Folios: 162-164. Cumberland. Inspeximus of the following charters of Edward III to...

Folios: 162-164. Cumberland. Inspeximus of the following charters of Edward III to John of Gaunt.

1. Charter dated 20 May 31 Edw III: Whereas John, late earl of Kent, now deceased, by his charter had granted for himself and his heirs that the castle, land and lordship of Lidell [Liddel] with appurtenances, both in England and Scotland, which Blanche, formerly wife of Thomas Wake, held for her life of the said earl, and which after her death ought to revert to the said earl and his heirs, after her decease were to revert to the king and his heirs, and whereas Blanche has duly made attornment to the king in this matter by virtue of the said grant in the life of the same earl, as more fully appears by the said charter and her letters concerning this, the king, on account of his grace and special affection, which he bears to John, earl of Richmond, his son, and so that John has the ability to maintain his estate in the future better and more decently, grants that the said castle, lands and lordship with appurtenances both in England and Scotland, which Blanche holds of the king for her life and which after her death are to remain to the king, are to remain after Blanche's death to John and his heirs male issuing of his body.

2. Charter dated 8 Oct 50 Edw III: Whereas the king granted to the said John, his son, then being earl of Richmond, the castle, vill and honor of Hertford, and the vills of Beyford [Bayford], Esendon [Essendon] and Hertyngfordbury [Hertingfordbury], together with members and appurtenances, which Isabella, late queen of England, the king's mother, while she was alive, held, and which after her death passed into the king's hands, to hold to his said son under the form specified in the said grant, the king, on account of the affection which he bears to his son, has granted to him the castle, vill and honor of Hertford and the vills of Beyford [Bayford], Esendon [Essendon] and Hertfordyngbury [Hertingfordbury].

3. Charter of 8 Nov 50 Edw III: The king grants to John his son the castle, vill and honor of Brageriacum [Brigerac], diocese of Petragoricensis [Périgueux], together with the whole office of keeping the castle, all jurisdiction, rule, parishes, homages, resorts of castles and places, both of barons and any others, and any offices, tolls paid by travellers, fisheries, mills, buildings, goods of the king's rebels and enemies, being in the said vill and his office of castellan, and any other rights, jurisdictions, rents, duties, liberties, privileges, customs and appurtenances, as fully and entirely as Henry [Henry of Grosmont], late duke of Lancaster, the king's kinsman, deceased, had and held them while he was alive from the king's gift and grant, or ever the former lords of Brigerac, while it was out of the king's hands, or any of them had and held them.

4. Charter of 28 feb 51 Edw III: If the king, by due consideration, thinking about the magnificient behaviour of all those who have served him in his wars laudably and strenuously, desires to raise them by honors, etc, and considering the strenuous probity and wisdom of his son, John, king of Castile and Leon, duke of Lancaster, who has always exhibited to the king his obedience by labours and expenses, exposing himself to the dangers of wars for the king on several occasions intrepidly, and the king, wishing by this pretext, and desiring to recompense him with some benefit and honor, with the assent of the prelates and nobles in his current parliament at Westminster, has granted to his son that he may have for the whole of his life within the county of Lancaster his chancery and his writs under his seal appointed for the office of chancellor, his justices to hold both pleas of the crown and any other pleas concerning the common law, to make cognisances of the same and any executions by his writs and ministers there, and any other liberties and royal rights pertaining the county palatine, as entirely and freely as the earl of Chester has within the same county of Chester, always saving tithes, fifteenths and other taxes and subsidies granted to the king and his heirs by the commonalty of his realm and tenths and other taxes by the clergy of the same realm granted to him or imposed on the same clergy by the apostolic see, and pardons of life and members in the case, when anyone of the same county or anyone else in the same county ought to lose his life or member for any offence, and also the superiority and power of correcting those things which were done erroneously in the courts of the king's said son, or if the king's said son or his ministers make default in justice in the courts of his said son. The king's said son at the king's command is held to send to parliaments two knights for the commonalty of the said county and two burgesses from each borough of the same county to deal with others coming from the commonalty of the realm to the same parliaments about the affairs of the realm in the same parliaments. And that the king's son is to assign certain loyal and sufficient men to these tithes and fifteeenths, subsides and other taxes, whenever it happens that they are granted to the king or his heirs in the parliaments.

Witnessed by the king at Westminster. By writ of privy seal.

15 Sept 1 Ric II.