Collectanea. Third series / edited by Montagu Burrows.

Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Collectanea. Third series / edited by Montagu Burrows. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    same Prior John of Dodeford whose fair suffered from the affray and attacks of the scholars (No. no). Going outside the town, several points in the history of the rich house of Oseney, with its church of St. George in the Castle (No. 7), are represented, touching loss of wax and rent (No. 16), the rent from Headington manor (No. 23), and two financial transactions for providing the king with money (Nos. 36-39). An extract from the Act of Supply for 14H5 shows how the property of the Abbey continued to be drawn upon by the Crown (No. 132). The contemporary convent of Godstow furnishes several early petitions; as to election of an abbess (No. 8), asking for leave to receive gifts of certain lands (Nos. 13, 14), or, through their abbess Mabilla Wafre, and her successor (probably Mabilla Upton), complaining of the encroachments on their rights by Sir John of London (No. 15), and loss of property through Hugh Despencer the father (Nos. 44, 48, 70), whose malpractices were also shown in No. 35. The abbot of Rewley contributes but two petitions, about 1287 and 1321 ; they refer to the same property, and are of interest as giving an instance how the seizure of alien lands by the Crown affected these great houses, and as containing reference to Peter Gaveston, Earl of Cornwall (Nos. 18, 63). It is curious that no more remains as to the house of Littlemore than a petition, in 1433> the abbess may exchange certain lands and houses in the county of Cambridge for others in Oxford (No. 123). The state of the Thames, the great water-way between London and Oxford, especially for food and merchandise, was a source of frequent trouble in early days to the mei chants, whose boats were often hindered by the setting up of local uses and dues; we find here four petitions on the subject (Nos. 40-42, 91). Many more incidental matters of interest may be readily found in these petitions, such as records of personal wrongs (Nos. 5, 6, 20, 75); contributions from Oxford to the royal household (Nos. 124 and note, 132); local names in properties (for which see Index), and a few names of some early officers of the town or University (Nos. 66, 109). With this sketch indicative of their contents I now leave them to further study