Burnham Abbey Foundation Charter
The foundation charter was originally written in Latin. This is below. Below that is the English translation
BURNHAMENSE COENOBIUM, IN AGRO BUCKINGHAMENSI.
Rex archiepiscopis, &c. salutem. Richardus Dei gratia Romanorum rex, semper augustus, omnibus Christi fidelibus, tam præsentibus quam futuris, ad quos præsens scriptum pervenerit, salutem in Domino sempiternam. Noverit universitas vestra nos, pro nobis et hæredibus nostris, dedisse, concessisse, et hac præsenti carta nostra conŕirmasse Deo, et bætae Mariæ et monasterio de Burnham, quod fundari fecimus, ас monialibus ibidem Deo servientibus, et earum successoribus, in liberam, puram, et perpetuam elemosinam, intuitu Dei, et pro salute animæ nostras, et animarum praedecessorum nostrorum regum Angliæ, manerium de Burnham, cum omnibus suis pertinentìis, ut in dominicis, homagiis liberorum, villenagiis, visu franci plegii, redditibus, escaetis, wardis, releviis, maritagiis, et omnibus aliis quæ ad nos, vel hæredes nostros, ratione dicti manerii de Burnham, quocunque modo, vel casu accidere possint, unà cum advocatione ecclesiæ de Burnham, quœ fuit de patronatu nostro, ratione manerii nostri antedicti de Burnham, tempore istius donationis поstræ. Concessimus etiam pro nobis, et hæredibus nostris, eisdem monialibus, et successoribus suis, totam terram cum pertinentìis, quœ fuit Johannis de Boveneye, cum molendino, piscaria, et visu franci plegii, qui pertinere solebat ad manerium nostrum de Cippeham, et quicquid nobis, vel hœredibus nostris, ratione prædictæ terræ, quocunque modo, vel casu accidere potuisset; salva nobis et hœredibus nostris, tota terra cum pertinentìis, quæ fuit ejusdem Johannis in Stoukes, quam nobis et hæredibus nostris retinuimus cum suis pertinentìis. Concessimus etiam pro nobis et hœredibus nostris, dictis monìalibus, et earum successoribus, totam terram de Morforlong, et Brockforlong, cum toto prato de Dillepol, quæ fuerunt de manerio nostro de Cippeham, tempore istius donatìonis nostræ, et totum boscum quem emimus de Johanne de Everengee, qui vocatur la Strete, et unam partem bosci nostri de Hertlegh, sicut fossatoa proportant, de bosco de la Strete, usque ad boscum Johannis de la Penne.
Volumus etiam, et concedimus, pro nobis et hæredibus nostris, quod omnia prædìcta dictis monialibus, et earum successoribus à nobis concessa, adeo liberè, quiete, pacificè, et integrè habeant et teneant in pratis, pascuis, planis, boscis, pasturis, viis, aquis, et semitis, infra villa et extra, sicutiea nos liberiùs, et quietiùs unquam tenuimus, vel tenere potuimus, sine aliquo retenemento, nobis vel hæredibus nostris, habenda et tenenda omnia prædìcta, cum omnibus suis pertinentiis dictis monialibus, et earum successoribus, de nobis, et hœredibus nostris, cum omnibus libertatibus, et liberis consuetudinibus ad prædicta terras, redditus, et tenementa. spectantibus, unà cum advocatione ecclesiœ supradictre,uf prædictum est, in liberam, puram, et perpetuam elemosinam imperpetuum possidenda. Et nos et hæredes nostri istam nostram donationem dictis monialibus et earum successoribus contra omnes homines Judæos et Christianos warantizare, defendere, et acquietare tenemur, videlicet, de omnimodis curiarum sectis, regali servicio, et secularibus demandis omnibus, et singulis, quæ ab eisdem monialibus, ratione prædictæ donationis nostræ, exìgi poterant aliqua occasione, exceptâ wardâ castri de Wyndelesore, debita, et consueta. In cujus rei testimonium præsentem cartam nostram sigillo regiæ maJestatis nostræ roborandum. Hiistestibus, Henrico illustri rege Angliæ, fratre nostro, domino Edwardo ejusdem regis primogenito, nepote nostro, dominis W. Bathon. cancellario Angliæ, R. L incoln. et R. Coventren. et Lichfelden. episcopis, Henrico, et Edmundo filiis nostris, Philippo Basset, Willielmo de Huntercumbe, Willielmo de Wiyndelsore, Richardo de Oxeye, Philippo de Covele, et aliis. Dat. apud Cippeham decimo octavo die Aprilis, in dictione nona, anno Domini millesimo ducentesimo sexagesimo sexto, regni verò nostri anno nono.
English Translation
Burnham Abbey in Buckinghamshire
Foundation Charter
The King to the Archbishops, etc.. greeting. Richard, by the grace of God, King of the Romans, ever August, to all the faithful of Christ, present or future, to whom the present writing shall come, eternal health in the Lord. Know all of ye, that we, for ourselves and our heirs, have given, granted, and by this our present charter have confirmed to God, and to the blessed Mary and to the monastery of Burnham, which we have caused to be founded, and to the nuns there serving God, and to their successors, in free, pure and perpetual alms, in the sight of God and for the health of our soul, and of the souls of our predecessors the Kings of England, the manor of Burnham with all its appurtenances, as in domains, homages of free men, villenages, view of franc pledge, rents, escheats, wards, aids, marital rights, and all else which to us, or our heirs, by reason of the said manor of Burnham, at the time of this our grant.
We have granted also for ourselves and our heirs, and to their successors all the land with appurtenances, which belonged to John de Boveneye, with the milling, fishing, view of the franc pledge, which was wont to belong to our manor of Cippenham, and wherever to us, or to our heirs, by reason of the aforesaid land, by any manner or chance might have fallen, saving to us and our heirs all the land and appurtenances which belonged to the same John in Stoke, which to us and our heirs we have retained with appurtenances. We are granted also for us and for our heirs to the said nuns all the land of Moorfurlong and Broken Furlong, with all the meadow land of Dillepool, which belonged to our manor of Cippenham, at the time of this our grant, and all the wood which we bought of John of Everengee, which is called La Strete, and a portion of our wood of Hertleigh, as divided by ditch from the wood of la Strete even to the wood of John de la Penne.
We will also, and grant, for us and for our heirs, all the aforesaid to the said nuns and their successors by us granted, so that they may freely quietly, peacefully and entirely have and hold in meadows, pastures, plains, woods, forage, ways, watercourses and footpaths, within and without the town like as we have ever very freely and quietly held them, or have had power to hold them, without any reserve to us or to our heirs, all the aforesaid to be had and held, with all their appurtenances, by the said nuns and their successors from us and our heirs, with all their liberties and free customs of the above mentioned church, as aforesaid, in free, pure and perpetual alms, to be possessed in perpetuity. And we and our heirs are held to warrant, defend and acquit this our gift to the said nuns and to their successors against all men, Jews and Christians; that is to say from all classes of courts, from royal service, and from other secular demands all and singular, with on any occasion might have been required from the said nuns by reason of our aforesaid gift, due to the customary ward of the Castle of Wyndelsore being excepted. In testimony of which we have given force to our present charter with the seal of our royal majesty. Witnesses: Henry, The illustrious King of England, our brother; the Lord Edward, firstborn of the said king; our nephew; the lords W. Bath, Chancellor of England; R. Lincoln and R. Coventry and Lichfield, Bishops; Henry and Edmund, our sons; Philip Basset, William de Huntercombe, William de Wyndelsore, Richard de Oxeye, Philip de Covele, and others. Given at Cippenham, the eighteenth day of April, ninth induction, in the year of the Lord, one thousand, two hundred and sixty six, in the ninth year of our reign.
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