[6] Judges of England, i. 79.
[7] Monasticon, v. 191.
[8] England under the Angevin Kings, i. 22.
A CHARTER OF HENRY I (1123)
A good illustration of the value of charters for chronological and biographical purposes is afforded by one which Henry I granted to the church of Exeter. It is printed in the Monasticon under Plimpton, to the foundation of which priory it is asserted to have been preliminary. That foundation is assigned to 1121. The charter, however, is also found among those confirmed by Henry VIII (Confirmation Roll, i Henry VIII, p. 5, No. 13), with a list of witnesses arranged in correct order; whereas the Monasticon version is taken from the pleadings under Richard II (Coram Rege, Hil. 2 Richard II, Rot. 20, Devon), and records the witnesses in grievous disorder. The explanation of such disorder is that the clerk in the latter case was not familiar with the system on which the attestations to these charters were arranged, the names of the leading witnesses being placed in a line above the others. This will be made evident from the two lists of witnesses:
| Right Order | Wrong Order |
|---|---|
| King Henry | |
| Queen Adeliza | Queen Adeliza |
| William, Archbishop of Canterbury | William, Archbishop of Canterbury |
| Thurstan, Archbishop of York | Robert, Earl of Gloucester |
| Richard, Bishop of London | Thurstan, Archbishop of York |
| William, Bishop of Winchester | William, Earl of Surrey |
| Roger, Bishop of Salisbury | Roger, Bishop of Salisbury |
| Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln | Roger, Earl of Warwick |
| Evrard, Bishop of Norwich | Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln |
| Hervey, Bishop of Ely | Robert, Earl of Leicester |
| Ralf, Bishop of Chichester | Evrard, Bishop of Norwich |
| Ranulf, Bishop of Durham | Hugh Bigot, dapifer |
| Robert, Bishop of Coventry | Hervey, Bishop of Ely |
| 'Theold', Bishop of Worcester | William de Pirou, dapifer |
| Bernard, Bishop of St David's | Ralf, Bishop of Chichester |
| Richard, Bishop of Hereford | William d'Aubeny |
| Godfrey, Bishop of Bath | Ranulf, Bishop of Durham |
| Geoffrey the Chancellor | Nigel d'Aubeny |
| Geoffrey, Abbot of St Peter's, Winchester | Robert, Bishop of Coventry |
| Osbert, Abbot of Tavistock | Richard fitz Baldwin |
| Thurstan, Abbot of Sherborne | 'Theold', Bishop of Worcester |
| Vincent, Abbot of Abingdon | Baldwin de Redvers |
| Seffrid, Abbot of Glastonbury | Bernard, Bishop of St David's |
| Robert, Earl of Gloucester | Johel de Berdestaple |
| William, Earl of Surrey | Richard, Bishop of Hereford |
| David, Earl of Huntingdon | Guy de Totness |
| Ranulf, Earl of Chester | Godfrey, Bishop of Bath |
| Roger, Earl of Warwick | Robert de Cadentona [sic] |
| Robert, Earl of Leicester | Geoffrey the Chancellor |
| Hugh Bigot, dapifer | William fitz Odo |
| William de Pirou, dapifer | Geoffrey, Abbot of St Peter's, Winchester |
| William d'Aubeny | |
| Nigel d'Aubeny | Goislin de Pomereda |
| Richard fitz Baldwin | Osbert, Abbot of Tavistock |
| Baldwin de Redvers | Rainald de Valle Torta |
| Johel de Berdestaple | Thurstan, Abbot of Sherborne |
| Guy de Totness | William fitz Richard |
| Robert de 'Badentona' | Vincent, Abbot of Abingdon |
| William fitz Odo | Herbert de Alneto |
| Goislin de Pomereda | Seffrid, Abbot of Glastonbury |
| Rainald de Valle Torta | Humfrey de Bohun |
| William fitz Richard | William, Abbot of Cerne |
| Herbert de Alneto | Walter fitz Thurstan[1] |
| Humfrey de Bohun | |
| Walter fitz Thurstan |
It is obvious that this charter was granted before the death of the Bishop of Worcester (October 20, 1123), and before the King's departure from England (June 1123). But it must be subsequent to the death of the previous chancellor, Ranulf (Christmas 1122), and to the appointment or consecration (February 1123) of Archbishop William. The narrow limit thus ascertained points to the Easter court of 1123 at Winchester, the great gathering of bishops and earls implying some such occasion. Easter fell that year on April 15th.