Item 6 - Letters patent licensing Edmund Gonville to found a college for twenty scholars in Cambridge, and granting land in Lurtheburghe Lane in mortmain

GC/BUR/D/I/6

1 charter Relaxed, cleaned, seal repaired, mounted and rehoused by Museum Conservation Serives, 1999-2000. Manuscript vellum

Translation: Edward, by God's grace, king of England and France and Lord of Ireland, to all to whom the letters come, greeting. We have learned by inquisition [or enquiry] made on our orders by our well-beloved John Dengayne lately our escheator in the county of Cambridge - and returned into our Chancery, that no damage or prejudice shall be done to us or to others, if we grant our well-beloved clerk Edmund de Gonville, rector of the church of Terrington, that he can erect and create a new College of twenty scholars [i.e. fellows] in the University of Cambridge, studying dialectic and other sciences, and give it a name; and also give it three messuages and a garden with appurtenances in the street called Lurteburghlane [Free School Lane] in the same town, and assign the messuages to a warden [or Master] and the scholars aforesaid to have and to hold for staying and dwelling there according to the ordinance to be made by Edmund, for ever. And so we, of our special grace, and at the request of our well-beloved and faithful [servant] Walter de Mauny, have granted and given licence, for ourselves and our heirs, as far as in us lies, to the same Edmund, that he can erect and give a name to the new College aforesaid in the University of Cambridge, and give them the messuages and garden aforesaid with their appurtenances, which are not held of us and are worth per annum - in all their outgoings, according to the true valuation - 20s., as was found by the same inquisition, and assign them to the said warden and scholars to have and to hold to themselves and their successors for their staying and dwelling place, according to the ordinance to be made by Edmund himself, for ever. And we have likewise given special licence to the same warden and scholars that they can receive the messuages and garden aforesaid with their appurtenances from Edmund aforesaid, and hold them for themselves and their successors to stay and dwell there for ever, as has been said in the course of the present letter - and any statute issued forbidding lands and tenements to be placed under mortmain notwithstanding. For we are unwilling that the aforesaid Edmund or his heirs, or the aforesaid warden and scholars or their successors shall in any way be called to account, molested or aggrieved on account of the statute aforesaid or any documents hitherto issued by us or our heirs, our justices, escheators, sheriffs or other our bailiffs or servants on this account - saving to the chief lords of that fee due and customary services. In testimony of this we have had our letters made patent. Witness ourself at Westminster on 28 January in the 22nd year of our reign in England, and the 9th or our reign in France. By writ of Privy Seal and by fine [payment] of 50 shillings.

Photographed by James Austin, 1997. See Photographic Collection.

A transcription of the charter was published in the Biographical History Volume III.

Images of the charter were published, togethr with a translation as part of the College's 650th anniversary exhibition, www.cai.cam.ac.uk.