A Millennium in the Archives of the Staffordshire and Stoke-On-Trent Archive Service


Deed Of Confirmation To The Canons Of St Thomas’ Priory By Richard Peche, Bishop Of Lichfield, C.1174-1182


Precis translation

Richard, bishop of Lichfield confirms to the church of St Thomas the Martyr in Stafford and its canons the land which Gerard of Stafford granted to them originally.

He grants to them in addition the mill with pond and watercourse adjoining it, and the right to take wood from the land next to the mill at Mulnedich on the other side of the river [Sowe] at Baswich, a meadow belonging to his manor of Eccleshall and assarted land at Eccleshall (because the meadow was so prone to flooding). He grants them land at Orbreton which Mabel and her heirs previously held of the bishop, and two burgages in Lichfield (those of Thomas the priest and Robert). He grants them the right to fish in the rivers Sowe and Penk and woodland and pasture rights in the manor of Baswich.

He confirms them in land and houses granted by others (and associated licences to farm the mills on the Kings brook):
Alan de Hagingata’s field next to Kings Brook
Aldithe’s land at Orbreton granted to Stafford church
Nicholas de Cotes’ seven acres of land in Cotes [Coton in St Marys parish, Stafford]
Robert de Orbreton’s three and a half acres of land in Orbreton (with consent of his lords Robert of Stafford, Robert del Beec and John de Horton)
A meadow which Aldewin son of Goldwin sold to Roger la Convarte and Ernald de Orbreton.
Ralph the archdeacon’s two houses in Stafford
Land granted by Christiana of Wolverhampton on which her house stands
Henry (son of archdeacon Helias)’s land next to the two houses
Stephen de Devenport and Alfewin Chese’s land in Halegtona [Haughton]

Witnesses: Richard dean of Lichfield, Alan archdeacon of Stafford, Richard archdeacon of Shropshire, master Robert de Haya, master Geoffrey of Lenton, Nigel the chaplain, Andrew Giffard, master Walter of Tillesberie, Geoffrey Reit’, Richard the steward, Gilbert Poun the chamberlain, Gerard son of Brian, William clerk of Stafford and many others.