| Description (Repository) |
[from roger bishop of worcester, 1164-1179]
64. Southwark Priory
23 Aug. 1164 x 9 Aug. 1179. Grant to the church of St Mary, Southwark, of land which Gerard the tanner holds in the soke of Worcester, paying eight pence annually at Mid-Lent.
A =BL Harley charter 43. I. 35. Endorsed: Karta concessionis
Rogeri Wigon' (sic) episcopi (s.xii ex). Approx. 196 x 82 + 23 mm. Sealed double queue; seal and tag lost, but see below.
Pd Sir Christopher Hatton's Book of Seals, ed. Lewis C. Loyd and
Doris M. Stenton (Oxford 1950), pp. 84-5 no. 123, with particulars of the seal from the drawing in Sir Christopher's book, now Finch Hatton MS 170 fo. 30v, deposited in Northants Record Office.
Noven t universitas fidelium quod ego Rog' gratia dei Wigorniensis episcopus concedo conventui ecclesie sancte Marie de Sutwerch' illam terram quam Gerardus tanarius tenet in soca
Wigorniensi reddendo inde singulis annis octodecim denarios finabiliter in media qudragesima (sic). quam soror eorum Cristina contulit secum in predictam ecclesiam . Teste magistro Barthol' Exoniensi episcopi et Galfr' Blundo bailivo suo eiusdem socche . magistro Petro Picot . magistro Petro de Mandavill' . Petro filio Ric' . Walt' filio Driu . Henr' de Tantona . Nichol' eius connato (sic).
This odd, untidy and amateurish document carried a genuine seal and may record a genuine grant; it was not composed or written by any of Bishop Roger's, or Bartholomew's, clerks. See p. 230 above. The suggested site of the bishop of Worcester's soke in London is shown on the map in William Page, London: its origins and early development (London 1923), p. 133.
[[[[Hatton BK]]
123
Charter of Roger, bishop of Worcester, granting to Southwark priory the land which Gerard the tanner holds in the soke of Worcester. (1164-79)
ORIGINAL: Harl. Chart. 43 I 35. BS FACSIMILE, first 10 words.
Nouerit uniuersitas fidelium quod. ego Rogerus gracia dei Wigorniensis episcopus concedo conuentui ecclesie sancte Marie de Sutwerch' illam terram quam Gerardus tanarius tenet in socca Wigorniensi reddendo inde singulis annis octodecim denarios finabiliter in media quadragesirna quam soror eorum Cristina contulit secum in predictam ecclesiam. Teste magistro Ba' rtolomeo Exoniensi episcopo et Galfrido Blundo bailiuo suo eiusdem socche . magistro Petro Picot2 . magistro Petro de Mandauill' . Petro filio Ricardi . Waltero filio Driu . Henrico de Tantona . Nicolao eius3 cognato.
Endorsed: Karta concessionis . Rogeri Wigorniensis episcopi. (12th century.)
SEAL on tag:4 pointed oval, 3 x 1 in.; brown. The bishop standing in mass vestments, blessing, crozier in left hand; [RJOGEORVS . DE1 : 6R7 CI7 Wi6ORIII[EftISI1S . El—P0 (sic for E{PC).
COUNTERSEAL : oval, 141- x in. A gem, a seated figure on right and standing figure on left; [SEICE14119VIA 13.066fRX.
The only indication of date is the episcopate of the grantor, who was consecrated on 23 Aug. 1164 and died 9 Aug. 1179. The bishop of Worcester had a soke in London, which was apparently formed out of the eastern portion of Edredshythe or Queenhithe and given to the see by King Alfred (W. Page, London, 131-2).
St. Mary's Southwark being a house of Augustinian canons, the position of Cristina is somewhat perplexing. We are indebted to Professor Hamilton Thompson for the following observations:
Soror eorum cannot refer to anybody but the prior and convent, and conferre secum implies, I should say, a good deal more than confraternity. The only thing I can suggest is that Cristina gave herself and her property to the canons, probably at the foundation of the priory, and remained part of the establishment, perhaps enclosed as an "ankress", or as a sister in a hospital attached to it. There is an old tradition that the priory succeeded a community of women on the site, and this may point to some foundation in fact for the legend. In any case, attempts at combining communities of canons and nuns on the system which had some success in Gilbertine houses were not infrequent in the early part of the 12th century, as in the early Arroasian and Premonstratensian monasteries and in isolated instances, such as the double house at Marton-in-Galtres, of which the female portion migrated to Moxby. It is certainly not unlikely that, if a double house was not actually attempted at Southwark, Cristina and her household were allowed to reside for life in the monastery precincts and engage in pious duties.'
See CP, ut sup. 479, n. b. meo BS.
Picott BS. Cf. BM 2275, obv. only. Now missing from original. |