A copie of the said letters patents.
Reading edition
HENRICUS Dei gratiâ rex Angliæ & Franciæ & dominus Hiberniæ, omnibus ad quos præsentes litteræ peruenerint salutem. Sciatis quòd de gratiâ nostra speciali & pro bono seruitio quod dilectus seruiens noster Iohannes Bromley nobis impendit & impendet in futurum: dedimus & concessimus ei hospitium de Molay Bacon, infra comitatum nostrum de Baieux, ac omnes terras, tenementa, redditus, hæreditates, & possessiones infra ducatum nostrum Normandiæ, quæ fuerunt Alani de Beaumont nobis rebellis, vt dicitur. Habendum & tenendum præfato Iohanni & hæredibus suis masculis de corpore suo procreatis, hospitium, terras, & tenementa, redditus, hæreditates, & possessiones supradictas, vna cum omnimodis franchesijs, priulegijs, iurisdictionibus, wardis, maritagijs, releuijs, eschetis, forisfacturis, feodis militum, aduocationibus ecclesiarum, & aliorum beneficiorum ecclesiasticorū quorumcúnq; terris, pratis, pasturis, boscis, warēnis, chaseis, aquis, vijs, stagnis, molēdinis, viuarijs, moris, mariscis, ac alijs cōmoditatibus quibuscúnq; dictis hospitio, terris, tenementis, redditibus, hæreditatibus, & possessionibus pertinentibus siue spectantibus, ad valorem quadraginta librarum sterlingorum per annum, tenendis de nobis & hæredibus nostris per homagium, &c.: ac reddendo nobis, & eisdem hæredibus nostris apud castrum nostrum de Baieux vnam zonam pro lorica, ad festum Natuitatis sancti Iohannis Baptistæ singulis annis: nec non faciendo alia seruitia, &c. Reseruato, &c. Prouiso semper, &c. Castro seu ciuitati nostro de Baieux, &c. Qudóq; prædictum hospitium, &c. In cuius rei, &c. Teste me ipso apud dictam ciutatem nostram de Baieux, 18 die Aprilis, anno regni nostri sexto, per ipsum regem.
Sir Iohn Bromley made capteine of Dampfrōt.
Yet héereat the noble prince not staieng his bountie, but rather regarding euer how iustlie new merits doo deserue new dignities, and peraduenture the more mooued somewhat to reare vp the degrée of this esquire, toward the state of his stocke, who a long time before had béene indued with knighthood, and also bicause that vnto the duke of Buckingham he was of bloud, which his behauiour alwaies had from staine so farre preserued, as rather brought to it some increase of glorie, did (in the most worthie wise which to that order belongeth) dub him knight of warfare in field, made him also capteine generall of this strong castell of Dampfront, seneshall and great constable of Bosseuile le Rosse, with other offices and titles of worship, as partlie may appeare by a déed, in which this knight taking patterne at his princes benignitie had giuen an annuitie of twentie pounds to his kinsman Walter Audeley.