June 8.
Westminster. |
To all stewards and marshals and clerks of the market of the
king's household for the time being, all sheriffs, mayors, constables,
bailiffs, reeves, officers, ministers and other the king's liege
subjects to whom etc. Order so far as in them lies to suffer
the abbot and monks of Reading (Radingia) and their men
to use and enjoy the liberties and quittances hereinafter mentioned,
not troubling or grieving any of them contrary to the charters
which they have; as King John by charter granted to St. Mary
and the said monks in almoin all lands, holdings and alms given
them by King Henry his father's grandfather, namely Reading,
Cealsei and Liministre, with woods, fields, pastures, waters,
mills, fisheries, churches, chapels, churchyards, tithes etc., that
no man great or small by due or custom or by force should
demand of the men or lands of the abbey service on horse or foot
(equitacionem sive expedicionem) building of bridges or castles,
carriage, sumpter service, toll, ship service, works, tribute or
gifts (xenia), but the monks, their household and property should
be free of geld, toll and custom throughout England and Normandy
in lands and waters, passage of bridges and seaports, that the
abbot and monks should have hundreds and pleas of their men
and all their possessions, of aliens there forfeiting and there taken,
with forfeit, sac and soc, 'tol' and 'theam.' 'infangenethef,'
'utfangenethef' and hamsoken within the borough and without
in ways, paths and all places and all causes which may be, and
all jurisdiction of assault, theft, murder, shedding of blood and
breach of the peace so far as it pertains to the king's power, and
of all forfeits, but if they should be negligent therein the king
should compel them, so that the liberty of that church should not
be straitened, that the men of manors round about should come to
the hundreds of Reading and Leoministre according to the custom
of former times, and if they should despise the summons the king
should take the forfeit and compel them; and King Henry III,
having knowledge that King Henry his grandfather's grandfather
for the health of his soul and the souls of his ancestors and successors did build that abbey, and give it every immunity, power,
quittance and liberty that the king has power to confer upon
an abbey, ordered that the abbot and monks should peaceably
hold all their lay tenements and those of the church which they
then held or should thereafter have by purchase or gift in all
places and all things quit of danegeld and all gelds, of shires and
hundreds, of all pleas and plaints, aids, scutages, hidages, sumpter
service, carriage, ship service, enclosures, building of bridges
and castles, conduct of treasure, all works, tribute, lastage,
stallage, 'thethingpeny,' 'tynpeny,' summons, assize, overassize
and forfeit howsoever arising, of assarts and wastes of groves,
that they, their men and property, should be quit of hidage and
toll and of all demands and customs of fairs and markets in all
places throughout England and Normandy, that they should
have all jurisdiction of assault, murder, shedding of blood, breach
of the peace and treasure trove, whatsoever pertains to the
king's power, and no mercies (mercie) should de demanded of
them, their tenants or men, or by them paid, that they should
have their court of assizes etc. ordered to be made by the king or
his justices of the lands and men in their bailiwick, but if they
should neglect to do justice the king should compel it in their
court, so that he should not straiten their liberty, that without
their licence no man should cause their men to come to recognitions
at any court but the abbot's, and that they should have hundreds
etc. (as above), and this liberty he did grant, commending it to
the kings who should reign after him, confirming the charters of
Kings Henry I, Henry II and John; and King Edward II by
charter did grant to the abbot and monks that they and their
successors should be quit of prises and shiminages, that whether
the king should be present or absent they should make the assize
of bread and ale, and of other things to his marshalsea pertaining,
taking the amends thereof, so that the steward, marshals or
clerk of the market should not enter upon their liberty to execute
aught which pertains to their office therein, save upon manifest
default of them or their bailiffs, and that justices then or after
appointed to take assizes, juries, certificates of lands without
their liberty, or to hear and determine inquisitions or other
business without the same arising shall not enter their liberty,
nor sit therein, but elsewhere in the county, and the king has
by charter confirmed all these grants etc. with the clause licet. |
