A letter from Henry III (July, 1253)

Translated letter:

The king to all, etc., greetings. Since we have committed the government of our kingdom of England and our lands of Wales and Ireland to our beloved queen Eleanor, with the counsel of our beloved brother and liege Richard, count of Cornwall, until our return from Gascony, We wish that when the Archbishoprics and Bishoprics of our said kingdom of England, and the bishopric of St. Davids in Wales become vacant, permission to elect is sought from us; and, when the election is held, our assent to it is required, and this same we wish to be done for the Abbacies of Westminster, Waltham, St. Edmunds of Ramsey, St. Peter, St. Alban, Reading, Osney, Chichester [?Cyrencestria], Hythe [?Hyda], Glastonbury with the see of Malmesbury vacant, St. Peter of Gloucester, Evesham, Saint Mary of York, and St. Augustine of Canterbury And for the archbishoprics and bishoprics of our land of Ireland, when they are vacant, since access or transit from Ireland to Gascony is easier than from Ireland to England. However with the bishoprics of LLandaff, of St. Asaph, and of Bangor. and all the abbacies and priories of England, Wales, and Ireland not mentioned above, are vacant, we wish and concede that permission of choosing be sought from our aforesaid Queen before the election, and when the elections are done, her assent to it be required, with the counsel of the aforesaid count our brother, while we are acting in Gascony. In which, etc. Witness as above.

Original letter:

Rex omnibus, &c. salutem. Cum Gubernationem Regni nostri Angliae, & terrarum nostrarum Walliae & Hiberniae, commiserimus dilectae Reginae nostrae Alianorae, una cum Consilio dilecti fratris & fidelis nostri Ricardi Comitis Cornubiae, usque ad reditum nostrum de partibus Wasconiae, Volumus quod, cum Archiepiscopatus, & Episcopatus praedicti Regni nostri Angliae, & Episcopatus Menevens. in Wallia vacaverint, a nobis petatur licentia eligendi; &, factis, electionibus, noster super hoc requiatur assensus, et hoc idem fieri volumus de Abbatiis Westmonasterii, Waltham, sancti Edmundi, Rames. Burgi, Sancti Petri, Sancti Albani, Rading. Oseneye, Cyrencestriae, de Hyda, Glaston. vacante sede Malmesbur. Sancti Petri Gloucestr. Evesham, Sanctae Mariae Eborum,& Sancti Augustini Cantuar. Et de Archiepiscopatibus, Episcopatibus terrae nostrae Hiberniae, cum vacaverint, cum facilior aditus, sive transitus de Hibernia in Wasconiam, quam de Hibernia in Angliam habeatur. Vacantibus autem Episcopatibus Landavensi, de Sancto Asaph, & de Bangor. & omnibus Abbatiis & Prioratibus Angliae, Walliae, & Hiberniae, superius non expressis, volumus & concedimus quod licentia eligendi a praefata Regina nostra, ante electionem, petatur; & factis electionibus, ejus super hoc requiratur assensus, de consilio praefati Comitis fratris nostri, nobis in partibus Wasconiae agentibus. In cujus, &c., Teste ut supra.

Historical context:

The king declares Eleanor custodian and governer of England while he is is Gascony, with the counsel of his brother, Richard of Cornwall. The right to hold the election and assent to its outcome is to be sought of the queen.

Printed source:

Rymer, Foedera, 1.1.174 (3rd ed.).

Date:

July, 1253