Document 2/87/2 (Records of May, App. no. IB)
- Description
- The abbot and convent of Reading show to their lord, the king of Scotland, and his council that, since the house of their lord, the king of England, of Reading was infeft and almously given to the priory of May in Scotland by the good king David [I] of Scotland, with all appurtenances, the value of which per year is 400 merks or more, the service of God being made in the same place for him and [for] the souls of his ancestors and his successors by nine monks from the foresaid house of Reading, yet this priory is alienated from them by the folly and silly sale which the abbot Robert, their predecessor, and a party of other monks who were of his cure, having no power to sell or alienate them, made to William, the present bishop of St. Andrews, for £1000, as this sale was made against the will and assent of the older and wiser [men] of the house and similarly against the assent of their lord the king of England, patron and advocatus of the foresaid house of Reading, and against the assent of the king of Scotland, patron and advocatus of the house of May (as there was no king of Scotland at that time) and against God and all reason. [The bishop] did not pay [Abbot] Robert more than £200 14 merks in hand, which sale was made to the foresaid bishop, who did not have the power to buy it for the reason that at that time he was chief guardian of the kingdom of Scotland and sworn to keep the kingdom and the estate of the king, who was to come without blemish, and each 'manere' of 'aniemisement', and for the reason that the kingdom of Scotland was then without a king. For this deed Abbot Robert was deposed and those of his circle put under restraint and in ward. Furthermore, the foresaid abbot and the convent of Reading asked their king of Scotland and his council that the fruits and the issues of the foresaid priory be paid to them in the meantime (amounting to four years inclusive up until Easter Day next to come) as they are ready to do to the foresaid bishop when he does make payment by reason and by the view of our lord the king of Scotland and his council in these matters. The foresaid abbot and his convent ask their lord the king of Scotland and his council that he take pity on them in this matter and that he will give such remedy and such counsel that the house of their lord, the king of England, and himself is not deserted thus, and their alms destroyed.
- Firm date
- circa 1293
- Dating Notes
- around the same time as Records of the Priory of May, no. 1A
- Source for Data Entry
- Records of the priory of the Isle of May, ed. John Stuart. 1868. Appendix to Preface, no. 1
- Trad. ID
- Records of May, App. no. IB
- Calendar number
- 2/87/2
- Charter type
- Memorandum
- Language
- French