For endowment, the Queen granted to the fraternity lands within the
walls, which, when they obtained the Soke outside the walls, was
called "the Inner Soken," the boundaries of which are described
in a book called _Dunthorne_, written by one of the brethren, as
extending from Aldgate to the Bailey of the Tower, to St. Olave's
Church, Coleman Church, and Fen Church, by the house of Theobald
Fitzloo, "the lane leading wherto is now stopped, because it had been
suspected of thieves," then by the Church of St. Michael to Lime
Street, and by the Church of St. Andrew as far as the Chapel of St.
Augustine-upon-the-Wall. She gave them also Aldgate and £25 per annum
from the city of Exeter.
Thus runs the deed of gift: "Maud, by the grace of God, Queen of
England, to R. Bishop of London, and all the faithful of the Holy
Church, greeting. Be it known to you that I, by the advice of
Archbishop Anselm, and with the assent and confirmation of my Lord King
Henry, have given and confirmed to the Church of Christ, seated near
the walls of London, free and discharged from all subjection, as well
to the Church of Waltham, and all other churches, except the church
of St Paul, London, and the bishops, with all things appertaining to
the same, for the honour of God, to the Canons regularly serving God
in the same with Norman the Prior, for ever, for the redemption of
souls, and of those of our parents. I have in like manner given them
the gate of Aldgate, with the Soc belonging to the same, which was my
lordship, and two-third parts of the revenue of the city of Exeter. And
it is my will and I command that the said Canons hold the lands and all
things belonging to the Church, well and peaceably and honourably and
freely, with all the liberties and customs which my Lord, King Henry,
by his charter confirmed to them, so that neither wrong nor injury be
done to them. Witness: William, Bishop of Winchester; Roger, Bishop of
Salisbury; Robert, Bishop of Lincoln."
Henry confirmed this deed, with further privileges of sac and soc,
thol and theam, ingfang theft and outfang theft, and all other their
customs, as were within as without.
The Inner Soke is identical with the present ward of Aldgate, but there
is no record to show that the priory was represented in the Court of
Aldermen for this ward, as they were afterwards for their Outer Soken.
Soon afterwards, in the year 1115, the Priory had a considerable
accession of landed property, by a grant of what now constitutes the
ward of Portsoken.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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