A letter from Eugenius III

Translated letter:

Eugene, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to his beloved daughters in Christ, Ediva prioress of the monastery of St. John the Baptist of Godstow and her sisters, present and future who have professed the  (regular) life by rule in perpetuity.  For this the care of the universal church was committed to us by God, the provider of all goods, that we love religious persons and are zealous to extend religion well pleasing to God in all ways.  For service is never pleasing to God unless proceeding from the root of charity it is preserved by purity of religion.  It is fitting therefore that all lovers of the christian faith love religion and foster venerable places most attentively with those persons committed to divine service, so that they are not disturbed by any harm from evil men or tired by persistent tribulation or taxes.  Therefore beloved daughters in the lord, inclined by the prayers of our beloved <son> Robert, cardinal priest and chancellor of the holy Roman church, we have mercifully agreed to your just requests and have taken the aforesaid monastery of blessed John the Baptist in which you are committed to divine service under the protection of St. Peter and of us and relay that to you by the privilege of the present writing.  Establishing first that the monastic order according to the rule of St. Benedict be inviolably preserved there perpetually.    Moreover whatever possessions, whatever goods you possess justly and canonically or will be able to acquire in future by concession of present popes, gifts of kings, generosity of princes, offerings of the faithful, or  others just means with the lord helping, may remain firm and whole to you and your successors.  We have stated these in the following words:  that monastery of blessed Mary and St. John the Baptist with its possessions and the island in which the monastery was founded, and its other appendages; from the gift of John of St. John and the gift of Reginald of St. Walric the land which is called Godstow with its appurtenances, the mill of Wolvercote, two properties in Wolvercote with their appurtenances, the island which lies between two waters before the gate of your monastery, three meadows namely Boiham Lichesey and Heringesham, one fishery on the Thames with its  appurtenances, half the meadow which is called Lambey; another half of that meadow from the gift of Robert of Oilli with one measure of grain annually from the mill under the castle of Oxford; the church of St. Giles which is outside Oxford; from the gift of Alexander bishop of Lincoln, 100 s.[shillings] of Bambury tolls to be paid annually to you; from the gift of king Stephen a hundred pieces of land in Walton, fairs for three days at the nativity of St. John the Baptist at Godstow; from the gift of Roger bishop of Salisbury the mill which is called Boymill with its lands and appurtenances, two properties at St. Clement; from the gift of Reginald, son of the count and his wife Emeline, Eaton with all its appurtenances; in Halse 60 s. [soliditas, pieces]  of land which Robert count of Leicester gave; from the gift of the citizens of Oxford, land which is called Wica in Port Meadow; whatever you have of right in the church of Wadell; from the gift of Hugh of Tew nine pieces of land in Oxford; from the gift of Sevar seven pieces of land outside Norgate; from the gift of Nicholas Basset one hide of land in Rissington; from the gifts of Roger of Amory fifty acres in Bletchingdon; in that town one rod of land and five acres from the gift of Walter of Perry; in Knowl the land which Ralph Waifer gave you, land which is called Sandford; from the gift of Robert of Wytham a part of the meadow near Godstow; from the gift of Elwin son of Godegos 18 pieces [soliditas] of land outside the south gate of Oxford; in East Cheap at London 17 pieces [solidatas] of land; in Winton five pieces of land from the gift of Ambrose; from the gift of viscount Ralph and his wife Matilda Schillingford; whatever you have of right in the tithes of Rollendricht; 20 s. [shillings] from the church of Ferendon from the gift of Robert bishop of Exeter to be paid annually; also from his gift 20 s. from the church of St. Mary of Gloucester to be paid annually.  Beside this, we also decree that in the houses [cenobiis] which have come from your monastery and hold to your practices, no abbess or prioress of another order may be placed over them.  Indeed at your death the prioress of that place or whoever of your successors may not be put over them by any stealthy trick or violence, except whom the sisters by common consent or a part of the sisters of sounder counsel provide, elected according to the fear of God and the rule of St. Benedict.  Therefore we determine that it is permitted to no man to to disturb said place or take away its possessions or retain those that have been taken, to diminish or distress it by any kind of trouble but they must be preserved whole which have been granted for their governing and maintenance, to benefit them in all kinds of uses, except by authority of the apostolic see and canonic justice and reverence for the diocesan bishop.  If any ecclesiastic or secular person knowing this page of our decree should boldly try to oppose it, admonished a second or third time, should not correct his guilt with suitable satisfaction, he would lose the office of his power and honor and be recognized as guilty of the committed iniquity before divine justice and be alienated from the most sacred body and blood of God and our lord redeemer Jesus Christ and be subject to strict punishment at the last judgment.  And to all those serving his laws in that place, the peace of our lord Jesus Christ as far as they may obtain this fruit of good action and find the rewards of eternal peace with the final judge.  Amen.

Original letter:

Eugenius episcopus servus servorum dei dilectis in Christo filiabus Edive priorisse monasterii sancti Johannis baptiste de Godestowe eiusque sororibus tam presentibus quam futuris regularem vitam professis inperpetuum. Ad hoc universalis ecclesie cura nobis a provisore omnium bonorum deo commissa est, ut religiosas diligamus personas et bene placentem deo religionem studeamus modis omnibus propagare. Neque enim deo gratus aliquando famulatus impenditur, nisi ex karitatis radice procedens a puritate religionis fuerit conservatus. Oportet igitur omnes christiane fidei amatores religionem diligere et loca venerabilia cum ipsis personis divino servitio mancipatis attentius confovere, ut nullis pravorum hominum inquietentur molestiis vel importunis angariis fatigentur. Eapropter, dilecte in domino filie, dilecti <filii> nostri Roberti sancte Romane ecclesie presbiteri cardinalis et cancellarii precibus inclinati vestris justis postulationibus clementer annuimus et prefatum beati Johannis baptiste monasterium, in quo divino mancipate estis obsequio, sub beati Petri et nostra protectione suscipimus et presentis scripti privilegio communimus. In primis siquidem statuentes ut ordo monasticus secundum beati Benedicti regulam perpetuis ibi temporibus inviolabiliter conservetur. Quascumque preterea possessiones, quecumque bona in presentiarum juste et canonice possidetis aut in futurum concessione pontificum, liberalitate regum, largitione principum, oblatione fidelium, seu aliis justis modis prestante domino poteritis adipisci, firma vobis vestrisque succedentibus et illibata permaneant. In quibus hec propriis duximus exprimenda vocabulis: monasterium ipsum beate Marie sanctique Johannis baptiste cum possessionibus et insula in qua fundatum est monasterium et aliis appendiciis suis; ex dono Johannis de Sancto Johanne et dono Reginaldi de Sancto Walerico terram que vocatur Godestowe cum pertinentiis, molendinum de Wulgarecote, duos mansos in Wolgarescote cum appendiciis suis, insulam que jacet inter duas aquas ante portam monasterii vestri, prata tria scilicet Boiham Lichesham et Heringesham, piscariam unam super Tamisiam cum appendiciis suis, dimidium pratum quod vocatur Lambeia; alteram medietatem eiusdem prati ex dono Roberti de Oilli cum modio uno frumenti annuatim de molendino sub castello Oxenefordii; ecclesiam sancti Egidii que est extra Oxeneford'; ex dono Alexandri Lincoln' episcopi C. s. de teloneo Banneberie annuatim vobis persolvendos; (fo. 184) ex dono regis Stephani centum solidatas terre in Waltono, nundinas trium dierum ad nativitatem sancti Johannis baptiste apud Godestowe; ex dono Rogeri Saresberiensis episcopi molendinum quod dicitur Boiemilne cum terris et appendiciis suis, mansos duos apud sanctum Clementem; ex dono Reginaldi filii comitis et Emeline uxoris eius Eatonam cum omnibus pertinentiis suis; in Halso lx. s. de terra quam dedit Robertus comes Leicestrie; ex dono civium Oxeneford' terram que vocatur Wica in in Portmaneit; quicquid juris habetis in ecclesia Wadhille; ex dono Hugonis de Tywa novem solidatas terre in Oxeneford'; ex dono Sevari septem solidatas terre extra Nordgatam; ex dono Nicholai Basset unam hidam terre in Risendona; ex dono Rogeri de Almeri quinquaginta acras in Blechesdon'; in eadem villa unam virgatam terre et quinque acras ex dono Walteri de Peri; in Cnolla terram quam dedit vobis Radulphus Waifer, terram que vocatur Sandford'; ex dono Roberti de Wictham partem prati juxta Godestowam; ex dono Ailwini filii Godegos xviii. solidatas terre extra portam Oxeneford' australem; in Estchepe apud Londonias xvii. solidatas terre; in Wintonia quinque solidatas terre ex dono Ambrosii; ex dono Radulphi vicecomitis et Matillidis uxoris sue Sci’lingford'; quicquid juris habetis in decimis de Rollendrith'; xx. s. de ecclesia Ferendone ex dono Roberti Exoniensis episcopi annuatim persolvendos; ex ipsius etiam dono xx. s. de ecclesia sancte Marie Gloucestrie annuatim persolvendos. Preter hec autem sancimus ut in cenobiis que de monasterio vestro egressa sunt et instituta vestra tenent, nulla alterius ordinis abbatissa seu priorissa preponatur. Obeunte vero te nunc eiusdem loci priorissa vel tuarum qualibet succedentium nulla ibi qualibet subreptionis astutia seu violentia preponatur, nisi quam sorores communi consensu vel sororum pars consilii sanioris secundum dei timorem- et beati Benedicti regulam providerint eligendam. Decernimus ergo ut nulli omnino hominum liceat prefatum locum temere perturbare aut eius possessiones auferre vel ablatas retinere, minuere seu quibuslibet vexationibus fatigare sed omnia integra conserventur eorum, pro quorum gubernatione et sustentatione concessa sunt, usibus omnimodis profutura, salva sedis apostolice auctoritate et diocesani episcopi canonica justitia et reverentia. Si qua igitur in futurum ecclesiastica secularisve persona hujus nostre constitutionis paginam sciens contra eam temere <venire> temptaverit, secundo terciove commonita, si non reatum suum congrua satisfactione correxerit, potestatis honorisque sui dignitate careat reamque se divino judicio existere de perpetrata iniquitate cognoscat et a sacratissimo corpore et sanguine dei et domini redemptoris nostri Jhesu Christi aliena fiat atque in extremo examine districte ultioni subjaceat. Cunctis autem eidem loco sua jura servantibus sit pax domini nostri Jhesu Christi, quatinus et hic fructum bone actionis percipiant et apud districtum judicem premia eterne pacis inveniant. Amen.

Historical context:

The pope takes Godstow under his protection and confirms its various donated holdings.

Printed source:

I am grateful to Emilie Amt for this text which is now available in The Latin Cartulary of Godstow Abbey, ed. Emilie Amt, (Oxford:  Oxford University, 2014), 360-62, #770.

Date: