbs. Here lyeth the body of Nicholas FIELD, gent. who died the 25 January, 1702, aged 65 years. Here lieth the body of M. Anne FIELD, who departed this life the 14th of January, 1697, aged 84 years. At the feet of her grandfather here lieth Elizabeth the daughter of Mr. Nicholas FIELD. She died the 24th of March 1683, aged one year and seven months.-Here lieth the body of Jane the wife of Nicholas FIELD, gent. who departed this life November the 9th, 1723, aged 43, and had by him thirteen children, eight sons and five daughters. Sacred to the memory of Mr. George EVANS, who died the 17th of June, 1799, aged 67 years. Also to the memory of Alice EVANS his wife, who died the 5th of March, 1820, aged 80 years. By the side of her sister, of the same name, here lieth Elizabeth the second daughter of Mr. Nicholas FIELD. She died the 28th of June, 1684, aged four months. Also here lieth the body of Nicholas FIELD, gent. who departed this life the 21st day of September, 1739, aged 62 years. Flat Stones near the Pulpit. Here lie the bodies of two children named Susannah, daughters of William PHILLIPS, gent, and Mary his wife, who died young. Also the body of William [The remainder is broken off]. * the broken away]. Here lieth the body of Mary Ann SMITH, the daughter of Thomas Smith, esq. and Ann his wife, who died an infant, November the 21st, 1776. Flat Stones near the Altar. Here lieth the body of James MITCHELL, who died March 10th, aged 39 years. Here lieth the body of Sarah, wife of Joseph TREBELL, preacher of God's word. She deceased August 7th, 1665. An. Ætat. 31. To the respected memory of a faithful servant, Elizabeth HERSLEY, who was buried November 11th, 1781, aged 66 years, is this stone laid, by one who had experienced her worth. Tablet in South Aile. In humble resignation to the divine will, John Hanbury BEAUFOY died at Upton-Gray, Hants, on the 28th November, 1836, aged 74 years. This tribute of affection is here placed by Agnes his afflicted widow. |