Page:The histories of Launceston and Dunheved, in the county of Cornwall.djvu/55

ST. LEONARD'S HOSPITAL. 39 deliver by the aforesaid Lepers a signed brief, under our seal, to the Abbot of Ford, on account of the rent of the same Lepers, that is to say, at the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, and at the Nativity of the Lord : And we are bound to deliver daily to the aforesaid Lepers, by their messenger, one white bread or of corn such as any Canon may have at the Priory of Lanceueton, for the soul of Earl Reginald : And the Prior and Convent of Lanceue- ton are bound to warrant the aforesaid Chapel, with its oblations, and its appurtenances, together with the aforesaid land and meadow of Gillemartin, with all their appurtenances, to the afore- said Lepers, and their successors, against all men and women. Which thing that it may be ratified and perpetual we have con- firmed with our common seal of our house, these being the Witnesses, — The Noble Man Richard, Earl of Cornwall, son of King John, Sir Richard, then Bishop of Exeter, Sir John, then Archdeacon of Cornwall, Sir John de Lamford, then Steward of Cornwall, Sir Reginald de Botreaux, Sir Gervase de Horniocote, Sir Roger de Trelosc, Sir William Wise, Hamelin Miles, then Mayor of the borough of Dunhefd, Oliver Core, and John the Dyer, the then Provosts, Henry de Trevelle, and many others. The seal of the Priory in green wax is appended, and is excellently preserved. A curious enquiry is suggested by the clause of this undoubtedly genuine Charter : " Their tenement which they had in Launceueton of which Earl Brian of Cornwall heretofore enfeoffed them." (" Comes Brian Corn.") Robert, the half-brother of the Conqueror, was the first Norman Earl of Cornwall. He died between the years 1089 and 1097. Certainly there has been no Brian, Earl of Corn- wall, from 1066 to the present time. Moreover, the Canons of St. Stephen were absolute owners of Lanceueton at the time of the Domesday Survey. It therefore seems to us that Brian's possession was anterior to the Conquest. Thus we are thrown upon conjecture respecting the person who actually enfeoffed — that is, granted in fee — to the Convent, the site of the chapel which they were now ex- changing for the land of Gillemartin. As the monks were