Description
11 documents, including (a) grant by Peter de Bozeat, son of Nicholas de Aula, to Simon the cleric (clericus), who married Agnes, Peter's sister, of three and a half acres of land in Northamptonshire for an annual rent of a pound of wax, witnessed by scribe 'Turgisio capellano qui hanc cartam scripsit' ('Turgis the chaplain who wrote this document') 205mm. by 116mm., 16 lines of dark brown ink in an early thirteenth-century hand, vellum tag in place but seal missing, small damage to base, else in fine and presentable condition, England (Northants.), c. 1210; (b) Quitclaim by Simon son of John Speneloue to Simon son of Adam of rights to land in Shustoke, Warwickshire, 210mm. by 82mm., 10 lines of light brown ink (somewhat faded), tag and seal attached (seal broken, with pieces in bag), England (Warwicks.), after 1290; (c) Confirmation of a grant by Magister Peter de leke, confirming transfer of a messuage in St Sepulchre Street, Northampton ('vico Sancti sepulchre Norhamtonensis') from William of York and his wife Letitia to Isolde de Monte Camso and his family, witnessed by Peter de Leycestre mayor of Northampton among others, 270mm. by 155mm., 12 lines of dark brown ink in a good secretarial hand, some folding, seal and tag missing, but in good presentable condition, England (Northampton), 1302-3; (d) Grant by Richard de Mere to his brother Ralph and wife Emma, of a messuage and 20 acres in Norton in the Moors, Staffordshire, 214mm. by 99mm., 14 lines of dark brown ink in a secretarial hand, tag and seal present, some folds and small hole in centre, England (Staffs.), 21 July 1315; (e) Quitclaim by Thomas le Swon to Robert Holpitt of rights in Poulshot, Wiltshire, 201mm. by 59mm., 8 lines of brown ink, folded and a little rubbed but good condition, England (Wilts.), 11 March 1327; (f) Release from bonds and debts from Sir Roger de Somerville, lord of Burton Agnes, Yorkshire, to Roger de Bayntton, 253mm. by 79mm., 7 lines of dark brown ink, tag present but seal missing, 35mm. tear in base, else good, England (Yorks.), 28 July 1334; (g) Chirograph agreement about obligations between Thomas Broke of Devon and Bartholomew de Frestlyngge, citizen and roper of London, 253mm. by 84mm., 9 lines of brown ink, stained and a little faded, laid down on card, England (London), 18 February 1348/58; (h) Grant by John Castwyle of Tenterden to Thomas Tur junior of land near Rucking, Kent, 239mm. by 105mm., 13 lines of brown ink, damage to base, England (Kent), 11 November 1375; (i) Letter from Sir Alan de Heton (MP for Northumberland 1371, deputy constable of Bamburgh Castle 1372) and wife Marjorie granting power of attorney to John Scrywan to deliver seisen to William de Heland, rector of Alnwick, in French, 260mm. by 92mm., 8 lines of black ink now faded and rubbed, large seal in good state of preservation, England (Northumberland), 24 July 1384; (j) Diploma of King Charles V of France to the keeper of the royal salt store at Vernon on the River Seine, concerning the sale of contraband salt (sel non gabelle) and referring to 'plusieurs fauz marchans et aultres personnes' engaged in the transport of illegal salt, witnessed 'par le roy, Bonsolas' (note BL Addit. Ch. 4328 a grant to this secretary, Hugues Bonsolas), in French, 288mm. by 168mm., 25 lines of brown ink in secretarial hand, some wear with small holes to right-hand side, Paris, 30 November 1376; (k) a roll of tax-records for Tuesday 4 January 1352, signed by the scribe: "for 20 ducats of good gold justly weighed, which I, Francesco, the notary, son of the late Bonaventura, extracted in tax from the citizens of 'Am[...]' for the magnificent Lord Mastino de La scala" (ie. Mastino II della Scala, a member of the Scalinger family and lord of Verona, d. 1351), 410mm. by 142mm., some minor rodent-damage to edges, else in good condition
Catalogue Note
This is an impressive collection of medieval documents, including a French royal letter (item j) an administrative document compiled on behalf of Lord Mastino II della Scala of Verona (item k), and 9 other documents of English origin, some of which are of particular interest. Item a is a local grant, signed by the scribe, 'Turgis', and concerning land which a few decades before this was written was held by Hugh de Moreville (one of the murderers of Thomas Becket). In addition the record that Simon the cleric married Agnes, the sister of the grantor, is evidence for the presence of married clergy (a perennial problem for the medieval Church) in the county in the early thirteenth century. Item c is from much the same region, and adds much to our knowledge of medieval Northampton, following the great fire in the town in 1675 which destroyed many of the town records. The parish of St. Sepulchre Street, Northampton (vico Sancti sepulchre Norhamtonensis) was abolished in 1909, but the church after which it was named, the Holy Sepulchre Church, still stands (reportedly erected by the Knights Templars after the model of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem, and one of the few remaining round churches in England). Peter de Leycestre is not recorded anywhere else in the incomplete records of the mayors of the town (I.C. Cox, Records of The Borough of Northampton, 1988, II:549), and this may be the unique record of his holding that office. The subject of item g, Bartholomew de Frestlyngge, is recorded as an important member of the London fraternity of ropers, which joined the Pepperers in the mid-fourteenth century and became the Grocers' Company, holding office as this company's warden from 1356. He was a long standing alderman of the city of London, 1352-77, Sheriff in 1357-8, and M.P. for London on a number of occasions from 1360-71.
