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The account of Gilbert entering the monastic life and bishop Gundulf’s subsequent dealings with his relatives over land, Textus Roffensis, ff. 213v–214v Translated from Latin and edited Dr Chris Monk
Abstract: ‘Afterwards, indeed, it soon happened that Gilbert himself exchanged the secular condition and mode of life for the monastic condition and mode of life at Rochester. During this time the manor of Aston, which is situated in the county of Gloucester…’
To cite this report: Monk, C. (2018) The account of Gilbert entering the monastic life, Textus Roffensis, ff. 213v-214v; Translated from Latin and edited. Rochester: Rochester Cathedral Research Guild.
To link to this article: https://rochestercathedralresearchguild.org/bibliography/2018-10 Published online: 13th March 2018
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Produced by permission of Dr Chris Monk. All rights reserved to the author. Any views and opinions expressed in this work are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of either the Research Guild or the Dean and Chapter.
Textus Roffensis, ff. 213v-214v Dr Chris Monk
Published online by the Rochester Cathedral Research Guild Page 2 of 8
Textus Roffensis, Rochester, Cathedral Library, MS A. 3. 5, f. 213v
Textus Roffensis, ff. 213v-214v Dr Chris Monk
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Textus Roffensis, Rochester, Cathedral Library, MS A. 3. 5, f. 214r
Textus Roffensis, ff. 213v-214v Dr Chris Monk
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Textus Roffensis, Rochester, Cathedral Library, MS A. 3. 5, f. 214v
Textus Roffensis, ff. 213v-214v Dr Chris Monk
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The account of Gilbert entering the monastic life and bishop
Gundulf’s subsequent dealings with his relatives over land, Textus
Roffensis, ff. 213v–214v1
Translated from Latin and edited by Dr Christopher Monk © 2018
Date: c.1091–c.11002
CONCERNING ASTON3
Afterwards, indeed, it soon happened that Gilbert himself exchanged the secular condition and
mode of life for the monastic condition and mode of life at Rochester. During this time the manor
of Aston, which is situated in the county of Gloucester, remained in the hands of the
aforementioned Ralf, Gilbert’s son, and Gilbert’s relative Osmund, both of whom were so greatly
burdened by payments to the king that they should scarcely have been able to endure such any
longer.4 Moreover, at this time, the heaviest and harshest customs of the king were [levied]
throughout the entire kingdom of England.5 Consequently, on both coming together before the
lord bishop Gundulf,6 they asked, on account of God and his honour, to what extent he was
seeking this very manor from the king, and if it were possible to obtain from him at some future
stage this manor they were holding.7 Upon hearing this the bishop, as soon as he could, went
promptly to the king. Therefore, having made use of the assistance of friends near the king, he
finally obtained that for which he had petitioned. And so the bishop gave to King William,8 son
of great King William,9 fifteen pounds of silver and one mule, which was rightly valued at one
hundred shillings.
By such means bishop Gundulf obtained Aston, the aforementioned manor. And immediately
after that happened, Ralf and Osmund came to the men of the bishop and immediately took
possession of this very manor from the bishop.10 Nevertheless, not long after, both sought out the
bishop a second time, asking him if, on account of God, he would exchange with them those four
hides of land of Aston for two hides of land below Haddenham. No longer indeed in any respect
1 This document follows on from ‘Bishop Gundulf confirms a grant by Gilbert the priest of three hides of land at Haddenham in exchange for Gilbert entering the monastic life, Textus Roffensis, ff. 213r–213v’, which is also available at: https://rochestercathedralresearchguild.org/chris_monk/. 2 This is an account of events that took place sometime after the levying of high taxes by William II (‘Rufus’) in 1091 and the king’s death in 1100. It was likely copied from an original document into Textus Roffensis by the main scribe around 1123, though the first part of it was re-written by a later twelfth-century scribe as part of a replacement folio (f. 123). 3 Corresponding to present-day Aston Subedge in Gloucestershire. 4 Ralf and Osmund were evidently tenant owners of the king’s manor at Aston. 5 Customs: in this context, customary payments, i.e. taxes, to the crown. 6 Gundulf, bishop of Rochester, 1077–1108. 7 That is, Ralf and Osmund asked Gundulf if he would buy the estate at Aston from the king so that they would have a kinder lord in the bishop. 8 William II (‘Rufus’), r. 1087–1100. 9 William I (‘the Conqueror’), r. 1066–87. 10 That is, Ralf and Osmund became tenants of Aston with Gundulf as the new lord of the manor.
Textus Roffensis, ff. 213v-214v Dr Chris Monk
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whatsoever were they able to endure, neither the bad customs of the aforementioned county nor
the extensive labour needed for the long road from Haddenham, which they were most frequently
having to support. Therefore, having accepted counsel, the bishop acted for them according to
their petition, but in part, not in all things, insomuch as he gave to Ralf one hide of land and,
indeed, to Osmund no more than a half. For Osmund was yet indebted to the bishop for fifty
shillings of tithings due to the many pleas that the bishop had made against him, and despite the
fact that the bishop had peacefully called on Osmund concerning those fifty shilling and with many
a lament; therefore, on account of this, he did not receive from the bishop anything except the
half a hide of land. And so in that manner the bishop himself held that aforementioned manor,
that is, with freedom and peace from dispute, just as the Countess Goda11 rightly held it in demesne
at the time of King Edward.12 For as long as this was so, the bishop gave orders to master William,
a monk of Rochester, steward of Haddenham, to accept the responsibility for this manor also,13
and from there every year to render eight days of food rent to the monks of the church of Saint
Andrew.14 And this is just, because those lands given which were exchanged for this manor were
in the first place from Haddenham, which was and is entirely for the living of these very monks.
11 Goda, also known by her Old English name, Godgifu (‘gift of God’), was the daughter of King Æthelred the Unready (r. 978–1016) and his queen, Emma of Normandy (d. 1052), and thus the sister of Edward the Confessor (r. 1042–66). She is likely the same Goda whose illuminated gospel book ended up in the medieval library of Rochester Cathedral. This gospel book has recently been digitised: http://blogs.bl.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2016/04/fit-for-a-kings-sister.html [accessed 05.03.18]. Countess Goda is recorded in Domesday Book as the owner (i.e. the lord) of Aston in 1066: see https://opendomesday.org/place/SP1341/aston-subedge/ [accessed 05.03.18]. 12 ‘in demesne’, translating in dominico. ‘Demesne. […] land held for the lord’s own use rather than let or leased’: A Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases, ed. Christopher Corèdon with Ann Williams (D. S. Brewer, 2005). Dominicus, Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, ‘3c. demesne, land held for lord’s use’: http://logeion.uchicago.edu/index.html#dominicus [accessed 06.03.18]. 13 i.e. Aston. 14 The Rochester Cathedral priory at which bishop Gundulf was prior.
Textus Roffensis, ff. 213v-214v Dr Chris Monk
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Latin text, directly from Textus Roffensis
The digital facsimile of this text is located at:
http://luna.manchester.ac.uk/luna/servlet/detail/Man4MedievalVC~4~4~990378~142729?page=0.
Type ‘n435’ into the page search box. The text begins with the rubric (red ink) ‘De Eastuna’, approximately two thirds
down the left-hand page, and continues for two further pages.
The layout approximates that of the manuscript: display letters havve been represented; and single words which are
split over two lines are hyphenated. Punctuation has been modernised. Word-division and capital letters have been
normalised. Scribal insertions are indicated by > <; and ( ) indicates a space left by the scribe. Scribal abbreviations
have been expanded and are indicated by italics.
[f. 213v]
De
ostea15 uero non multo tempore Eastuna.
contigit ipsum Gislebertum mutasse habitum et uitam secularem
in uitam et habitum monachi apud Rofecestram. Iisdem
diebus remansit manerium Estuna quod situm est in
comitatu de Gloecestra, in manu praefati Radulfi filii
Gisleberti, et Osmundi generis Gisleberti. Qui ambo
regiis exactionibus tantum fuerunt grauati, ut uix
amplius hoc possent pati. Erant enim illis di-
ebus consuetudines regis grauissimę atque du-
[f. 214r]
rissimę, per totum regnum Anglię. Itaque uenien-
tes pariter uterque ad domnum episcopum Gundul-
fum, rogauerunt illum quatinus propter Deum et
honorem suum manerium ipsum a rege requireret.
uod si obtinere posset, de illo ulterius mane-
rium ipsum tenerent. Quo audito episcopus, quam ci-
tius potuit regem impigre adiit. Amicorum itaque
apud regem usus auxilio, tandem obtinuit
quod petiit. Dedit ergo episcopus Willelmo regi magni
( ) regis Willelmi filio xv libras denariorum, et
unam mulam quę bene ualebat centum solidos.
sto tali ordine obtinuit Gundulfus episcopus praedi-
ctum manerium Estunam. Quod postquam ita
factum est, statim Radulfus et Osmundus deue-
nerunt homines episcopi, et ita tenuerunt ipsum
15 There is a green ‘gallows-pole’ (or the Greek capital letter gamma), now faded, placed to the left of the red display letter ‘P’. This symbol is often used in Textus Roffensis to mark the beginning of a new document.
P
Q
I
Textus Roffensis, ff. 213v-214v Dr Chris Monk
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manerium de episcopo. Veruntamen non multo tempore
post iterum pariter requisierunt episcopum, rogan-
tes illum ut propter Deum illas quattuor hidas terrę
de Estuna, cambiret illis pro duabus hidis terrę
infra Hed>en<ham.16 Non enim ullatenus pati po-
terant amplius et malas consuetudines praedi-
dicti comitatus, et uiam longinquam ab Hed>en<-
ham et laborem magnum quem propterea sepissime
sustinebant. Accepto ergo consilio episcopus, fecit
[f. 214v]
illis partim iuxta peticionem eorum, sed non
in omnibus. Dedit nanque Radulfo unam hidam
terrę, Osmundo uero non nisi dimidiam. Debebat
enim Osmundus episcopo quinquaginta solidos
denariorum pro multis placitis quę super eum
episcopus habuerat, et quia episcopus clamauit Os-
mundum quietum de ipsis quinquaginta soli-
dis et querelis multis, ideo econtra non rece-
pit ab episcopo nisi dimidiam hidam terrę. Et isto
modo habuit ipse episcopus ipsum praedictum ma-
nerium, ita liberum et quietum ab omni calumnia,
sicut Goda comitissa illud habuit unquam
melius in suo dominico tempore regis Eaduuar-
di. Dum hoc ita fuit, precepit episcopus domno Willelmo
monacho Rofensi praeposito de Hed>en<ham cu-
ram accipere eiusdem manerii, et monachis
ęcclesię Sancti Andreę singulis annis firmam
octo dierum inde reddere. Et quidem iuste,
quoniam terrae illae quę datę fuerunt pro ipsius
manerii cambitione fuerant primum de He-
d>en<ham quod penitus erat et est ad uictum
ipsorum monachorum.
16 Hedenham (Haddenham): a later scribe has altered the spelling from Hedreham. This is repeated several times further on in the document. Hedenham is the spelling used in the previous document which appears on the replacement folio (f. 213), written in a later hand, whereas Hedreham is the spelling in Domesday Book (1086): https://opendomesday.org/place/SP7408/haddenham/ [accessed 06.03.18].
