Old family; or, The Setons of Scotland and America

a.D. 1060] FOUNDATION CHART OF ST. MARTIN. 1 1
castle which forms our root-name had some connection, now
unknown, with the mother-town, or with the ancient tribe
which gave its name to the metropolis. On the map of old
Normandv prefixed to Taylor's JFace, Say is located in the
district of Exmois, now represented by the city of Exmes,
chef-lieu de canton, between Argentan and Seez. Say, in Nor-
mandy, is what the Germans would call the Scbloss-stamm of
our race. The earliest mention of any of the family with
this appellation is that of Picot Avenel de Say, living a.d.
1030 under Robert, sixth Duke of Normandy. His son,
Robert Fitz-Picot (i.e., the son — -fits corrupted to fitz — of
Picot), Lord of Aunay, was co-founder of Saint Martin of
Seez, in 1060. The original donation from the Chartulary
of the Diocese of Seez is given in Gallia. Christiana, XL,
pp. 152, 153, Ed. Palme, 1874, as follows:
" Notum sit omnibus quia dominus Abbas Robertus, faventibus omnibus
fratribus coenobii Sancti Martini Sagii, in capitulo ejusdem coenobii dedit
Roberto de Sayo qui cognominabatur Picot, et Adeloyae uxori suae, cum
summa devotione petentibus societatem et beneficium totius congregationis
sicut uni monachorum ipsius coenobii, et similiter Roberto atque Henrico
filiis suis : Ita quidem ut si aliquis ipsorum monachus voluerit effici, effi-
cietur in monasterio Sancti Martini Sagiensis. Qui vero ex il lis omnibus in
saeculari habitu morietur, in coemeterio Sancti Martini, ut monachus per
omnia susceptus sepelietur. Ipsi vero in eodem capitulo pro hac largissima
concessione et pro animarum tarn suarum quam parentum suorum, perpetua
salvatione dederunt et perpetuo concesserunt praedicto sancto et fratribus
suis praedicti coenobii monachis, aedificium matris Picot cum virgulto quod
habebat juxta ecclesiam Sanctae Mariae de Vrou et decern acras terrae in
parochia ejusdem ecclesiae, et terram ad hortum unum sufficientem, quae
terra erat in pratis, et decimam duorum molendinorum, quorum unum est
supra Olnam et alteram supra Uram ; dederunt etiam prata totius insulae de
Atheis, et unam piscatoriam quae dicitur de Louis, et unam acram prati in
pratis de Juvigneio, et duas acras terrae in ipsa villula quae erat de dote
Adeloyae uxoris suae, et cum his datis de propriis rebus concesserunt quod
Osmelinus de Sayo dedit Sancto Martino in eodem capitulo et eodem die,
tertiam partem totius ecclesiae de Sayo in omnibus reditibus altaris et
decima cum duabus acris terrae ; et ipse Osmelinus et uxor ejus Avitia et
omnes antecessores sui recepti sunt in praedicti monasterii f raterna societate.
Hoc totum viderunt et audierunt Guaschelinus de Vrou et Robertus filius