Grant of William Bluet, lord of Lackham, late 13th century

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William Bluet lord of Lach[a]m, for my soul and for the souls of my father, mother, wives and antecessors and successors and of all the faithful dead, I have conveyed and by this writing confirmed in pure and perpetual alms to God and the Blessed Mary and the chaplains successively for the time being serving God and the chapel of the Blessed Mary in the manor of Lach[a]m, from my demesne 20 acres and a half and a third part of a half of an acre of arable and 5 acres of meadow lying in the manor of Lach[a]m in diverse places written below, namely 6 acres lying in the field called Westfelde, of which 3 acres lie against Helrige between the land formerly of William le Trug and the land of Robert le Carpent[er], and 1 acre lies by the king's highway which leads from the mill of the temple towards Wik' between the land of Edith Gulye and a certain field which extends over that acre, and 1 acre between the land of the Abbess of Lacok' and the land of William Sutor and extends over the king's highway which leads from the mill of the temple towards Baton', and 6 acres lie between the land of William de Natton' and the land formerly of Robert Prodomme in Esleforlong [=Esteforlong?], and 2 acres in Laxele which formerly were of the land of Sibel la Frie and lie between the land of Robert P[ro]domme and William de Asswelle and Richard Swein, and 3 acres lying in Asselye between the land of William Trug and a field which extends over those 3 acres and 2 acres in Asselye lying between the land of the Abbess of Lacok', and 5 acres lying in la Inlonde, of which 3 acres lie at Horshulle between the land of Edmund Molend' and the land of Julian the relict of Carpent[er], and 1 acre lies in Westforlonge between the land of the Abbess of Lacok' and my demesne, and 1 acre lies above Lukerne and extends towards la Dune, and half an acre lying in Nethecote between the land of William de Asswelle and the land of Walter son of Hawise, and 2 acres lie in Flexlye between the land of Hugh le Erl and the land of Edith the relect of Cap[er]un, and a third part of half of an acre lying in Suthbir' between the land of William de Asswelle and the land of Robert P[ro]domme, and 2 acres of meadow lying between the river called Auene and the pond of the mill of Laccam, and 2 acres of meadow lying between the river of Auene and the land of Richard de Wik' and [which] extend towards the bridge called Hebrigge, and 1 acre of meadow lying in Smalemede, and 1 messuage and 33 shillings and 2 pence of annual rent to be received annually in the places written below, namely the messuage situated between the messuage formerly of Walter Bat and the messuage formerly of Robert le Turnur, and 1 mark annually to be received from the mill and tenement which Edmund Molendinar' held at one time, and 10 shillings from the tenement formerly of John de la More, and 12 pence from the tenement formerly of Peter the clerk, and 3 shillings and 10 pence from the tenement formerly of Henry le Bule, and 5 shillings from the tenement formerly of Richard de Laberse, and 4 candles of 4 pounds of wax annually and 1 torch burning every night each year for a light in the said chapel to be maintained for ever, namely 2 candles of 2 pounds at the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Mary from the tenement of Robert de Lacok' which Henry le Bule held at one time, and 2 candles of 2 pounds at the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Mary to be paid from the tenement of the said Robert at le Hebrige, and 1 torch burning every night for ever from the said tenement of Robert and all services [etc], to the chaplains and their successors successively serving God and the chapel, to hold to the chaplains [etc] in pure, free and perpetual alms for ever. I and my heirs shall warrant, acquit and defend the land [etc] to the chaplains and their successors for ever. When any of the chaplains dies I or our heirs or assigns shall present a chaplain to the bishop of Sar[um] and the bishop shall institute him in the chapel. If we neglect to present the bishop may confer the chaplaincy on a suitable chaplain, saving the right of presentation to me and my heirs afterwards. Also I will that the chaplain shall offer 1 candle of 1 pound of wax each year in the feast of St Cyriac in the parish church of Lacok' as a mark of devotion and subjection. From the above fruits he shall present a tithe to the same mother church as he has been accustomed hitherto. I have confirmed this writing by the impression of my seal.
Witnesses: the venerable father in Christ Robert de Wichamton' bishop of Sar[um], Sirs Walter Scamel, dean of Sar[um], Nicholas Lungespeye, treasurer of Sar[um], Masters Henry de Brandestone, archdeacon of Wiltshire, William de la Wyle, Sirs Geoffrey Gacelin, Geoffrey de Wrokeshale, John de Tinhide, knights, Richard Horn, Richard de Gatest', Nicholas Lucas, Reynold [Rag'] Croc and others.

The arms on the seal differ from those usually ascribed to the Bluet family, but are similar to those given for William Bluet in the late-13th-century St George's Roll at the College of Arms, which are blazoned as "or 2 wings conjoined in lure gules" [Dictionary of British Arms: Medieval Ordinary, volume 4, page 457], and the same as those on two impressions of William Bluet's seal from the same period held by the National Archives [WARD 2/28/94C/4 and 94E/7].

[I am grateful to Jim Poynor for kindly providing the photographs of this document and its seal.]