A.D. 843 x 863. Lufu, ancilla Dei, to Christ Chuch, Canterbury; grant of annual render from her estate at Mongeham, Kent. English

Archive:

Canterbury, Christ Church

MSS:

1. London, British Library, Cotton Augustus ii. 92 (s. ix med.; BM Facs., ii. 22; Keller 1906, pl. 2)

Printed:

K, 231; Mon. Angl. (rev. edn), i. 109 (no. 29); Sweet, OET, pp. 446-7 (no. 40); B, 405; Earle, pp. 105-7; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 1, no. 135; Sweet, Second Reader, pp. 211-12 (no. 24)

Printed and Translated:

Thorpe, pp. 474-6; Harmer, SEHD, no. 4 (pp. 7-8, 43-4)

Comments:

BM Facs., iv, p. 7, contemporary; Harmer, SEHD, pp. 82-3, authentic, cf. p. vi; Campbell 1938, p. 146, authentic; Parsons 1939, pp. 14, 24-6, genuine and contemporary; O'Donovan 1972, p. 30; Chaplais 1978, p. 16 n. 23, scribe of Lufu's confirmation also wrote S 328, 332, 1196 (= 1981, XIV p. 16 n. 23); Brooks 1984, pp. 147, 361 n. 70, contemporary, on scribe; Lowe 2001, Appendix I.4; Wormald 2001, p. 266, on hereditary possession; Thompson 2006, pp. 72, 78, on script

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    • (a) + Ic Lufa mid Godes gefe ancilla Dei wes soecende 7 smeagende ymb mine saulðearfe mid Ceolnoðes ærcebiscopes geðeahte 7 ðara hiona et Cristes cirican Willa ic gesellan of ðem ærfe ðe me God forgef 7 mine friond to gefultemedan elce gere .lx. ambra maltes 7 .cl. hlafa .l. hwitehlafa \.cxx. elmeshlafes/ . an hriðer an suin .iiii. weðras .ii. wega spices 7 ceses ðem higum to Cristes circcan for mine saule 7 minra frionda 7 mega ðe me to gode gefultumedan 7 ðet sie simle to adsumsio scæ Marie ymb .xii. monað . End sue \ei/hwelc mon swe ðis lond hebbe minra ærbenumena ðis agefe 7 mittan fulne huniges .x. goes .xx. henfuglas. + Ic Ceolnoð mid Godes gefe ercbiscop mid Cristes rode tacne ðis festnie 7 write + Beagmund preost geðafie 7 mid write + Beornfrið preost geðafie 7 mid write + Wealhhere preost + Osmund preost + Deimund preost + Æðelwald diacon + Werbald diacon + Sifreð diacon + Swiðberht diacon + Beornheah diacon + Æðelmund diacon + Wighelm diacon + Lubo + (b) + Ic Luba eaðmod Godes ðiwen ðas forecwedenan God 7 ðas elmessan gesette 7 gefestnie ob minem erfelande et Mundlingham ðem hiium to Cristes cirican 7 ic bidde 7 an Godes libgendes naman bebiade ðæm men ðe ðis land 7 ðis erbe hebbe et Mundlingham ðet he ðas god forðleste oð wiaralde ende Se man se ðis healdan wille 7 lestan ðet ic beboden hebbe an ðisem gewrite se him seal\d/ 7 gehealden sia hiabenlice b\l/edsung Se his ferwerne oððe hit agele se him seald 7 gehealden helle wite bute he to fulre bote gecerran wille Gode 7 mannum Uene ualete
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    • (a) I Lufu, by God’s grace ancilla Dei, have been enquiring and reflecting about my soul’s needs, with the counsel of Archbishop Ceolnoth and the community at Christ Church. I wish to give annually to the community at Christ Church, from the inheritance which God gave to me and [on which] my friends have supported me: each year 60 ‘ambers’ of malt, 150 loaves, 50 white loaves, 120 ‘alms-loaves’, one bullock, one pig, 4 sheep, and 2 weys of lard and cheese, for my soul and [the souls of] my friends and relatives who supported me to (my) property; and this is due for ever after [each] twelve months on the Assumption of St Mary [15 August]. And so every one of my heirs who holds this estate shall pay this [rent] and a mitta full of honey, ten geese and twenty hens. + I Ceolnoth, archbishop by God’s grace, confirm this in writing with the sign of Christ’s cross. + Beagmund, priest, agree and write + Beornfrith, priest, agree and write + Wealhhere, priest + Osmund, priest + Deimund, priest + Æthelwald, deacon + Werbald, deacon + Sifreth, deacon + Swithberht, deacon + Beornheah, deacon + Æthelmund, deacon + Wighelm, deacon + Lubo + (b) I Lufu, humble handmaid of God, establish and confirm the aforesaid goods and alms from my inherited land at Mongeham for the community at Christ Church. And I instruct, and in the name of the living God command the person who holds this estate and property at Mongeham that he keep on supplying these goods until the end of the world. He who is willing to observe and furnish what I have instructed in this document, to him be given and maintained the heavenly blessing. He who withholds or obstructs it, to him be given and maintained the punishment of hell, unless he be willing to agree full compensation to God and to mankind. Fare well.
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    Old Text

    • Endorsements: (1) in a contemporary hand: + Lufe ˇincggewrit. (2) in a hand of s. xii: Luue mulier quedam dedit ecclesie Christi Munlingham tempore Celno∂ archiepiscopi. (3) in a hand of s. xii: ix anno dcccoxxxiio Luue mulier dedit familie ecclesie Christi Cantuariensi Munlingham tempore Chelnothi archiepiscopi. + Ic Lufa mid Godes gefe ancilla Dei wes soecende 7 smeagende ymb mine saul∂earfe mid Ceolno∂es ærcebiscopes ge∂eahte 7 ∂ara hiona et Cristes cirican. Willa ic gesellan of ∂em ærfe ∂e me God forgef 7 mine friond to gefultemedan Elce gere lx ambra maltes 7 cl hlafa, l hwitehlafa, cxx elmeshlafes, an hri∂er, an suin, iiii we∂ras, ii wEge spices 7 ceses, ∂em higum to Cristes circcan for mine saule 7 minra frionda 7 mega ∂e me to gode gefultemedan; 7 ∂Et sie simle to adsumsio Scæ Marie ymb xii mona∂. End sue eihwelc mon swe ∂is lond hebbe minra ærbenumena ∂is agefe 7 mittan fulne huniges, x goes, xx henfuglas. + Ic Ceolno∂ mid Godes gefe ercebiscop mid Cristes rode tacne ∂is festnie 7 write. + Beagmund preost ge∂afie 7 mid write. + Beornfri∂ preost ge∂afie 7 mid write. + Wealhhere preost + Osmund preost + Deimund preost + Æ∂elwald diacon + Werbald diacon + Sifer∂ diacon + Swi∂berht diacon + Beornheah diacon + Æ∂elmund diacon + Wighelm diacon + Lubo + + Ic Luba ea∂mod Godes ∂iwen ∂as forecwedenan god 7 ∂as elmessan gesette 7 gefestnie ob minem erfelande et Mundlingham ∂em hiium to Cristes cirican. 7 ic bidde, 7 an Godes libgendes naman bebiade ∂æm men ∂e ∂is land 7 ∂is erbe hebbe et Mundlingham, ∂et he ∂as god for∂leste o∂ wiaralde ende. Se man se ∂is healdan wille 7 lesten ∂et ic beboden hebbe an ∂isem gewrite, se him seal'd' 7 gehealden sia hiabenlice b'l'edsung. Se his ferwerne o∂∂e hit agele, se him seald 7 gehealden helle wite, bute he to fulre bote gecerran wille Gode 7 mannum. Uene ualete.