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&lso# antr ofytx Chatters, 



By W. R. Holland. 



NUMBER of ancient deeds, relating to the family of 

 Alsop or Allsopp, of Alsop-en-le-Dale ; to the family 

 of Kynnersley, of Loxley ; and to other families 

 connected with Derbyshire and Staffordshire, have been entrusted 

 to me for transcription and translation. Most of these little 

 parchments, the minute dimensions of which are stated in the 

 notes, are what are termed charters of feoffment, i.e., grants of 

 freehold property. Some of them are much faded and defaced. 

 In order to present to the ordinary reader some idea of the 

 contractions used in medieval manuscripts of this description, 

 I have set out the abbreviated text exactly as I found it. The 

 verbatim translation will enable the palseographist to discover 

 at once in any case the full word which I have considered to be 

 indicated by any contraction, and to judge for himself whether 

 I have rightly dealt with any difficulty presented in the original. 

 There are in the documents themselves certain customary 

 marks, which are intended to show that a contraction is used, 

 and in some cases to point out its nature. These conventional 

 marks I have not attempted to re-produce in the printed copy. 

 One advantage in presenting the charters in their abbreviated 

 form is a great saving of space. 



Several of the undated charters clearly belong to a period 

 anterior to 1290. In one of the notes I have given reasons for 

 this opinion. Two of the charters afford examples of the fanciful 

 tenures which were in vogue in early times. Thus, Henry, son 



