Egerton MS 2104 A

CHARTULARY of the Benedictine abbey of nuns of St. Cross at Wherwell, co. Hants, compiled in the xivth century, and containing, copies of 463 Charters, records of suits, and other documents, in Latin and French, from the confirmation by Henry III. of the charter of foundation to 38 Edw. III. [1364]. Under number LVIII. f. 43, is a short account of the foundation of the house by Elftrud, wife of King Edgar, who died in 1002; followed by records of benefits to the abbey by abbesses and others, chiefly in 1254- 1261. There is a further addition of 32 charters at f. 200, with the title, "Incipiunt quedam munimentorum copie deeimas ad sacristam Wherewellensem spectantes tangentium;" and a few later documents, chiefly of the reigns of Ric. II.-Hen. V., are entered at the end. Among the latter are:-

1. Extracts of payments made by the convent to the Exchequer for custody of temporalities during vacancies of the abbacy; tempp. Edw. III.-Hen. V., ff. 215, 216 b, 223.

2. "De terris in Wherwell que coluntur per ballivos in Berton, id est quando sunt in manu domine, que debent descimari et que non," f. 218 b.

3. Letter of John Wellys of Hyde to the Receiver of Wherwell, touching a case of sanctuary. Eng. f. 220.

4. "Terre descimales sectundum relacionem Johannis Kyppyng et lt. Strange, virorum antiquorum qui per Lx annos et ultra fuerunt ballivi in Berton certis temporibus." Eng. f. 220 b. Tables of contents are at the beginning of the volume. Vellum; xivth cent. In wooden covers. Octavo. From the Farnborough Fund.