The Foundation Charter of this Priory is given in the Monasticon. "Carta Adæ filii Suani de prima fundatione Monasterii Beatæ Mariæ Magdalenæ de Lunda, vulgo Munkebreton."
The religious House of Monk-Bretton was made over to the Prior and Monks of Pontefract shortly before the founder's death in 1158, and up to the time of the Priory's surrender, Nov 21, 1539, it paid a 5 yearly sum to Pontefract in acknowledgment of this dependence. In a full list of the property belonging to Bretton Priory at its dissolution are certain rents at Cawthorne and Barnby.
When Adam succeeded his father Swein, the Monks at Pontefract obtained from him an explanatory charter, confirming his father's Grant of the Church at Silkstone and its six adjoining oxgangs, with its chapels, lands, and tithes, "and" (he adds) "likewise the Chapel of my father at Cawthorne, which my said father had before given with two oxgangs of land and all belonging thereto in the same village, and with two parts of all the tithes of my father's lordships, which are as follows: Cawthorne, Kexborough, Gunthwaite, Penistone, Worsborough, Carlton, Newhall, Brierley, Walton, Mensthorpe, Wrangbrook, Middleton; viz., tithes of corn."
The following is the Latin text in the Monasticon. "Carta Adæ filii Swani."
"Sciant presentes et futuri quod ego Adam filius Swani fili Ailrichi pro amore Dei et salute. animæ meæ et matris meæ et omnium antecessorum meorum et heredum dedi et concessi et hac presenti carta mea confirmavi ecclesiæ sancti Johannis evangelistæ de Pontefracto * * ecclesiam de Silkston cum sex bovatis terræ et earum pertineniis in eadem villa eidem ecclesiæ adjacentibus, quam pater meus eis antea dederat in puram et perpetuam elemosinam cum capellis et terris et decimis et cum omnibus ad eam pertinentibus: similiter et capellam patris mei de Calthorne quam idem pater meus eis antea dederat cum duabus bovatis terræ et earum pertineniis in eadem villa et cum duabus partibus decimarum omnium dominiorum patris mei quæ hic certis exprimuntur voca"bulis, Calthorne, Kexburgh, Gunuthwait, Penyngestone, Wyrkesburgh, Carleton, Newhale, Brareley, Walton, Manesthorp, Wrang-
