A letter of donation to Godstow

Translated letter:

M[atilda] empress daughter of king Henry and lady [domina] of England and her son Henry to archbishops, bishops, abbots, counts, barons, justices, viscounts, and all ministers and her faithful Frank/Norman and Anglo of all England, greetings.  You should know that we have given and granted to God and the church of St. Mary and St. John the Baptist of Godstow and the nuns serving God there in perpetual alms, for the soul of king Henry our father and queen Matilda our mother and all our faithful dead ancestors, and for the salvation and safety of our lord Duke Geoffrey of Normandy and our own, and for the status of the kingdom of England, the land of Shillingford which is in the holding of Benson, which Ralph the scribe held at the farm for 52 shillings and 6 pence each year.  We wish then and order that they hold  [it] so honorably well and peacefully and freely and quietly (with immunity) with tribute and warranty (power of holding inhabitants in fief) and soke (suit of court) and sake (jurisdiction) and “infangenetheof” (legal right over a thief seized within the holding) and all other customs and freedoms with whatever is held by some alms most freely and quietly and well in England.  With witnesses Bernard bishop of St. David, Herbert, cleric, William Deffublato, Ernulf of Hesding, Robert of Dunstanville, Joscelin of Bailliol and several others.  At Devizes.

Original letter:

M. imperatrix H. regis filia et Angl’ domina et Henricus eius filius archiepiscopis episcopis abbatibus comitibus baronibus justiciis vicecomitibus et omnibus ministris et fidelibus suis francis et anglicis totius Angli’ salutem.  Sciatis nos dedisse et concessisse deo et ecclesie sancte Marie et sancti Johannis baptiste de Godestowe et sanctimonialibus ibidem deo servientibus in perpetuam elemosinam, pro anima Henrici regis patris nostri Matildis regine matris nostre et omnium antecessorum nostrorum fidelium defunctorum, et pro salute et incolumitate domini nostri Gaufridi Norm’ ducis et nostra, et pro status regni Angl’, terram de Shillingford’ que est de tenedura de Bensinton’ quam Radulphus scriba tenebat ad firmam singulis annis pro lii.s. et vi.d.  Volumus igitur et precipimus quod ita honorifice bene et pacifice et libere et quiete cum tol et team et soco et saca et infangenetheof et omnibus aliis consuetudinibus et libertatibus teneant cum quibus aliqua elemosina in Anglia liberius vel quietius et melius tenetur.  Testibus Bernardo episcopo Sancti David, Herberto clerico, Willelmo Deffublato, Ernulfo de Hesding, Roberto de Donestanvilla, Goscelino de Baillolio, et pluribus aliis.  Apud Divisas.

Historical context:

The empress and her son Henry grant land in Shillingford to Godstow. 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.” 

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), 299, #642.

Date: