Fishings rights in the Thames, c.1103-1107

Henry I grants protection of fishing rights in the Thames to Rochester, c.1103-1107. Transcription and translation from Latin of Textus Roffensis, f. 187r by Jacob Scott. Edited with additional notes by Dr Christopher Monk.

Transcription

187r (select folio number to open facsimile)

de niuue uuere; _Henricus rex anglorum, haimoni dapifero,
et Hugoni de bocham, salutem. Prohibeo ne pisca-
tores pescant in tamisia ante piscaturam
de rouecestra de niuuera. Et si ul-
terius inueniuntur piscantes, sint michi forisfa-
cti. Teste Waldrico cancellario, apud Westmoster.

Translation

Concerning the new weir:

Henry, King of the English, to Hamo Dapifer,¹ and Hugo of Bockham, greetings. I prohibit fishermen from fishing in the Thames in advance of the fishing from Rochester’s new weir.² And if they are found to be fishing beyond, they shall pay a fine to me. Witnessed by Waldric the Chancellor,³ at Westminster.

Footnotes

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1 Dapifer, meaning ‘steward', indicative of royal office. Hamo Dapifer must here refer to the son of the better known Hamo Dapifer who held royal office under both William I (r. 1066-87) and William II (r. 1087-1100), but who died in 1100. The son succeeded his father as sheriff of Kent.

2 The prohibition is against fisherman fishing upstream of the Rochester weir.

3 Waldric was the eight Lord Chancellor and Lord Keeper of England, from 1103 to 1107, providing us with a date for this charter.