"H(enricus) dux Norm(annorum) et comes And(egavorum) omnibus archiepiscopis episcopis abbatibus consulibus baronibus et amicis fidelibus Francis et Anglicis salutem. Sciatis me dedisse Rodberto filio Hard(ingi) et hereibus suis manerium de Betthone cum omnibus appendiciis suis, et insuper centum libratas terre in manerio de Berkelai ita libere et quiete in bosco et plano et pascuis et pratis et aquis et viis et terris arabilibus cum omnibus libertatibus et consuetudinibus cum tol et them et soch et sache et belle et burhgiete (bell and burhgate) et infanckenethef et omnibus quietanciis que ibi fuerunt in temore Henrici regis avi mei in feudo et hereditate, illi et heredibus suis ad tenendum de me et de heredibus meis per servitium duorum mutatorum accipitrum singulis annis mihi et meis heredibus reddendorum. Et pepige ei firmare ibi castellum secundum voluntatem ipsius Rodb(er)ti. Et propter hec supradicta dona Rodbertus filius Hardingi devenit meus home, et ego per fidem meam affidavi ei pactiones supradictus tenere illi atque heredibus suis. Et hoc idem affidavit Raginaldus comes Cornubie, et Rodbertus de Dunstanvilla, et Ricardus de Humez constabularius, et Maneser Biseth dapifer, et Guarinus filius Geroldi camerarius, et Willelmus filius Hamonis, et Philippus de Columbers, qui hujus pactionis testes existunt. Et preter istos testes sunt inde abbas Sancti Augustini de Bristou, et frater Adam canonicus ejus, et Henricus filius Rodberti, et Willelmus Cumin, et Jordanus frater Rodberti, et Jordanus et David nepotes ejus, et Ric(ardus) de Hanum (sic). Apud Bristou."
Granted at Bristol,
Although this document has been considered by some as a licence to crenellate the current opinion rejects this as a licence to crenellate.
The Berkeley Castle MS is a pretended original with no seal; a copy rather than a forgery. The last witness should presumably be Richardus de Haia. Basically a promise by Henry to Robert to build him a castle. Not, in a meaningful sense, a licence to crenellate although has been called this by some. Although the promise to build this castle was motivated by Roberts financial support of Henry during the Anarchy
Original source is
(In fact, the original source given is usually a transcription/translation of what are precious medieval documents not readily availably. It should be noted that these transcription/translations often date to the nineteenth or early twentieth centuries and that unwitting bias of transcribers may affect the translation. Care should also be taken to avoid giving modern meaning to the medieval use of certain stock words and terms.)
Significant later source are;
Robert fitz Harding (d. 1171), burgess and merchant, was the grandson, through his father, Harding, of the Saxon thegn Eadnoth the Staller, who died near Bristol in 1068 leading resistance against an invasion by Harold Godwineson's sons... Local tradition aptly described him as a Bristol burgess and merchant. His great stone house stood on High Street near Frome Bridge. He engaged in the Bristol land market and was landlord of properties in at least four other urban locations... social and tenurial enhancement came from patronage Robert received from Henry FitzEmpress both before and after Henry became king, almost certainly as a reward for Robert's financial backing during the war against King Stephen (1135–54). (Patterson)
Biographical source include;
More details about licences to crenellate can be found here.
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