Add MS 43972

CHARTULARY AND RENTAL OF THE AUGUSTINIAN HOSPITAL, AFTER- WARDS PRIORY, OF ST MARY, LITTLE WYMONDLEY, co. Hertf., founded between 1203 and 1207 by Richard de Argentein; mid 13th cent., with additions down to the 15th cent. Latin. The places concerned are Little and Great Wymondley, Chisfield manor, etc., in Graveley, Stevenage, Temple

Dinsley in Preston, Letchworth, Minsden in Langley, Hitchen, Ickleford, Shephall, and Cottered, co. Hertf.; Steeple Morden, Abington, and Litlington, co. Camb.; Stotfold and Arlesey, co. Bedf. Additions to the original compilation, for which see further below, concern also Hertford, and Weston, co. Hertf., and Beeston, co. Bedf. See also Brit. Mus. Quart., x, 1935-1936, pp. 95-98; Friends of the National Libraries, Annual Report 1935-1936, pp. 17- 19, and pl. III; G. R. C. Davis, Medieval Cartularies of Great Britain, 1958, no. 1083. Arranged as follows:-

(1) 'Firme siue redditus annuales qui debentur Priori et Canonicis de Wylemund': a rental of the priory's lands arranged under the following heads, with subdivision by places:-(a) 'Firme siue Redditus pertinentes ad Cameram Prioris'. ff. 2-7 b;-(b) 'Quid pertineat ad incrementum liminarii in ecclesia'. f. 8;-(c) 'Quid pertineat ad vesturam Canonicorum'. f. 8 b;-

(d) 'Redditus assignat. pauperibus in hospitelli (sic) nostro ad vestitum suum.' f. 9-(e) Summary. ff. 9b- 11b. At f. 1b there is a contemporary table for the calculation of land measurements. Additions in blank spacespassim include:-

(a) Autograph memoranda by Elias de Wheathampstead, prior, of grants by the priory of:-(i) land in Beeston, 1332. f. 3;-(ii) a rent to its infirmary, 1323. f. 8b;-(b) A copy of a letter of John de Bibury, abbot of Osney, as a commissioner for the collection of the tithes imposed by Pope Clement V for the relief of the Holy Land, exempting the priory from their payment, on grounds ofpoverty; 9 Nov.1309. f.4b;-(c) Arental for Weston, co. Hertf., 15thcent. f. 7. ff. 1-11b.

(2) 'Munimenta transcripta Canonicorum de Wilemundesl ... de redditibus et terris quas habent in dominico', etc.: the first part of the chartulary, relating to demesne lands, arranged topographically, and including copies of:-(a) Confirmation to the hospital of Pope Innocent III, 13 May 1207. f. 12;-(b) Charter to the hospital, chapel, and brothers by Hugh de Wells, Bishop of Lincoln, 27 June 1214, followed by a confirmation of the same by Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury, 6 Apr. 1215. ff. 12-13;-(c) Eleven charters of Sir Ric. de Argentein, the founder, including (ff. 13, 13b) his second grant of the advowson of the hospital's chapel to the Chapter of Lincoln (cf. C. W. Foster, Registrum Antiquissimum of the Cathedral Church of Lincoln, iii, 1935, no. 793), preceded (f. 13) by the Bishop's confirmation of the same, dated 16 Aug. 1234. ff. 13-16b;-(d) Grant by Henry III to the hospital, prior, and canons, of land in Dinsley, 25 June 1232. Cf. Cal. Charter Rolls, i, p. 159. Another copy of this charter has been added at f. 65 (cf. art.

3 (a) below). f. 17. Additions to the original compilation, made in blank spaces passim and on inserted leaves (ff. 22, 50-52) include a copy of a confirmation by Pope Gregory [X] to the prior and convent of the monastery, 13 Mar. [1272], f. 52. ff. 12-52.

(3) 'Munimenta transcripta Canonicorum de Wilemund. de Redditibus et terris quas non habent in dominico, quas quidem terras quidam tenent de illis per homagium et servicia': the second part of the chartulary, relating to lands not held in demesne, also arranged topographically, and including copies

of some grants by the priors passim. Additions in blank spaces passim and on inserted leaves (ff. 65-68) include copies of:-(a) Royal grants (1) by King John to Will. Pollard of land in Dinsley, n.d., and (ii) of the same land by Henry III to the Priory, 25 June 1232 (repeated at f. 17, cf. art. 2 (d) above). f. 65;-(b) A rental of the Priory's lands in the town of Hertford [1371-1398]. ff. 74b- 75;-(c) Mandate of Pope Clement V suspending Robert de Winchelsea, Archbishop of Canterbury, from his spiritual and temporal functions; 12 Feb. 1306. Printed from the Annals of London (Cotton MS. Otho B. III, as transcribed in Add. MS. 5444) by W. Stubbs, Chronicles of the Reign of Edward I and II, vol. i, Rolls ser., 1882, p. 145. f. 76b;-(d) Writs of summons to Reg. de Argentein for the performance of military service in Wales, 6 Apr. 1282- 28 June 1283. ff. 77-77b. ff. 53-78. Vellum; ff. iii + 78. 23 5 mm. x 180 mm. Mid XIII cent. with additions. Gatherings irregular: those of artt. 2 and 3 have a contemporary numeration, i-v, in red, at the foot of the first leaf. Leaves of the original compilation are wanting after ff. 21, 28 and 47, with some loss of material; ff. 22, 50-52, and 65-68 are later insertions. Superseded post-medieval foliations show that at some time ff. 50-64 were misbound after f. 22. Marginal titles, page-headings, etc., in red. Belonged to Thomas Lloyd (Sotheby's sale-cat., 10 May 1828, lot 204) and to Sir Thomas Phillipps, Bart. (MS. 3627; Sotheby's sale-cat., 25 June 1935, lot 492). Some extracts by the latter (watermark, 1826), with notes on the pedigree of the Golafre family, are inserted in the volume as ff. ii, iii. Presented by the Friends of the National Libraries.