Original Documents.
CONTEMPORARY COPY ON PARCHMENT OF THE CONTRACT FOR BUILDING CATTERICK BRIDGE, 9 HEN. V. (1421—22.)
COMMUNICATED BY SIR WILLIAM LAWSON, BART.
We are highly indebted to the kindness of Sir William Lawson, who has placed at our disposal the following document, valuable alike as a contribution to the early history of the English language, and as an evidence, in connexion with architectural antiquities, so far as we are aware, unique. The vernacular tongue was indeed rarely employed for instruments of this kind until a later period. It is here found in a form which, to the general reader, must appear uncouth and barbarous, incumbered with local idioms and obsolete terms. It is, however, curious to observe how slight a change has taken place in the popular dialect of Richmondshire, during a period of more than four centuries, and the forbidding aspect of this document is perhaps chiefly owing to the singularly indefinite state of orthography at the period, apparently uncontrolled even by the simple rule of pronunciation. For example, the word following occurs written thus,—folowand, folowande, fillovande, fillowande, and folovande.
Amongst his ancestral evidences there have descended to Sir William Lawson with the estates of the ancient family of Burgh, of Burgh in the North Riding of Yorkshire, now written more commonly Brough, two documents highly interesting to the archaeologist. One is the contract for building the church at Catterick, now existing, dated April 18, 13 Hen. IV., 1412; the other is the indenture now laid before our readers.[1] The contracting parties in the first are Dame Katerine of Burghe, relict of John Burghe, and William, her son, who appears also here as party to the contract for the bridge. The indenture of 1412 has been ably edited by the learned librarian of Durham Cathedral, the Rev. James Raine, with plans, elevations, and details of the church, actually remaining at Catterick. These were prepared by Mr. Salvin.[2]
Indenture for building Catterick Bridge, a.d. 1421.
This indentre made be twene Nicholas de Blakburne Crist' Conzers William de Burgh' Joh'n de Barton' And Rog' de Aske William franke[3] And Th' foxhols of ye ta[4] p't and Th' ampilforde John' Garett And Rob't Mavnsell' masons of ye tothir p't bers witnes: yat ye forsaides Th' Joh'
- ↑ Whitaker merely alludes to the existence of this contract, without stating where it was preserved. Hist. of Richmondshire, vol. ii., p. 146.
- ↑ Catterick Church, a correct copy of the contract for its building, &c., with 13 plates. London, Weale, 1834, 4to. A copy of this work has been presented by Sir W. Lawson to the library of the Institute.
- ↑ The initials W. F. occur on the Catterick font, with G. L. and C. R. The church was built by contract, Apr. 13, Henry IV. Edit. by Raine, p. 20.
- ↑ The one part; common in Northern dialect. See Jamieson, Brockett, v. Tea, &c. written—"ye ton' part," afterwards.
