Original Documents.
The following instruments, the originals of which have been communicated by the kindness of Mr. Edward Hailstone, in whose possession they are now preserved, are unnoticed in Dugdale's Monasticon, and even in the enlarged collection contained in the recent Monasticon Diœcesis Devoniensis of Dr. Oliver. As part of the history of the religious houses of Plympton and Buckland, it is desirable to record their existence; and we are induced to offer to our readers an abstract of their contents.
1 . A charter of William de Mewi (hod. Meavy) to the canons of Plimpton priory. It recites the previous grant by Walter de Mewi, grandfather of Gilda the wife of the present grantor, with the assent of Wido, his son and heir, the father of Gilda, of parcel of the demesne of Mewi in free alms, and of other land with the tenants thereof, viz., the 4 sons of Alwinus named Osbert, Strewold, Edwin, and Siward, and their wives and progeny. William confirms the above on condition of being admitted as tenant in fee of the same lands to the priory at an annual rent with homage and relief: there is a condition of re-entry on neglect to pay the fee farm rent, and the grantor does homage to Robert, the prior.
The handwriting is of early character, but the name of the prior limits the date of the grant to some time between 1202 and 1214. See Monast. Exon. tit. Plympton priory. The names of the attesting witnesses are also consistent with the same date. The instrument has some of the features of a præstaria, a form of grant much encouraged by the old canonists. Agreeably to the prevailing law of the twelfth century, it should seem that the first grant was liable to be impeached either for want of an original warranty, or because the warranty came from a collateral ancestor without equivalent assets, or because the second donor claimed by some title paramount to that of the first. In truth, regrants by persons whose ancestors had already granted the property are too common at this period to leave any doubt of the precarious tenure of land for some time after the Conquest.
