Grants in alms to religious houses frequently include a `pro salute' clause invoking the salvation of individuals or their souls. From the twelfth century, such consideration was offered to spouses, parents, friends, royalty and lords, but by c. 1240 these rather personal expressions are largely replaced by a more pragmatic reference to predecessors and successors: `amicorum meorum vivorum et mortuorum', 1175-1240, and `omnium amicorum meorum vivorum et mortuorum', 1220-40 (fig. 3); `patrum et matrum [ ... ] et omnium parentum (et) amicorum nostrorum', 1150-1200; `anime mee (et) patris mei et matris mee', 1155-1240; `mei et uxoris mee', 1150-65; `anime mee et uxoris mee', 1150-1250. The adjunct `vivorum et mortuorum' is common up to c. 1245 and occurs once as late as c. 1275, but `tam vivorum quam defunctorum' is confined to 1145-85. `Pro salute mea et omnium antecessorum et successorum (et uxoris) et heredum meorum' is similarly limited to the twelfth century (1150-75), while `pro salute anime mee et antecessorum meorum' can be traced 1175-1285 with a final occurrence in 1329. Current in the second quarter of the thirteenth century is `pro salute anime mee et antecessorum (meorum) et heredum/successorum' or, c. 1230-85, `pro salute anime mee (et) antecessorum et successorum meorum'. This group appears to terminate with the enforcement of the Statute of Mortmain; after c. 1285 even `pro salute anime mee' fades from view (fig. 4).

Many expressions of grants in alms that had been current in the twelfth century began to disappear in the thirteenth: `in elemosinam', 1150-1200; `hanc donacionem feci ego', 1150-1225; `sicut aliqua elemosina liberius et quiecius dari potest domui religionis', 1200-45; `libere et quiete ab omnibus secularibus serviciis', 1155-1200 and twice c. 1245; `ab omni seculari servicio et exaccione', 1150-1250; `ut participes simus omnium bonorum', 1220-40; `alicui domui religionis dari potest', 1225-55. `Sicut aliqua elemosina liberius, purius et quiecius' only occurs c. 1265 and in the Hospitaller Cartulary is probably the mark of an individual scribe.⁽⁴⁹⁾ Mortmain put an abrupt end to this terminology in the Hospitaller archive; expressions of long standing disappear c. 1285: `liberam (et) puram et perpetuam elemosinam', 1150-1285; `viris religiosis', 1185-1285; `sicut aliqua elemosina liberius et purius', 1225-85.

Expressions conveying the action of transfer are not governed by statute, yet temporal patterns are clearly evident. Variants from the twelfth and first quarter of the thirteenth century include: `me concessisse et dedisse' without `confirmasse', 1140-85; `dedi (et) concessi in perpetuam elemosinam Deo et beatis pauperibus', 1150-95; `sciatis me dedisse et hac mea carta confirmasse', 1160-1235; `noveritis me', 1210-1375; `concessisse et hac presenti carta mea confirmasse', 1215-55. Once again, the second quarter of the century sees considerable innovation: `concessi, dedi et hac presenti carta mea confirmavi', 1225-1343; `concessisse (et) dedisse et presenti carta mea', 1230-55; `noverit universitas vestra me concessisse', 1230-1314 (fig. 5); `sciatis me dedisse (et) concessisse et presenti carta mea confirmasse' 1230-40; `noveritis me dedisse, concessisse', 1235-1337. From mid-century appears `concessisse et (hoc) presenti scripto (meo) confirmasse', 1250-1349. `Habere vel habere potui' occurs c. 1240-90.

Among common objects granted are `totam terram illam', 1160- 1255; `totum ius', 1200-50; `totum ius et clameum', from c. 1220 (fig. 6); `homagium et servicium', 1225-1318; and `annuum redditum', 1235-75. These are often made `cum toto tenemento', 1225-50 and once c. 1290; `sine aliquo/ullo retenemento', 1225-1348; and `... ad (pre)dictam terram spectantibus', 1250-95.

Twelfth-century conveyances tend to be vague about property description and location, although the last quarter of the century produces such words and phrases as `in campo qui vocatur', 1175-1295; `propinquior', 1175-1285, `que/quod adiacet', 1175-1200. Greater precision begins c. 1210 with `in longitudine' (to the fifteenth century); `magnum cheminum' as a boundary, 1210-70; `sepibus et fossatis', 1210-1361. From c. 1225 to 1230, the vocabulary of boundary formulae is essentially established: `abuttat ad unum capud', from 1230; `que/quod iacet sub', 1225-55; `quo itur', 1225-1330; `tendit' for a boundary road, 1230-1300; `sicut sepibus et fossatis includitur', 1230-1356 (fig. 7); and `unde unum capud abuttat', from 1225. `Divisis', which appears initially in a royal charter of 1137, only occurs in private charters c. 1260-85. `In latitudine inter terram' occurs c. 1250-1345.

The conditions of tenure lie at the crux of each conveyance and are set out in the `habendum et tenendum' and subsequent clauses. It is here, especially, that the effects of the statutes of Edward I are reflected, but many phrases came and went apparently quite independent of that legislation. `Habend. et tenend. illi et heredibus suis' occurs 1225-40, and `in puram et perpetuam elemosinam' c. 1230-55, while `de me et heredibus meis' and `sibi et heredibus suis' are absent after c. 1295. The inverted form `tenendum et habendum' is rare before c. 1225 (although it does occur c. 1175-1215), but becomes noticeably popular c. 1225-35. `Tenendum de me et heredibus meis', without the `habendum', is current c. 1175-1230. `Habend. et tenend. libere' occurs c. 1200-55; `libere et quiete, bene et in pace', 1195-1275; `libere, quiete, integre, bene et in pace', 1225-1360; `adeo libere', 1235-86; `libere, quiete, bene et in pace, hereditarie, imperpetuum', 1260-1325. Land could be alienated by the recipient `quibuscumque dare vel vendere vel legare vel assignare voluerit', 1225-75; `vel alio modo assignare voluerit', 1240-1300; `vel cuicumque et quandocumque', 1245-85; `preter quam domui religionis', 1210-50. It was conveyed free of `serviciis, consuetudinibus et demandis' (1220-55), and came with rights to `rebus cunctis' (1260-91) and `terre spectantibus' (1250-1351).

Compensation for `having and holding' is set out in the `reddendo' clause: `reddendo inde annuatim michi et heredibus meis' (of 100 examples, three occur before c. 1230 and one after c. 1290). Rental payments may be made `ad/per quatuor terminos', 1185-1250; `annuatim ad duos terminos', 1210-75; `ad duos terminos anni', 1210-85. In addition to the property itself, these payments compensate `pro omnibus serviciis et consuetudinibus et exaccionibus', 1190-1250 (fig. 8); `pro omnibus serviciis, consuetudinibus et demandis', 1210-55; `pro omnibus serviciis et consuetudinibus et demandis', 1225-35; `pro ... secularibus demandis', 1240-1303; `pro omnibus serviciis, consuetudinibus et demandis secularibus', 1250-75. They cover all obligations `salvo servicio domini regis' (1150-1280). In recognition of the conveyor's act (`pro hac autem donacione et concessione et ... carte mee confirmacione', 1225-50), the recipient frequently makes a one-time cash down payment known as gersum (fig. 9) which emphasizes his feudal dependence. That term does not appear in the Hospitallers' Essex archive after 1297.⁽⁵⁰⁾

It remains for the conveyor to guarantee, by means of the warranty clause, the recipient's possession of the property transferred. The language of warranty becomes common from c. 1225: `warantizacio/warantizacione', 1225-80; `warantizabimus predictum redditum', 1225-55; `warantizabimus (pre)dictis fratribus', 1225-55; `contra omnes homines et feminas warantizabimus' (fig. 10) and `contra omnes homines et feminas imperpetuum', 1225-80; `per predictum servicium contra omnes homines et feminas', 1225-70; warantizabimus, acquietabimus et defendemus imperpetuum', 1235-1348. The warranty covers all `ad (pre)dictam terram spectantibus', 1250-95; `cum pertinentiis per predictum servicium', 1240-50. It implicates the conveyor, `heredes mei vel mei assignati' (1230-95) and covers the recipient `vel suis assignatis' (1225-1342) or whomsoever `assignaverit' (1210-50).