Account of Gilbert the Priest entering the monastic life, c.1091-1110
The account of Gilbert entering the monastic life and bishop Gundulf’s subsequent dealings with his relatives over land, c.1091–c.11001. Textus Roffensis, ff. 213v–214v2. Translated from Latin and edited by Dr Christopher Monk.
Transcription
213v (select folio number to open facsimile)
De
Postea3 uero non multo tempore Eastuna.
contigit ipsum Gislebertum mutasse habitum et uitam secularem
in uitam et habitum monachi apud Rofecestram. Iisdem
diebus remansit manerium Estuna quod situm est in
comitatu de Gloecestra, in manu praefati Radulfi filii
Gisleberti, et Osmundi generis Gisleberti. Qui ambo
regiis exactionibus tantum fuerunt grauati, ut uix
amplius hoc possent pati. Erant enim illis di-
ebus consuetudines regis grauissimę atque du-
rissimę, per totum regnum Anglię. Itaque uenien-
tes pariter uterque ad domnum episcopum Gundul-
fum, rogauerunt illum quatinus propter Deum et
honorem suum manerium ipsum a rege requireret.
Quod si obtinere posset, de illo ulterius mane-
rium ipsum tenerent. Quo audito episcopus, quam ci-
tius potuit regem impigre adiit. Amicorum itaque
apud regem usus auxilio, tandem obtinuit
quod petiit. Dedit ergo episcopus Willelmo regi magni
( ) regis Willelmi filio xv libras denariorum, et
unam mulam quę bene ualebat centum solidos.
Isto tali ordine obtinuit Gundulfus episcopus praedi-
ctum manerium Estunam. Quod postquam ita
factum est, statim Radulfus et Osmundus deue-
nerunt homines episcopi, et ita tenuerunt ipsum
manerium de episcopo. Veruntamen non multo tempore
post iterum pariter requisierunt episcopum, rogan-
tes illum ut propter Deum illas quattuor hidas terrę
de Estuna, cambiret illis pro duabus hidis terrę
infra Hed>en
terant amplius et malas consuetudines praedi-
dicti comitatus, et uiam longinquam ab Hed>en<-
ham et laborem magnum quem propterea sepissime
sustinebant. Accepto ergo consilio episcopus, fecit
illis partim iuxta peticionem eorum, sed non
in omnibus. Dedit nanque Radulfo unam hidam
terrę, Osmundo uero non nisi dimidiam. Debebat
enim Osmundus episcopo quinquaginta solidos
denariorum pro multis placitis quę super eum
episcopus habuerat, et quia episcopus clamauit Os-
mundum quietum de ipsis quinquaginta soli-
dis et querelis multis, ideo econtra non rece-
pit ab episcopo nisi dimidiam hidam terrę. Et isto
modo habuit ipse episcopus ipsum praedictum ma-
nerium, ita liberum et quietum ab omni calumnia,
sicut Goda comitissa illud habuit unquam
melius in suo dominico tempore regis Eaduuar-
di. Dum hoc ita fuit, precepit episcopus domno Willelmo
monacho Rofensi praeposito de Hed>en
ram accipere eiusdem manerii, et monachis
ęcclesię Sancti Andreę singulis annis firmam
octo dierum inde reddere. Et quidem iuste,
quoniam terrae illae quę datę fuerunt pro ipsius
manerii cambitione fuerant primum de He-
d>en
ipsorum monachorum.
Translation
Concerning Aston:5
Afterwards, indeed, it soon happened that Gilbert himself exchanged the secular condition and mode of life for the monastic condition and mode of life at Rochester. During this time the manor of Aston, which is situated in the county of Gloucester, remained in the hands of the aforementioned Ralf, Gilbert’s son, and Gilbert’s relative Osmund, both of whom were so greatly burdened by payments to the king that they should scarcely have been able to endure such any longer.6 Moreover, at this time, the heaviest and harshest customs of the king were [levied] throughout the entire kingdom of England.7 Consequently, on both coming together before the lord bishop Gundulf,8 they asked, on account of God and his honour, to what extent he was seeking this very manor from the king, and if it were possible to obtain from him at some future stage this manor they were holding.9 Upon hearing this the bishop, as soon as he could, went promptly to the king. Therefore, having made use of the assistance of friends near the king, he finally obtained that for which he had petitioned. And so the bishop gave to King William,10 son of great King William,11 fifteen pounds of silver and one mule, which was rightly valued at one hundred shillings.
By such means bishop Gundulf obtained Aston, the aforementioned manor. And immediately after that happened, Ralf and Osmund came to the men of the bishop and immediately took possession of this very manor from the bishop.12 Nevertheless, not long after, both sought out the bishop a second time, asking him if, on account of God, he would exchange with them those four hides of land of Aston for two hides of land below Haddenham. No longer indeed in any respect whatsoever were they able to endure, neither the bad customs of the aforementioned county nor the extensive labour needed for the long road from Haddenham, which they were most frequently having to support. Therefore, having accepted counsel, the bishop acted for them according to their petition, but in part, not in all things, insomuch as he gave to Ralf one hide of land and, indeed, to Osmund no more than a half. For Osmund was yet indebted to the bishop for fifty shillings of tithings due to the many pleas that the bishop had made against him, and despite the fact that the bishop had peacefully called on Osmund concerning those fifty shilling and with many a lament; therefore, on account of this, he did not receive from the bishop anything except the half a hide of land. And so in that manner the bishop himself held that aforementioned manor, that is, with freedom and peace from dispute, just as the Countess Goda13 rightly held it in demesne at the time of King Edward.14 For as long as this was so, the bishop gave orders to master William, a monk of Rochester, steward of Haddenham, to accept the responsibility for this manor also,15 and from there every year to render eight days of food rent to the monks of the church of Saint Andrew.16 And this is just, because those lands given which were exchanged for this manor were in the first place from Haddenham, which was and is entirely for the living of these very monks.
Footnotes
1 This is an account of events that took place sometime after the levying of high taxes by William II (‘Rufus’) in 1091 and the king’s death in 1100. It was likely copied from an original document into Textus Roffensis by the main scribe around 1123, though the first part of it was re-written by a later twelfth-century scribe as part of a replacement folio (f. 123).
2 This document follows on from ‘Bishop Gundulf confirms a grant by Gilbert the priest of three hides of land at Haddenham in exchange for Gilbert entering the monastic life, Textus Roffensis, ff. 213r–213v’, which is also available here.
3 There is a green ‘gallows-pole’ (or the Greek capital letter gamma), now faded, placed to the left of the red display letter ‘P’. This symbol is often used in Textus Roffensis to mark the beginning of a new document.
4 Hedenham (Haddenham): a later scribe has altered the spelling from Hedreham. This is repeated several times further on in the document. Hedenham is the spelling used in the previous document which appears on the replacement folio (f. 213), written in a later hand, whereas Hedreham is the spelling in Domesday Book (1086): available here [accessed 06.03.18].
5 Corresponding to present-day Aston Subedge in Gloucestershire.
6 Ralf and Osmund were evidently tenant owners of the king’s manor at Aston.
7 Customs: in this context, customary payments, i.e. taxes, to the crown.
8 Gundulf, bishop of Rochester, 1077–1108.
9 That is, Ralf and Osmund asked Gundulf if he would buy the estate at Aston from the king so that they would have a kinder lord in the bishop.
10 William II (‘Rufus’), r. 1087–1100.
11 William I (‘the Conqueror’), r. 1066–87.
12 That is, Ralf and Osmund became tenants of Aston with Gundulf as the new lord of the manor.
13 Goda, also known by her Old English name, Godgifu (‘gift of God’), was the daughter of King Æthelred the Unready (r. 978–1016) and his queen, Emma of Normandy (d. 1052), and thus the sister of Edward the Confessor (r. 1042–66). She is likely the same Goda whose illuminated gospel book ended up in the medieval library of Rochester Cathedral. This gospel book has recently been digitised: available here [accessed 05.03.18]. Countess Goda is recorded in Domesday Book as the owner (i.e. the lord) of Aston in 1066: available here [accessed 05.03.18].
14 ‘in demesne’, translating in dominico. ‘Demesne. […] land held for the lord’s own use rather than let or leased’: A Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases, ed. Christopher Corèdon with Ann Williams (D. S. Brewer, 2005). Dominicus, Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, ‘3c. demesne, land held for lord’s use’: available here [accessed 06.03.18].
15 i.e. Aston.
16 The Rochester Cathedral priory at which bishop Gundulf was prior.