Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 8.djvu/382

 290 BIOGRAPHY OP THREE OXFORDSHIRE WRITERS. Coletta uxore sua, obierit, habebit dictam terram etc. dicta Coletta ad totam vitam suam ; et si dicta Coletta ante Willelmum filiura Willelmi maritum suum, in fata sine liberis decesserit post ejus vitam predictus Johannes, frater Colette, vel sui assignati predictam terram etc. habebunt pro x. annis, ad denarios dicto Willelmo de Saucto Audoeno pacatos plene plene levandos absque disturbacione dicti Willelmi vel aiicujus nomine sue ; et post X. annos completes redibit dicta terra etc. ad dictum ^Yillelmum vel heredes suos etc. Si vero contingat quod ego Willelmus de Sancto Audoeno dictis Willelmo filio meo et Colette warantizare non potero, faciam eis suf- ficiens excambium de aliis terris meis cum manso competenti in Villa de Haneborowe, secundum visum legalium liominum. In cujus rei testimonium, etc. Sigillum raeum apposui. Hiis Testibus, Dominis Nicliolao de Henrede, tunc Vice comite Oxon.' Bardulpho de Cestertone, militibus ; Jobanne de Dunball, Petro de Lega, Rogero de Hastall, Henrico Parker, W^illelmo filio Petri de Kersintone, persona de Drifeld. By these charters we discover some of liis kindred, and that he had property at Carsington, in the County of Oxford. For by them he grants to his cousin John, son and heir of Ralph de Wotton, and to Juhana his Avife, daughter of Wilham de St. Ouen, all his land in Carsington, which he had by the gift of the said Ralph, and all the lands which he, (Alexander him- self,) had purchased in Carsington ; to be held by the said John and Juliana, on the yearly payment of a sparrow-hawk, at liis, (Alexander's), house in London. As Madox, in his " History of the Exchequer," has fully treated of all the claims of Alexander de Swerford to the authorship of the work de Scaccario, I will content myself with brino-ino- forward the facts in his hfe which are contained in these charters. As these were drawn from the Cartulary of Godstow, I cannot conclude my observations without begging to press earnestly upon the attention of the Institute the very great importance of printing the Cartularies of this kingdom, a noble example being set us by Scotland, and followed by Lancashire and France. For these documents contain innu- merable anecdotes relative to the biography of the inha- bitants of this country in former times, all of whom were either our direct ancestors, or of their kindred ; and I beg leave to propose a commencement with this county, and to suggest a subscription of a moderate sum, annually, for the purpose of bringing out the Cartularies of Oxfordshire.^ 5 The valuable Cai-tulary, from which 1420. A note is inscribed at the com- the documents here given have been ex- menceraent, as follows, — " Monasterium tracted, is preserved amongst the Records de Godstowe. Liberatur in Cur" Scac- of the Queen's Remembrancer, now in carii undecimo die Februarii, anno xxvij, the custody of the Master of the Rolls. per manus Ricardi Browne, generosi, pro It appears to have been written about commodo Regiuc."