263 Gift by Roger Bigod, earl of Norfolk, to Reading Abbey of 3 marks annual rent in the church of Finchingfield, to be expended during the donor's life on the repair of the shrines, reliquaries and other requirements of the high altar in the abbey and, after his death, on his anniversary there. The earl retains the advowson and will present each new parson to the diocesan bishop in the presence of Reading monks, in order to safeguard payment of the rent

[1189 × 98; prob. 1193 × 98]

Af 92v

Universis sancte matris ecclesie filiis Rog(erus) Bigot comes Norfolch(ie), salutem eternam in domino. Ad publicam volo pervenire notitiam quod ego, pro anima patris mei et matris mee et pro salute anime mee et Ide comitisse uxoris mee et omnium filiorum et antecessorum et successorum meorum, dedi et hac carta mea confirmavi deo et monachis de Rading(ia) .iii. marcatas redditus annuatim percipiendas in ecclesia de Fingingefeld. Ego autem semper dece-dente persona prefate ecclesie personam presentabo episcopo dioce-sano coram monachis de Rading(ia) ad hoc in presentatione pre-dicta vocandis, ut cautionem sufficientem coram episcopo de solutione predictarum trium marcarum annuarum de persona instituenda suscipiant, nee aliquid amplius in prefata ecclesia quam .iii. marcas exigere valeant per manum persone institute. Has autem tres marcas ita dedi ut dum vixero per manus vel per consilium Roberti monachi et Rad(ulfi) fratris eius de Norfolch expendantur in repar-atione feretrorum et philacteriorum et in ceteris que necessaria fuer-int principalis altaris Rading(ensis) ornatui. Cum autem decessero, de predicto redditu fiet anniversarium meum in conventu Rad-ing(ensi). Hanc autem elemosinam .iii. marcarum libere et quiete et perpetuo possidendam prefatis monachis ita dedi ut mihi et heredi-bus meis semper presentatio predicte ecclesie permaneat. T(estibus).