by Dan Jones
1 Firstly, we have granted to God and confirmed by this, our present charter, for us and our heirs in perpetuity, that the English Church shall be free, and shall have its rights in full and its liberties intact; and we wish this to be thus observed, which is clear from the fact that, before the discord with our barons began, we granted and confirmed by our charter free elections, which are considered to be of the utmost importance and necessity to the English Church, and we obtained confirmation of this from our lord Pope Innocent III; which we shall observe and which we wish our heirs to observe in good faith in perpetuity. We have also granted to all the free men of our realm, for ourselves and our heirs in perpetuity, all the liberties written below, for them and their heirs to have and to hold of us and our heirs.
2 Si quis comitum vel baronum nostrorum, sive aliorum tenentium de nobis in capite per servitium militare, mortuus fuerit, et cum decesserit haeres suus plenae aetatis fuerit et relevium debeat, habeat haereditatem suam per antiquum relevium; scilicet haeres vel haeredes comitis de baronia comitis integra per centum libras; haeres vel haeredes baronis de baronia integra per centum libras; haeres vel haeredes militis de feodo militis integro per centum solidos ad plus; et qui minus debuerit minus det secundum antiquam consuetudinem feodorum.
2 If any of our earls or barons, or others holding in chief*1 of us by knight service, dies, and at his death his heir is of full age and owes relief, he shall have his inheritance by paying the ancient relief: that is, for the heir or heirs of an earl, £100 for the whole earl’s barony; for the heir or heirs of a baron, £100 for the whole barony; for the heir or heirs of a knight, 100 marks at most for the whole knight’s fee; and anyone who owes less gives less, according to the ancient custom of fees.
3 Si autem haeres alicujus talium fuerit infra aetatem et fuerit in custodia, cum ad aetatem pervenerit, habeat haereditatem suam sine relevio et sine fine.
3 If, on the other hand, the heir of any such person has been underage and has been in wardship, when he comes of age he is to have his inheritance without paying relief and without a fine.
4 Custos terrae hujusmodi haeredis qui infra aetatem fuerit, non capiat de terra haeredis nisi rationabiles exitus, et rationabiles consuetudines, et rationabilia servitia, et hoc sine destructione et vasto hominum vel rerum; et si nos commiserimus custodiam alicujus talis terrae vicecomiti vel alicui alii qui de exitibus illius nobis respondere debeat, et ille destructionem de custodia fecerit vel vastum, nos ab illo capiemus emendam, et terra committatur duobus legalibus et discretis hominibus de feodo illo, qui de exitibus respondeant nobis vel ei cui eos assignaverimus; et si dederimus vel vendiderimus alicui custodiam alicujus talis terrae, et ille destructionem inde fecerit vel vastum, amittat ipsam custodiam, et tradatur duobus legalibus et discretis hominibus de feodo illo qui similiter nobis respondeant sicut praedictum est.
4 The guardian of the land of such an heir who is underage, shall not take from the heir’s land any more than reasonable revenues, reasonable customs and reasonable services, and this shall be done without the destruction or waste of men or goods; and if we have committed the wardship of any such land to a sheriff or anyone else who answers to us for its revenues, and he destroys or wastes the lands, we will take amends from him, and the land shall be committed to two law-abiding and discreet men of the fee,*2 who will answer to us or the person we have assigned them, and if we give or sell the wardship of any such land to anyone, and he destroys or wastes it, he shall lose the wardship, and it shall be handed over to two law-abiding and discreet men of the fee who shall answer to us as previously said.
5 Custos autem, quamdiu custodiam terrae habuerit, sustentet domos, parcos, vivaria, stagna, molendina, et cetera ad terram illam pertinentia, de exitibus terrae ejusdem; et reddat haeredi, cum ad plenam aetatem pervenerit, terram suam totam instauratam de carrucis et wainnagiis, secumdum quod tempus wainnagii exiget et exitus terrae rationabiliter poterunt sustinere.
5 Moreover, so long as the guardian has wardship of the land, he shall maintain out of the revenues of the land the buildings, parks, fishponds, pools, mills, and other things pertaining to the land; and when the heir comes of age he shall restore to him all his land stocked with ploughs and growing crops, such as the agricultural season requires and the revenues of the land can reasonably sustain.
6 Haeredes maritentur absque disparagatione, ita tamen quod, antequam contrahatur matrimonium, ostendatur propinquis de consanguinitate ipsius haeredis.
6 Heirs shall be married without disparagement, provided that before a marriage is contracted, the heir’s closest relatives are informed.
7 Vidua post mortem mariti sui statim et sine difficultate habeat maritagium et haereditatem suam, nec aliquid det pro dote sua, vel pro maritagio suo, vel haereditate sua quam haereditatem maritus suus et ipsa tenuerint die obitus ipsius mariti, et maneat in domo mariti sui per quadraginta dies post mortem ipsius, infra quos assignetur ei dos sua.
7 After the death of her husband a widow shall have her marriage portion and inheritance straightaway and without difficulty, nor shall she pay anything for her dower, her marriage portion or her inheritance which she and her husband held on the day of his death. She may remain in her marital home for forty days after his death, during which period her dower will be assigned to her.
8 Nulla vidua distringatur ad se maritandum dum voluerit vivere sine marito, ita tamen quod securitatem faciat quod se non maritabit sine assensu nostro, si de nobis tenuerit, vel sine assensu domini sui de quo tenuerit, si de alio tenuerit.
8 No widow shall be forced to marry for as long as she wishes to live without a husband, provided that she gives security that she will not marry without our consent, if she holds of us, or without the consent of her lord of whom she holds, if she holds of someone else.
9 Nec nos nec ballivi nostri seisiemus terram aliquam nec redditum pro debito aliquo, quamdiu catalla debitoris sufficiunt ad debitum reddendum; nec pleggii ipsius debitoris distringantur quamdiu ipse capitalis debitor sufficit ad solutionem debiti; et si capitalis debitor defecerit in solutione debiti, non habens unde solvat, pleggii respondeant de debito; et, si voluerint, habeant terras et redditus debitoris donec sit eis satisfactum de debito quod ante pro eo solverint, nisi capitalis debitor monstraverit se esse quietum inde versus eosdem pleggios.
9 Neither we nor our bailiffs will seize any land or any rent for any debt, so long as the debtor’s chattels are sufficient to pay the debt; nor are the pledges of the debtor to be distrained so long as the principal debtor has enough to pay the debt. And if the principal debtor defaults on the debt, not having the means to pay it, the pledges are to answer for it. And if they wish, they may have the debtor’s lands and rents until they have had satisfaction for the debt they have settled for him, unless the principal debtor demonstrates that he is quit with regard to the pledges.
10 Si quis mutuo ceperit aliquid a Judaeis, plus vel minus, et moriatur antequam debitum illud solvatur, debitum non usuret quamdiu haeres fuerit infra aetatem, de quocumque teneat; et si debitum illud inciderit in manus nostras, nos non capiemus nisi catallum contentum in carta.
10 If anyone has taken any sort of loan from the Jews, great or small, and dies before the debt is settled, the debt shall not carry interest for as long as the heir is underage, whoever he holds from; and if that debt should fall into our hands, we will take nothing but the principal sum recorded in the charter.
11 Et si quis moriatur, et debitum debeat Judaeis, uxor ejus habeat dotem suam, et nihil reddat de debito illo; et si liberi ipsius defuncti qui fuerint infra aetatem remanserint, provideantur eis necessaria secundum tenementum quod fuerit defuncti, et de residuo solvatur debitum, salvo servitio dominorum; simili modo fiat de debitis quae debentur aliis quam Judaeis.
11 And if anyone should die owing a debt to the Jews, his wife shall have her dower and pay nothing of that debt; and if he leaves surviving children who are underage, their needs are to be provided for according to the holding of the deceased, and the debt shall b
e paid from what remains, saving the service owed to the lords. Debts owed to others besides the Jews are to be dealt with in the same way.
12 Nullum scutagium vel auxilium ponatur in regno nostro, nisi per commune consilium regni nostri, nisi ad corpus nostrum redimendum, et primogenitum filium nostrum militem faciendum, et ad filiam nostram primogenitam semel maritandam, et ad haec non fiat nisi rationabile auxilium; simili modo fiat de auxiliis de civitate Londoniarum.
12 No scutage or other aid is to be levied in our realm, except by the common counsel of our realm, unless it is to pay for the ransoming of our person, the knighting of our first-born son or the first marriage of our first-born daughter; and for these only a reasonable aid is to be taken. Aids taken from the City of London will be treated in the same way.
13 Et civitas Londoniarum habeat omnes antiquas libertates et liberas consuetudines suas, tam per terras quam per aquas. Praeterea volumus et concedimus quod omnes aliae civitates, et burgi, et villae, et portus, habeant omnes libertates et liberas consuetudines suas.
13 And the City of London shall have all its ancient liberties and free customs both on land and on water. Furthermore we wish and grant that all other cities, boroughs, towns and ports shall have all their liberties and free customs.
14 Et ad habendum commune consilium regni de auxilio assidendo aliter quam in tribus casibus praedictis, vel de scutagio assidendo, summoneri faciemus archiepiscopos, episcopos, abbates, comites, et majores barones sigillatim per litteras nostras; et praeterea faciemus summoneri in generali per vicecomites et ballivos nostros, omnes illos qui de nobis tenent in capite ad certum diem, scilicet ad terminum quadraginta dierum ad minus, et ad certum locum; et in omnibus litteris illius summonitionis causam summonitionis exprimemus; et sic facta summonitione negotium ad diem assignatum procedat secundum consilium illorum qui praesentes fuerint, quamvis non omnes summoniti venerint.
14 And for us to have common counsel of the realm for the levying of an aid (other than in the three cases previously mentioned) or for the levying of a scutage, we will have archbishops, bishops, abbots, earls and greater barons summoned individually by our letters; and furthermore we will have a general summons, made by our sheriffs and bailiffs, of all of those who hold from us in chief for a fixed day, at least forty days away, and at a fixed place; and in all our letters we will explain the cause of the summons. And when the summons has thus been made, the business shall proceed on the agreed day according to the counsel of those present, even if not all of those summoned have come.
15 Nos non concedemus de cetero alicui quod capiat auxilium de liberis hominibus suis, nisi ad corpus suum redimendum, et ad faciendum primogenitum filium suum militem, et ad primogenitam filiam suam semel maritandam, et ad haec non fiat nisi rationabile auxilium.
15 In future we will not grant to anyone that he may take an aid from his free men, except to pay a ransom on his person, or on the knighting of his first-born son, or on the first marriage of his first-born daughter; and for these there is only to be a reasonable aid.
16 Nullus distringatur ad faciendum majus servitium de feodo militis, nec de alio libero tenemento, quam inde debetur.
16 No one is to be distrained to do more service for a knight’s fee, or for any other free tenement, than is owed for it.
17 Communia placita non sequantur curiam nostram, sed teneantur in aliquo loco certo.
17 Common pleas are not to follow our court, but are to be held in some fixed place.
18 Recognitiones de nova dissaisina, de morte ancestoris, et de ultima praesentatione, non capiantur nisi in suis comitatibus et hoc modo; nos, vel si extra regnum fuerimus capitalis justiciarius noster, mittemus duos justiciarios per unumquemque comitatum per quatuor vices in anno, qui, cum quatuor militibus cujuslibet comitatus electis per comitatum, capiant in comitatu et in die et loco comitatus assisas praedictas.
18 Recognizances of novel disseizin, mort d’ancestor and darrein presentment*3 are not to be held except in their proper county court, and in this way: we, or if we are out of the realm our Chief Justiciar,*4 shall send two justices to each county four times a year, who, with four knights of each county chosen by the county court, shall hold the said assizes in the county court, on the day and in the meeting place of the county court.
19 Et si in die comitatus assisae praedictae capi non possint, tot milites et libere tenentes remaneant de illis qui interfuerint comitatui die illo, per quos possint judicia sufficienter fieri, secundum quod negotium fuerit majus vel minus.
19 And if on the day of the county court the said assizes cannot be held, as many knights and free tenants [as are required] out of those who were present in the county court on that day will remain for the sufficient making of judgments, according to whether the business is great or small.
20 Liber homo non amercietur pro parvo delicto, nisi secundum modum delicti; et pro magno delicto amercietur secundum magnitudinem delicti, salvo contenemento suo; et mercator eodem modo, salva mercandisa sua; et villanus eodem modo amercietur salvo wainnagio suo; si inciderint in misericordiam nostram; et nulla praedictarum misericordiarum ponatur, nisi per sacramentum proborum hominum de visneto.
20 A free man may not be amerced [i.e. fined] for a small offence, except according to the nature of the offence; and for a great offence he shall be amerced according to the magnitude of the offence, saving his livelihood; and a merchant in the same way, saving his merchandise; and a villein shall be amerced in the same way, saving his growing crops, if they fall into our mercy. And none of the said amercements may be made, except upon the oaths of honest men of the neighbourhood.
21 Comites et barones non amercientur nisi per pares suos, et non nisi secundum modum delicti.
21 Earls and barons are not to be amerced except by their peers, and only in accordance with the nature of the offence.
22 Nullus clericus amercietur de laico tenemento suo, nisi secundum modum aliorum praedictorum, et non secundum quantitatem beneficii sui ecclesiastici.
22 No clergyman is to be amerced on his lay tenement, except in accordance with the nature of his offence, in the way of others mentioned previously, and not in accordance with the size of his ecclesiastical benefice.
23 Nec villa nec homo distringatur facere pontes ad riparias, nisi qui ab antiquo et de jure facere debent.
23 Neither town nor man shall be forced to build bridges over rivers, except those who are obliged to do so by custom and right.
24 Nullus vicecomes, constabularius, coronatores, vel alii ballivi nostri, teneant placita coronae nostrae.
24 No sheriff, constable, coroner or other of our bailiffs shall hold the pleas of our crown.
25 Omnes comitatus, hundredi, wapentakii, et trethingii sint ad antiquas firmas absque ullo incremento, exceptis dominicis maneriis nostris.
25 All counties, hundreds, wapentakes and ridings*5 shall be at their ancient farms, without any increment, except for our demesne manors.
26 Si aliquis tenens de nobis laicum feodum moriatur, et vicecomes vel ballivus noster ostendat litteras nostras patentes de summonitione nostra de debito quod defunctus nobis debuit, liceat vicecomiti vel ballivo nostro attachiare et inbreviare catalla defuncti inventa in laico feodo, ad valentiam illius debiti, per visum legalium hominum, ita tamen quod nihil amoveatur, donec persolvatur nobis debitum quod clarum fuerit, et residuum relinquatur executoribus ad faciendum testamentum defuncti; et, si nihil nobis debeatur ab ipso, omnia catalla cedant defuncto, salvis uxoris ipsius et pueris rationabilibus partibus suis.
26 If anyone holding a lay fee of us dies, and our sheriff or bailiff shows our letters patent of a summons for a debt which the deceased owed us, it is to be lawful for our sheriff or bailiff to attach and record the chattels of the deceased found on the lay fee, to the value of the debt, in the view of law-abiding men, so that nothing is to be removed from there, until the clear debt is paid to us, and the residue is to be relinquished by the executors to carry out the will of the deceased; and, if nothing is owed to us by him, al
l the chattels shall go to the deceased, saving reasonable portions for his wife and children.
27 Si aliquis liber homo intestatus decesserit, catalla sua per manus propinquorum parentum et amicorum suorum, per visum ecclesiae distribuantur, salvis unicuique debitis quae defunctus ei debebat.
27 If any free man dies intestate, his chattels are to be distributed by his closest kinsmen and friends, under the supervision of the Church, saving to everyone the debts that the dead man owed them.
28 Nullus constabularius, vel alius ballivus noster, capiat blada vel alia catalla alicujus, nisi statim inde reddat denarios, aut respectum inde habere possit de voluntate venditoris.
28 No constable, or any of our bailiffs, shall take anyone’s corn or any other chattels, unless he immediately pays for them in cash, or else he can agree with the seller to postpone payment.
29 Nullus constabularius distringat aliquem militem ad dandum denarios pro custodia castri, si facere voluerit custodiam illam in propria persona sua, vel per alium probum hominem, si ipse eam facere non possit propter rationabilem causam; et si nos duxerimus vel miserimus eum in exercitum, erit quietus de custodia, secundum quantitatem temporis quo per nos fuerit in exercitu.
29 No constable may compel any knight to give money instead of performing castle guard, if he is willing to perform that guard in person, or, if he is for some good reason unable to do it himself, through another reliable man. And if we have led or sent him in the army, he shall be relieved of guard duty, in accordance with the amount of time he spent in our military service.
30 Nullus vicecomes, vel ballivus noster, vel aliquis alius, capiat equos vel caretas alicujus liberi hominis pro cariagio faciendo, nisi de voluntate ipsius liberi hominis.
30 No sheriff or bailiff of ours, or anyone else, may take any free man’s horses or carts for transporting things, except with the free man’s agreement.