The original of this charter is preserved at the Public Record Office.[516] It is assigned in the official calendar to 1189–1196, but this date can be greatly narrowed. For while it is subsequent to William’s consecration (31st Dec., 1189), it must be previous to his obtaining the legation in June, 1190, for Bishop Hugh was his open foe before he lost it, and could not act with him after that.
Willelmus dei gratia Elyensis episcopus Domini Regis cancellarius universis Christi fidelibus ad quos presens scriptum pervenerit salutem in vero salutari. Universitati vestre notum fieri volumus nos dedisse et concessisse et presenti carta nostra confirmasse dilecto et familiari nostro Gaufrido Blundo civi Lond’ et heredibus suis totam terram et mesuagium cum pertinentiis et libertatibus et liberis consuetudinibus et rebus cunctis que ad predictam terram pertinent, quam terram et quod mesuagium cum pertinentiis emimus de Waltero Lorengo qui fuit nepos Petri filii Walteri[517] et Roberti filii Walteri et eorum heres per veredictum tocius civitatis Londoniarum (sic), et hoc testificatum fuit coram nobis a maioribus baronibus civitatis apud Turrim Lond’. Que terra et quod mesuagium cum pertinentiis fuerunt predicti Petri filii Walteri et predicti Roberti filii Walteri qui fuerunt avunculi predicti Walteri Loreng’ et jacent in parochia Sancti Laurentii de Judaismo et in parochia Sancte Marie de Aldermanebery, habendum et tenendum predicto Gaufrido et heredibus suis jure hereditario imperpetuum cum omnibus pertinentiis et libertatibus et liberis consuetudinibus et cum omnibus rebus, scilicet quicquid ibidem habuimus in terris, in lignis, in lapidibus, in redditibus, et in rebus cunctis, sine aliquo retenimento faciendo inde servicium quod inde capitali domino debet, scilicet vj d. per annum ad Pasch’ pro omni servitio. Hanc vero terram et mesuagium cum pertinentiis, ut predictum est, ego Willelmus predictus et heredes nostri predicto Gaufrido et heredibus suis contra omnes gentes imperpetuum warrantizabimus. Pro hac donatione et concessione et carte nostre confirmatione predictus Gaufridus Blund dedit nobis quatuor viginti et decem libras argenti in gersumam. Et ut hec nostra donatio et concessio rata et inconcussa predicto Gaufrido et heredibus suis imperpetuum permaneat, eam presenti scripto et sigilli nostri munimine corroboravimus.
Hiis testibus: Hugoni Cestrensi episcopo; Henrico de Longo Campo fratre nostro; Willelmo de Brause; Henrico de Cornhell’; Willelmo Puintel; Ricardo filio Reineri; Henrico filio Ailwin’; Waltero de Hely senescallo nostro; Matheo de Alenzun camerario nostro; magistro Michaele; Willelmo de Sancto Michaele; Gaufrido Bucuinte; Simone de Aldermannebury; Baldewino capellano nostro; Stephano Blundo; Philippo elemosinario nostro; magistro Willelmo de Nanntes; Daniele de Longo Campo clerico nostro; Reimundo clerico nostro, et multis aliis.
We have here a remarkable group of men—Longchamp himself, whose fall, in 1191, was so closely connected with the birth of the commune, but who is here seen, in the hour of his pride, speaking of “our brother,” “our seneschal,” “our chamberlain,” “our chaplain,” “our almoner,” and “our clerks”; Bishop Hugh, who was next year to take the lead in expelling him from the Tower, as yet his stronghold; Henry of Cornhill and Richard Fitz Reiner, who had ceased but a few months before to be sheriffs of London, and who were to play so prominent a part at the crisis of 1191; lastly, Henry Fitz Ailwin himself, who, as the ultimate result of that crisis, was destined to become the first Mayor of the Commune of London.
The grantee himself also was a well-known citizen of London. In conjunction with Henry Fitz Ailwin (as Mayor) and other City magnates, he witnessed a gift of property in the City to St. Mary’s, Clerkenwell;[518] and he seems to have been the Geoffrey Blund who had, by his wife Ida de Humfraville, a son Thomas, who founded a chantry in St. Paul’s for his uncle Richard de Humfraville, and his father Geoffrey.
For the London topographer also this charter has an interest, as land in St. Lawrence Jewry, and St. Mary Aldermanbury, must have closely adjoined the site of the Guildhall itself. The sum named is a large one for the time.
I now pass to the two documents of which mention has been made above. The first of these[519] is of interest for its bearing on the “ward” system. At Rouen the “excubia” was in charge of the mayor;[520] in London, according to this document, he had not supplanted the sheriffs, by whom it must have been controlled before his appearance. This I attribute to its close connexion with the pre-existing system of “wards,” each, I take it, a unit for purposes of defence and ward, under its own alderman, with the sheriffs at the head of the whole system.
De Excubiis in Natali et Pascha et Pentecost.[521]
Magna custodia debet invenire xii homines sed per libitum vicecomitis abbreviata est usque ad viii homines.
Mediocris custodia debet viii vigiles, sed ita abbreviata usque sex.