STEPHEN

Summary

1139.

At this time, William de Meschines (son of Ranulph de Meschines, and brother to Randle de Gernons, Earls of Chester), was Earl of Cambridge, and by that name and style witnessed a charter of Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln of this date.

The King was at Cambridge this year, as appears by the teste of a charter, by which he confirmed the liberties and possessions of the monks of Ely.

1146.

David, king of Scots, was Earl of Cambridge. For, at or before this date, the Empress Maud granted to Alberic de Vere that he should be Earl of Cambridge, and should have the third penny, as the Earl ought to have; so that the King of Scotland had not that earldom; but if he had it, then she stipulated to procure it for De Vere by exchange, or to grant to him which he would of these four earldoms, viz., Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, and Dorsetshire. De Vere was subsequently made Earl of Oxford.

1150.

About this time the King granted to the nuns of St. Rhadegund a fair in this town, on the vigil and feast of the assumption of the Virgin Mary. This fair, commonly called Garlic fair, though now discontinued, appears to have been held as recently as 1808.