This Parliamentary diary is taken from shorthand manuscripts in the archives of the Harrowby MSS. Trust at Sandon Hall in Stafford-shire. For nearly a century from about 1713 successive members of the Ryder family recorded much of their personal, legal and political activities in shorthand notes and diaries. This practice was begun by Sir Dudley Ryder, who used a variant of Rich's shorthand system, which had been devised in the seventeenth century. He taught the system to his son Nathaniel, the author of this diary, and he in turn taught it to his two eldest sons, Dudley, later first Earl of Harrowby and Foreign Secretary 1804–5, and Richard, Home Secretary 1809–1812. Legal business comprises much of the material thus recorded, and many other notes concern personal and social matters, or estate management and accounts: but a considerable amount of important Parliamentary and other political information has also been discovered. Altogether, the surviving shorthand documents at Sandon Hall amount to some four million words. During the last thirty years or so, the Earl of Harrowby has sought to have these documents transcribed as part of his plan to put his family records in order. Since 1949 this task has been undertaken on something approaching a voluntary basis by Mr. K. L. Perrin of Great Comberton in Worcestershire, a hobby of great benefit to past, present and future historians.

662 Gift in perpetual farm by Gilbert Basset to Reading Abbey of his demesne meadow at Ardington called Lankedale for an annual rent of 2os, for which the abbey shall also have pasture rights for 24 oxen or other beasts in his meadows and those where he has common pasture in the northern part of Ardington at a specified time of the year. For this the abbey has given him 15 marks of silver

[1193 x 1205; ?c. 1205]

Af95r; Af107v; Bf74r-v; Cf39r

Pd. Kennett, Parochial Antiquities, i. 183

Sciant presentes et futuri quod ego Gilebertus Basset dedi et concessi pro amore dei et pro salute anime mee et anime patris mei et anime matris mee et Thome filii mei et omnium antecessorum meorum et successorum abbati et monachis de Rading(ia) totum dominicum pratum meum apud Herdetune quod duobus locis continetur et appellatur Lankedale, tenendum de me et heredibus meis ad firmam perpetuam reddendo annuatim mihi et heredibus meis .xx. solidos ad festum sancti lohannis Baptiste pro omni servitio terreno. Concessi etiam prefato abbati et monachis ut habeant per prenominatum redditum .xxiiii. boves cum dominicis bobus meis in omnibus pratis meis et in omnibus pratis ubicumque communem pasturam habeo vel habere debeo in boreali plaga de Herdetune a die quo totum fenum meum dominicum asportatum fuerit vel secundum oportunitatem temporis asportari poterit usque in diem quo prata ponantur in defensum. Ita ut in quacumque pratorum ex ilia parte de Herdetune communi pastura potero warantizare boves meos warantizabo boves abbatis et monachorum de Rading(ia). Quod si abbas et monachi de Rading(ia) .xxiiii. boves in prenominata pastura vel habere noluerint vel non potuerint, habeant in eadem totidem averia eadem libertate qua et boves eis habere concessi. Ut igitur de hac mea donatione et concessione de me et heredibus meis firmam et perpetuam habeant securitatem et warantum, earn sigilli mei impressione confirmavi. Pro hac itaque concessione dederunt mihi prefatus abbas et monachi .xv. marchas argenti. Hiis testibus: Roberto de Sanfort, Iohanne filio Hugonis, Galf(redo) de Turbevile, Ricardo clerico de Ledec(um)b', Osb(erto) Turpin, Andrea Basset, Reginaldo filio Helie de Ledec(um)b'. Ricardo Franceis de Henrede, Waltero de grava, Ilg(ero) de Chausi, Nicolao filio Petri, Huberto de Anreda, et multis aliis.

Memorandum quod tertiodecimo die Februarii venit hic coram venerabili patre Waltero de Langetone, Coventr' et Lyche' episcopo, thesaurario, Philippe de Wylughby cancellario de scaccario, Johanne de Cobham, Petro de Leyc' et Johanne de Insula, baronibus de eodem scaccario assidentibus eis venerabili patre Antonio Dunolm' episcopo, Johanne de Drokenesford' custode garderobe regis et aliis fidelibus ipsius regis, Hugo le Despenser proferens prefatis thesaurario et baronibus breve regis sub privato sigillo in hec verba:

Edwardus dei gratia rex Anglie etc., thesaurario et baronibus de scaccario suo, salutem. Mandamus vobis firmiter iniungentes quod ea que dilectus et fidelis noster Hugo le Despenser vobis ex parte nostra duxerit iniungenda credatis confidenter et studeatis efficaciter adimplere. Et hoc nullatenus omittatis. Dat' sub privato sigillo nostro apud Brandone Ferye' ix die Februarii, anno xxv.

[A2] Illustrissimo & honoratissimo Roberto Comiti Essexiae & Ewe, Comiti Marescallo Angliae, Vicecomiti Herefordiae & Bourchier: Baroni Ferrariis de Chartley, Domino Bourchier & Lovein: Regiae Maiestati Hyppocomo: Machinarum bellicarum praefecto: Academiae Cantabrigiensis Cancellario: ordinis Georgiani Equiti aurato: Serenissimae Domino Reginae a sanctoribus consiliis; Domino meo plurimum observando.