Caput II. Verba Dare

by Michael Lambert

May 2024

Caput II. Verba Dare

by Michael Lambert

May 2024

Carolus Magnus known as Charlemagne ruled the Carolinian Empire, from Spain to Germany. Pope Leo III on Christmas Day in the year 800 CE at Old Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome crowned him Holy Roman Emperor. A silver coin portrays Charles facing left waring the laurea corona, the laurel wreath and, in the imperial style, a circular broach clasps his cloak. Charlemagne was also a humanist, he re-introduced Latin

William, Duke of Normandy emulated Carolus Magnus

The domesday survey was written by the Norman clerk. Norman French is muscular; its morphology ‘elbows’. Latin verbs are placed in the middle of sentences. Exemplum: Comitissa Godeva tenuit tempore Regis Edwardi Ailspede. Additional Norman intrusions, not cited in the Countess of Godiva survey include; the verbs habeo, I have and debeo, I must; express obligation as opposed to the genitive case. Classical Latin: videt, [he] sees; Norman French: is videt, he sees

There is no such thing as a ‘pure’ language, for every language has loan-words. Loan-words intrude from one culture into another. The Countess Godiva survey entry cites three loan-words with reference to the social class of surf, in descending order: villanus, bordarius and, servus. The first-two nouns are from Normandy, the third is from Rome. Villanus, among duties are those of a bondsman. He is trusted with authority to contract business and handle money. Bordarius his duties are those of the foreman. He ensured work was completed within time, such as; crop gathering. The Countess of Godiva across her two estates of Alspath and Atherstone employes 19, villani and nine bordarii but, one servus. We do not know the man’s name, the presumption; he is a long-time retainer. To perform the actual work, servi are hired to meet requirement. Between her two estates, may agricultural production have been on an industrial level? The survey does not cite grain and saw mills, nor presses for cider, nor a brew house for ale. Did the estate-men use dumb-insolence with William’s inquisitors?

Compare the Latin of the Tudor-era gift with the domesday survey.

A Gift of Land in 1522 in Tudor England

Sciant presentes et futuri quod ego Willelmus Parett de Fylinghull et Elizabetha uxor mea unanimi consensu et assensu dedimus concessimus et hac presenti carta nostra confirmavimus Thome Wyghtman unum messuagium et dimidiam virgatam terre cum omnibus pertinenciis suis iacentia in villa et in campis de Fylinghull, quod quidem mesuagium quondam Willelmus Warrener tenuit, Habendum et tenendum predictum messuagium et dimidiam virgatam terre cum omnibus suis pertinenciis in villa et in campis de Fylinghull predictis prefato Thome Wyghtman heredibus et assignatis suis libere quiete bene et in pace de capitalibus dominis feodi illius per servicia inde debita et de iure consueta, et nos vero Willelmus et Elizabetha predicti et heredes nosti predictum messuagium et dimidiam virgatam terre cum omnibus pertinenciis suis in villa et campis de Fylinghull prefato Thome Wyghtman heredibus et assignatis suis contra omnes gentes warantizabimus et imperpetuum defendemus. In cuius rei testimonium huic carte presenti nostre sigilla nostra apposuimus, Hiis testibus Willelmo Wardley, Thoma Shewall …et aliis. Data apud Fylinghull xii die mensis Martii anno regni regis Henrici octavi tertio decimo.

Hiis testibus ad deliberacionem seisine messuagii infra specificati cum pertinenciis, videlicet Waltero Torbett de Fylinghull, gentilman, Edwardo Menny de eadem, draper, et multis aliis

Know [men] present and future that we Wm. Parett de Fylinghull & Elizabeth my wife with unanimous consent and assent, have given granted and by this our present charter confirmed to Thomas Wyghtman one messuage & half a virgate of land with all its appurtenances lying in the vill and in the fields of Fylinghull, which messuage indeed the late Wm. Warrener held, to have and to hold the aforesaid messuage & half virgate of land with all its appurtenances in the vill and fields of Fylinghull aforesaid to the aforesaid Thomas Wyghtman, his heirs & assigns freely quietly well and in peace, of the chief lords of that fee by the services thence owed and accustomed by right, and verily we, Wm & Elizabeth aforesaid, and our heirs will warrant and defend forever the aforesaid messuage & half virgate of land with all its appurtenances in the vill and fields of Fylinghull to the aforesaid Thomas Wyghtman, his heirs and assigns, against all people. In witness of which [thing], we have affixed our seals to this our present charter, these [being] witnesses. Walter Wardley, Thomas Shewall…and others. Given at Fylinghull on the 12th day of the month of March, in the 13th year of the reign of King Henry the 8th [1522]

These [being] witnesses of the delivery of seisin of the messuage within-specified with appurtenances, namely Walter Torbett de Fylinghull, gentleman, Edward Menny, of the same [place], draper, and many others.

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