Habend. et possidend. imppetuum libere quiete pacifice et integre secundum consuetudines dicte matricis ecclesie sine impedimento mei vel heredum meorum. Preterea concessi et confirmaui uniuersa que dñus Willus de Stapylton pater meus de dicta foresta de Sadelword in omnib3 iam xl annis elapsis et amplius dicte matrici ecclesie de Rached. sicut de iure ptinentia benigne concessit et carta sua confirmauit. Et ego prenominatus Robertus et heredes mei hec omnia prenotata et dictam confirmationem, sicut supradictum est, in omnib; matrici ecclesie et rectorib3 suis fideliter tenebimus et sine fraude imppetuum manutenebimus. Et ut ista conuentio stabilis pmaneat presenti scripto sigillum meum apposui. Hijs testib; dño A. de Stauf.* tune temporis Archid. Cestrie, magistro Henr. de Lee offic. eius, dño Willo de Wygan clerico, dño W. vicar de Rach., dño Robto psona de Prestwyche, dño Rogero psona de Bury, Galfr. de Bucklegh, Ric. de Butterworth, Willo de Haword,† Henr. fil eius, Rogero de Berdeshull, Willo de Berdeshull, Mich. de Clegh, et alijs.

XVI. Cyrographum Roberti de Stapylton de xiij acris terre
pro capellano seruiente in capella de Sadelword.

n

OUERINT omnes presens scriptum visuri vel audituri istam puisionem esse factam inter dompnum Abbatem et 9 conuentum Loci Benedicti de Stanlawe ex una parte, et dñum Rob. de Stapylton ex altera. Scil. quod dictus Rob. dedit concessit et hac presenti carta sua confirmauit tresdecim acras terre arabilis cum tofto uno ad edificia facienda in loco competenti

from the payment of tithes on the ground that it was not originally within the forest, and belonged to the abbey of Rupe as demesne. Urban III., in 1186, exempted the abbey from the payment of tithes.

* Adam de Stafford, archdeacon of Chester 1271 and 1279.

+ William de Haword, æt. 50, 28 Edward I., and father of Henry de Haword, æt. 18, 19 Edward I. and æt. 42, 21 Edward II. He lived to 19 Edward III. and ob. æt. 82, having married Joanna, daughter of John de Chaderton.

p certas diuisas* in villa de Sadelword ad sustentationem cuiusdam capellani in villa iugiter deseruientis, et pasturam ad x. vaccas cum secta trium annorum, et ad octo boues, et ad sexaginta oves cum agnis unius anni, et ad decem porcos liberos a pannagio, et ad duo aueria cum communi pastura eiusdem ville de Sadelword infra has diuisas, scil. det Cnouthull p viam de Cnouthull usq. ad Stanegge, et de Stanegge usq. ad Stabliclogh de Dighull, et de Stabliclogh de Dighull usq. le Brodeston, et de Brodeston usq. le Whitebrok en Haukeferd, et de Whitebrok en Haukeferd usq. Combesbrok, et de Combesbrok usq. in aquam de Thame, et de eadem aqua usq. ad diuisas de Qwyke, et de Qwyke usq. ad predictas diuisas de Cnouthull, et housebote et haybote ad domos faciendas, et ad sepes claudendas, et ad comburend., in puram et ppetuam elemosynam p salute anime sue et uxoris sue et antecessorum et successorum suorum. Saluis sibi et heredibz suis assartis suis factis et faciendis. Et salua sibi et successorib3 suis venatione sua et auib3 suis alias capientib3 et piscib3 suis et alijs dignitatib3 foreste. Dictus vero Abbas et conuentus cetera necessaria capellano qui ibidem iugiter deseruiet competenter inuenient. Ita quod nullus defaltus ibi sit quia capellanus assidue habeatur. Ad ista omnia fideliter obseruanda et ad maiorem securitatem ppetuo habenda dictus Abbas et conuentus p se et successorib3 suis ex una parte, et prefatus Robertus p se et heredib3 suis ex altera, alter alterius scripto ad modum cyrographi facto sigilla sua apposuerunt. Hijs testib3, dño Waltero archid. Cestrie, Willo vicar de Rached., Sym de Stauele, Ric. Blundel, Gilberto de la Qwyke, Ric. le Brun de Stauele, Ric. fil. G. de Biron, et alijs.

* These lands still continue to be a part of the endowment of Saddleworth church, and on the commons being enclosed in 1814, a large portion of common right was allotted to the incumbent.

+ Knothill and Stanedge, as hills, and Diggle and Thame, as brooks, are still well known in Saddleworth as natural boundaries. The other names are forgotten. The Roman road passes Knothill near Castleshaw.

XVII. Concordia facta inter nos et parochianos capelle de
Sadelword.

OTUM sit omnib3 hoc scriptum visuris vel audituris, quod cum mota esset quedam altercatio inter dños Abbatem et conuentum Loci Benedicti de Stanlawe ex una parte, et Rob. del Schagh,* Robertum de Qwyke, Ric. de Holyngreue, Ad. fil. Ricardi et ceteros parochianos capelle de Sadelword ex altera, super sustentationem capellani dicte capelle iugiter seruientis, eo quod p scriptum originale inter dictos Abbatem et conuentum et dñum Robertum de Stapleton quondam confectum non satis clareret, que partium capellano prefate capelle iugiter deseruienti vestimenta sacerdotalia et libros ecclesie necessarios inueniret, de consensu partium sub forma hic conquieuit, videlicet quod dicti parochiani donum dicti dñi Rob. de Stapelton ratum habentes, insup corpus capelle de Sadelwordt calicem, campanas cum campanario, ambitum cymiterij et clausuram honeste de cetero sustentabunt, et quoties necesse fuerit reparabunt, vel etiam innouabunt. Dicti vero Abbas et conuentus

*These names are still found in Saddleworth.

Shaw Mere and Quick Mere are

two of the four divisions of Saddleworth, and Hollingreve is a large hamlet in Lords Mere. Quick and Hollingreve are entirely extinct as local surnames. Shaw is a name of common occurence, and the remains of Shaw Hall point to a family of high antiquity.

+ From which it appears that from the beginning the chapel was of respectable dimensions, and consisted of a nave, chancel, and tower, which latter contained a peal of bells. How different from the chapels which arose in Saddleworth in the eighteenth century! The rectors, being Cistercians, were liberal in providing books and vestments, which were expensive articles in the thirteenth century; whilst the Dominicans and Franciscans at this time had neither collectively nor individually any effects, and were disputing about the precise meaning of their rules. The expenses incurred in maintaining the fabric of the chancel would probably be about the same as at present. In 1814, when the greater part of the tithes were sold by Archbishop Manners Sutton, £7 per annum were reserved in perpetuity for the repairs of the chancel of this church and for other purposes.

capellanum qui ibidem deseruiat, et cetera eidem ad ministrand. necessaria, scil. vestimenta sacerdotalia et libros necessarios inuenient, et cancellum dicte capelle quoties opertuerit reparabunt. Ista omnia seruare utraq. pars fideliter compromisit. Et ad maiorem securitatem dicti Abbas et conueutus p se et suis successorib;, et dicti Rob. del Schagh, Rob. de Qwyke, Ric. de Holyngreue, Ad. fil. Ric. p se et heredib3 et ceteris comparochianis suis huic scripto in modo cyrographi confecto alternatim sigilla sua apposuerunt. Hijs testib3, dño Willo le Vauasur, dño Johe de Biron, Rogero de Midelton, Willo de Hopwod, H. de Haword, Ad. de Eccles, Willmo de Salesbury, et alijs.

XVIII. Confirmatio domini Rogeri de Meuland, Couentr. et Lichef., de ecclesijs nostris, scil. de Rach., Eccles, et Blak., queratur supra. et inuenietur in titulo secundo de Eccles in fine.

Ordinationes vicariarum de dictis ecclesiis, scil. Rach., Eccles, et Blakeburn, inuenientur in titulo tertio de Blak. loco 18.-(p. 85.)

XIX. Indentura inter nos et Abbatem et conuentum de Rupe
de decimis de Hildebrighthop.*

ENORE presentium patet uniuersis, quod cum controuersia mota fuisset inter religiosos viros Abbatem de Whall. cum conuentu suo rectore ecclesie de Rachedale ex parte una, et Abbatem de Rupe ex altera, sup exactione decimarum de

* Roche, alias Rupe, a Cistercian abbey in the West Riding of Yorkshire, was founded anno 1147 by Richard de Beilli and Richard Fitz Turgis. The abbey of Roche obtained its possessions in Hildebrighthope, now called Friar-mere, one of the divisions of Saddleworth, chiefly from the de la Leghs, who assumed the name of Crompton, and the Byrons. Its earliest benefactors were Edmund de Lascy and William, earl of Warren.

Hildebrighthop infra limites dicte parochie situati, tandem ex consilio et ordinatione dñorum de Ryeualle* et de Bildewas,† Abbatum judicum a capitulo ordinis generali in dicta causa datorum ex assensu quoq. et voluntate dictarum partium lis in hunc modum conquieuit, videl. quod dictus Abbas de Rupe soluet singulis annis predicto Abbati de Whalleya vel suo certo pcuratori apud Hildebrighthop xl. denarios argenti et unam libram cere et unam libram thuris, ad duos anni terminos, videl. xx. denarios et unam libram cere ad festum sancti Martini in hyeme, et xx. denarios et unam libram thuris ad Pentecosten, p omnib; decimis garbarum de omnib3 terris cultis et colendis ad dictum locum de Hildebrighthop ptinentib3, ab impetratione bulle dñi Bonifacij pape octaui. Et quia in pactione istius conuentionis hesitatum fuit utrum decima feni cum maiorib3 decimis garbarum, vel cum minorib3 debet computari, concordatum fuit partes, quod per fidelem inquisitionem rectorum et vicariorum patrie illius neutri parti suspectorum, coram ordinarijs illius archidiaconatus in presentia partium dicta dubitatio derimatur. Et quod in ipsa inquisitione comptum fuerit teneatur, et presens compositio de decimis garbarum cum adiectione decime feni siue maiorib; decimis siue minorib3 put dicta inquisitio decreuerit assignand. post dictam inquisitionem renouetur et sigillis communib; utriusq. capituli roboratur, ppetuis duratura temporib3. In cuius rei testimonium partes sigilla quibz utuntur isti ordinationi bipartite apposuerunt. Dat. apud Wakefeld die veneris prox. post festum sancti Barnabe apostoli anno dñi m.ccc. decimo.

P

* Rival, alias Rivaulx abbey, in Yorkshire, was founded by Walter le Spec, for monks of the Cistercian order, anno 1132, and in 1140 Pope Alexander III. confirmed the possessions of the monks, and granted them divers privileges.

+ Bildwas, a Cistercian abbey in Shropshire, was founded in 1135, and King Stephen, in 1139, confirmed the possessions to God and the church of St. Chad, and the abbot and monks here, in the same manner as Roger bishop of Chester had given them.