A.D. 1016 x 1020. Marriage agreement between Godwine and Brihtric including grant to Brihtric's daughter of land at Street and at Burmarsh, Kent. English

Archive:

Canterbury, Christ Church

MSS:

1. Lost

Printed:

K, 732, ex Somner; Earle, pp. 228-9

Translated:

Whitelock, EHD, no. 130 (pp. 596-7), = no. 129 in 1st edn

Printed and Translated:

Somner 1726, pp. 195-7, ex MS, with interlinear translation; Thorpe, pp. 312-13; Robertson, Charters, no. 77 (pp. 150-1), ex Somner

Comments:

Somner 1726, pp. 75-6, a chirograph; Ward 1933; Robertson, Charters, pp. 397-9; HRH, p. 236, authentic; Whitelock, EHD, p. 596; BA Facs., p. 7; Pelteret 1995, pp. 166-7, 314; Wormald, English Law, p. 152 n. 118; Foot 2000, II. 90

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    Text

    • Her swutelaþ on þysan gewrite þa foreward þe Godwine worhte wið Byrhtric þa he his dohter awogode, þæt is ærest þæt he gæf hire anes pundes gewihta goldes wið þonne þe heo his spæce underfenge, 7 he geuþe hire þæs landes æt Stræte mid eallan þon þe þærto herð, 7 on Burwaramersce oðor healf hund æcera, 7 þærto þrittig oxna, 7 twentig cuna, 7 tyn hors, 7 tyn ðeowmen. Ðis wæs gespecen æt Cincgestune beforan Cnute cincge on Lyfinges arcebiscopes gewitnesse, 7 on þæs hiredes æt Cristescircan, 7 Ælfmeres abbodes, 7 þæs hiredes æt S. Augustine, 7 Æþelwines sciregerefan, 7 Siredes ealdan, 7 Godwines Wulfeages sunu, 7 Ælfsige cild, 7 Eadmer æt Burham, 7 Godwine Wulfstanes sunu, 7 Kar þæs cincges cniht. 7 þa man þæt mædan fette æt Byrhtlingan, þa eode þyses ealles on borh Ælfgar Syredes sunu, 7 Frerþ preost on Folcestane 7 of Doferan Leofwine preost, 7 Wulfsige preost, 7 Eadræd Eadelmes sunu, 7 Leofwine Wærelmes sunu, 7 Cenwold rust, 7 Leofwine Godwines sunu æt Hortune, 7 Leofwine se reade, 7 Godwine Eadgeofe sunu, 7 Leofsunu his broðer : 7 swa hwæðer heora læng libbe fo to eallan ætan ge on ðam lande þe ic heom gæf ge o ælcon þingan . Ðyssa þinga is gecnæwe ælc dohtig man on Kænt, 7 on Suþsexan on ðegenan 7 on ceorlan, 7 þyssa gewrita synd ðreo . an is æt Cristescyrcan . oðer æt S. Augustine, þæt þridde hæfþ Byrhtric self.
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    Translation

    • Here is declared in this document the contract which Godwine made with Byrhtric when he wooed his daughter. That is first that he gave her a pound’s weight of gold, so that she might accept his suit, and he granted her the land at Street with everything that belongs to it, and 150 acres at Burmarsh and thereto 30 oxen and 20 cows and 10 horses and 10 slaves. This was agreed at Kingston [Surrey] before King Cnut, in the witness of Archbishop Lyfing [Canterbury] and the community at Christ Church and Abbot Ælfmær [St Augustine’s] and the community at St Augustine’s and Æthelwine the sheriff and Sired the Old and Godwine son of Wulfheah and Ælfsige cild and Eadmer of Burham and Godwine son of Wulfstan and Karl the king’s retainer. And when the maiden was fetched from Brightling [Sussex] there stood surety for all of this: Ælfgar son of Sired, and Frerth the priest of Folkestone, and from Dover Leofwine the priest and Wulfsige the priest, and Eadred son of Eadhelm, and Leofwine son of Wærhelm, and Cenwold Rust and Leofwine son of Godwine of Horton, and Leofwine the Red, and Godwine son of Eadgifu, and Leofsunu his brother. And whichever of them may live longer is to succeed to all the property, both to the land which I have given them and to everything else. Everyone of standing in Kent and Sussex, both thegn and ceorl, is aware of this agreement. And there are three of these documents: one is at Christ Church; the second at St Augustine’s; the third Brihtric has himself.
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    Old Text

    • Her swutelaˇ on ˇysan gewrite ˇa foreward ˇe Godwine worhte wi∂ Byrhtric ˇa he his dohter awogode, ˇæt is ærest ˇæt he gæf hire anes pundes gewihta goldes wi∂ ˇonne ˇe heo his spæce underfenge, 7 he geuˇe hire ˇæs landes æt Stræte mid eallan ˇon ˇe ˇærto her∂, 7 on Burwaramersce o∂er healf hund æcera, 7 ˇærto ˇrittig oxna, 7 twentig cuna, 7 tyn hors . 7 tyn ∂eowmen. ˘is wæs gespecen æt Cincgestune beforan Cnute cincge on Lyfinges arcebiscopes gewitnesse, 7 on ˇæs hiredes æt Cristescircan, 7 Ælfmeres abbodes, 7 ˇæs hiredes æt Sancte Augustine, 7 Æˇelwines sciregerefan, 7 Siredes ealdan, 7 Godwines Wulfeages sunu, 7 Ælfsige cild, 7 Eadmer æt Burham, 7 Godwine Wulfstanes sunu, 7 Kar ˇæs cincges cniht, 7 ˇa man ˇæt mædan fette æt Byrhtlingan, ˇa eode ˇyses ealles on borh Ælfgar Syredes sunu, 7 Frerˇ preost on Folcestane 7 of Doferan Leofwine preost, 7 Wulfsige preost, 7 Eadræd Eadelmes sunu, 7 Leofwine Wærelmes sunu, 7 Cenwold rust, 7 Leofwine Godwines sunu æt Hortune, 7 Leofwine se reade, 7 Godwine Eadgeofe sunu, 7 Leofsunu his bro∂er: 7 swa hwæ∂er heora læng libbe fo to eallan ætan ge on ∂am lande ˇe ic heom gæf ge o ælcon ˇingan. ˘yssa ˇinga is gecnæwe ælc dohtig man on Kænt, 7 on Suˇsexan on ∂egenan 7 on ceorlan, 7 ˇyssa gewrita synd ∂reo . an is æt Cristescyrcan, o∂er æt Sancte Augustine, ˇæt ˇridde hæf∂ Byrhtric self.