ing the Westminster M.S. When one bears in mind the extraordinary Latin which appears in these old Charters, such as (e.g.) warantizabimus,” for “ we will warrant,"- -or "in Parco meo as the equivalent for " in my Park,"-it is easy to imagine a notary of the period resigning himself to "et presentum, &c." as a not unsuitable expression for "and a present, &c." These " 40 eels, that is to say (videlicet), fat eels" were no doubt kept in a fish stew as dainty bits for red-letter days-Foundation Day and the rest-in the Hurley Monastery. The definition of "presentum," as given by Ducange, is præstationis species quæ muneris nomine." (Ducange's definition of "stiche," be it noted, is "certus numerus anguillarum Anglis estike," and he quotes the Hurley Charter; but he is wrong in giving this as an illustration, I am convinced). In the Cottonian Library is a Charter purporting to be by William the Conqueror himself, which confirms the charter of the elder Geoffrey to Hurley. This William the Conqueror Charter has "et presentem " in the eely passage, which is, of course, shocking nonsense.

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A few words on the Church fabric and Monastery. The Monastic Square, now known as "Paradise," still exists on the north side of the Church; and, so far as the chief portion of its northern side is concerned, the old buildings are still in situ with traces of fresco in them. These constitute the Refectory, which, though turned into stables in later times, is substantially intact. Along the north wall of the Church the ends of sawn-off beams, flush with the old Saxon wall, which used to form the rafters of the roof of the corridor along which the Prior walked into S. Mary's through the grand old north door still existing (though now blocked up), carry us back to the days of old. Fragments of Norman work in chalk are still dug up from time to time around the Church : and a really beautiful chalk Norman capital (with the dint of an old flint axe cut in it) is in the Vicarage hall, discovered probably when the Church was undergoing restoration in 1852. The extreme west end is of considerably later date than the Saxon portion of the Church; and it is interesting to notice in the fine old western doorway how the axe is superseded by the chisel in the execution of the archessome part of the work being done with one and some with the other. This doorway and the still more beautiful west window are carved out of fine Caen freestone. The southern door, in chalk is a beautiful piece of later Norman work, of the twelfth century. The rough north wall of indigenous chalk and flint has been, happily, left untouched by the restorer. Its rude masonry, with four

rounded Saxon windows let in at a considerable height from the ground, is clearly Saxon throughout the greater part of its length. The Western end is probably of a later (Norman) period. "We strenuously maintain," says a writer* in 1838, "that this part, at least, is older than that era (the Norman), and, though rude, as genuine a specimen of Saxon building as any existing Church hitherto so denominated,"-such, for example, as at Worth, Sussex, or at Bradford-on-Avon. The lead-covered cross now surmounting the bell turret is said to date from the time of Edward the Confessor, and probably stood originally in the centre of a burial yard. Appended is a translation of the original Westminster M.S. :

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The Dedication and Endowment of S. Mary's Church and Foundation of the Benedictine Monastery at Hurley, Berks, in the Reign of William the Conqueror (A.D. 1066—1087).

A TRANSLATION OF THE ORIGINAL CHARTER IN THE CUSTODY OF THE DEAN AND CHAPTER OF WESTMINSTER.

ET the Faithful and Sons of the Catholic Holy Mother Church, now and hereafter, know-That I, Geoffrey of Mandeville, have granted, and of my bounty have given, to God and to S. Peter and to the Church of Westminster, as also to S. Mary of Hurley for the salvation and redemption of my own soul, and for that of my wife Leceline, at whose counsel by the Providence of Divine Grace I began this good work; and for the soul of Athalais my first wife and the mother, now deceased, of my children; as also for that of all my heirs and successors-

The said Church of S. Mary of Hurley in Berkshire, together with the whole of the aforesaid vill of Hurley, and with all the surrounding wood appertaining to the said vill, without any share or portion being taken by any man, whether a resident in the said Parish or holding any property therein, except the land of Ædric the bailiff, and except the lands of the ceorls at Little Waltham, which I have kept in my own hands for providing me with entertainment [when there].

* See Gentleman's Magazine, March, 1838, p. 262.

I have granted this, I say, and have given it in perpetuity to the said Church of Hurley together with all my demesne, free and without hindrance, whether in fields, or woods, meads, meadows, pastures, mills, waters, fisheries, fishing-rights, and with all their appurtenances,--that is to say-the Church of Waltham together with a hide and a half of land which belongs to it, and the soke of the chapel of Remenham.† And [I have granted it] together with all other things with tythes and property in live and dead stock without partition or division, together with all customs and liberties of old belonging thereto, as free and as clear of disturbance or exaction from all men as when my Lord the King gave and granted the same to me.

I have also, together with the above-named, given to the aforesaid Church, on the day on which I caused it to be Dedicated by Osmund, Bishop of Salisbury, in the presence of many other men and persons of great authority, the land of Edward of Watcombe‡ as Endowment free and without hindrance, with all belonging to the

same.

On that day, moreover, the aforesaid venerable Bishop, of his Pontificial authority, with the assistance of the persons of high influence and dignity who were with him, confirmed all my grants which I made of my free will to the said holy place for the eternal salvation of my own soul and for that of all my heirs,—that is to say, in all the manors which at that time were in my demesne, the third part of the tythe of all my corn and two-thirds of the tythe of all the stock both live and dead in all my manors, without partition; and the whole of the tythe of my pannages, in hogs and payments, without partition; and the whole tythe of cheese, without partition; and the whole tythe of flax and wool, without partition; and the whole tythe of fowls, horses, and calves; and of orchards and vineyards without partition; and the whole tythe of all my other goods from whatsoever the tythe ought rightly and justly to be given to God.

In addition forsooth [to the above] I have, in every manor of all my demesne, given to my aforesaid Church of Hurley one ceorl who shall hold eight acres of land, free and clear from all custom, and in my Park one hog-run with land for the swine-herd.

† Remenham is in Berkshire, next parish but one west of Hurley. A farm called Watcombe still exists at Fawley, Berks.

To these moreover I have further added one fishery in the Isle§ of Ely which supplies a thousand and a half of dried eels, and a present of forty eels, that is to say fat eels. And in the vill which is called Mose | I have granted, besides the above, three thousand dried herrings.

Also Thorald, my steward, has granted to the said Church and has confirmed the same, placing his right hand upon the Altar, together with the offering of his son Ralph, two-thirds of the tythe of all his corn in Ockendon,¶ and the whole tythe of all his live and dead stock, without partition; and in Bordesden* the whole tythe of all his corn and of all his stock, without partition.

Ædric, my bailiff, has given the whole tythe of his corn and of all his live and dead stock in the same place, without partition.

Now I, for the completion of this my so great bounty and for the sole support of the Convent of monks continually serving God in the said Church, have under the influence of Divine Grace besought my Lord King William that, in order to preserve the everlasting integrity and endurance of the place, all these things might be confirmed, to the honour of God and for the salvation of my own soul and of that of all my heirs and successors; and that that place—a place which was also distinguished by the guardianship of royaltyshould always be held by me as the chief one having a call upon my protection and defence, and as my highest honour, and be free and clear from disquietude at the hands of all men.

And so, on the same day on which the Church was Dedicated, by the said Bishop and by Gilbert, Abbot of Westminster, together with many other men and persons of high authority, I caused that all who should violate or reduce these my alms should be excommunicated, that their habitation should ever be with the accursed Judas, the betrayer of our Lord, and that they should go down alive into the pit of eternal damnation together with Dathan and Korah, under the

§ Chippenham, in Cambridgeshire, although not in the Isle of Ely, is very near it. It belonged to Geoffrey de M. and had a fishery assessed at 1,500 eels! In Doomsday the Inquisitors say of this fishery "De piscariâ 1500 anguillarum in totis valentiis valet £20: quando recepit £16: tempore R.E. £12."

|| Mose; a hamlet in Beaumont Parish in Essex; 10 miles south-east of Colchester. Mose was formerly a separate and distinct parish, but was consolidated with Beaumont in 1678. Doomsday says that the King gave the Manor of Mose to Geoffrey de M. “quando remansit Londoniæ.”

¶ Doomsday gives Ockendon (in Essex) as held by Geoffrey de M., and "Turoldus de eo."

* Bordesden Manor is in Essex.

eternal malediction [of God] unless they shall have repented and made due satisfaction.

Wherefore I call to witness, by the terrible judgment of God and by His Almighty power in heaven and earth, all my sons, that is to say my heirs and all my successors, that they themselves do not, nor suffer to be done, any violation of this my gift; moreover that they increase and stablish the same, so that God may increase and stablish their days, and their life in everlasting happiness; and that they may on account of these my alms take part with me in the heavenly Rest.

Witnesses

The said Bishop Osmund-Gilbert, Abbot of Westminster-The lady Leceline my wife-William of Mandeville-Richard of Mandeville-Hugh Marshall-Thorald of Ockendon, the steward-Geoffrey of Ockendon-Walter Marshall-Ascelin, the chaplain-Agamund, the parson of Ockendon-Godwin of Turrock, the chaplain-Ralph of Hairun-Arnulf of Grenford-Robert, his nephew-Engeram, the cup-bearer-Richer, knight—Roger Blond-Wymund of Blangey— Ædric, the bailiff-Ælfric, the builder-together with many other men and persons of authority and dignity, who were present at Hurley on that day but whose names it is not necessary to record.

After counsel, then, taken with honest men, three brief Charters recording this my Gift and Foundation have been made; one I have deposited at Westminster, another at the Church at Hurley, and a third for myself and my heirs who will succeed me; [and this I have done] in order to secure the everlasting integrity and permanence of the place.

L.S. Geoffrey de Mandiville.

In A.D. 1258 Godfrey, Prior of Hurley, in order to avoid a quarrel with Absolom, Abbot of Walden, surrendered a large portion of the Tythes belonging to Hurley Monastery ("tam majores quam minores") in exchange for the Church and Patronage of Streatley (Harleian M.S. No. 369, Walden Series of Hurley Charters). And, in the Patent Roll of 36 Henry VIII. (Part 12, Memb. 30), we find Henry VIII. making over to Leonard Chamberlayne all his Rectories and Churches "de Hurley Waltham et Stretley cum eorum juribus et pertinenciis universis in dicto Comitatu nostro Berk dicto nuper Prioratui de Hurley" &c.