Source.—Rymer, Foedera, ed. Record Commission, vol. i.

In the name of the holy and undivided Trinity. I, William, by the grace of God king of the English, make known to all archbishops, bishops, abbots, earls, barons and all my trusty men, French and English, present and to come, that when I came to England and landed with an army within the bounds of Hastings against my enemies who were striving unjustly to deprive me of the kingdom of England, upon the edge of battle, when I was already armed, I made a vow before my barons and knights, with the approval of them all and to strengthen their hearts, that I would build a church to the honour of God for the common salvation, if by God’s grace I should avail to gain the victory. And since we obtained the victory, I have fulfilled my vow and in honour of the Holy Trinity and St. Martin the Confessor of Christ I have built a church for the salvation of my soul and the souls of my predecessor, king Edward, and my wife, queen Matilda, and my successors in the kingdom, and for the salvation of all by whose labour and aid I obtained the kingdom, and specially of those who fell in the battle itself. And because God gave me victory in battle in this place where the church has been so built, in memory of the victory I have determined that the place itself shall be called Battle.

Therefore to this church of St. Martin, Battle, first of all by royal authority I grant the dignity that it have its court in all matters, and the royal liberty and custom of treating of its own business and affairs, and justice to be holden by itself, and that it be free and quit for ever from all subjection to bishops and all domination of any persons, as is the church of Christ at Canterbury. And if any robber or homicide or any criminal, fleeing for fear of death, shall come to this church, he shall suffer no manner of hurt, but shall be sent away wholly free. And the abbot of the church may everywhere set free from hanging a robber or thief, if he come upon such. I grant also to the same church the lowey9 adjacent on every side free and quit of all geld and scot, hidage and danegelds, and bridge-works and castle-works and park-works, and enclosures, and armies, and all aids, and pleas and plaints and shires and hundreds,10 with sac and soc,11 and tol12 and theam,13 and infangenetheof14 and warpeni15 and lastages16 and hamsocne17 and forestall18 and blodwite19 and cildwite20 and larceny,21 and free also of all custom of earthly service and of all exactions of bishops.

Further, I give to the church of St. Martin, Battle, the royal manor called Wye, with all its appurtenances from my crown demesne, with all liberties and royal customs, as free and quit as ever I have held it, or could grant it as king, to wit, from all geld and scot and hidages and danegelds and bridge-works and castle-works and enclosures of parks, and armies, and all aids and pleas and shires and hundreds, with sac and soc and tol and theam and infangenetheof and warpeni and lastages and hamsocne and forestall and blodwite and cildwite and larceny, if the same arise. Likewise I give 2d. from all forfeitures and pleas of all hundreds that pertain to the summons of Wye. In Denge marsh also, which is a member of Wye, I grant to the same church all maritime customs which I have had there, with all wreck. And if any fish called “craspeis” (whale) come there, it shall belong wholly to the abbot and monks, but if it come ashore between the bounds of Blachewase and Horsemede and Bradelle as far as Withiburne, the church shall have two parts of the fish and the tongue, as I have always had.

I give also to the same church these manors, Alciston, Limpsfield, Hoo, Crowmarsh and Brightwalton, with all their appurtenances, free and quit with the aforesaid liberties and royal customs. If murder-fine be due in the lowey or in the manors of the church, or if treasure be found, both shall belong to the abbot and monks. The church shall have its own warren in the lowey and in all its manors. I give also to the same church of St. Martin the church of Reading, and the church of Cullompton, and the church of St. Olave, Exeter, with the lands and tithes and all things pertaining thereto. And if any of my barons or men give anything of their own to the same church in almoin, I grant to them therein the same liberties which I have granted in my own gifts to the same church, and by this writing by royal authority, as aforesaid, I confirm the same.

Names of witnesses to the charter:

William the king, Lanfranc archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas archbishop of York, Maurice bishop of London, Walchelin bishop of Winchester, Osbern bishop of Exeter, Gundulf bishop of Rochester, Hugh, earl of Chester, Roger, earl of Montgomery, William, earl of Warwick, William son of Osbern, William of Brai, Bernard of NeufmarchÉ.