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From: Rafal Heydel-Mankoo <>
Subject: Re: magna charta
Date: Fri, 2 May 1997 15:03:11 -0400


Richard Barney wrote:
>
> Is there a list of the signers, contributors, opponents etc. of the Magna
> Charta...where might it be found? Addtionally, there is a long list of
> supposed persons who accompanied Wm. The Conquer...not proven but still
> listed by some. Where might one find that list? Richard Barney

Any decent translation of the Magna Carta contains the names of all
principal advisors on the Charter. None of the four surviving copies
were actually signed, so you will not be able to get a list of
signatories. It is frequently said that John 'signed' the charter. This
is a misunderstanding of the latin phrase for "given by our hand" (I
believe the latin is DATA PER MANUM NOSTRAM --OR NOSTRUM). Royal
charters were not signed but sealed. The most famous translation, that
of G.R.C. Davis, with minor alterations by Sir Ivor Jennnings, is as
follows:

Know that before God....at the advice of our reverend fathers Stephen,
archbishop of Canterbury...Henry archbishop of Dublin, William bishop of
London, Peter bishop of Winchester, Jocelin bishop of Bath and
Glastonbury, Hugh bishop of Lincoln, Walter bishop of Coventry, Benedict
bishop of Rochester, Master Pandulf subdeacon and member of the papal
household, Brother Aymeric master of the knighthood of the Temple in
England, William Marshal earl of Pembroke, William earl of Salisbury,
William earl of Warren, William earl of Arundel, Alan de Galloway
constable of Scotland, Warin Fitz Gerald, Peter Fitz Herbert, Hubert de
Burgh seneschal of Poitou, Hugh de Neville, Matthew Fitz Herbert, Thomas
Basset, Alan Basset, Philip Daubeny, Robert de Roppeley, John Matshal,
John Fitz Hugh, and other loyal subjects....

Beware that there are four editions of the Charter (1215,1216,1217 and I
think 1225) all were given the name Magna Charter/Carta by later
historians, despite the fact that they vary quite a bit. It is quite
likely that the later versions had the support of more barons than the
1215 'original'.

All the best,

Rafal Heydel-Mankoo (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)


Researching my maternal lineage:
Heydel (the Barons), Jablonowski (the Princes), Dzieduszycki (the
Counts), Mineyko (herb GOZDAWA), Stecki (the Counts), Ilinski (the
Counts), Skarbek (the Counts).

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