IN THE NAME of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
I, William, Constable of Chester, son of William the Constable, son of Nigel, give and grant to the church of Saint Mary of Norton, and to the canons serving God there under religious rule, the same Norton in alms with all things pertaining to it: in woodland, with forest and warren, in open plain, in fields, in pastures, and in waters.
And at the request and counsel of Roger, Bishop of Chester, and by the counsel of my men, I move the dwelling place of the canons from Runcorn to Norton: which Norton I give and grant to the canons in alms and in exchange for three carucates of land in Stannings, and one and a half carucates in Aston; and in exchange for the whole of Runcorn, except for the church, four bovates of land, and one fishery called Pulceorpa which belongs to the church of Runcorn itself, which church belongs to the aforesaid canons.
I also give and grant to them the mill of Halton, and half of all the fisheries belonging to Halton; I also grant them and their men common rights to the woods, pastures, and waters belonging to Halton; and two bovates of land in Halton with one manor; and half of my entire fishery at Thelwall, and one bovate of land there along with a fisherman; and two bovates in Widnes, with common rights to the woods and pastures belonging to Poulton, I grant to them and to their men residing in Widnes. and common rights to the woods and pastures of Cuerdley, and the mill of Barrow, and two-thirds of the demesne tithes in the same vill (township); and two-thirds of the demesne tithes in Sutton; and likewise in Stanney, in Raby, and in Stannings; and one mansion in Chester; and the church of Budworth, and the church of Donnington, and the tithe of its mill, and one carucate of land in demesne in the same vill, and in the parish itself Waver Toft, which is accounted for half a carucate of land, in Leicestershire; and the church of Ratcliffe, and a fourth part of the mills, and the tithes of the remaining three parts in the same vill; and the church of Kneesall, and the tithe of the mills belonging to the same vill which are near Sitella; and the tithe of the mill of Ollerton; and the church of Burton in Lindsey; and the church of Pirton in Oxfordshire: furthermore, all things that have been given by my men, or are to be given in the future, I grant for the salvation of their souls.
Moreover, I have done these things at the suggestion and confirmation of Roger, Bishop of Chester, and with the consent of Earl Ranulf the younger, for the salvation of Earl Hugh, Earl Richard, and Earl Ranulf, and for the salvation of my soul and my wife's soul, and for the salvation of the souls of my father and my mother, and of my brothers, sisters, and all my ancestors and successors.
Furthermore, I grant this alms free and quit from all services, customs, pleas, and suits, as freely and quit as any alms ought to be or can be granted. Whosoever shall increase or maintain this alms, through sharing in the benefits of that church, may he attain the kingdom of heaven. But whosoever shall violate this in anything, or attempt to infringe upon it, let him be punished in hell with Judas and Pilate, and with Dathan and Abiram, unless he comes to make amends.
Witnessed by William the chaplain for it is certain that my father, William the Constable, gave half of Raby, which was in his fief, to the Lord Abbot Richard and to the church, in exchange for a third part of Neston, which was anciently a prebend of Saint Werburgh.the entire honour which belonged to William, son of Nigel, Constable of Chester, in all things and dignities; and that I have established Eustace himself as hereditary constable and supreme counsellor next to me over all the nobles and barons of my entire land. Wherefore I will and firmly command, since I have restored his right to him, and have given and granted the constableship, and the whole honour of the constableship of Chester and of my entire land, that you reasonably obey him in all things just as you would my own person