The association of the custody of the Tower with the shrievalty of London and Middlesex is a point of considerable interest, because in other cases—such as those of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Wilts, and Devon—we find the custody of the fortress in the county town and the shrievalty of the shire hereditarily vested in the same hands.
Page [74]. The phrase "in regni dominam electa" must, as explained in the text, not be pressed too far, as it may be loosely used. But the parallel is too curious to be passed over.
Page [92]. The grant of "excidamenta" confers on Geoffrey the escheatorship of Essex to the exclusion of any Crown officer.
Page [93]. The closing clauses of this charter suggest that Geoffrey was even then guarding himself against the consequences of future treason.
Page [103]. The grants of knight-service to Geoffrey should be carefully compared with those, by Henry I., to William de Albini "Pincerna," as recorded in the carta of his fief (Liber Rubeus, ed. Hall, p. 397), and are also illustrated by the charter to Aubrey, p. 189.
Page [112]. "Archiepiscopo Cant." is, of course, a transcriber's wrong extension for "Arch[idiacono] Cant."
Page [116]. The phrase "senatoribus inclitis, civibus honoratis, et omnibus commune London" may be compared with the "cent partz et a laut poble et comunautat de Baione" on p. 248.
Page [182]. The expression "una baronia" should be noted as a very early instance of its use.
Page [189]. The name of Abbot Ording dates this charter as between 1148 and 1156 (Memorials of St. Edmundsbury, I. xxxiv.).
Page [190]. "Mauricius dapifer" was Maurice de Windsor, steward of the Abbey. For him and for the Cockfield family, see the Camden Society's edition of Jocelyn de Brakelonde.