Land for the cemetery of St Andrew’s Priory, 1115-1123

Goldwin ‘the Greek’ grants land to St Andrew’s, Rochester, for the expansion of the cemetery, between 1115–1123¹. Textus Roffensis, ff. 191v–192r. Translated from Latin by Dr Christopher Monk.

Transcription

191v (select folio number to open facsimile)

_Golduuinus cognomento Grecus dedit
ęcclesię Sancti Andreę et monachis pro filio
suo ibidem facto monacho duas hagas
terrę in Rouecestra pertinentes ad Fren-
desberiam, et partem terrę regis quę
est iuxta ipsas hagas. Pręter has autem

192r

hagas dedit et dimidiam hagam iuxta
cimiterium appendentem ad Borchstel-
lam, sed istam dimidiam hac conuenti-
one dedit, quod eam tenebit donec mo-
nachi alias hagas hinc et inde habeant
et domos auferant ad ampliandum ci-
miterium suum. Et tunc sine omni mora
uel contradictione tradet eam in manus
monachorum, uel ipse si uixerit, uel uxor
et filii eius si mortuus fuerit. Huius con-
uentionis testes sunt, Heruisus archidia-
conus, Radulfus clericus et Rodbertus filius eius,
Golduinus presbiter, Gelduinus et Rodbertus monetarii,
Gudredus filius Diringi, Stephanus filius Goduui-
ni, Vuiet filius Golduini, et alii multi.

Translation

See Translation Notes

Goldwin, of the surname Greek, gave to the church of Saint Andrew and the monks, in order for his son to become a monk at that very place, two hagas² of land in Rochester pertaining to Frindsbury,³ and part of the king’s land which is next to these hagas. Moreover, in addition to these hagas he gave a half haga next to the cemetery at Borstal;⁴ however, he gave that half to the monastery for it to hold until the monks have in all respects the other hagas and remove buildings to expand its cemetery.⁵ And thereupon without any delay or objection he delivered it into the hands of the monks, whether he himself, or his wife or sons, lives or dies. These are the witnesses of this agreement: Harvey the archdeacon, the cleric Ralf and his son Robert, Goldwin the priest, Geldwin and Robert the moneyers, Gudred son of Diring, Stephen son of Godwin, Guy⁶ son of Goldwin, and many others.

Footnotes

1 The date range corresponds to the time Harvey was archdeacon of Rochester, he being the first witness named; see W. H. St John Hope, ‘The architectural history of the cathedral church and monastery of St. Andrew at Rochester’, Archaeologia Cantiana, 24 (1900), pp. 1–85, at pp. 8–9: online here [accessed 03.04.18]. The original charter was copied into Textus Roffensis by the principal scribe around 1123.

2 Haga, a piece of enclosed land (often with a house and other buildings) within a town.

3 Frindsbury lies north of Rochester, across the Medway. Evidently, Goldwin had an estate there, but also town property in Rochester connected to that estate.

4 Borstal lies south of Rochester.

5 At this time there was an expansion of monastic buildings taking place and this encroached upon the existing cemetery within Rochester’s walls. The two hagas appear to have been given by Goldwin to compensate and allow for the cemetery to be expanded. The half haga of land in Borstal, which was outside of the city, was also given to ease the situation until the two hagas could have their buildings cleared. See St John Hope, ‘The architectural history of St Andrew’s’, p. 8.

6 The name is spelt Vuiet (Wiet) in the manuscript; this may be a variant of Wyat, which itself is a form of Guy.