VIII. Serif tum Alberti de Grelle^ de iiij parte ecclesîe de Eccles facto. W. clerico.

o:

NIUERSIS sanete matris ecclesie filijs tam futuris quam presentib} clericis et laicis Albertus Grelli, salutem. Notum sit vobis me dedisse et concessisse et hac carta

* The Rural Dean of Manchester; an office, according to Dr. Whitaker, the historian of Manchester, of great antiquity in the Anglican Church. "The Rnral Deans," he says, "were constituted at the same time with the parish priest, and Lancashire was partitioned into Rural Deaneries very early in the seventh century." There are very strong reasons, however, for supposing that Deans Rural did not exist in England at the period alluded to, nor have any authentic traces of their establishment been discovered until the eleventh century.

f Albert de Greslei, the son of Robert de Greslei, who founded an abЪeу of Cis tercians at Swineshcd in Lincolnshire, A.D. 1134. He married Agnes, daughter of William Fitz-Nigel, baron of Halton, (ante, p. 1,) and received the thegn-lands of Manchester as a portion. He died circa 1185, and was succeeded by his son,

Robert de Greslei, œt. 11, 28 Henry II. He married daughter of Henry

de Longchamp, and had issue,

1. Thomas de Greslei.

2. Alan.

He died A.D. 1230,15 Henry III., and was succeeded by his son and heir, Thomas de Greslei, who was constituted, 43 Henry III., warden of the king's

forests south of Trent. Ho died circa 1261, and was succeeded by his only son, Robert de Greslei, dominus de Manchester, who, 8 Edward I., married Hawyse,

daughter and coheir of John de Burgh, son of Hubert, Earl of Kent. He had a

son and daughter,

1. Thomas.

2. Joano.

De ?Ecclc». 4l

mea confirmasse Willo clerico de Eccles quartam partem ecclesie de Eccles ex illa parte que fuit Haisolfi patris sui et Mathei fratris sui post decessum Haisolfi. Tenend. in vita sua libere et quiete cum omnib} ptinentijs que ad eam ptinet in purä et ppetuä elemosynä p anima patris mei et matris mee et p meipso et uxore mea et pueris meis et p animab} omnium antecessorum meorum. Hijs testib}, Rie. capello eiusdem Alberti, Gilberto capello, Rob. capello Mamecestr., Jurdano clerico eiusdem ville, Helia clerico de Eccles, Rie. clerico de Leuer, Roberto de Biron, Hug. de Neuill, Uriano Basset, Rob. de Pötewyk, Lesyngo de Leuer, Walto de Herlas, Henr. Hauteyn, Rad. de Roby, Willo clerico qui hanc cartam scripsit.