CHARTERS OF BRUTON PRIORT. 73 



Briweham is given to Willelnius de Moion. It appears to 

 have been a much more considerable manor than that of 

 Brewton. lt is well worth the enquiry of antiquaries 

 what place is meant by Brumeton : it is probably in the 

 vicinity of Frome. There is no allusion to the Priory of 

 Bruton in the survey. 



The earliest Charter of the Priory known ia one from 

 Willelmus de Moyun, or Mohun. He doubtless was a 

 great benefactor ; but in the words in this paper alluding 

 to the terra quo? fuit Rogeri Coci, it seerns very probable 

 that Roger de Courcelles is meant, and that he was the first 

 founder; indeed I am not aware of our having any evi- 

 dence of the Mohuns having possessed any lands in 

 Bruton ; they had, it is true, the large Manor of Bruham, 

 and endowed the Priory with great part of it. 



The Chartulary of the Abbey, placed at our disposal by 

 the liberality of the Earl of Ilchester, gives much Infor- 

 mation as to the possessions of the Abbey. It is much to 

 be regretted that so great a part of the early portion of 

 this volume is lost; but through the industry of Mr. 

 Harbin, a learned Somersetshire antiquary of 1700, there 

 are copious extracts remaining of the early papers, and 

 transcripts of as many as six Charters of the Mohuns 

 to Bruton Priory. One of these, purporting to be by 

 Willelmus de Moyun juvenis, is a very remarkable one. 

 It is not addressed, as the earlier ones, to Robert, Bishop 

 of Bath, but omnibus S. Dei Ecclesice fidelibus, tarn prosenti- 

 bus quam futuris 8f omnibus hominibus suis Francis $* Anglis 

 salutem. He next goes on to confirm the gifts to the 

 Church of St. Mary of Bruton, and the Canons regulär 

 made by avus meus, Comes Willelmus $f Willelmus, pater 

 mens. By this it would appear that the first benefactor to 

 the Priory of the name of Mohun was grandfather to the 



VOL. VII., 1856-7, taut it. ' 



