S 104

A.D. 759 for 777 x c. 781. Offa, king of the English, to the church of St Peter, Worcester; grant of 40 hides (cassati) at Readanoran (Pyrton, Oxon.). Latin with English bounds

Archive:

Worcester

MSS:

1. London, British Library, Cotton Tiberius A. XIII, ff. 119-200, ff. 197r-198r (s. xi 2)

Printed:

Hearne, Heming, pp. 443-5; K, 123 and vol. iii. 380-1; B, 216; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 1, no. 60

Comments:

Reynolds 2002, pp. 176, 190, on burial feature in bounds; Stenton 1918, p. 448 n. 67, spurious (= Stenton 1970, pp. 62-3 n. 2); Ekwall 1932, p. 51 n. 1, on bounds; Grundy, Oxon., pp. 47-8; Forsberg 1950, pp. 168, 201, on bounds; PN Oxon., i. 86-9, on bounds, the charter is a late 10th-century forgery, see also i. 2, 84, 92, 123; Stenton 1955, p. 74 n. 1, on identification; Davies 1972, pp. 462, 469, spurious; Gelling, ECTV, no. 260, spurious, perhaps fabricated in 10th or 11th century; Baines 1981, pp. 9-16, examines bounds of Radenore, with map; Scharer 1982, pp. 175, 234-5, forgery; Blair 1994, pp. xx, 128, on topography

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    Old Text

    • De Readanhoran. + In nomine sanctæ Trinitatis . Ait enim apostolus . 'Nichil intulimus in hunc mundum . nec auferre quid possumus' . et beatus Job . 'Nudus egressus sum ex utero matris et nudus revertar in terram' . Quapropter ego Offa rex Anglorum brevitatem vitæ ejus considerans . et quod cum his caducis mercanda esse æterna polorum regna . rogatus a venerabili episcopo Milredo . terram . xl . cassatorum . in loco qui nuncupatur Readanoran . ad æcclesiam beati Petri apostolorum principis in Wigerna civitate . in jus proprium libentissime concedens . possidendum donabo . Sit autem terra illa libera ab omni seculari rei negotio . præter pontis . arcisve restaurationem . et contra hostes communem expeditionem . Si quis autem hanc donationem meam cum bona voluntate in omnibus custodire conaverit . sciat se in cælestibus habere consortium cum Deo et angelis ejus . et si aliquis convertere hoc voluerit et ad malam servitutem vel ergastulum mutare voluerit . sciat se separatum a consortio omnium sanctorum Dei in cælis . et cum diabolo et angelis ejus sine fine in perpetuum dampnatum . nisi ante hic Deo et hominibus cum satisfactione emendaverit . Hic sunt termini præfati ruris . Andlang englunga dene swa wæter wile yrnan in hæˇenan byrigels a be wyrtwalan in barfodslæd and swa on timberslæd in stepacnolles scydd on hanslædes heaˇdan ˇæt innan grenan weg ˇanon innan healde mæres hlinc in stanora lege ˇæt in stanmeres hlinc on catedenes heafdan ˇæt in holemeres hlinc innan stanbeorh 7 swa in smalan æsc in ˇonne mapultre on west healf assundene from ˇam mapoltre in edles pyt ˇæt in dragmæres hlinc swa in rugawic in deopan hamsteale on hremhryc ˇæt in ˇone fulan slo to sigordene swa in badan dene in clacces wadlond and swa into lufan mere ˇær ut on ˇæne feld on grottes graf ˇæt in ceorla pytte to ˇære fleotan ˇæt on crawan ˇorn on ˇonne hæ∂ on hweolri∂ig swa on morpyt on senthylle in hroppan broc a be broce on ˇa ealdan dic ˇæt on crypsan hylle on scyttan mere ˇæt on scyttan dune swa on smalan broc to Cnihtabryge 7 swa to winecalea on ˇæne hæˇena byregels in colnaran. Peracta est autem hæc donatio in mense Februario . indictione xii . anno vero ab incarnatione Christi dcclviii . Et isti testes consenserunt . + Ego Offa rex hanc meam munificentiam signo crucis munio . + Ego Cyne∂ry∂ regina . + Ego Iambertus archiepiscopus . + Ego Tilherus episcopus. + Ego Brordan dux . + Ego Eadberhtus episcopus . + Ego Ceoluulfus episcopus . + Ego Eadbald dux . + Ego Ealhmu[n]d dux .