List of individual benefactors and their donations to Rochester Cathedral, recorded c.1123
Subsequent benefactor’s names generally begin with display initials, the colours of which alternate between red, green and purple, though not in a fixed order. The documentation finishes with the first two words on the first line of 186v.
Included as a benefactor is Eadmer (c.1060-c.1126) (bottom of 83v), the biographer of St Anselm, who is mentioned in the account of the meeting between Gundulf and Haimo, below.
Folio
Transcription
Translation (see Translation Notes)
183r (select folio number to open facsimile)
( ) illic deo seruientibus unum mariscum
( ) there to those who served the god one sea-shell
infra insulam de grean pro anima sua in perpetuum. below the island of Grean for his soul forever.
Quod donum concessit libenter This gift was gladly granted
archiepiscopus anselmus, de quo tenuit illum. by Archbishop Anselmus, of whom he held it.
Et monachi habent inde singulis annis, And the monks have thence each year,
xxx.ta solid ( ) xxx.ta solid ( )
Ægelnothus quidam probus homo regis de hou, Ægelnothus, a certain honest man of the king of Hou,
similiter dedit aecclesiae sancti andreae et monachis likewise gave to the church of St. Andrew and to the monks
unum mariscum in eadem insula pro filio suo quodam one sea-shell in the same island for his son, whom
quem fecit monachum ibi. De quo marisco habent he had made a monk there. The monks have concerning the sea,
monachi xv. solidos unoquoque anno. Et hoc xv. solids each year. And this
donum quoque concessit anselmus archiepiscopus. gift also was granted by Anselmus the archbishop.
Osbernus de b(i)liceham Osbernus of bilyceum
accepit societatem monachorum aecclesiae sancti an- received the association of monks of the church of Saint
dreae, et ideo concessit eis decimam de geddinge Andrew, and therefore granted them a tenth of their
terram suam aeternaliter, de qua habent (per) singulos land in perpetuity, of which (per) each
annos duodecim solidos monachi. year twelve solidos for the monks.
Lyafrun quae fuit Lyafrun, who was the
uxor syuuardi de hou dedit aecclesiae sancti an- wife of Syward of Hoo, gave to the church of Saint
dreae et monachis ibidem deo seruientibus Andrew and to the monks there who were serving God
post mortem ipsius uiri sui syuuardi unum after the death of her husband, one
mariscum infra insulam de grean pro anima marsh under the island of Grean, for her soul,
sua, et pro anima ipsius syuuardi mariti sui and for the soul of her husband, to be
aeternaliter possidendum, et hoc donum fecit eternally possessed, and she made this gift in the in tempore Gundulfi episcopi. Post mortem uero ipsius time of Bishop Gundulf . After the death of the
episcopi, quidam uulfuuardus cognomine henricus bishop himself, a certain Uulfuardus, surnamed Henricus
de hou calumniatus est ipsum mariscum de Hou, slandered the marshal
dicens suum esse debere, per consanguinitatis pa- himself, saying that he must be his own, by consanguinity.
rentelam. Sed infra calumniam illam infirmatus But under that slander he was weakened
est ad mortem, unde requirens monachiles to the point of death, whereupon he demanded monastic
pannos a monachis sancti andreae, et quia cloths from the monks of Saint Andrew, and because
impetrauit quod petiit, calumniam illam he had obtained what he asked for, he dismissed that slander
pro amore dei et redemptione animae suae for the love of God and the redemption of his soul.
dimisit, et ipsum mariscum aecclesiae sancti andreae and the sea captain of the church of St. Andrew
et monachis eius omnino quietum clamauit and his monks cried out in complete silence
in secula seculorum. De quo singulis annis habent for ever and ever. From which every year the
monachi inde, quadraginta solidos. monks have forty shillings.
Wlfuuardus de hou Wulfuardus de hou,
cognomine henricus accepit societatem monachorum surnamed Henry, received a company of monks
aecclesiae sancti andreae, pro qua dedit eis totam of the church of St. Andrew, for which he gave them all his
decimam suam de cobbeham. Postea uero alia uice tithes of Cobbeham. After that he gave them another
decimam suam de hou dimidiam concessit eis, after that he gave them at Hoo another half of his tithes,
et terciam parte suae substantiae post mortem and a third of his property after his death.
suam. Quod uxor illius et filius suus Rodbertus, et fratres Which his wife and his son Rodbertus, and his brothers,
sui, hereuuardus uidelicet et siuuardus et eaduuardus, hereuard videlicet and siuard and eduard,
libentissime concesserunt. most willingly consented.
Eadmær de tarente dedit monachis aecclesiae sancti Eadmær of Tarentum gave to the monks of the church of Saint
andreae dimidiam decimam suam de clæidune, Andrew his half-tenth of the cleidune, pro filio suo quem fecerunt monachum. for his son whom they made a monk.
Arnulfus de cilesfelda dedit Arnulfus de Cilesfelde gave to
episcopo gundulfo et monachis sancti andreae Bishop Gundulf and the monks of Saint Andrew
rofae totam medietatem totius decimae suae de ciles- of Rofa the whole half of his whole tithe of
felda, annonam scilicet et agnos, et porcellos, Cilesfelde, that is to say, lambs, and piglets,
et caseos, et uitulos, et pullos si ibi sunt equarum, and cheeses, and heifers, and chickens if there are any mares there,
et unum uillicanum cum quinque acris terrae, and one Willican with five acres of land,
pro anima patris sui et matris suae, et pro se ipso. for the soul of his father and mother, and for himself.
Et episcopus et monachi susceperunt ipsum arnulfum And the bishop and the monks received Arnulf
cum uxore sua et homines suos quos et quot himself with his wife and his men, as many as he wanted,
uolebat in fraternitatem et in societatem totius beneficii into the fraternity and fellowship of the whole
ipsius aecclesiae, et super (hoc) fecerunt unum annuale church itself, and on (this) they held one of the annual
missarum pro defunctis patre et matre. masses for the deceased father and mother.
Et isti sunt testes huius rei, Anscetillus archidi- And these are the witnesses of this matter, Anscetillus the
aconus, Radulfus prior cadomi, Hunfridus monachus, archdeacon, Radulfus the prior of the cadom, Hunfridus the monk,
Radulfus clericus, Simon dapifer episcopi, Radulfus the cleric, Simon the servant of the bishop,
Atheloldus frater eius, Wido biset, Haimfridus dapifer Atheloldus his brother, Wido Biset, Haimfridus the servant of
arnulfi, et alii multi. Arnulf, and many others. cantuarberiae decimam, de langeleia decimam de the tithe of cantuarberia, the tithe of langeleia,
caseis et de porcis, de suttune de caseis et de bestiis, the tithe of cheeses and pigs, of suttune, of cheeses and game,
de le(l)eburna de caseis et de bestiis, de readlega of le(l)eburna, of cheese and game, of readlega,
de caseis et de bestiis, de culinga et de mere- of cheese and game, of culinga and
lea ( ) de omnibus rebus. merelea ( ) of all things .
Eudo dapifer regis dedit sancto andreae omnes Eudo the dapifer of the king gave to St. Andrew all
illas decimas quas adam frater suus quondam those tithes which his brother Adam had once
dederat anschetillo archidiacono cantuarberiae, given to Anschetillus, archdeacon of Canterbury,
et quas idem anschetillus postea concessit and which the same Anschetillus afterwards granted
sancto andreae. to Saint Andrew’s.
Rodulfus pincerna eudonis dedit (monachis sancti andreae) Rodulfus the butler gave to Eudon (the monks of St. Andrew)
quandam decimam suam (de culingis) ualentem v. a certain tithe (of the culings) worth 5
solidos per annum pro anima patris et matris. Shillings per year for the soul of the father and mother.
Rodbertus de hede(n)ham omnem suam decimam Rodbert de Haddenham gave all his tithes
de hede(n)ham dedit sancto andreae. of Haddenham to Saint Andrew.
Rodbertus de langeleia cum uxore sua habet societatem Rodbert de Langeleia has our company with his wife,
nostram, et dedit nobis suam decimam and he has given us his tithe
de langeleia, et quando obierint sepeliemus eos, of Langeleia, and when they die we will bury them,
et habebimus partem suae substantiae quantum un- and we will have a part of their substance
cuique pertinet. according to each one's share.
Adeloldus frater Balduini nostri monachi, dedit Adeloldus, the brother of Baldwin, our monk, gave
nobis omnem suam decimam, etiam de mobili pecunia, us all his tithes, even of movable money,
et quando de hac uita migrauerit, and when he departed from this life,
omnem suam partem totius pecuniae suae, et praeter all his part of all his money, and besides hoc suos equos et sua arma, et concessimus ei this his horses and his weapons, and we granted him
fraternitatem et societatem nostri monasterii. the fraternity and fellowship of our monastery.
Hugo de port habet nostram societatem, et de- Hugh de Port has our company, and
dit nobis concedentibus filiis suis unoquoque he has given to us as grantors to his sons
anno xx. solidos ad pasca uidelicet pro decima each year 20 shillings at Easter for the tenth
de suo manerio quod uocatur ærhetha, et of his manor, which is called Eretha, and
hanc donationem posuit super altare sancti andreae he placed this donation on the altar of Saint Andrew,
ipse et uxor eius et filii eius per cultellum himself, his wife, and his children with his
suum. knife.
Rodbertus de sancto amando accepit societatem Rodbert de Saint Amando took our partnership
nostram et dedit sancto andreae medietatem decimae and gave Saint Andrew half of his tithe
suae de hescendena. Postea dedit nobis of Hescendena. Afterwards he gave us another
aliam medietatem cum aecclesia quae ibi est pro filio suo half with the church which is there for his son whom we
quem fecimus monachum. made a monk.
Geroldus homo haimonis uicecomitis concedente Geroldus the man, granting to the herd of the vicecount,
eodem haimone dedit nobis quandam the same Hamo, gave us a certain
decimam quae ualet per annum xx. solidos pro filio tithe, which is valid for 20 years. solid for his son
suo quem fecimus monachum. whom we made a monk.
Vulmerus homo arnulfi de hesdinc consilio The man Arnulf of Vulmer received our company
adeloldi fratris balduini nostri monachi from this day by the advice of Adelold, our brother Baldwin, our monk,
accepit nostram societatem et dedit nobis suam took our company and gave us his
decimam, quae ualet per annum decem solidos. tithe, which is worth ten shillings a year. Rannulfus filius uualterii concessit sancto andreae Rannulfus the son of Ualterius granted to Saint Andrew
suam decimam de sesmundeham quae unoquoque his tithe of sesmundeha, which will be worth
anno ualebit nobis octo millarios eight thousand herrings
de harenc et hos harengos faciet nobis ha- eight thousand herrings
bere radulfus del bosc, testes radus filius to us every year, and Radulfus del Bosc will make us have these herrings, witnesses Radus son of
uuillelmi, et rauennarius et radus picot, Uuillelm, and Rauennarius and Radus Picot,
et ælmerus monachus cantuariae. and Ælmerus, the monk of Canturia.
Haec est conuentio This is the agreement
quam haimo filius uitalis fecit uersus gun- which Haimo, the son of Uital, made towards
dulfum episcopum de rouecestra, quod ipse haimo Gundulf, bishop of Rouecestra, that Haimo
dedit episcopo et monachis aecclesiam de sturmutha gave to the bishop and the monks the church of Sturmutha
