JOHN DE STANLEY CONFIRMS THE CHARTER OF MAGNUS TO THE CHURCH OF SODOR.

A.D. 1423.

JOHN de Stanley, lord of Mann and the Isles, to all to whom these present letters shall come, Greeting. Know that we have inspected and truly understood the letters patent of Thomas Randulph, formerly Earl of Moravia, lord of Anandale and of Mann, made to God and holy church, and to the bishops of Man and Sodor in these words. To all the faithful in Christ who may inspect these present letters, Thomas Randulph, Earl of Moravia, lord of Anandale and of Mann, everlasting Greeting in the Lord. Know that we have inspected and truly understood the charter of Magnus, of grateful memory, King of Mann and the Isles, made to holy church and to the Bishops of Mann and Sodor in these words :—To all those who may here-after see or hear these letters, Magnus, son of Olave, by the grace of God King of Mann and the Isles, everlasting greeting in the lord. Know all that I have given and by this my present charter hEtve confirmed, for the salvation of my soul and of those of my ancestors, to lord Richard, by the grace of God, bishop of Mann and the Isles, and to his sucessors, for ever, all kinds of liberty to holy church, fully, in all things, and that he and his successor may hold their court of life and limb in all cases of theft and homicide and other wickednesses, and that they may have the power of incarceration and of release from incarceration, and of punishment by the gibbet upon their lands. And that the clergy as well as the laity remaining within the same, and within ecclesiastical rule, may plead and reply in the court of the lord Bishop and in the ecclesiastical court, and be free of all service, secular exaction and demand, forfeiture or fine. And if any cause non-ecclesiastical should be agitated between my men and the men of the lord Bishop or his successors the author thereof may be earnestly prosecuted. I have granted also, and by this my present charter have confirmed, to the said lord Richard and his successors for ever, the Island of St. Patrick entire, with its appurtenances, fisheries, breweries, customs, anchorage, wharfage of all kinds of wares, coming from all sides and everywhere through Mann to the territory of the bishop ; together with the village of Killcrast, near Ramsa, entirely, with clergy and laity, and breweries, and other appurtenances, without any restraint, together with half the fishery there, in Muschoch. Moreover, I have granted and forever confirmed, that the same lord Richard, the bishop, and his successors, and all his clergy or farmers of ecclesiastical rents, may have full power over their tenths and other matters of the clergy and laity dwelling in ecclesiastical lands, to sell and dispose thereof whenever it shall seem expedient, as well within our dominion as without, to the best of their ability without hinderance of us or of our subjects. I have granted also to the same lord Richard, the bishop, and his sue-cessors, for ever, all kinds of mines of lead and iron which may be discovered in his land of Mann. In testimony whereof I have caused this present writing to be strengthened with the protec.tion of my seal. These being witnesses, Dompnald, Archdeacon of Mann, Gormand, the parson Magro, the parson, Fogal M^chascatt, seneschal, Fogal, son of Yvar, and others. Which said charter, inasmuch as it reasonable and devout in all and singular, the liberties and points contained therein, approving and ratifying, and as far as lies in our power, for us and our heirs confirming, we enjoin to be inviolably observed throughout all our domain of Mann. In testimony of which our official seal is appended to these present letters. Dated at Ramsa in Mann, on the Feast of the Invention of the Holy Cross, in the year of Grace, one thousand three hundred and twenty nine. And we also, the aforesaid John, lord of Mann and the Islands, of our special favour, do confirm for us and our heirs for ever, as far as lies in our power, the aforesaid charter of Magnus, son of Olave, formerly King of Mann and the Islands, as is above recited, and all and singular the possessions, and donations, points and liveries, with all their appurtenances, granted to the said Holy Church, and to Richard, bishop of Mann and the Isles, and his successors. And we the aforesaid John, lord of Mann and the Isles, do of our especial favor aforesaid, approve, ratify, and in all things confirm the charter aforesaid, in that he and his predecessors have held and enjoyed the gifts, grants, and liberties aforesaid with their appurtenances, within the bounds of memory, saving to ourself our heirs, and successors, all services, and customs, conceded of old to us and our predecessors, of the gift and consent of the entire lordship, as well spiritual as ternporal. In testimony whereof we have caused these our letters, sealed with our seal, to be made patent. Witness ourself at our Castle of Russhyn, the eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand four hundred and twenty-three:

[note the given latin script kept the abbreviated hand and used characters not representable within the HTML latin alphabet - as the resulting scan is not usuable I have decided to omit it ]

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor
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