Bernard — The Charters of the Abbey of Duislce. 1 1 



111. 



Grant, by Alan Beg, for the good of his soul, to the abbey of Killenny, of 

 an acre of land with the houses which the monks have possessed for a 

 long time, and a fishpond whicli lie gives to the infirmary of the 

 convent. 



Sciant presentes et futuri quod ego Alanus Beg dedi et coneessi et hac 

 mea preseuti carta confirmaui pro salute anime mee et autecessorum meorum 

 Deo, et beate Marie et Abbati de Valle Dei, et monachis ibidem deo seruien- 

 tibus, unam ncram terre cum domibias quas multo tempore possiderunt, cum 

 una piscaria quam dedi infirmitorio predictorum monachorum tenendumf et 

 habendmnt de me et heredibus meis tibi et successoribas suis in puram et 

 perpetuam elemosinam [libere] et quiete integre et pleuarie honorifice et 

 pacifice et absque omui 3ecula[ri ejxactione. 



Et ut hec donatio mea rata et inconcussa permaneat illam sigilli mei 

 munimine corroboraui. 



Hiis lestibus, Eanulfo rectore ecclesie de Baligauran, Thoma Buluin, 

 Symone capellano, Thoma cisore de Balligauran, Willelmo capellano, qui 

 banc cartam scripsit, et multis aliis. 



This Charter is undated, but it was probably executed about the year 1220. 

 Alan Beg's seal is still attached (see Plate II). 



The name Beg (or Beck) is the Irish equivalent of Parvus or le Petit, and one 

 WilHam le Petit is said to have been Chief Governor of Ireland in the last decade 

 of the twelfth century. Alan Beg, who appears here and in Charters 13, 14, was 

 perhaps of the same family.' His wife's name was Nesta.= He held lands in the 

 baronies of Idrone and of Forth, co. Carlow ; and he was a witness to various 

 charters by which churches in the diocese of Leighlin were appropriated to 

 St. Thomas' Abbey, Dublin, between the years 1200 and 1205.^ He also 

 witnessed a Charter of St. Mary's Abbey about 1202.' 



The three Charters of Alan Beg printed in this collection (nos. iii. 13, 14) are 

 all witnessed by Fialph the rector of Gotvran ; and the Charter now before us is 

 also witnessed by Thomas Cisor, or Thomas the Tailor, of the same place. Alan's 

 property was in that neighbourhood.* 



Ealph, the rector or parson of Goicran, appears again in that position in 1227 

 and 1228.'^ He was a witness to Charters of St. Thomas' Abbey before the year 



' The family of le Petit had close associations with Meath. Ralph le Petit was arch- 

 deacon of that diocese for nearly forty years, aud became bishop iu 1227. He may be 

 the ' Banulfus ' who is mentioned along with ' A. Beg ' (possibly the Alan of this 

 Charter, but more probably the Adam Beg who witnessed charters printed in R.T.A. 

 21, 22), as interested in property in INIeath, in a charter of St. Mary's Abbey (i, 158) 

 granted before 1194 and confirmed in 12(Jl. But he is not to be identitied with Ralph, 

 the rector of Gowran. 



- Charter 13. ^ See R.T.A. 105, 107, 113. * CM. A. i. 113. 



' See no. 14, below, for his laud at Ullard. " See Charters 13, 23, 28, below. 



[2*] 



