A letter from Matilda, empress, queen of the Romans (1141)

Translated letter:

Matilda, empress, daughter of king Henry and Lady of the Romans, to the archbishops, bishops, abbots, counts, barons, justices, viscounts, provosts, ministers and all her faithful Franks and Angles in all of England, greetings.

Know that I made Miles of Gloucester count of Hereford and gave to him and  his heirs the moat of Hereford with the whole castle, in fief and heredity to hold from me and my heirs.

I also gave him a third of the moneys of rent of the town of Hereford, whatever I am paid, and a third of the moneys of fees of the whole county of Hereford.

I also gave him three manors in that county from my dominion, that is, Mawerdina, Luggewordina, and Wilton with all their appurtenances.

I gave him also the hedges of Hereford and the forest of Trinela, with what pertains to it.

I gave him also the service of Robert of Chanados and Hugh, sons of William, and Richard of Cormeilles, and all their fiefs wherever they have them.

And all the abovenamed I gave and granted in fief and heredity to him and his heirs to be held from me and my heirs.

I made this gift to him at Oxford on the day of St. James the Apostle, namely the octave before the feast of St. Peter in Chains, for the service which he did me and because I held captive at Bristol King Stephen who, by the mercy of God and the help of Robert, count of Gloucester my brother and also of that Miles and my other barons, was captured in battle at Lincoln on the day of the purification of St. Mary, next before the aforesaid day of St. James the Apostle.

For which I wish and firmly order that he and his heirs hold all the above mentioned things from me and my heirs well and in peace and honor and fully and freely and without trouble, in wood and plain, forests and hunting areas, meadows and pastures, in waters and mills, ponds and fish-ponds, ways and paths, in market-places and fairs, within the town and outside, in the city and outside, and in all places with soke and sake, and toll and team, and “Infangenetheof”1 and all their customs and freedoms and quittances, as ever any count better and more honorable and more quit and freely and fully holds any holding or dominion from me in England or ever held from any of my ancestors.

Witnesses:  Theobald, archbishop of Canterbury; Robert, bishop of London; Alexander, bishop of Lincoln; Bernard bishop of St. David; Nigel, bishop of Ely; David, king of Scotland; Robert, count of Gloucester; Reginald, count of Cornwall; Robert, son of Reginald; Brient, son of the count; Umfred of Bohun; Alexander of Buch; John, son of marshal Gilbert; Pagan of Clairvaux; Robert of Curceo; Ralph Paganel; William of Doura; Elia Giffard; Walken Maminot; Ernulf of Hesding; Gilbert of Lasceio.

At Oxford.

Original letter:

Matilda Imperatrix Henrici Regis Filia, & Anglorum Domina, Archiepiscopis, Episcopis, Abbatibus, Comitibus, Baronibus, Justiciariis, Vicecomitibus, Praepositis, Ministris & omnibus fidelibus suis Francis et Anglis totius Angliae salutem. Sciatis me fecisse Milonem de Glocestria Comitem de Hereford, & dedisse ei Motam Hereford, cum toto Castello, in Foedo & Haereditate sibi et Haeredibus suis ad tenendum de me & Haeredibus meis. Dedi etiam ei tertium Denarium redditus Burgi Hereford quicquid unquam reddar, & tertium Denarium placitorum totius Comitatus Hereford. Dedi etiam ei tria Maneria in ipso Comitatu de meo Dominio, viz. Mawerdinam, & Luggewordinam, & Wiltonam cum omnibus Appenditiis suis. Dedi etiam ei Haias Hereford, & Forestam de Trinela, cum hoc quod ad hoc pertinet. Dedi etiam ei servitium Roberti de Chanados, & Hugonis Filii Willielmi, & Richardi de Cormeill, & omnia Feuda eorum ubicunque ea habeant. Et haec omnia supradicta dedi & etiam concessi in Foedo & Haereditate sibi & Haeredibus suis ad tenendum de me & Haeredibus meis. Hanc autem Donationem feci ei apud Oxineford Die Sancti Jacobi Apostoli, videlicet Octava Die ante Festum Sancti Petri ad vincula, pro servitio suo quod mihi fecerat, & ita quod tunc habebam in captione mea apud Bristoll Regem Stephanum, qui, Dei misericordia, & auxilio Roberti Comitis Glocestriae Fratris mei, & auxilio ipsius Milonis & aliorum Baronum meorum, captus fuit in Bello apud Lincoln die purificationis Sanctae Mariae proximo ante praedictum diem Sancti Jacobi Apostoli. Quare volo & firmiter praecipio quod haec omnia supradicta teneat de me & Haeredibus meis ipse & Haeredes sui ita bene, & in pace, & honorifice, & plenarie, & libere, & quiete in Bosco & Plano, in Forestis & Fugaciis, in Pratis & Pasturis, in Aquis & Molendinis, in Stagnis & Vivariis, in Viis & Semitis, in Foris & Feriis, infra Burgum & extra, in Civitate & extra, & in omnibus Locis cum Soca & Sacha, & Toll, & Team, & Infangenetheof & cum omnibus consuetudinibus & libertatibus, & quietudinibus, sicut unquam aliquis Comes melius, & honorabilius, & quietius, & liberius, & plenarius tenet aliquod Tenementum vel Dominium de Me in Anglia, vel unquam tenuit de aliquo Antecessore meo. Testibus, Theobaldo Archiepiscopo Cantuariensi. Roberto Episcopo Londoniensi. Alexandro Episcopo Lincolniensi. Bernardo Episcopo Sancti Davidis. Nigillo Episcopo Eliensi. David Rege Scot. Roberto Comite Glocestriae. Reginaldo Comite Cornubiae. Roberto Reginaldi Filio. Brientio Filio Comitis. Umfrido de Bohun. Alex. de Buch. Johanne Filio Gisleberti Marescallo. Pagan de Claris Vallibus. Roberto de Curceo. Radulfo Paganello. Willelmo de Doura. Elia Giffard. Walkenio Maminot. Ernulf de Hesding. Gisleberto de Lasceio. Apud Oxfordiam.

Historical context:

The charter announces that Matilda has made Milo of Gloucester Count of Hereford, who had shifted his support from Stephen to her when she arrived in England in 1139, in reward for his service. (For more on this, see Marjorie Chibnall, The Empress Matilda.) The charter specifies moneys, lands and possessions.

Scholarly notes:

1. "Infangenetheof" was a privilege granted landowners in Anglo-Saxon law which gave them the power of summary justice over thieves within their lands.  The charter includes a legal formula that grants royal privileges to a lord, “cum tol et team et soco et saca et infangenetheof” apparently with latinizations of anglo-saxon terms.   DuCange, Glossarium, cites a variation of it from a charter under Henry I, “Cum socca et sacca et Tol et them, et infangenetef, et aliis consuetudinibus et quietudinibus.” soke (suit of court) and sake (jurisdiction). 

Printed source:

Rymer, Foedera, 1.1.3 (3rd ed.).

Date:

1141