Licence by Letters Patent of Edward III to the vicars of the church of St Chad, Lichfield, in Latin; dated at Westminster, 12 January 1373

single-sheet document, 320x420mm, vellum, 19 lines in a fine anglicana script, space for a 4-line decorated initial with a small guide-letter ‘e’, the bottom 50mm folded up, endorsed by three hands, the margins yellowed, the EIGHTH GREAT SEAL OF EDWARD III attached by red and green cords, 120mm in diameter, a somewhat indistinct impression, and slight chips to the extremities affecting a few letters of the legend, but still legible on each side as ‘Edwardus: Dei: Gracia: Rex: Francie: et: Anglie: et: Dns: Hibernie’, framed

‘Edwardus dei gratia Rex Anglie & Francie & dominus Hibernie … vicaris ecclesie sancti Cedde Lychefelden. … ad valorem centum solidorum per annum … Johanni Hopewas & Johanni Herdewyk … Teste me ipso apud Westmonasterium duodecimo die Januarii, Anno regni nostri Angl. quadragesimo sexto regem vero nostri Francie trecesimo tercio. Faryngton.’

Calendared in the Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Edward III (vol.15: 1370-1374, 1914, p.228) as follows: ‘Licence for the alienation in mortmain by John Hopewas and John Herdewyk to the vicars of the church of St Chad, Lichfield, of 22 messuages, 80 acres of land, 4 acres of meadow, 18 acres of pasture and 5s. 6d. of rent in Lychefeld, Stychbrok, Strethaye, and Shenston, not held in chief, which are of the yearly value of 32s 2d, as is found by an inquisition taken by Edmund de Burton, late escheator in the county of Stafford, to hold in full satisfaction of the 100s. of land and rent which the said vicars had the king’s licence to acquire.’ For details of the eight different Great Seals used by Edward III, see W. de G. Birch, Catalogue of Seals in the Department of Manuscripts in the British Museum, I, 1887, pp.21-28.