Page:English Historical Review Volume 37.djvu/506

498 The decision at Chester being given in favour of the claimant on other grounds, the abbot appealed to the king's council at Westminster, whereupon the justiciar of Chester was ordered to inspect the Rotulus de Domesday and send down a certified extract of the entry under discussion. This he did, and on 13 January 1253/4 the king's judges (among whom was the great Bracton), after perusing the evidence, gave judgement for the abbot, using some remarkable words (repeated in a subsequent confirmation by letters patent) which completely vindicated the standing and reputation of the Cheshire record: 'Et quia convictum est per Domesday Cestrie quod perpetuam habet firmitatem et omnia quae in eo continentur in perpetuum sunt stabilia, in quo continentur quod [here the verdict of 1223–4 is set out] consideratum est,' &c.

The following are some specimens of the varied phraseology used to record the fact and occasion of enrolment of charters, fines, and other entries:

"Et hoc in magno rotulo Domini Comitis (or, Regis) apud Cestriam de assensu partium irrotulatur. [The words 'de expresso concensu', or 'ad instanciam partium', are also used.]"

"In cuius rei testimonium partes alternatim huic finali concordie in modo cyrographi confecte sigilla sua fecerunt apponi et in rotulo qui vocatur Domesday procuraverunt irrotulari."

"Et eandem in plena curia Comitatus Cestrie recitatam in rotulo qui dicitur Domesday procuraverunt irrotulari."

"Et ut hoc perpetue tradatur memorie hic irrotulari decretum est."

"Et ne id humanam possit imposterum praeterire memoriam huic rotulo presenti censuimus commendare."

"Et in huius rei testimonium id irrotulari provisum est."

"In euius rei testimonium huic presenti scripto in Domesday rotulato sigillum meum apposui."

"Hec carta hic scripta lecta fuit in pleno comitatu Cestrie qui sedit [date] et intrata fuit."

"Ad maiorem securitatem huius rei conceditur per partes in pleno comitatu Cestrie et per licentiam iusticiarii baronum et militum quod hec concordia finalis in Domesday irrotulata."

"Iste carte irrotulate fuerunt in pleno comitatu coram Iusticiario."

"Ista carta lecta fuit et concessa in pleno comitatu Cestrie et in libro vocato Domesday in scaccario Cestrie irrotulata."

From these and other forms we see that the essence of the matter was publicity. The enrolment was effected after something said, done, or acknowledged in the open court, and before the county. The request, or the express assent, of the parties seems to have been required except where the county itself ordered an enrolment, as was sometimes the case. The leave of