William I gives 100 pounds to Rochester Cathedral

William I gives one hundred pounds, shortly before his death, to the church of St Andrew, Rochester, c.1087¹.Textus Roffensis, ff. 210r–210v. Translated from Latin by Dr Christopher Monk.

Transcription

210r (select folio number to open facsimile)

Donum Willelmi magni regis. _Willelmus² rex Anglorum magnus, pater Uuil-
lelmi regis eiusdem gentis, Hrofensem
ęcclesiam beati Andreę in tantum dilexit,

210v

ut imminente articulo mortis suę centum
ei libras donaret, regiam quoque tunicam, propriumque
cornu eburneum, dorsale etiam unum, cum feretro
deargentato dimitteret. Pro quo et aliis eius
multis beneficiis, nostrę ęcclesię ab eo benigne
impensis, eius anniuersarium constituimus
debere singulis annis festiue fieri.

Translation

See Translation Notes

The gift of the great King William³

William, great king of the English, father of William,⁴ king of the same people, esteemed so much the Rochester church of Saint Andrew that he gave to it, at the moment of his imminent death, one hundred pounds, besides bequeathing a royal tunic, a special ivory horn, and also one dossal with a silver-gilded frame.⁵ For this, and for his many other privileges benevolently bestowed upon our church, we established a festal anniversary to take place every year.⁶

Footnotes

1 This document was likely copied from an earlier original by the principal scribe of Textus Roffensis around 1123.

2 ‘Willelmus…’

3 William I (‘the Conqueror’), r. 1066–87, died 9th September 1087.

4 William II (‘Rufus’), r. 1087–1100.

5 Dossal, an altar piece, or hanging, often of cloth, placed so as to rise from the back of the church altar.

6 Presumably, the anniversary of his death.