=Source.=--Rymer, _Fœdera_, ed. Record Commission, vol. i.
In the name of the holy and undivided Trinity. I, William, by the
grace of God king of the English, make known to all archbishops,
bishops, abbots, earls, barons and all my trusty men, French and
English, present and to come, that when I came to England and landed
with an army within the bounds of Hastings against my enemies who
were striving unjustly to deprive me of the kingdom of England, upon
the edge of battle, when I was already armed, I made a vow before my
barons and knights, with the approval of them all and to strengthen
their hearts, that I would build a church to the honour of God for
the common salvation, if by God’s grace I should avail to gain the
victory. And since we obtained the victory, I have fulfilled my vow
and in honour of the Holy Trinity and St. Martin the Confessor of
Christ I have built a church for the salvation of my soul and the souls
of my predecessor, king Edward, and my wife, queen Matilda, and my
successors in the kingdom, and for the salvation of all by whose labour
and aid I obtained the kingdom, and specially of those who fell in the
battle itself. And because God gave me victory in battle in this place
where the church has been so built, in memory of the victory I have
determined that the place itself shall be called Battle.
Therefore to this church of St. Martin, Battle, first of all by royal
authority I grant the dignity that it have its court in all matters,
and the royal liberty and custom of treating of its own business and
affairs, and justice to be holden by itself, and that it be free and
quit for ever from all subjection to bishops and all domination of any
persons, as is the church of Christ at Canterbury. And if any robber
or homicide or any criminal, fleeing for fear of death, shall come to
this church, he shall suffer no manner of hurt, but shall be sent away
wholly free. And the abbot of the church may everywhere set free from
hanging a robber or thief, if he come upon such. I grant also to the
same church the lowey[9] adjacent on every side free and quit of all
geld and scot, hidage and danegelds, and bridge-works and castle-works
and park-works, and enclosures, and armies, and all aids, and pleas and
plaints and shires and hundreds,[10] with sac and soc,[11] and tol[12]
and theam,[13] and infangenetheof[14] and warpeni[15] and lastages[16]
and hamsocne[17] and forestall[18] and blodwite[19] and cildwite[20]
and larceny,[21] and free also of all custom of earthly service and of
all exactions of bishops.
Further, I give to the church of St. Martin, Battle, the royal manor
called Wye, with all its appurtenances from my crown demesne, with all
liberties and royal customs, as free and quit as ever I have held it,
or could grant it as king, to wit, from all geld and scot and hidages
and danegelds and bridge-works and castle-works and enclosures of
parks, and armies, and all aids and pleas and shires and hundreds,
with sac and soc and tol and theam and infangenetheof and warpeni and
lastages and hamsocne and forestall and blodwite and cildwite and
larceny, if the same arise. Likewise I give 2_d._ from all forfeitures
and pleas of all hundreds that pertain to the summons of Wye. In Denge
marsh also, which is a member of Wye, I grant to the same church all
maritime customs which I have had there, with all wreck. And if any
fish called “craspeis” (whale) come there, it shall belong wholly
to the abbot and monks, but if it come ashore between the bounds of
Blachewase and Horsemede and Bradelle as far as Withiburne, the church
shall have two parts of the fish and the tongue, as I have always had.
I give also to the same church these manors, Alciston, Limpsfield, Hoo,
Crowmarsh and Brightwalton, with all their appurtenances, free and
quit with the aforesaid liberties and royal customs. If murder-fine
be due in the lowey or in the manors of the church, or if treasure be
found, both shall belong to the abbot and monks. The church shall have
its own warren in the lowey and in all its manors. I give also to the
same church of St. Martin the church of Reading, and the church of
Cullompton, and the church of St. Olave, Exeter, with the lands and
tithes and all things pertaining thereto. And if any of my barons or
men give anything of their own to the same church in almoin, I grant to
them therein the same liberties which I have granted in my own gifts to
the same church, and by this writing by royal authority, as aforesaid,
I confirm the same.
Names of witnesses to the charter:
William the king, Lanfranc archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas
archbishop of York, Maurice bishop of London, Walchelin bishop of
Winchester, Osbern bishop of Exeter, Gundulf bishop of Rochester,
Hugh, earl of Chester, Roger, earl of Montgomery, William, earl
of Warwick, William son of Osbern, William of Brai, Bernard of
Neufmarché.