OF THE FEOFFMENT AND TRIBUTE TO BE PAID BY REGINALD THE KING, FOR THE ISLE OF MAN.

A.D. 1219.

TO the most holy Father and Lord, H [onorius] by the grace of God, chief Pontiff, Reginald, king of the Islands, salutation and kissing of feet. Be it known to your Holiness, that we, in order that we may be partakers of the blessings which belong to the Roman Church, at the admonition and exhortation of our beloved Father, lord P [andulp,] Bishop elect of Norwich, our chamberlain and your Legate, have given and offered to him by name, and to the Roman church, and to you, and your Catholic successors, our Island of Man, which belongs to us by hereditary right, and for which we are bound to make suit to no man, and henceforward we and our heirs will for ever hold in fee the said Island from the Roman church, and will perform homage and fealty for the same, and in recognition of lordship, in the name of tribute, we and our heirs will for ever pay annually to the Roman church, twelve marks sterling, in England, at the Abbey of Furness, of the Cistertian order, on the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Mary. And if there should not be any one there present on your part, or of your successors, the said twelve marks shall be deposited by us and our heirs, in the possession of the Abbot and Convent, in the name of the Roman church. This donation and gift the said Lord Legate has received, at your will and good pleasure, and after the receipt so made, he the Lord Legate gave the said Island to rue, and my heirs, to hold in fee for ever, and to retain in the name of the Roman church, and thereupon invested me with a golden ring. Be it known therefore to your Holiness that, at the command of the said Legate, I have sworn to observe and keep inviolable the aforesaid, for me and my heirs, for ever, and I have sworn, that moreover, I will find security for myself and my heirs, and the men of the Island, which the said Legate, or any other by your command, may seek from me in good faith, and without fraud. In testimony whereof we have caused these letters patent to be made, these being witnesses:-C. Bishop of Bangor, in Wales; . . . . official of . . . . ; John the clerk; Ivo, son of Hollwed, Magister Ivo, Holan, Seneschal of our Lord the king of Man.

Moreover, we beseech your Holiness to send to us, that privilege and petition, which you have conceded to other kings, tributaries, and Vassals of the Church of Rome. And we ourselves are prepared to observe all the aforesaid, according to your command. There were present also at this our gift, of the suite of the lord Legate, Mag. Peter de Collemede, chaplain to our Lord the Pope; Mag. Arding, of Pavia, sub-dean of the same lord; Mag. Peter de Brabut ; Mag. James, writer of the Lord the Pope; priest Lucas de Wijtsande, chaplain to the Lord Legate; Pandulf, nephew of the said lord, treasurer of Chichester; Mag. John de Venafro; Stephen, nephew of lord Stephen; priest Cardinal of the Basilica of the twelve Apostles, Martin of Chichester, seneschal of the lord Legate; Contard, clerk of lord Gregory de Crescentius . . . dean Cardinal of St. Theodore, Rusticus, and John of London, writers to the lord. Given at London, in the House of the Knights Templar, the 10th of the kalends of October,* in the year of our Lord 1219. And lest any doubts should arise, we have caused these letters to be made patent, and fortified them with our seal.

LETTERE AD DOMINUM PAPAM, ANNO IV., EPIS. 629.

DE INFEUDATIONE, ET GENSTI SOLVENDO A REGINALDO REGE PRO INSULA MAN.

ADD. MSS.

SANCTISSIMO patri et domino, H. dei gratia summo 8 Pontifici, Reginaldus Res Insularum commendationem cum osculo pedum. Noverit saneta paternitas vestra, quod nos ut participes simus bonorum que fiunt in ecclesia Romana ad monitonem et exhortationem dilecti patris domini P. Norwicën Electi, Camerarii nostri et Lcgati vestri dedirnus et obtulimus ei nomine, et ecclesie Romane, et vestro et Catholicoruui successorum vestrorum Insulam nostram de Man, que ad nos jure hereditario pertinet, et de qua nulli tenernur aliquod servitium facere, et deinceps nos et heredes nostri in perpetuum tenebimus in feodum dietam Insulam ab ecclesia Romana, et faciernus ei per hoe homagium, et fidelitatem, et ia recognitionem domini nomine cesus, nos et heredes nostri in perpetuum annuatim solvemus ecclesie Romane duodecim marcas sterlingorum in Anglia, apud Abbatiam de furnis Cistertian ordinis in fcsto Purificationis beate Marie. Et si non esset ibi aliquis ex parte vestra, vel successorum vestrorum, deponentur dicte duodecim Marche per nos et heredes nostros penes Abbatem et Convcntum ecclesie Romane nomine, hane donationem et oblationem dictus dominus Legatus recepit ad voluntatein et beneplacitum vestrum, et post receptionem factam ab eo skut, Ipse dominus Legatus dietam Insulam dedit milli et heredibus meis in feudum perpetuo possidendam, et tenendam nomine Ecclesie Romane, et me inde per anulum aureum investivit. Seiat igitur paternitas vestra, quod ad mandatum dicti Legati juravi observare et Leneri inviolabiliter predictam pro me et heredibus meis perpetuo, et juravi quod super hoc securitatem faciam per me ipsum et heredes meos, et homines Insule, quam dictus Legatus, vel alius de mandato vestro petierit a me bona fide et sine fraude. Et in hujus rei testimonium, has lineras patentes fieri fecimus hiis testibus, C. Bagoren, Episcopo de Wallia . . . . . officcaai de . . . . . Johanne Clerico, Ivone filio Hollwed, Magistro Ivone, Holano Seneschao domini Regis de Man. Supplicamus autem sa.nctitati vestre, quod priviligium illad et petitionem, quam aliis Regibus censeralibus et Vassallis EcclesieRomane conceditis nobis mittat sanctitas vestra. Nos enim parati sumus omnia predicta secundum inandatum vestrum servare. Inter fuerunt auteru huic nostre donationi de familia domini Legati, Magister Petrus de Collemede, domini Pape Cappellanus, Magister Ardingus papien ejusdem domini Subdiaconus, Magister Petrus de Babut, Magister Jacobus Scriptor domini Pape, presbiter Lucas de Wijtsande domini Legati Cappellamus, Pandulfus nepos ipsias domini Legati, Thesaurarius Cicestren, Magister Johannes Ole Venafro, Stephanus nepos domini Stephani Basilice duodecim Apostolorum presbiteri Cardinalis, Martinus Cicestreii Senescallus domini Legati, Contardus clericus domini Gregorii de Crescentio . . . . Sancti Theodori diaconus Cardinalis, Rusticus et Johannes de London Scriptores domini, Actum London, in domo militie Templi X° Kalendas Octobris, Anno Domini M°CC°XIX°. Et ne super hiis aliquis possit dubitari has litteras fieri fecimus ¹ et sigillo postro munivi.

* 22nd Sept.

1 Patentes.

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor
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