By Rev. W. G. Clark- Maxwell, F.S.A. 193 



herself, her husband, and her father, to the Canons of Bradenstoke, 

 a house which had been founded by Walter of Salisbury, one of 

 her ancestors. An entry in the Charter Rolls of 16 Henry III. ^ 

 giving the King's confirmation to the gifts bestowed upon the 

 Priory of Bradenstoke, mentions among these, " Of the gift of 

 William Lungespee, sometime Earl of Sarum, all the land which 

 Ralph de Parco had in Ethrop ... of the gift of Ela Countess 

 of Salisbury, 100s. of land in Ethrop ... of the gift of William 

 Patricii, Earl of Salisbury, 100s. of lands in Etherop." These may 

 be the lands which, as will be seen, formed the subject of much 

 negotiation in the year 1236. 



In this latter year the Countess Ela seems to have set before 

 her the objects (1) of extinguishing by means of exchange these 

 external rights in Lacock and Hatherop ; and (2) of providing an 

 ampler endowment for the house, by conferring upon it the Manor 

 of Bishopstrow. As the price of the confirmation of these arrange- 

 ments by her son, she undertook to give him immediate possession 

 of the rest of the inheritance, to which he would otherwise only 

 become entitled on her death or retirement into religion. Ac- 

 cordingly an agreement was drawn up between them on Feb. 12th, 

 1236, whereby William Longespee agrees with his mother, that 

 she may give the Manor of Bishopstrow to the house of Lacock, 

 for the support of the nuns ; and undertakes to make an exchange 

 with the canons of Bradenstoke for the land they hold in Hatherop, 

 and with Sir Ralph Bloet (the co-patron) for his share in the 

 advowson of Lacock, the exchange to be made before the next 

 midsummer; further, he undertook when he succeeded to the 

 Earldom of Salisbury, that he would confirm these gifts by his 

 charter, and obtain the King's confirmation before August 15th. 

 In return, his mother undertook to hand over, on All Saints Day, 

 all the lands of which she was in possession. The agreement is 

 dated at Lacock, where Ela was probably then living (N. Cart., 66ff). 

 It would seem, however, that Sir Ralph Bloet declined to be bought 

 out, whereupon a fresh agreement was drawn up, on July 22nd of 



' Cal. Charter Rolls, vol. 1, 159. 



