CONCESSION OF THE ISLE OF MAN BY SERVICE OF THE LANCASTER SWORD.

A.D. 1399.

THE King to all, to whom, etc., greeting. Know that we inwardly reflecting on the magnificent, and to us and our whole kingdom fruitful, and highly necessary labors, costs, and services, which our beloved and faithful kinsman, Henry de Percy, earl of Northumberland, for the extirpation and reformation of divers defects and errors lately sprung up in the kingdom aforesaid, and tending to the probable extinction and final destruction, both as regards rulers, magnates and others of the nobility, as well as of the community of the said kingdom, hath in many ways offered and performed, and unweariedly doth shew in our presence ever since we by the guidance of God with the premised object arrived in the kingdom aforesaid. And being desirous, therefore, of conferring some suitable recompense on our kinsman aforesaid, albeit, not an unworthy one, according as his many and noble deeds impel us. We have given and granted, of our especial grace and certain knowledge, to the said earl of Northumberland, the Island, Castle, Peel, and lordship of Man, and all the islands and lordships appertaining to the said Isle of Man, which belonged to Sir William le Scrop, deceased, whom when in life we lately conquered, and so decreed conquered, and which by reason of that conquest, as well as the conquest we took into our hands, which decree and conquest in our parliament, by the assent of the lords temporal, in the same parliament assembled, as respects the person oft' he aforesaid William, and all his lands and tenements, goods and chattels, both within our said kingdom and without it, at the supplication of the community of our said kingdom were confirmed. To have and to hold to the said earl and his heirs all the Islands, Castles, Peel and lordship aforesaid, together with the royalties, regalities, franchises, liberties, sea-ports and everything truly and properly belonging to the same, homages, fealties, wardenships, marriages, reliefs, escheats, for-feitures, waifs, strays, courts baron, views of frankpledge, leets, hundreds, wapentakes, seawreck, mines of lead and iron, fairs, markets, free customs, meadows, pastures, woods, parks, chaces, lands, warrens, assarts, purprestures, highways, fisheries, mills, moors, marshes, turbaries, waters, pools, vineries, ways, passages, and commons, and every other the profits, commodities, emoluments, and appurtenances whatsoever to the Islands, Castle, Peel, and lordship aforesaid, belonging or appurtaining, together with the patronage of the bishopric of the said Island of Man, also knights' fees, advowsons and patronage of abbies, priories, hospitals, churches, vicarages, chapels, chantries, and every other ecclesiastical benefices whatsoever to the said Island, Castle, Peel, and lordship in like manner belonging, of us and our heirs for ever, by service of carrying on the coronation days of us and our heirs, at our left shoulder, and the left shoulders of our heirs, by himself, or a sufficient and honorable deputy, that naked sword with which we were girded when we landed in the parts of Holdernesse, called the Lancaster sword, during the procession, and the whole time of the ceremony of the coronation above mentioned, as fully, freely, and entirely, (the service aforesaid excepted) as the aforesaid William, or any other lord of the said Island, held or might have possessed, of the Islands, Castle, Peel and lordship, with everything before mentioned in times past.

We give moreover and concede to the said earl, all the goods and chattels, which. belonged to the aforesaid William, existing within the said Island of Mlan, and which belongs to us by reason of the conquest before mentioned, to hold as our gift.

In testimony of which, etc. Witness the King at Westminster the 19th day of October. By the King himself.

DE INSULA MANNIÆ, PER SERVITIUII PORTANDI GLADIUlVI, VOCATUM LANCASTER SWORD, IN SOLEMNIIS CORONATIONUM, CONCESSA.

ROTULI LITTERARUM PATENTIUM.

1 HEN. IV.

REX omnibus, ad quos, ete., Salutem. Sciatis quod nos, Debito mentis intuitu considerantes magnifica, ac nobis et toti Regno nostro fructuosa et Summe. necessaria, Labores, Custus, et Obsequia, gllæ dilectus et fidelis Consanguineus nostrr, Henricus de Percy Comes Nortllumbriæ, pro Extirpatione et Reformatlone diversorum Defectuum et Errorum in Reguo prædicto, ad verisimile Extirminium et finalemDestructionem tann Proeerum, Magnatumn, et aliorum Nobilium quam Communitatum ejusdem Regna, nuperime pullulantium, in nostri præsentia, postquarn ad regnum prædictum, præmisso-rurn intuitu, Deo duce, declinavimus, multipliciter effudit et impendit ac exhibuat indefesse.

Et volentes proinde præfatum Consanguineum nostrum aliquali rennmeratione, licet non condignå, prout multiplices gestus sui nobiles nos inducunt, præmiare.

De Gratiå nostrå speciali et ex certa scientia nostra, Dedimus et Concessimus cidem Comiti Northumbriæ Iusulam, Castrum, Pelam, et Dominium, de Man, ac omnia Insulas et Dominia eidem Insulæ de Man pertinentia, quæ fuerunt Willielmi le Scrop Chivaler defurcti, quem mmper in vita sua couquestati finmus, et ipsum sic conquestatum deerevimus, et quæ, ratione, conquestüs illius, tanquam conquestata, cepimus in manum nostramm.

Quæ quidern Decreturn et Conquestus, in Parliamento nostro, de assensu Dominorum Temporalium in eidem Parliamento existentium, quod Personam præfati Willielmi, ac omnia Terras et Tenementa, Bona et Catalla sua, tam infra dictum Regnum nostrum, quam extra, ad Supplicationem Communitatis dicti Regui nostri, affirmata existunt.

Habenda et Tenenda eidem Comiti et Hmredibus suis omnia Insulas, Castrum, Pelam, et Dominium praedicta, una cum Regalais, Regalitatibus, Franchesiis, Libertatibus, Portuhus Maris, et omnibus ad Portum rationabiliter et debate pertinenti-bus, Horoagiis, Fidelitatibus, Wardis, Maritagiis, Releviis, Escae-tis, Forisfacturis, Waifis, Streyfis, Curiis Baronum, Visibus Franciplegii, Letis, Hundredis Wapentachiis, Wreceo Maris, Minera Plumbi et Ferri, Ferns, Mercatis, liberis consuetudinibus, Pratis, Pasturis, Boscis, Partis, Chaceis, Laudis, Warrennis, Assartis, Purpresturis, Chiminagiis, Piscariis, Molendinis, Moris, Mariscis, Turbariis, Aquis, Stagnis, Vinariis, Viis, Passagiis, ac Communiis, et aliis Proficuis, Commoditatibus, Emolumentis, et Pertinentiis quibuseumque, ad Insulas, Castrum, Pelam, et Dominium prædicta qualitercumque pertinentibus sive spectanti-bus, simul cum Pafronatu Episcopatüs dictæ Insulæ de illan, necnon Feodis Militum, Advocationibus et Parronatibus Abbatiarum, Prioratuum, Hospitalium, Ecclesiarum, Vicariarum, Capel-larum, Cantariarum, ac aliorum Beneficiorum Ecclesiasticorum quorumcumque, ad eadem Insulas, Castrum, Pelam, et Dominium similiter pertinentibus, de Nobis et Hæredibus nostris Imperpetuum per servitium portandi, diebus coronationis nostræ et hæredum nostrorum, ad sinistrurn humerum nostrum, et sinistros humeros bæreduen nostrorum, per se ipsum, aut suflicientem et honorificum deputatum suum, illum gladiu.m nudum, quo cincti eramus quando in partibus de Holdernesse applicuimus, vocatum Lancastre Swerd, durance processione et foto tempore solemnizationis coronationis supradictæ, ideõ plene liberë et integre (excepto servitio prædicto) sicut præfatus Willielmus, seu aliquis alius dominus ejusdem Insulæ, Insulas, Castrum, Pelam, et Dominium illa, cum omnibus supradictis, temporibus retroactis, melius habuerunt et tepuerunt.

Dedimus insuper et concessimus eidem Comiti omnia bona et catalla, quæ fuerunt prædioti Willielmi, infra dictam Insulam de Man existentia, et quæ ad nos pertinent ratione conquestüs supradicti, habenda de dono nostro.

In cujus, ete.

Teste Rege apud Westmonasterium XIX die Octobris. Per ipsum Regem.

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor
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