may have come by his information, seems to be confirmed by a single Wells charter which has hitherto been misread, but which has among its witnesses the name of Edward Trotem[an].[1]
If we regard 'Troteman' as a corrupted form of Tortesmains, we shall find that the name occurs at a good many places in Somerset. The Exeter Domesday shows us that Ralf Tortesmains held 5½ hides of the bishop in Banwell: one hide and one virgate of the abbot of Glastonbury at Winscombe, as well as two hides at Pilton and 6½ hides at Alhampton in Ditcheat.[2] Helias Tortemanus occurs in the Pipe Roll of 1156-7 in connexion with land of the bishop of Bath. Henry Tortamanus gave his chapel at Wrington to the canons of Bruton in the time of Bishop Reginald: and John Tortusman[us], with consent of Claricia his mother and Claricia his wife gave them land at Alhampton, Henry Tortusmanus being one of the witnesses.[3] Robert Tortesmains and Matilda his wife occur in 1196 and 1201 in connexion with lands in Alurington.[4] But the most interesting notice is found in Abbot Henry de Sully's Inquisition of Glastonbury, taken in 1189, where Henry Tortesmains does homage for the two hides still held at Pilton:[5] for in the last will of Hugh of Wells[6] we find a legacy to his poor relations at Pilton; and Hugh was as much a ' Troteman ' as was Jocelin his brother.
2. Jocelin of Wells must not be identified, as he commonly has been, with 'Jocelin the chaplain' who attests many of Bishop Reginald's charters. The Wells City charter, in which Bishop Reginald confirms the charter of his predecessor, has the signatures of both (Jocel capellano … Jocel' de Wellis)[7]: so also has Bishop Reginald's charter for the Hospital of St John at Bath.[8]
3. There is no clear evidence that Jocelin was a canon in Bishop Reginald's time: but under Bishop Savary he attests as canon of Wells more than once.[9] At the time of his election the canons of Wells speak of him as 'Master Jocelin, canon of their church and deacon, a man who has grown up in the bosom of their church from infancy (a prima lacte)':[10] and the monks of Bath describe him as 'Master Jocelin, clerk of their church and canon of Wells'.[11] Jocelin as bishop speaks of 'the church of St Andrew in whose bosom he was born', &c.[12]
4. Besides the two charters already referred to,[13] Edward of Wells attests
- ↑ Wells charter 12: 'Eddwardus Trotem'.
- ↑ Cf. Victoria County History, Somerset, i, 457, 461, 464, 466.
- ↑ Br. 134, 274.
- ↑ Somerset Fines, pp. 1, 14; Somerset Pleas, p. 8 (Som. Rec. Soc., vols, vi and xi).
- ↑ P. 4: 'Henricus Tortesmains fecit homagium et fidelitatem. Idem tenet Alentonam (Alhampton) pro septem hidis. Apud Pilton ii hidas et apud Sanford dimidiam hidam per servicium unius militis.'
- ↑ Printed in Appendix to Giraldus Cambrensis (Rolls Ser., vii. 226): 'Item lego pauperibus parentibus meis apud Welles et circa Pilton …'
- ↑ Printed by Church, pp. 359 ff.
- ↑ Star Chamber Cases (Som. Rec. Soc), p. 152.
- ↑ R. i. 112; Ad. de Dom. i. 295 ff.
- ↑ R. i. 55.
- ↑ R. i. 54.
- ↑ R. i. 58 (3 June 1209).
- ↑ Wells ch. 12 and the City charter.
