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To all the faithful of Christ to whom this present writing shall come, we, John Ripley, abbot of the monastery of Kirkstall in Yorkshire, and the convent of the same place, everlasting greeting in the Lord. Know that we, the aforesaid abbot and convent, by our unanimous assent and consent, with steady minds, of our certain knowledge and proper motion, and certain just and reasonable causes spiritually moving us, our souls and consciences, have freely and of our own accord given and granted, and by these presents we give and grant, surrender, deliver and confirm to the most illustrious and invincible prince, our Lord Henry VIII, by the Grace of God king of England and France, defender of Faith, lord of Ireland and Supreme Head of the Church of England upon earth, our entire house and monastery, namely, the site, ground, circuit and enclosure, and the church of the same monastery with all our debts, chattels and moveables belonging or appertaining to us or our monastery; and also those we at present possess as much as those which are due to us or our monastery either by bonds or by any other cause, in any way whatsoever. Likewise every manor and each lordship, messuage, garden, curtilage, toft, land and tenement, meadow, grazing, pasture, wood, underwood, all revenues, reversions and services, mills, passages, knights’ fees, wards, marriage fees, born villeins with all their followers, liberties, franchises, privileges, jurisdictions, offices, courts leet and hundred, view of frank-pledge, fairs, markets, parks, warrens, enclosures, waters, fisheries, roads, paths, wharfs, empty homesteads, advowsons nominations, presentations and donations of churches, vicarages, chapels, chantries, hospices and other benefices whatsoever, rectories, chantries, vicarages, pensions, procurations, annuities, tithes, oblations and all other emoluments, profits, possessions, and hereditaments within the counties of York and Lancaster, in the city of York and elsewhere in the kingdom of England, Wales and the Marches that belong in any way to our monastery, whether annexed, appertaining or incumbent. And all charters, of every kind, evidences, bonds, writings and muniments that belong or appertain to us or our monastery, relating to lands, tenements or the other premises, with their appurtenances or any parcel thereof, in any manner to have, hold, and enjoy our said monastery and the aforesaid site, ground, circuit and precinct of our aforesaid church, with all our debts, goods and chattels; as also every one of our manors, lordships, messuages, lands and tenements, rectories, pensions and all other premises whatsoever, with all their appurtenances, to the said most invincible, our King, his heirs and successors and assigns, to the use of the same lord, our King, his heirs and successors for ever. To this behalf and to all effect of law that can or may thence follow, we, as becomes us, do submit ourselves and our said monastery with all premises and everything that is ours, in whatever way acquired; giving and granting, and by these presents we give and grant to his said Royal Majesty, his heirs and successors and assigns the full authority and power to dispose of us and our said monastery, together with all manors, lands and tenements, reversions, revenues and services and all the premises, with all their customs and appurtenances whatsoever, that he may dispose of, alienate, give, pass or transfer them at his own free will and pleasure, to whatsoever uses it shall seem good to His Majesty; and we do ratify such dispositions, alienations, donations, conversions and translations, whatsoever way they shall be made by the aforesaid Royal Majesty. Moreover we permit [illegible word] to the end that all and singular the premises may be for ever firm, and that all the premises may have their due effect. And we renounce and disclaim, as we have renounced and disclaimed, all elections, suits and instances, and all other remedies and redresses whatsoever for ourselves and our successors, on pretence of the aforesaid disposition, alienation, translation and conversion, and of the other premised that is or may be competent, on account of deceit, dread, fear, ignorance or other matter, wholly laying aside and quitting dispositions, exceptions, objections and allegations, openly, publicly and expressly, of our certain knowledge, and that of our own accord; and we do recede from them in this writing.

And we, the aforesaid abbot and convent, and our successors, will, by these presents, warrant and forever defend against all peoples, to our aforesaid lord, the King, his heir, successors and assigns, to the aforesaid use of our monastery and the entire site, ground, circuit, precinct, mansion and church, and the aforesaid manors, lordships, gardens, curtileges, tofts, meadows, grazings, pastures, woods, underwoods, lands and tenements, revenues, reversions and services, and all the premises, with all their members and appurtenances; in testimony whereof, we, the aforesaid abbot and convent, have with our own hands in our name subscribed to this present writing, and affixed our common seal to these presents.

Given in the chapter-house, on the twenty-second day of the month of November, in the thirty-first year of the reign of King Henry VIII, in the year 1539.

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