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Notificaiton by William Sparling [sperling] son of Alexander that, following frequent discussions with ABbot Walter about acquiring the site for a hospice in London large enough to accommodate carts, merchandise and other things the canons need, he had recommended to the abbot the land held by Scotland of Ifield and his wife Idonea on condition that other adjacent land could also be obtained (see no.554) to make the site of sufficient size. William had accordingly used the canons' money to buy the land fom Scotland and Idonea on his own behalf as they would have asked a higher price had they known the identity of the purchaser. In the presence of the alderman and many neighbours, he has handed over and quitclaimed the land to the abbot and canons with Scotland the knight's charter (no. 559); he is to have lodging in the abbot's house as long as he lives (see no314) , as in abbot walter's charter (not extant).
555. Notification by William Sparling son of Alexander that, following frequent discussions with Abbot Walter about acquiring the site for a hospice in London large enough to accommodate carts, merchandise and other things the canons need, he had recommended to the abbot the land held by Scotland of Ifield and his wife Idonea on condition that other adjacent land could also be obtained (see no.554) to make the site of sufficient size. William had accordingly used the canons' money to buy the land from Scotland and Idonea on his own behalf as they would have asked a higher price had they known the identity of the purchaser. In the presence of the alderman and many neighbours, he has handed over and quitclaimed the land to the abbot and canons with Scotland the knight's charter (no.559); he is to have lodging in the abbot's house as long as he lives (see no.314), as in Abbot Walter's charter (not extant). July 1184 x 2 May 1201.
Canta Willelmi Sperleng de terra nobis empta a Scotlando de Yfeld in Londoniis. Omnibus Christi fidelibus ad quos presens scriptum pervenerit Willelmus filius Alexandri Sperleng' de London' salutem. Certum sit vobis omnibus quod Walterus abbas de Waltham sepe locutus est mecum querens ubi hospicium quoddam facere possit utili loco sibi et suis et caretis suis que sepius pro victualibus suis et aliis sibi necessariis Lond' veniebant et tandem cum ego ostenderem illi quod utilissima esset sibi terra que fuit Scotlandi de Yfeldz et Idonee uxoris illius si tamen aliquas terras vicinas adquirere posset quia prefata terra nimis arta erat. Communi consilio cum predicto Scotlando et Idonea uxore eius locutus sum quod prefatam terram michi venderent ne si forte scirent quod predictus abbas illam eme-re vellet nimis ei caram illam fecissent. Quapropter prefatam terram a predicto viro et uxore sua publice emi et cartam eorum inde habui set pecuniam quam solvi predictus abbas michi tradidit de pecunia domus sue. Igitur ne aliquis meorum possit aliquo tempore in prefata terra aliquod jus sibi vendicare prefatam terram coram aldennanno et muftis vicinis et probis hominibus predicto abbati tradidi et domui de Waltham de me et omnibus heredibus meis quietam imperpetuum clamavi et cartam prefati militis ill is tradidi et hanc meam cartam de negotio sicut gestum fuit in veritate illis feci et sigillo meo confirmavi salvo michi quamdiu vixero hospicio in domo abbatis sicut carta testatur quam habeo de abbate et conventu de Waltham. Testibus hiis Iordano Aldermanno, Alexandro Sperleng, Iordano de Turri, Odone et Radulfo capellanis, Constantino, Roberto Blundo, Willelmo Veisin., lohanne filio Alexandri Sperleng, Martino et Radulfo fratribus illius, Symone de Garschirche, Odone Pistore, Gileberto Feltrario, Symone Textore, Radulfo Oter, Galfrido Piscario, Matheo de Billingesgate, Willelmo Fabro, Bernardo Bedello.
MSS: (A) Harley 391, fo.90; (B) Tib.C.ix, fo.137, iij.
1 (B) Esperleng.
2 (B) Iffeld.
Date: Abbot Walter; for the career of William Sparling, clerk to Abbot Walter, see no.314 and for the Sparling family, no.554.
Note: see too nos.556, 557 and 573<11>; Abbot Walter's stone house (no.560) in Billingsgate was to be the abbey's London headquarters until the Reformation; it was partly demolished in the 1490s and destroyed in 1666 (H.A. Harben, A Dictionary of London (London, 1918), 304; C.L. Kingsford, Historical Notes on Medieval London Houses, London Topographical Record, xii (1920), 52; J.E.N. Hearsey, London and the Great Fire (London, 1965), 139, 196). |