The Knights Templar in Beds. and Bucks.

Temple Bulstrode: accounts from Easter to September 1308, with translation

The Templars in Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire

Introduction

For the Templars' commandery at Bulstrode in Buckinghamshire see the brief entry in the Victoria County History: 'House of Knights Templars: The preceptory of Bulstrode', in A History of the County of Buckingham: Volume 1, ed. William Page (London, 1905), p. 391 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/bucks/vol1/p391 [accessed 12 January 2016], and the longer entry on Temple Bulstrode under the parish where the manor was located, in 'Parishes: Hedgerley', in A History of the County of Buckingham: vol. 3, ed. William Page (London, 1925), pp. 278–281 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/bucks/vol3/pp278-281 [accessed 9 January 2016]. Bulstrode Park is now on the site (http://www.chilternsaonb.org/ccbmaps/806/137/bulstrode-park.html)

The Templars also received rents from the manor of Radnage, granted to them by King John ('Parishes: Radnage', in A History of the County of Buckingham: vol. 3, pp. 89–92, online at: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/bucks/vol3/pp89-92 [accessed 15 January 2016]); rents of assise from a hide in Calverton ('Parishes : Calverton', in ibid., vol. 4, ed. William Page (London, 1927), pp. 308–311, online at: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/bucks/vol4/pp308-311 [accessed 9 January 2016]), rents of assise from Stony Stratford, and property at Great Marlow, where the Hospitallers held Widmere Manor ('Parishes: Great Marlow', in ibid., vol. 3, pp. 65–77 (online at: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/bucks/vol3/pp65-77 [accessed 14 January 2016]). They also held Temple Wycombe manor at High Wycombe, granted to them by Robert Vipont in 1227 ('Parishes: High Wycombe', in ibid., vol. 3, pp. 112–134, online at: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/bucks/vol3/pp112-134 [accessed 14 January 2016].)

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Bulstrode

[Walter de Molesworth, sheriff of Beds. & Bucks, accounts for the Templar manor of Bulstrode between Easter 1308 and 7 March 1309. Note that the manor included a water mill, a dovecote and pasture leased out for rent. Major products were tally sticks, cheese, butter and wool.]

TNA E 358/18 rot 7

1 Edw. II (Easter to Michaelmas 1308, Michaelmas 1308 to 7 March 1309)

(following Nicholas Picot and Nigel Drury, sheriffs of London):.

Compotus Walt[eri de Mollesworth nup[er] vic[ecomitis] Bed' + Buk' de exitib[us] Maner' de Bolestrode quod est Mag[ist]ri + fr[atru]m Milice Templi in Angl[ie] in p[re]d[ic]to Com' Buk' ex certis ca[us]is in manu Reg[is]

{Account of Walter of Molesworth recently sheriff of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire for the revenues from the manor of Bulstrode which belongs to the Master and brothers of the knighthood of the Temple in England in the aforesaid county of Buckinghamshire and is for certain causes in the hand of the king}

existent' sim[i]l cu[m] bo[n]is + catall' in eode[m] man[er]io existe[n]tib[us] q[ui]b[us]cu[n]q[ue] a festo Pasch' anno anno {sic} R[egni] R[egis] E. Fil' Reg[is] E. Primo p[er] bre[ve] Reg[is] patens usq[ue] festu[m] s[anc]ti Mich[ael]is p[ro]x' seq[ue]ns' + ab eode[m] festo

{together with goods and chattels in the same manor from Easter 1308 until Michaelmas next following and from the same }

s[anc]ti Mich[ael]is anno s[e]c[un]do incip' usq[ue] die[m] ven[er]is p[ro]x' post f[estu]m s[anc]ti Gregor' vid[elicet] vij diem Marcij p[ro]x' seq[ue]n' anno eode[m] anteq[u]\a/m lib[eravit] Man[er]iu[m] p[re]d[ic]t[u]m cu[m] bo[n]is + cat[allis] in eode[m] existe[n]tib[us] Edmundo

{Michaelmas 1308 until the Friday after the feast of St Gregory, viz. 7 March 1309 before he handed over the aforesaid manor with the goods and chattels in it to Edmund de Burnham,}