A.D. 764 for 767. Offa, king of Mercia, to Stithberht, abbot; grant of 30 hides (manentes) between Harrow and the Lidding (Wealdstone Brook) and east of the Lidding, Middx., in exchange for 30 hides at Wicham in Ciltinne. Latin

Archive:

Canterbury, Christ Church

MSS:

1. London, British Library, Cotton Augustus ii. 26 (s. viii 2; BM Facs., i. 9; Ch.L.A., iii, no. 186)

Printed:

K, 116; B, 201; Earle, p. 47; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 1, no. 53

Translated:

Whitelock, EHD, no. 73 (p. 500)

Comments:

Sweet, OET, p. 430 (no. 11); PN Middx, pp. 1, 7, 51; Ch.L.A., iii, no. 186, contemporaneous, very probably original; Ch.L.A., iv, pp. xvi, xvii, xviii, xxiii, opisthograph, on script, on production; Bruckner 1965, pp. 26, 28, 43 n. 162, 45, on script; Wolfram, Intitulatio, p. 215 n. 10, original, discusses royal style; Stenton 1971, p. 205, orginal; Lowe 1935, pp. xiii-xiv, trustworthy; Sawyer 1978, p. 101, contemporary, note on political background; Gelling, ECTV, no. 202 and p. 188, original, suggests Wicham may be Wickham in Hurstpierpoint, Sussex, and a district-name Ciltinne may be preserved in nearby East and West Chiltington; discussion of Ciltinne; Whitelock, EHD, p. 500, contemporary; Scharer 1982, pp. 233-4, genuine and contemporary; Brown 1986, p. 134, on script; Keynes 1994c, pp. 7-8 n. 30; Bailey 1996, p. 66; Kelly, Selsey, pp. lxxxi n. 69, 49, on Gelling's identification; on script; Wormald, English Law, p. 108 n. 376; Thompson 2006, pp. 28 et passim, on script

Show all data

  • Metadata

    Text

    • (a) In nomine trino diuino Regnante inperpetuum Domino nostro . Ego . Offa . diuina gubernante gratia rex Merciorum Stidberhtae uenerabili uiro atque abbatis cura praedito . terram .xxx. manentium in Middil . saexum . bituih . Gumeninga hergae end Liddinge . et est vi. manentium et habitatio ab oriente torrentis . Lidding . libentissime concedens donabo . Et iste praefatus Stidberht mihi terram totidem manentium id est .xxx. in Ciltinne . in loco ubi dicitur . Wichama . in uicem commutationis perdonauit. Si quis autem quod absit hanc nostram commutationem infringere per[temtet scia]t se coram Christo et angelis eius rationem redditurum. Dominicae autem incarnationis . anno .dcc.lxvii. indictione .v. haec donationis datio et muneris mutatio peracta est . his testibus consentientibus [et scr]ibentibus quorum no[mina in]fra karaxata [conti]nentur. + Ego . Offa rex Merciorum subscribo. + Ego . Gengberht grati<a> Dei archiepiscopus + Ego . Eadberht episcopus [+ Ego .] Cuutfert episcopus (b) Has igitur cartulas donationum uel commutationum prenominatorum reguum Aethelbaldi uidelicet atque Offani cum ad me usque peruenerunt . ego Pilheardus misellus comis regis Mercionum Coenuulfi iustissime adquirens accipi . easque in synodali conciliabulo iuxta locum qui dicitur . Caelichyth . coram rege iam nominato Merciorum . et præsulibus ecclesiarum Dei necnon et ducibus . \seu/ principibus produxi et per pecuniam . \a/ piissimo iam tum domino meo rege Merciorum libertatem terrarum illarum consecutus sum . id est .cc. solidis . Et ut postea in diebus meis uel successorum meorum omni anno .xxx. et ut \ab/ omnium fiscalium redituum operum onerumque seu etiam popularium conciliorum . uindictis nisi tantum . prætium pro prætio liberæ sint inperpetuum . Trium tamen causarum puplicarum ratio reddatur hoc est instructio pontuum et arcis . uerum etiam <..> expeditionis necessitatem uires .v. tantummodo mittantur Huius rei geste hi fideles testes aderant quos hæc cartula conprehendit . At nunc ego Coenuulfus Deo dispensante rex Merciorum propriae donationis mee libertatem signo sanctæ crucis libentissime subscribo + + Ego Æthelheardu\s/ Deo largiente archiepiscopus signum uenerandæ crucis inpraessi + Ego Unuuona episcopus consensi + Ego Aldulf episcopus consensi + Ego Utol episcopus consensi + Ego Eadulf episcopus consensi + Ego Deneberht episcopus consensi + Ego Haðoberht episcopus consensi + Ego Cyneberht episcopus consensi + Ego Uuigberht episcopus consensi + Ego Alhheard episcopus + Ego Tiðferð episcopus + Ego Uuihthun abbas + Ego Beonna abbas + Ego Folðred abbas + Ego Coenuulf Dei dono rex Merciorum consentiendo subscribo + Ego Heaðoberht + Ego Æðelmund + Ego Esne + Ego Heardberht + Ego Ceolmund + Ego Wigga + Ego Cydda + Ego Cuðred + Ego Osulf + Ego Beornnoð + Ego Cyn\h/elm
  • Metadata

    Translation

    • (a) In the name of the Divine Trinity. Our Lord ruling forever. I, Offa, under the governance of Divine Grace king of the Mercians, granting most freely will give to Stithberht, a venerable man and invested with the office of abbot, land of 30 hides among the Middle Saxons between the heathen shrine of the Gumeningas people [now Harrow-on-theHill] and Lidding, and 6 of the hides and a dwelling [are] to the east of the Lidding brook [now Wealdstone Brook]; and that same aforementioned Stithberht granted to me land of as many hides, that is, 30 in Ciltinne in the place that is called Wicham in return as an exchange. If anyone, however—which God forbid!—should attempt to destroy this exchange of our, let him know that he will have to render an account before Christ and His angels. The giving of this gift and the exchange of the property was made on the year of the incarnation of the Lord 767, in indiction 5, with these witnesses agreeing and inscribing whose names are preserved in writing below + I, Offa, king of the Mercians, subscribe. + I, Jænberht, by the Grace of God, archbishop [of Canterbury] + I, Eadberht, bishop [of Leicester] [+ I,] Cuthbert, bishop [of Lichfield] (b) When, therefore, these charters of donation and exchange of the aforementioned kings Æthelbald and Offa came to me, I, Pilheard, humble comes of the king of the Mercians, Cenwulf, acquiring them very justly, accepted them and produced them in the synodal council near the place that is called Chelsea before the king of the Mercians already named and the bishops of the churches of God and also the duces and principes and, with money, I acquired from my most pious lord, the king of the Mercians, the freedom of those lands, that is, with 200 shillings, and afterwards each year in my lifetime and [in those] of my successors with 30 [shillings] and they should be free in perpetuity, value for value, from the payment of all royal taxes, works and burdens, and also the exactions of popular assemblies, except only an account must be rendered for the three public burdens, that is, the building of bridges and fortress, but also now only 5 men should be sent for the requirements of military service. But now I, Cenwulf, by the direction of God king of the Mercians, most willingly subscribe the [charter] of liberty of my own gift with the mark of the holy cross. + + I, Æthelheard, archbishop [of Canterbury] by the generosity of God, imprinted the mark of the venerable cross. + I, Unwona, bishop [of Leicester], agreed. I, Ealdwulf, bishop [of Lichfield], agreed. + I, Utel, bishop [of Hereford], agreed. + I, Eadwulf, bishop [of Lindsey], agreed. + I, Deneberht, bishop [of Worcester], agreed. + I, Hathoberht, bishop [of London], agreed. + I, Cyneberht, bishop [of Winchester], agreed. + I, Wigberht, bishop [of Sherborne], agreed. + I, Ealhheard, bishop [of Elmham]. + I, Tidfrith, bishop [of Dunwich]. + Wihthun, bishop [of ?Selsey]. + I, Beonna, abbot [of Medeshamstede]. + I I, Forthred, abbot. + I, Cenwulf, by the gift of God king of the Mercians, in consenting subscribe. + I, Hathoberht. + I, Æthelmund. + I, Esne. + I, Heardberht. + I, Ceolmund. + I, Wigcga. + I, Cydda. + I, Cuthred. + I, Oswulf. + I, Beornnoth. + I, Cynehelm.
  • Metadata

    Old Text

    • Written on the face, s. xii: Offa Rex dedit Stidberhto abbati terram in Middelsexe. In nomine trino divino . Regnante in perpetuum domino nostro . Ego . Offa . divina gubernante gratia rex Merciorum . Stidberhtæ venerabili viro atque abbatis cura prædito . terram . xxx. manentium in Middil Saexum . bituih . gumeninga hergae end liddinge . et est vi . manentium et habitatio ab oriente torrentis . Lidding . libentissime concedens donabo . et iste præfatus Stidberht mihi terram totidem manentium id est . xxx . in Ciltinne . in loco ubi dicitur . Wichama . in vicem commutationis perdonavit . Si quis autem quod absit hanc nostram commutationem infringere pertemtet sciat se coram Christo et angelis ejus rationem redditurum .