When the King lay in this city, twelve men of the city of the better sort served him, keeping watch over him. And when he went hunting there, burgesses of the better sort, having horses, guarded him with arms in like manner. And for beating the woods the sheriff sent thirty-six footmen, so long as the King were there. And for the park of Marsetelie he found thirty-six men by custom for eight days. When the sheriff wished to go into Wales, he who went not after being summoned by him gave 40_s._ of forfeiture. A woman in any wise taking a husband gave to the King 20_s._ if she was a widow, 10_s._ if she was a maid, in what wise soever she should take a man. Any burgess soever whose house should be burned by any chance or hap or by negligence, gave to the King 40_s._ for forfeiture, and to his two nearer neighbours 2_s._ to each. When a burgess who was on the King’s demesne died, the King had 10_s._ by way of relief. If any burgess broke the term which the sheriff imposed upon him, he made amends in 10_s._ He who shed blood made amends in 40_s._ When the King went from the city, the sheriff sent to him twenty-four horses as far as Leintwardine, and the King brought them as far as the first manor-house of Staffordshire. The King had there three moneyers, who, after they had bought their money-dies, on the fifteenth day gave each to the King 20_s._ like other moneyers of the country. And this was done at the change of coinage. In all, this city rendered 30_l._ a year. The King had two parts, and the sheriff a third. In the year preceding this survey it rendered 40_l._ to Earl Roger. * * * * * This city gelded for a hundred hides in the time of King Edward. Of these, St. Almund had 2 hides, St. Juliana half a hide, St. Milburga 1 hide, St. Chad a hide and a half, St. Mary 1 virgate, the bishop of Chester 1 hide, Ediet (queen Edith) 3 hides, which Ralph de Mortemer has. * * * * * The English burgesses of Shrewsbury say that it is a great burden to them that they render the whole geld as it was rendered in the time of King Edward, although the earl’s castle has occupied 51 dwellings, and 50 other dwellings are waste, and 43 French burgesses hold dwellings which gelded in the time of King Edward, and the Earl has himself given to the abbey which he is building there 39 burgesses, who in like manner formerly gelded with the others. In all there are 200 dwellings less seven, which pay no geld. THE SALISBURY OATH OF FEALTY (1086). =Source.=--_The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle_, ed. Thorpe, vol. i., p. 353. (Rolls Series.)