From Manx Soc vol IV,VII & IX

CHARTER OF MAGNUS TO THE BISHOPS OF MANN AND THE ISLES.. A.D. 1257.

 

TO all those who may hereafter see or hear these letters, Magnus, son of Olave, by the grace of God King of Mann and the Islands, everlasting greeting in the lord. Know all, that I have given, and by this my present charter have confirmed, for the salvation of my soul, and of those of my ancestors, to lord Richard, by the grace of God Bishop of Mann and the Islands, and to his successors for ever, all kinds of liberty to holy churcb, fully, in all things, and that he and his successors may hold their court of life and limb, in all cases of theft and homicide and other wickednesses, and that they may have the power of incarceration, and of release from incarceration, and of punishment by the gibbet, upon their lands. And that the clergy, as well as the laity, remaining within the same and within ecclesiastical rule, may plead and reply in the court of the lord Bishop, and in the ecclesiastical court, and be free of all service, secular exaction and demand, forfeiture or fine. And if any cause nonecclesiastical should be agitated between my men and the men of the lord Bishop, or his successors, the author thereof may be earnestly prosecuted. I have granted, also, and by this lay present charter have confirmed to the said lord Richard, and to his successors for ever, the Island of St. Patrick entire, with its appurtenances, fisheries, breweries, customs, anchorages, wharfage of all kinds of wares, coming from all sides and everywhere through Mann to the territory of the bishop; together with the village of Kellerast,* near Ramsa, entirely, with clergy and laity, and breweries and other appurtenances, without any restraint, together with half the fishery there, in Muschoch.+ Moreover, I have granted, and for ever confirmed, that the same lord Richard the bishop, and his successors, and all his clergy or farmers of ecclesiastical rents, may have full pourer over their tenths, and other matters of the clergy and laity, dwelling in ecclesiastical lands, to sell and dispose thereof, whenever it shall seem expedient, as well within our dominion as without, to the best of their ability, without hinderance of Las or of our subjects. I have granted, also, to the same lord Richard the bishop, and hiss successors, for ever, all birds or mines of lead and iron which may be discovered in his land of Mann. In testimony whereof I have caused this present writing to be strengthened with the protection of my seal. These being witnesses : Dompnald Archdeacon of Mann, Gormand the parson, Magro the parson, Fogall, McHascatt seneschal, Fogal son of Yvar, and others. Which said charter, inasmuch as it is reasonable and devout in all and singular the liberties and points contained therein, approving and ratifying, and as far as lies in our power, for us and our heirs, confirming, we enjoin to be inviolably observed throughout all our domain of Mann. In testimony of which our official seal is appended to these present letters. Dated at Ramsa in Mann, in the Feast of the Invention of the Holy Cross, in the year of grace one thousand three hundred and twenty-nine ++

 

ADDITIONAL MSS.

[note the given latin script kept the abbreviated hand and used characters not representable within the HTML latin alphabet - as the resulting scan is not usable I have decided to omit it ]

* Kirk Christ Lezayre.

+ Mirescoge

++This date is incorrect. Magnus became King de facto in 1252, ard died in 1253. in 1257 the church of St. Mary of Russin was dedicated by Richard, the then bishop. On this occasion, it is most probable, Magnus granted the foregoing charter.


 

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