S 1489

A.D. 1023 x 1038.Will of Ælfric, bishop (of Elmham), including bequests of land at Worlingworth, Suffolk, and at Hunstanton, Holme, Tichwell and Docking, Norfolk, to Bury St Edmunds; at Grimston, Norfolk, to Leofstan, the dean; and instructions to sell land at Walsingham and Fersfield, Norfolk; also bequests of land at Egmere, Norfolk, part to Ælfwine and part to Ufi, the prior; the mill at Guist, Norfolk, to Edwin, the monk; land at Roydon, Norfolk, to Ælfwig, the priest; and at Moulton (probably Suffolk) to Sibriht; also a messuage in Norwich to St Edmunds and one in London to St Peter's. English

Archive:

Bury St Edmunds

MSS:

1. London, British Library, Cotton Augustus ii. 85 (s. xi 1; BM Facs., iv. 21)
2. Cambridge, University Library, Ff.2.33, f. 48r-v (s. xiii 2)
3. London, British Library, Add. 14847, f. 18v (s. xiii/xiv)
4. Oxford, Bodleian Library, Gough Berks 20 (S.C. 17734), f. 14r-v (s. xviii)
5. Oxford, Bodleian Library, James 24 (S.C. 3861), pp. 72-73 (s. xvii)

Printed:

K, 759; Earle, pp. 240-1; Sweet, Second Reader, pp. 236-7 (no. 45); Councils and Synods, no. 66 (pp. 514-16)

Translated:

Whitelock, EHD, no. 126 (pp. 589-90)

Printed and Translated:

Thorpe, pp. 567-9; Whitelock, Wills, no 26 (pp. 70-3)

Comments:

BM Facs., iv, p. 7, MS 1 contemporary; Stevenson 1913, p. 115 n. 16, MS 1 a contemporary hand; Whitelock, Wills, pp. 181-4; Hart, ECEE, no. 88 (pp. 65, 82), authentic; Brooke and Keir 1975, pp. 368, 369, authentic; Councils and Synods, p. 513; Dumville 1993, p. 42 and n. 177, dates 1023 x 1038; Pelteret 1995, p. 122; Campbell 1996, p. 17, probably Ælfric II (d. 1038).; Wareham 2001, pp. 385-7; Thompson 2006, pp. 87, 109, on script

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    Translation

    • It is made known here in this document how Bishop Ælfric wishes to assign his property which he acquired under God and under King Cnut his dear lord, and has since held lawfully under King Harold. First, then, I grant the estate at Worlingworth to St Edmund's, for my soul and for my lord's, with the same rights as when he gave it into my possession. And I grant the estate at Hunstanton, east of the brook, and including the estate at Holme, to St Edmund's. And it is my will that the monks of Bury pay sixty pounds for the estates at Tichwell and at Docking and what belongs there. And I grant to Leofstan the dean the estate at Grimston with all the rights with which I have held it. And to my royal lord Harold I grant two marks of God. . . . And I grant to my lady one mark of gold. . . . And Æthelric my cup-bearer, is to be paid four pounds. And forty pounds are to be paid to my servants whom the stewards know; and five pounds to Ely and five pounds to Holme and five pounds to my kinsman Wulfweard the monk and five pounds to Ælfheah my tailor. And I wish that the estate at Walsingham be sold as dearly as possible, and the money be paid out as I have directed. And I wish that the estate at Fersfield shall be sold as dearly as possible, and one mark of gold shall be paid to the younger(?) Brun, and with what is left let my debts be paid. And to Ælfwine, my priest at Walsingham, I grant thirty acres at Egmere, and Ufi the prior is to have the rest. And I grant to Edwin the monk the mill at Guist which Ringwaru owned. And I grant to Ælfwig the priest the estate at Roydon which I bought from Leofwyn. And I grant the mill which Wulfnoth owned to St Edmund's. And I grant to Sibriht the estate in Moulton which I bought. And I grant the fen which Thurlac gave me to Elmham for the sustenance of the priests: and I grant to the priests at Hoxne fenland worth a thousand [pence]. And I grant the fen which Ælfric gave me to Holme. And I grant the messuage in Norwich to St Edmund's for my soul and the souls of all those who granted it to me. And I grant the messuage in London to St Peter's. And I grant to the younger(?) Brun the fen worth half a thousand [pence].
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    Old Text

    • + Her swytela∂ on ˇissum gewrite hu Ælfric biscop wille his are beteon ˇe he under gode geernode 7 under Cnute kyncge his leofue laforde 7 siˇˇan hæf∂ rihtlice gehealdan under Haralde cyncge; ˇæt is