Title:
Copies of charters etc.
Level: Category
Estate and Family records
Level: Fonds
MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS MAINLY RELATING TO NORTH-EAST ESSEX
Level: Sub-Fonds
MISCELLANEOUS
Level: Series
Charters, enrolments of charters and other MSS. formerly mounted in an album
Scope and Content:
Comprises full copies of

(i) Grant by King Edward [the Confessor] to the Abbey of St. Ouen at Rouen of an estate at Mersea [Manor of West Mersea], 1046.
This is probably the text transcribed, except for list of witnesses, in Philip Morant, History and Antiquities of the County of Essex (London 1768), volume 1, p. 426. For a copy of Morant's transcript and a discussion of it and of a 15th-century copy in the archives of the Seine Maritime (formerly Inferieure), listed 14 H 145 in the published catalogue, see Cyril Hart, The Early Charters of Essex, The Norman Period (Leicester University Press, Department of English Local History Occasional Paper 11, 1957), pp. 23-25, 43. The text on the roll is mutilated by a number of holes and much of the description of bounds is illegible except with the aid of ultra-violet light, either through this cause or through the action of damp.

(ii) Charter of Henry I granting to the Abbey of St. Ouen free warren in the Manor of Fingringhoe, n.d.
Partly illegible through action of damp, except with aid of ultra-violet light. Transcribed in Philip Morant, History and Antiquities of the County of Essex (London 1768), volume 1, p. 415.

(iii) Confirmation of (ii) by Henry II, n.d.
Cited in Philip Morant, History and Antiquities of the County of Essex (London 1768), volume 1, p. 415.

(iv) Charter of Richard I to the burgesses of Colchester granting privileges, 6 December 1189.
For an abstract see Philip Morant, History of Colchester, p. 82. The original is lost, but there is another copy entered in the late 13th-century cartulary of St. John's Abbey, Colchester, for a microfilm of which see Essex Record Office T/A 369/1. The cartulary is printed in full in Stuart A. Moore (ed.), Cartularium Monasterii Sancti Johannis Baptiste de Colecestria (2 volumes, Roxburghe Club, London 1897), of which there is a copy in the Essex Record Office library. The editor omitted to print the charter of Richard I, since it is recited in full in the charter of Henry V, 1413 (pp. 672-675).

(v) Extract from pleas of the Crown before the Justices Itinerant at Chelmsford, 30 September 1285.
The Abbot of St. John, Colchester, claims with support of the coroners for the body of the county that the coroners of the Borough of Colchester have no jurisdiction in the Hundred of Lexden which William Gernon holds at farm of the king and specifically in Greenstead, West Donyland and Great Horkesley. The plea arose out of the killing of John son of William Brounyng by Elias son of Henry Huberd' in Great Horkesley.

(vi) Extract from pleas of the Crown held at Colchester, n.d. [contemporary with Edward I].
Records successful reply by Abbot of St. John, Colchester, to presentment of jury that he appropriated to himself free-warren and chase in Greenstead and West Donyland and raised gallows and tumbrels in the same vills and claimed to have the fines of the assize of bread and ale there, but by what warrant was unknown. The Abbot produced charters of Henry I to show that he had warren and chase in 'Donylandys' and of Henry III to show that he had free-warren in Greenstead and East Donyland; the latter charter was also offered as evidence of his right to gallows and the view of frankpledge, which was also witnessed by the knights elected for that purpose.

(vii) Extract from pleas of the Forest, 1291/2.
Gives judgement that the vills of Mile End, Lexden, West Donyland and Stanway should come to the inquests of hunting before the Justices Itinerant of the Forest and before the Steward and the Verderers as necessary, within and without the banlieu of Colchester and also at the common summons of the eyre in the county. The burgesses of Colchester had withdrawn the suit of these vills, claiming they were 'of the substance of the borough', for which they were amerced 100s., Mile End 6s.8d., and the other vills 13s.4d. each.

(viii) Extract from pleas of the Forest, n.d. [contemporary with Edward II].
Records claim of Abbot of St. Ouen at Rouen supported by charters to free-warren in all his lands in Fingringhoe, to be quit of all pleas and suits of assarts, and to all the Manor of Fingringhoe. Cited by Philip Morant, History and Antiquities of the County of Essex (London 1768), volume 1, p. 415n.

(ix) Extract from (?) Pleas of the Crown, n.d. [contemporary with Edward II].
Gives verdict of the knights elected for the purpose and the jurors together with the jurors of the Hundreds of Lexden and Tendring that fishweirs [gives names of tenants] in the common river between 'Northpunt & Westnasse' which is an arm of the sea are not a nuisance to those crossing in boats with wines and other victuals and merchandise, as was presented.
Dates of Creation:
c.1325
Extent:
1 roll
Custodial History:
The roll is annotated probably by Thomas Astle (1735-1803), son-in-law of Philip Morant and Keeper of the Records in the Tower of London.