28 DERLEY ABBEY CHARTERS PRESERVED AT BELVOIR. 



Some time about the year 1200, Ralph, the son of Simon, lord 

 of Wessington, built a chantry chapel in the court of his mansion 

 at Wessington, apparently for public as well as domestic use, as 

 appears from the following deed among the Belvoir muniments. 



(18) J,inow ye present as well as future, that I, Ralph, the son 

 of Simon, neither have nor demand by custom, nor of right am I 

 able to demand, the chauntry in the chapel of Wessington, which 

 I have made in my court, which is in the parish of Cruch, but 

 solely by favour of the Abbot and Convent of Derley, as is agree- 

 able to them, when and as they will : and it is provided that I and 

 my household and my guests may, in the same chapel, hear the 

 divine office from any canon of theirs, or from their chaplain of 

 Crich, especial oath by way of caution being made to them, that 

 no other chaplain than theirs sent to me, shall be admitted to 

 celebrate the divine offices in the said chapel, and that every kind 

 of indemnity shall be preserved for the Church of Crich, so that 

 it shall suffer no detriment nor diminution of its right in any way. 

 These being witnesses : John Sac of Cruc', Hubert, son of 

 Ralph, Geoffiry de Monasteriis, John, parson of Cruch, Alexander 

 de le Lowes, Herbert Torcard, Hugo Magno (Bigge), Hugo 

 Wallens, Nicholas de Pentrich, and other more." 



To this is appended a fine circular seal of white 

 wax, sharp and fresh, with a hawk in the act of 

 rising or running with raised wings : a crescent 

 appears below the bill on the left. Legend^ 

 " + SIGILL RADVLFI FIUI SIMONIS." 

 Endorsed : " Rad. fil Simon de Cantaria capell." 



(19) r^rom this document it appears that very soon after the 

 foundation of the Chauntry Chapel or Oratory by Ralph, the son 

 of Simon, in his court at Wessington, a strong contention arose 

 between the Rector of Morton, on the one hand, and the Abbot 

 of Derley with the Vicar of Crich, on the other, with regard to the 

 tithes forming the endowment of the chapel, arising from four 



