2 November 1208 X 1241
British Library, London
From People of Medieval Scotland
Alex’ . Dei gratia . Rex Scott’ . Omnibus probis hominibus tocius terre sue Salutem . Sciant presentes et futuri| nos pro salute anime nostre . et antecessorum et successorum nostrorum . dedisse . concessisse . et hac Carta| nostra confirmasse deo et beate Marie de Melros . et Monachis ibidem deo seruientibus et in perpe-|tuum seruituris . Lacum de Dunschor’ in valle de Nyth’ . et illam denariatam terre que pertinet| ad eundem Lacum . et quicquid continetur infra eundem Lacum et terram . Tenend’ . et habend’ .| eisdem Monachis in perpetuum . in Liberam . puram . et perpetuam elemosinam de nobis et heredibus nostris .| libere . quiete . plenarie . et honorifice . ab omni seruicio . consuetudine . et exaccione seculari . Nos| uero et heredes nostri omnia predicta eisdem Monachis contra omnes homines warantizabimus . nichil| iuris in eisdem nobis retinentes . nec pro ipsis aliquid petentes preter orationes tantum . Ita tamen quod idem| Monachi singulis annis Die Sancti Andree de prouentibus eorundem habeant pitanciam . Testibus . G . electo .| Dunkeldensi . Laurentio . de Abbirnith’ . Bernardo fraser’ . Thoma filio . Ranulfi . Willelmo de Lyndeseia . Dauid| de Lyndes’ . Alexandro de striuelin’ . apud Alnecrumb tercio die Decembris . Anno Regni domini Regis| vicesimo Secundo .
Alexander, by the grace of God king of the Scots, to all worthy men of his entire land [sends] greeting. Let present and future know us, for the welfare of our soul, and of our predecessors' and successors' [souls], to have given, conceded, and by this our charter to have made firm, to God, St Mary at Melrose, and to the monks serving God in that same place now and for ever in the future, the loch of Dunscore in Nithsdale, and that pennyland which belongs to the same loch, and whatever is contained within the same loch and land; for the same monks to hold and to have for ever, in free, pure, and perpetual alms, of us and our heirs, freely, quitly, fully, and honourably from all service, custom, and secular exaction. We and our heirs shall warrant all the aforesaid to the same monks against all men, withholding nothing of right in the same, nor requesting in return for them anything other than prayers only, provided that the same monks each year on St Andrew's day have a pittance from the profits of the same. As witnesses, Geoffrey, elect of Dunkeld; Laurence of Abernethy; Bernard Fraser; Thomas son of Ranulf; William of Lindsay; David of Lindsay; Alexander of Stirling. At Ancrum, on the third day of December in the twenty-second year of the reign of the lord king.
