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  • + Eadgifu cyþ þam arcebisceop 7 Cristes cyrcean hyrede. hu hire land com æt Culingon . Þæt is þæt hire læfde hire fæder land 7 boc . swa he mid rihte beget . 7 him his yldran læfdon . Hit gelamp þæt hire fæder aborgude .xxx. punda. æt Godan . 7 betæhte him þæt land þæs feos to anwedde . 7 he hit hæfde .vii. winter . Þa gelamp emb þa tid þæt man beonn ealle Cantware to wigge. to Holme . Þa nolde Sigelm hire fæder to wigge faron mid nanes mannes scette unagifnum . 7 agef þa Godan .xxx. punda 7 becwæþ Eadgife his dehter land 7 boc sealde . Þa he on wigge afeallen wæs þa ætsoc Goda þæs feos ægiftes. 7 þæs landes wyrnde . oð þæs on syxtan geare . Þa spræc hit fæstlice Byrhsige Dyrincg swa lange . oð þa witan þe þa wæron gerehton Eadgife . þæt heo sceolde hire fæder hand geclænsian be swa myclan feo . 7 heo þæs aþ lædde on ealre þeode gewitnesse to Æglesforda . 7 þær geclænsude hire fæder þæs ægiftes be .xxx. punda aþe . Þa gyt heo ne moste landes brucan ær hire frynd fundon æt Eadwearde cyncge þæt he him þæt land forbead swa he æniges brucan wolde. 7 he hit swa alet . Þa gelamp on fyrste þæt se cynincg Godan oncuþe swa swyþe swa him man ætrehte bec 7 land ealle þa þe he ahte . 7 se cynincg hine þa 7 ealle his are mid bocum 7 landum forgeaf Eadgife to ateonne swa swa heo wolde . Þa cwæþ heo þæt heo ne dorste for Gode him swa leanian swa he hire to geearnud hæfde . 7 agef him ealle his land . buton twam sulungum æt Osterlande 7 nolde þa bec agifan ær heo wyste hu getriwlice he hi æt landum healdan wolde . Þa gewat Eadweard cyncg 7 fencg Æþelstan to rice . Þa Godan sæl þuhte þa gesohte he þone kynincg Æþelstan 7 bæd þæt he him geþingude wiþ Eadgife his boca edgift . 7 se cyncg þa swa dyde . 7 heo him ealle agef buton Osterlandes bec . 7 he þa boc unnendre handa hire to let . 7 þara oþerra mid eaðmettum geþancude . 7 ufenan þæt twelfa sum hire aþ sealde for geborenne 7 ungeborenne þæt þis æfre gesett spæc wære . 7 þis wæs gedon on Æþelstanes kynincges gewitnesse 7 his wytena æt Hamme wiþ Læwe . 7 Eadgifu hæfde land mid bocum þara twegea cyninga dagas hire suna . Þa Eadred geendude 7 man Eadgife berypte ælcere are . þa namon Godan twegen suna Leofstan 7 Leofric on Eadgife þas twa forespecenan land æt Culingon 7 æt Osterlande . 7 sædon þam cilde Eadwige þe þa gecoren wæs þæt hy rihtur hiora wæren þonne hire . Þæt þa swa wæs oþ Eadgar astiþude . 7 he \7/ his wytan gerehton þæt hy manfull reaflac gedon hæfden . 7 hi hire hire are gerehton 7 agefon . Þa nam Eadgifu be þæs cynincges leafe 7 gewitnesse 7 ealra his bisceopa . þa bec 7 land betæhte in to Cristes cyrcean mid hire agenum handum upon þone altare lede þan hyrede on ecnesse to are . 7 hire sawle to reste . 7 cwæþ þæt Crist sylf mid eallum heofonlicum mægne þane awyrgde on ecnesse þe þas gife æfre awende oþþe gewanude . Þus com þeos ar in to Cristes cyrcean hyrede.
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  • Eadgifu declares to the archbishop and the community of Christ Church how her estate at Cooling came [to her]. That is, that her father left her the estate and the [land]book, just as he legally acquired them and his ancestors had bequeathed to him. It happened that her father borrowed thirty pounds from Goda, and entrusted the estate to him as security for the money. And [Goda] held it for seven ‘winters’. When it came about, at around this time, that all the men of Kent were summoned to the battle at the Holme, Sighelm, her father, did not want to go to the battle with any man’s account unpaid, and he repaid Goda the thirty pounds and he bequeathed the estate to his daughter Eadgifu and gave her the [land]book. After he had fallen in the battle, Goda denied the repayment of the money, and withheld the estate until six years later. Then Byrhsige Dyrincg claimed it unceasingly for so long, until the witan of that time commanded Eadgifu that she should purge her father’s possession by [an oath equivalent to] that amount of the money. And she produced the oath in the witness of all the people at Aylesford, and there purged her father’s repayment by an oath of thirty pounds. Then she was still not able to possess the estate until her friends obtained from King Edward [the Elder] that he prohibited him [Goda] the estate, if he wanted to possess any [at all]; and so he gave it up. Then it happened in the first place that the king so strongly blamed Goda that he was deprived of all the [land]books and property, all that he owned. And the king then granted him and all his property, with [land]books and estates, to Eadgifu to dispose of as she wished. Then she said that that she did not dare before God to pay him back as he had deserved of her, and she restored to him all his land except the two sulungs at Osterland, and she refused to give back the [land]books until she knew how loyally he would treat her in respect of the estates. Then, King Edward died and Æthelstan succeeded to the kingdom. When Goda thought it an opportune time, he sought out King Æthelstan and begged that he would intercede on his behalf with Eadgifu, for the return of his [land]books. And the king did so. And she gave back to him all except the [land]book for Osterland. And he willingly allowed her that [land]book and humbly thanked her for the others. And, on top of that as one of twelve he swore to her an oath, on behalf of those born and [yet] unborn, that this suit was for ever settled. And this was done in the presence of King Æthelstan and his witan at Hamsey near Lewes [Sussex]. And Eadgifu held the land with the landbooks for the days of the two kings, her sons [i.e., Eadmund and Eadred]. When Eadred died and Eadgifu was deprived of all her property, then two of Goda’s sons, Leofstan and Leofric, took from Eadgifu the two afore-mentioned estates at Cooling and Osterland, and said to the young prince Eadwig who was then chosen [king] that they had more right to them than she. That then remained so until Eadgar came of age and he [and] his witan judged that they had done criminal robbery, and they adjudged and restored the property to her. Then Eadgifu, with the permission and witness of the king and all his bishops, took the [land]books and entrusted the estates to Christ Church [and] with her own hands laid them upon the altar, as the property of the community for ever, and for the repose of her soul. And she declared that Christ himself with all the heavenly host would curse for ever anyone who should ever divert or diminish this gift. In this way this property came to the Christ Church community.
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  • Endorsements: (1) Quomodo Ediua Regina recuperavit Culinge quam postea dedit conventui ecclesie Christi Cantuarie. (2) Eadgyua Regina. (3) Anno ML. (4) Anglice. + Eadgifu cyˇ ˇam arcebisceop 7 Cristes cyrcean hyrede hu hire land com æt Culingon. ˝æt is ˇæt hire læfde hire fæder land 7 boc, swa he mid rihte beget 7 him his yldran læfdon. Hit gelamp ˇæt hire fæder aborgude XXX punda æt Godan 7 betæhte him ˇæt land ˇæs feos to anwedde; 7 he hit hæfde VII winter. ˝a gelamp, emb ˇa tid, ˇæt man beonn eall Cantware to wigge to Holme. ˝a nolde Sigelm hire fæder to wigge faron mid nanes mannes scette unagifnum; 7 agef ˇa Godan XXX punda 7 becwæˇ Eadgife his dehter land, 7 boc sealde. ˝a he on wigge afeallen wæs, ˇa ætsoc Goda ˇæs feos ægiftes 7 ˇæs landes wyrnde o∂ ˇæs on syxtan geare. ˝a spræc hit fæstlice Byrhsige Dyrincg swa lange o∂ ˇa witan ˇe ˇa wæron gerehton Eadgife ˇæt heo sceolde hire fæder hand geclænsian be swa myclan feo; 7 heo ˇæs aˇ lædde on ealre ˇeode gewitnesse to Æglesforda, 7 ˇær geclænsude hire fæder ˇæs ægiftes be XXX punda aˇe. ˝a gyt heo ne moste landes brucan ær hire frynd fundon æt Eadwearde cyncge ˇæt he him ˇæt land forbead, swa he æniges brucan wolde; 7 he hit swa alet. ˝a gelamp on fyrste ˇæt se cynincg Godan oncuˇe swa swyˇe swa him man ætrehte bec 7 land, ealle ˇa ˇe he ahte; 7 se cynincg hine ˇa 7 ealle his are, mid bocum 7 landum, forgeaf Eadgife to ateonne swa swa heo wolde. ˝a cwæ∂ heo ˇæt heo ne dorste for Gode him swa leanian swa he hire to geearnud hæfde, 7 agef him ealle his land, buton twam sulungum æt Osterlande; 7 nolde ˇa bec agifan ær heo wyste hu getriwlice he hi æt landum healdan wolde. ˝a gewat Eadweard cyncg 7 fencg Æˇelstan to rice. ˝a Godan sæl ˇuhte, ˇa gesohte he ˇone kynincg Æˇelstan, 7 bæd ˇæt he him geˇingude wiˇ Eadgife his boca edgift. 7 se cyncg ˇa swa dyde. 7 heo him ealle agef buton Osterlandes bec; 7 he ˇa boc unnendre handa hire to let 7 ˇara oˇerra mid ea∂mettum geˇancude; 7 ufenan ˇæt, twelfa sum, hire aˇ sealde, for geborenne 7 ungeborenne, ˇæt ˇis æfre gesett spæc wære. 7 ˇis wæs gedon on Æˇelstanes kynincges gewitnesse 7 his wytena æt Hamme wiˇ Læwe. 7 Eadgifu hæfde land mid bocum ˇara twegea cyninga dagas hire suna. ˝a EadrEd geendude 7 man Eadgife berypte ælcere are, ˇa namon Godan twegen suna, Leofstan 7 Leofric, on Eadgife ˇas twa forespecenen land æt Culingon 7 æt Osterlande, 7 sædon ˇam cilde Eadwige, ˇe ˇa gecoren wæs, ˇæt hy rihtur hiora wæren ˇonne hire. ˝æt ˇa swa wæs oˇ Eadgar astiˇude. 7 he '7' his wytan gerehton ˇæt hy manfull reaflac gedon hæfden, 7 hi hire hire are gerehton 7 agefon. ˝a nam Eadgifu, be ˇæs cynincges leafe 7 gewitnesse 7 ealra his bisceopa, ˇa bec, 7 land betæhte in to Cristes cyrcean, mid hire agenum handum upon ˇone altare lede, ˇan hyrede on ecnesse to are 7 hire sawle to reste; 7 cwæˇ ˇæt Crist sylf mid eallum heofonlicum mægne ˇane awyrgde on ecnesse ˇe ˇas gife æfre awende oˇˇe gewanude. ˝us com ˇeos ar in to Cristes cyrcean hyrede.