A letter with the seal of an Irish bishop
Letter relaxing twenty days of penance for those praying for the soul of Ralph de Sumertone, formerly canon of St Mary’s Priory, Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire, and the souls of his parents, in Latin, document on vellum. England; dated at Ashby, 23 February 1261.
With the seal of an Irish bishop.

c.110 × 175mm, the lower 20mm folded up. 9 lines of text in a fine documentary script, with the large green wax vesica-shaped pendant seal of William de la Hay, bishop of Connor [Ireland] (1260–62), depicting a full-length standing bishop holding a crozier and blessing, with the legend ‘Willelmi dei g[ratia Con]nerensis episco[pi]’ (the top and bottom of the seal defective).

Provenance:
Colker MS 112; acquired in 1967 from Maggs as a gift from his wife.

Content:
‘Omnibus Christi fidelibus presentes litteras visuris vel audituris Willelmus dei gratia Conerensis episcopus […] omnibus fidelibus qui pro anima Radulphi de Sumerton quondam canonici ecclesie beate Marie de Esseby et pro animabus Ricardi et Emme patris et matris eiusdem Radulphi […] viginti dies de iniuncta sibi penitentia misericorditer relaxamus inperpetuum. Datum apud Esseby [23 February 1261] pontificatus nostri anno primo’.

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