[From Manx Soc vol 23 - Appendices to Munch's Chronicle of Man]

APPENDIX. No. 8.

No. 8. — September 22, A.D. 1219. — p. 186.

KING REGINALD TO POPE HONORIUS III.

Becomes vassal and tributary to Rome.

Theiner's Vetera Momumenta, No. xxvi., P. 11.

N.B.-The first part and the ending of this document is given by P. Munch in a footnote, at page 90 in his edition.  

Reginaldus rex Insularum offert insulam Mon ecclesiæ Romanae et eam recipit a dicta ecclesia in feudum sub censu annuo xii. mar sterlingorum — Reg. Ann. 3, Epist. 629.

Sanctissimo patri et domino H(onorio) dei gratia sammo Pontifici Reginaldus Rex Insularum commendationem cum osculo pedum. Noverit sancta paternitas vestra, quod nos, ut participes simus bonorum, ginæ sunt in ecclesia Romana, ad monitionem et exhortationem dilecti patris domini P. Norwicensis Electi, camerarii et legati vestri, dedimus et obtulimus ei nomine ecclesiæ Romanæ et vestro, et catholicorum successorumvestrorum, Insulam nostram de Man, quæ ad nos jure hereditario pertinet, et (le qua nulli tenemur aliquod servitium facere, et deinceps nos et hæredes nostri in perpetuum tenebimus in feodum dictam Insulam ab ecclesia Romana, et faciemus ei per hoc liomagium. et fidelitatem, et in recognitionem domni nomine census nos et hæredes nostri in perpetuum annuatim solvemus ecclesiæ Romanæ duodecim marcas sterlingorum in Auglia apud Abbatiam de Furnis Cister-ciensis ordinis in feste, Purificationis Beatæ Mariæ. Et si non esset ibi aliquis ex parte vestra, vel successorum vestrorum, deponentur dictæ duodecim marchæ per nos et hæredes nostros penes a,bbatem et conventum, ecclesiæ Romanæ nomine. Hane donationem et oblationem dictus dominus legatus recepit ad ve,luntatem et bene-placitum vestrum, et post receptionem factam ab co sic, ipse dominus legatus dictam Insulam dedit mihi et liæredibus meis in feodum perpetuo possidendam et tenendam nomine ecclesiæ Romanæ, et me inde per anulum aureum investivit. [Seint igitur paternitas vestra, quod ad mandatum dieti legati juravi observare et teaere inviolabiliter prædicta pro me et bæredibus meis per-petuo. Et jurnvi, quod super hoc securitatem faciam, per meipsum et hæredes meos et homines Insulæ, quam dictus legatus vel alius de mandato vestro petierit a me, bona fide et sine fraude, et in hujus rei testimonium has litteras patentes fieri fecimus. lis testibus C. Bangorensi Episcopo de Wallia, officiali de Man, Johanne clerico, Ivone filio Hollwed, Magistro Ivone, Holano Senescallo dni.° Regis de Man. Supplicamus autem sanctitati vestræ, quod privilegium illud et petitionem, quam aliis Regibus censualibus et vassallis ecclesiæ Romanæ conceditis, nobis mittat sanctitas vestra. Nos enim parati sumus omnia prædicta secundum mandaturo vestrum servare. Interfuerunt autem huie nostræ donationi de familia domini legati Magister Petrus de Collemedio domini papæ capellanus, Magister Ardingus Papiensis ejusdem domini subdiaconus, Magister Petrus de Babutio, Magister Jacobus scriptor domini papæ, presbyter Lucas de Wytsando domini legati capellanus, Pandulfus nepos ipsins domini legati thesau-rarius Cicestrensis, Magister Johannes de Venafro, Stephanus nepos domini Stephani Basilicæ duodecim apostolorum presbyteri Cardinalis, Martinus Cicestrensis senescallus domini legati, Con-tradus clericus domini Gregorii de Crescentio sancti Theodori diaconi Cardinalis, Rusticus et Johannes de Londono scriptores domini.] Actum Londini in doroo militiæ Templi x. Kalendas Octobris anno domini mccxix. Et ne super iis aliquando possit dubitari, has litteras fieri fecimus et sigillo nostro muniri.

Reginald, King of the Islands, offers the Isle of Man to the Roman Church, and receives it back from the said church in fief, subject to a yearly tribute of twelve marks sterling.

To our most holy Father and Lord, Honorius, by the grace of God, sovereign Pontiff, Reginald, King of the Islands, commends himself and kisses the pontiff's feet. Be it known to you, Holy Father, that wishing to share in the good things which belong to the Roman Church, on the advice and exhortation of our beloved father, Lord P. . . . Bishop-elect of Norwich, your chamberlain and legate, we have given and presented to him, as representative of the Roman Church, and your own, and of your catholic suc-cessors, our Island of Man, which of hereditary right belongs to Us, and for which tire are bounden to no one in any manner of service ; and henceforvard, We, and Our Heirs for ever, shall hold the said Island in fief from the Roman Church, and shall in this do liege homage to her, and in recognition of her sovereignty, We, and Our Heirs in perpetuity, shall annually, on the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Mary, pay the sum of twelve marks sterling, under the title of tribute, to the Roman Church, at the abbey in Furness of the Cistercian order in England. And should there be no one there representing You or your Successors, the said twelve marks shall be deposited by Us and Our Heirs with the abbot and monastery, in the name of the Roman Church.

This offering and gift the said Lord Legate has accepted, pending your will and pleasure; and after the acceptance so made by him, he, the Lord Legate, gave back the said island to me and to my heirs, to be retained and held for ever in the name of the Roman Church; he then, by the golden ring, invested me with it.

[Be it therefore known to you, Holy Father, that at the command of the said Legate, I have sworn for myself, and for my heirs for ever, to hold and to keep inviolably the aforesaid arrangement. I have, moreover, sworn for myself, and for my heirs, and for the men of the island, to give in this matter such security, in good faith and without fraud, as the said Legate or other person by your command shall require of me:-in testimony whereof we have issued these letters-patent, in presence of C. . . . Bishop of Bangor in Wales, official of Man ; the clerk, John; Ivo, the son of Hollwed ; Mister No ; Holan, seneschal of my lord the King of Man.

We beseech your Holiness that that privilege and favour which you concede to other kings, tributaries and vassals of the Roman Church, may be granted to Us likewise by your Holiness, for we are ready to fulfil all the above named things according to your bidding.

At the making of this our gift, there were present of the household of the lord Legate, Mister Peter de Collemedio. chaplain. to our Lord the Pope, Mister Harding of Pavia sub-deacon to our Lord the Pope, Mister Peter de Babutio, Mister James notary to our Lord the Pope, the priest Lucas of Wytsand, chaplain of the Lord Legate, Pandolph nephew of the Lord Legate and chancellor of Chichester, Mister John of Venafro, Stephen nephew of the Lord Stephen Cardinal-priest of the Basilic of the twelve apostles,

Martin of Chichester seneschal of the Lord Legate, Conrad clerk to the Lord Gregory Crescenzi Cardinal-deacon of St. Theodore, Rusticus and John of London notaries to the Lord Legate.]

Done in London, at the Temple, on the 22d of September, in the year of our Lord 1219. Lest there should be any doubt attaching to these things, We have issued these presents, and affixed thereto Our seal.

[° domini.]


 

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