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Six early Charters of Rozoy, in Latin, on vellum
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Description
6 documents on vellum (a) fine early charter recording the sale to the Rozoy of lands adjacent to the abbey by Gaufridus and Willelmus ‘de monte cardonis’, with the approval of their brother Hisenbard (then in prison, ‘tunc temporis in carcare’) and others, the charter being drafted by Magister Ricardus and written out by Willelmus clericus, 26 lines in a bold romanesque hand with some flourished capitals, dated 28 April 1112 (‘lodovico rege francorum regnante iiio imperii sui anno, daimberto vero archiepiscopo senonensis ecclesie cathedram presidente’ [Louis VI, le Gros, became king 1108 and Daimbert became bishop of Sens in 1098 and died in November 1122]), with endorsements, slight staining, creased and a few small holes, 320mm. by 295mm.; (b) a charter of Walter son of Mainard who makes a large land grant to Rozoy with the approval of his wife Ersenda and others, dated while Louis was king of the French [this could be Louis VI (1108-37) or his son Louis VII (1137-80) and Henry [Sanglier] was archbishop of Sens [i.e. between 1122 and 1142], 37 lines in a fine romanesque bookhand, defective on right-hand edge affecting text, creased, partly laid down, 482mm. by 225mm.; (c) a charter of Garinus, knight (‘quidam miles’) granting to Rozoy his lands in ‘allodio’ (probably Laleu) with the approval of his wife Bischaga, his mother Oldeburga and his sister Ermengard, dated while Louis the younger [i.e. Louis VII] was king and while Hugh [de Toucy] held the see of Sens [1142-68], 11 lines in a very fine bookhand, flourished initial, slightly defective on right-hand edge, contemporary endorsement, 107mm. by 220mm.; (d) a charter of Guido [de Noyers], archbishop of Sens [1176-93], confirming the gift of land in Maraisvilla made by Arnulf of St.Loup with the consent of his wife Isabet and his son Henry and others, dated at Sens in 1177, in the presence of Matthew, bishop of Troyes [1169-80] and others, and drafted by Magister Peter the Notary, 10 lines, creased and with slight stains, slightly defective on right-hand edge, 285mm. b y 205mm.; (e) cyrograph of Ada, abbess of Rozoy [1144 until at least 1164, perhaps still in 1184], recording an exchange of land with Josbertus de Buniaco, 17 lines, fine script, good condition, bisected word ‘ciroga’ on left-hand edge, 289mm. by 127mm.; (f) cyrograph of the abbes of Rosoy recording a divison of the land of Adam in Remainville, part going to Rosoy and part to Petrus Putarius, dated at Temainville, 1 March 1186, 13 lines, creased and first two lines defective, small holes, laid down, bisected work ‘cirographum’ on left-hand edge, 205mm. by 261mm.; all on vellum
Provenance
A fine group of twelfth-century charters from the nunnery of St.Marie-de-Rozoy, near Sens, at least one from within the life of the foundress, St.Elizabeth-Rose (d.1130). The nunnery was founded in c.1106 by St.Elizabeth, a nun of the royal abbey of Chelles, who was reputed to have spent a number of years living as a hermit in a crack in an oak tree at the site of the nunnery before the foundation. The nunnery was partly destroyed by the English in the Hundred Years’ War, and was transferred to nearby Ervauville, then to Villechasson and finally to Moret in 1755. It was suppressed in 1781. Elizabeth’s oak tree, and a nearby spring, however, continued to be an object of pilgrimage even after the suppression.