123 
Certificate of the Town Gild of Malmesbury. 
parliament 8th June, 1821, and adds that a “ Bruera,” or rough 
pasture, near the manor called Brendeheth (now Burnt Heath 
Farm), “was given by King Athelstan”’ for sustaining one chaplain 
to pray for the souls of the King and the burgesses. [Pat. Hen. V. 
Jones’ Index.} In this note Canon Jackson also mentions the 
chaplain and the source of his income, which, according to the cer- 
tificate, was “46 shillings in all’’; but the only allusion found 
_ to “the Chapel built in honour of God and St. John the Baptist,” 
is in Canon Jackson’s “ Ancient Chapels in Co. Wilts” (Wilts 
Arch. Mag., vol. x., p. 294), where he says “ The Valor Eccles. 
names as in the Abbey Church, a chapel of St. John the Baptist, 
the chapel of the B.V.M., and the shrine of St. Aldhelm; but 
no notices of any of these having been endowed have been met 
with.” 
interesting. 
“A nostre tresexcellent et tresgra- 
ciouse Seigneur nostre Seigneur le Roi 
et a son tresage consaill certefiont en sa 
Chauncerie lez poeres Aldreman et 
Burgeysez oue toute la cominalte de la 
ville de Malmesbury ge la dite ville de 
Malmesbury feust et est une aunciene 
ville et auxi Burgh et de tout temps 
deuant le Roi Athelston et puis saunz 
ascun interrupcione. Et le Roi Athel- 
_ ston progenitour nostre Seigneur le Roi 
 qorest a cez Burgeis de Malmesbury 
_ suzditz et a lour successours granta qils 
 eient et teignent touz lez vsages et 
_ frankes customes sicome ils tendreierent 
en temps de cez progenitours et qils 
_ Soient quites de Burghbote Bruggebote 
Wardewite Hornegeld et scot. Et outre 
dona a lez ditz Burgeysez un bruer 
iuxta la ville de Norton conteignant 
cink hides de terre en feide] de eux et 
de lour Burgh et cominalte purceo qils 
feurent eidantz a luy encontre lez Danes 
Sicome appiert en sa charte conferme et 
ratefie par vous nostre Seigneur le Roi 
Et lez ditz Burgeises ont usez de temps 
‘dont memorie ne court a contrarie ge 
The following record of endowment is, therefore, very 
“To our most excellent and most 
gracious lord our lord the king and to 
his most wise council certify into his 
chancery the poor aldermen and bur- 
gesses with all the commonalty of the 
town of Malmesbury that the said town 
of Malmesbury was and is an ancient 
town and also borough and from all 
time before the king Athelston and 
since without any interruption. And 
the king Athelston progenitor of our 
lord the king who now is to his bur- 
gesses of Malmesbury abovesaid and to 
their successors granted that they may 
have and hold all the usages and free 
customs so as they held them in time 
of his progenitors and that they may 
be quit of burghbote, bruggebote war- 
dewite hornegeld and scot. And besides 
he gave to the said burgesses a heath 
near the town of Norton containing five 
hides of land in aid of them and of their 
borough and commonalty because they 
were helpful to him against the Danes 
sO aS appears in his charter confirmed 
and ratified by you our lord the king. 
And the said burgesses have been wont 
