172 EPPING FOREST
unto all men that Ralph de Assartis and we ourselves having
measured of our commonwood in the parish of Loughton,
fifty-six acres and a-half, and Ralph having demised his share
to the Abbot and monks of Stratford,1 we, for our own
salvation and that of our [kinsfolk], granted, gave, and by
this charter have confirmed, to God and the Church, and to
the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross of Waltham, all our
part of the aforesaid wood with the land and all the right we
had therein, or could have, as in the felling and carrying-away
of trees, and in pannage at pannage-time, with everything
else by any right pertaining to us, to be had and held by the
said church and canons in free, pure, and perpetual alms,
free and quit from all secular service or demand from us and
our heirs for ever. And it is to be noted that of the aforesaid
wood and land, fifty-six acres and a-half by measure, our
share was a fourth part in all the advantages mentioned, and
others which might casually accrue, to be received in common
between the said Ralph de Assartis and ourselves. And we
and our heirs will for ever guarantee against all men this part
of the wood and land, with the appurtenances thereof, as is
aforesaid, to the said church and canons, as our free, pure,
and perpetual alms. And for this grant, donation, and the
confirmation of this our charter, the aforesaid canons have
received us for ever in the prayers and other benefits of their
house. These being witnesses, etc.
" Not content with this joint declaration of their
gift, Geoffrey and Roger proceeded to execute,
each of them, separate deeds, couched in much
the same terms. The names of four witnesses are
appended to the charter of the former, viz. Nicholas
de Barton (Barrington), William de Bosco, Richard
Alcher, and Gregory de Thayden. The last is
probably identical with the man of that name who
was a verderer in 1250 a.d.
" Nor was this the conclusion of the whole matter.
Following on the three charters just recited we have
two others, from which we learn that both' Roger
and Geoffrey still had seventeen acres of wood and
waste left to them, of which Roger's share was
three acres and three-parts of a rood (rode), and
this they also made over to the canons. The
grant made by Geoffrey was subsequently confirmed
1 Unfortunately no cartulary of the Abbey of Stratford
Langthorne, if it exist, is accessible. That said to be preserved
in Trin, Coll., Dublin, is a fragment of three pages only,