A letter from John, king of England (1203)

Translated letter:

John, by the grace of God, etc., Know that we have given, granted, and by the present charter confirmed to our beloved wife Isabel, by that same grace queen of England, etc., (who was crowned queen of England in England with the common assent and harmonious will of the archbishops, bishops, counts, barons, clergy and people of the whole kingdom), all the subscribed items in dower, namely 1. In Devon, the city of Exeter [Exoniens] with the fair of that city, the export duty, and stallage [payment for stalls],(1)which William of Gatesden and Agatha his wife will hold for their lifetime, answering for the service of that land to the said queen, but after their death that land will revert to the ownership/lordship of that queen, and also Kent, Ailricheston, and Wike. 2. In Somerset, Ilchester. In Wiltshire, Wilton, Malmesbury, Betesdun, which Henry of Bernaval holds, who will answer to that queen for the service of that land, and Wiltereslawe. 3. In Sussex, the city of Chichester, except the holding of Simon of C., bishop-elect of the whole city, with the appurtenances by ancient rent as is contained in our charter which he has. 4. In London, the Queenhithe.(2) 5. In Essex, the town of Waltham which the abbot and canons of Waltham hold at rent. 6. In Hertfordshire, the honor of Berkhamsted, with all its appurtenances, in lordship as in fiefs; and also the county of Rutland and the city of Rockingham. 7. And in Normandy, Falaise and Danfront with their appurtenances, Bonneville on the Toques; and also all others which were assigned to our beloved mother A[Eleanor] queen of England in dower, on this side of the sea as well as beyond; and if anything is removed or taken away by war or otherwise, we want a suitable and sufficient exchange made in England, without opposition or any diminution. Because we wish and firmly order that the aforesaid queen Isabel, our wife, so solemnly crowned queen of England in the kingdom of England, as was said above, may have and hold, for her whole life, all the aforesaid, with all their appurtenances, freedoms and free customs, in the same degree, well and in peace, freely and with immunity, wholly and completely, as any of our predecessors kings of England or we have ever had, better, more fully, and more freely, those things in our hand. We also prohibit that any justiciar, viscount, forester, or any other bailiff (except the bailiffs of that queen), lay hand on the aforesaid or administer about anything therein, unless with the will and assent of that queen. If indeed we should assign more to increase the dower of said queen our wife, by the counsel of our faithful, we wish and firmly order that she have that fully and hold it completely for her whole life, with those freedoms and immunities by which we granted the other aforewritten to her. With the lords as witness, Bishops, P. of Durham, H. of Salisbury Brother Eymeric, master of the knights of the Temple in England, Geoffrey, son of Peter, count of Essex, then Justiciar of England, Count Roger Bigod, William, count of Arundel, A. de Veer, count of Oxford, Henry of Bohun, count of Hereford, William of Briouze, Robert son of Roger, William Brewer, Hugh Neville, Robert de Tresgoz, Robert of Vieuxpont, Stephen of Turnhill. Dated by hand of the bishop-elect of Chichester at Portchester, 5th of May, in the 5th year of our reign. However to the greater security and witness of this deed, the undersigned, those ordained in the truth of the word as well as laymen gave body oath that they granted all the aforesaid faithfully and firmly, to be observed with all their power, and confirmed it by affixing their seals, namely, Lord ----- Aforenamed bishops, lords of Dunolmen and Salisbury, Geoffrey, son of Peter count of Essex, Count Roger Bigod, W., count of Arundel, A. de Veer, count of Oxford, H. de Bohun, count of Hereford, William le Briouze, Robert son of Roger, W. Brewer, Hugh Neville, G., Bishop of Winton, S., bishop of Bath, Robert de Tresgoz, Robert of Vieuxpont, Stephen of Turnham.

Original letter:

Johannes, Dei Gratia, &c. Sciatis nos dedisse, concessisse & praesenti Carta confirmasse dilectae Uxori nostrae Isabellae, eadem gratia Reginae Angliae, &c. (quae in Anglia de communi assensu & concordi voluntate Archiepiscoporum, Episcoporum, Comitum, Baronum, Cleri & Populi totius Regni in Reginam Angliae est coronata) omnia subscripta in dotem, Scilicet, 1. In Devonia Civitatem Exoniensem cum feria ejusdem Civitatis, Lestagium, & Stallagium, & Listonam; quam Willielmus de Gatesden & Agath. Uxor sua tenebunt, tota vita sua, respondendo de servitio illius terrae dictae Reginae, post quorum mortem revertetur terra illa in Dominicum ejusdem Reginae; & praeterea Kentonam & Ailricheston, & Wike. 2. In Somerset, Ivelcestre. In Wiltshire Wilton, Maumesbir, Betesdum, quam Henricus de Bernavall tenet, qui respondebit eidem Reginae de servitio ejusdem terrae, & Wiltereslawe. 3. In Sussex Civitatem Cicestriae, salva tenura Simonis Cicestriae electi de tota illa Civitate, cum pertinentiis per antiquam firmam, sicut in Carta nostra, quam inde habet, continetur. 4. In London, Hetham Reginae. 5. In Essex, Villam de Waltham, quam Abbas & Canonici de Waltham tenent ad firmam. 6. In Hertfordsire, honorem de Berkhamsted, cum omnibus pertinentiis suis, tam in Dominicis quam feodis; & praeterea Comitatum de Roteland, & Villam de Rokingham. 7. Et in Normannia Faleis & Danfront cum pertinentiis, Bonam Villam super Tokam; & praeterea omnia alia, quae dilectae Matri nostrae A. Reginae Angliae in dotem fuerint assignata, tam citra mare, quam ultra; &, si quid inde fuerit subtractum vel ablatum per Werram vel aliter, volumus quod ei competens & sufficiens inde fiat escambium in Anglia, sine contradictione vel aliqua diminutione. Quare volumus & firmiter praecipimus quod praedicta Isabella Regina, Uxor nostra, in Regno Angliae tam solempniter ut praedictum est, in Reginam Angliae coronata, habeat & teneat, tota vita sua, omnia praedicta, cum omnibus pertinentiis suis, libertatibus & liberis consuetudinibus, adeo bene & in pace libere & quiete, integre & plenarie sicut aliquis praedecessorum nostrorum Regum Angliae, vel nos umquam melius, plenius & liberius habuimus ea in manu nostra. Prohibemus etiam ne quis Justiciarius, Vicecomes, vel Forestarius, vel aliquis alius Ballivus (exceptis Ballivis ipsius Reginae) in praedicta manum mittat, vel de aliquo se inde intromittat, nisi de voluntate & assensu ipsius Reginae. Si vero magis in augmentum Dotis dictae Reginae Uxoris nostrae, de Consilio fidelium nostrorum, assignaverimus, volumus & firmiter praecipimus quod illus integre habeat & plenarie teneat tota vita sua, per easdem libertates & immunitates, per quas alia praescripta ei concessimus. Testibus Dominis, P. Dunolmensi, H. Sarum, episcopis. Fratre Eymerico, Magistro Militiae Templi in Anglia, Galfrido filio Petri, Comite Essex, tunc Justiciario Angliae, Comite Rogero le Bigot, Willielmo Comite Arundell, A. de Veer Comite Oxon, Henrico de Bohun Comite Hereford, Willielmo de Braos, Roberto filio Rogeri, Willielmo Briwer, Hugone de Nevill, Roberto de Tresgoz, Roberto de Veteri Ponte, Stephano de Tornhill. Dat. per manum S. Cicestriae electi, apud Porcestr. 5 die Maii. Anno Regni nostri 5. Ad majorem autem securitatem, & majus hujus facti testimonium, subscripti, tam ordinati in verbo veritatis, quam Laici, juramento corporali praestito, omnia praedicta fideliter & firmiter observanda pro posse suo concesserunt, & Sigillorum suorum appositione roboraverunt, Scilicet, Dominus ____ Domini Dunolmen. & Sarum, Episcopi praenominati. Galfridus filius Petri, Comes Essex Comes Rogerus le Bigot, W. Comes Arundell, A. de Veer Comes Oxon, H. de Bohun Comes de Hereford, Willielmus le Braos, Robertus filius Rogeri, W. Briwer, Hugo de Nevill, G. Winton, Episcopus, S. Bathon, Episcopus, Robertus de Tresgoz, Robertus de Veteri Ponte, Stephanus de Tornhill. Dat. per manum S. Cicestriae electi, apud Porcestr. 5 die Maii. Anno Regni nostri 5. Ad majorem autem securitatem, & majus hujus facti testimonium, subscripti, tam ordinati in verbo veritatis, quam Laici, juramento corporali praestito, omnia praedicta fideliter & firmiter observanda pro posse suo concesserunt, & Sigillorum suorum appositione roboraverunt, Scilicet, Dominus ____ Domini Dunolmen. & Sarum, Episcopi praenominati. G

Historical context:

This is John's charter specifying the details of Isabel's dower.

Scholarly notes:

(1)The specified lestagium and stallagium are export duties and stallage; the third item, listona, may be a different kind of export duty. I have not been able to identify it. (2)This refers to a prosperous wharf in London traditionally assigned to the queen consort. I owe this term and the information about it to Katherine McGittigan.

Printed source:

Rymer, Foedera 1.43 (3rd edition)

Date:

1203