c. A.D. 1050. Will of Ulf (Wulf), including bequest of land at Aston, Herts., and Oxwick (lost, in Codicote, Herts.) to St Albans; other beneficiaries including Ramsey, St Peter's in Rome and Earl Sihtric. Latin and English versions

Archive:

St Albans

MSS:

1. Brussels, Bibliothèque Royale, 7965-73 (3723), f. 164v (s. xvii; English; Keynes 1993/3, p. 16)
2. Brussels, Bibliothèque Royale, 7965-73 (3723), f. 164r-v (s. xvii; Latin)
3. London, British Library, Cotton Nero D. I, ff. 149-61, f. 151v (s. xiii; Latin)

Printed:

Watts, Additamenta, p. 243, Latin version, ex MS 3; K, 954, Latin version, ex MS 3; Mon. Angl. (rev. edn), ii. 226 (no. 11), Latin version, ex MS 3; Thorpe, pp. 584-5, Latin version, ex MS 3; Luard, Additamenta, pp. 32-3, Latin version, ex MS 3; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 6, no. 86, Latin version; Keynes 1993c, p. 18, Latin version, ex MS 1

Printed and Translated:

Keynes 1993c, pp. 18-19, English version

Comments:

Gelling, ECTV, no. 187, authentic; Keynes 1993, p. 267, on MS 1; Keynes 1993c; Pelteret 1995, pp. 124, 130; Sawyer 1998, pp. 231-2

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    • Ðis is Wulfes cwide. Ærest ic becweðe for mine sawle Gode 7 sancte Albane þæt land æt Eastune mid mete 7 mid mannon swa swa ic hit læne, 7 eallswa þæt land æt Oxawican, into þære halgan stowe æt sancte Albane þær ic licgan wille; 7 þæt betste mæssereaf þe ic hæbbe, 7 calic 7 disc 7 mæseboc 7 an hricghrægl ðicoste þæt mon æfre ælcere wucan gemærsige twa mæssan for his sauwle 7 þone betere pællene kyrtel þe Godgyua ahte 7 þæne oþerne into Hramesige, 7 .iiii. marc gewegenes to Rome to sancte Petre, 7 .iiii. marc wegenes to bicganne mæssan for mine sauwle, 7 .iiii. marc gewegenes to heh mynstran her on lande 7 minon feolagan .iiii. marc goldes 7 ealles þæs landes þe ic læfe, buto<n> þam twam þe ic Gode hæbbe betæht 7 sancte Albane 7 ic ann Oþine .ii. marc gewegenes seolfres, 7 Sihtrice eorle healf marc goldes, Osgode six oran goldes 7 .iiii. marc seolfres 7 his broþer .iiii. marc seolfres, 7 Dagfinne an marc goldes, mare gif he mare geearnaþ, 7 Æfine .ii. gewegenes seolfres 7 an hors, 7 Æþelrice Swegne .ii. marc, 7 Eadwearde an hors 7 elles ælc minra hiredcnihta an hors þe nan land nabbaþ, 7 Þorode þam litlan .ii. gewegenes 7 healde Saxa þæt cild 7 þæt feoh oððe befæste into sumum mynstre mid þam feo 7 gif þær hwæt belife on golde oððe on seolfre oððe on rægle, hæbbe se mæst þe me betst to geearnaþ. 7 mæst fore mine sauwle don wille, 7 .xxx. manna frige mon for mine sauwle. Latin version: In nomine Domini nostri Iesu Christi. Ego Wulf inprimis concedo pro anima mea Deo et sancto Albano terram que uocatur Easttun cum omnibus ad se pertinentibus, sicuti eam habui a rege, cum consensu illius, uidelicet Eadwardi regis, et illam terram similiter æt Oxawican sancte ecclesie Albani martyris ubi et ego iacere uolo; et unum de melioribus meis uestimentis quas ego habeo, et unum calicem, et .i. missalem, et .i. dorsalem, et palleam tunicam meliorem que fuit Godgyue, alteram uero ad monasterium Ramesige, et .iiii. marcas argenti ad ecclesiam sancti Petri Rome, et .iiii. ad missas cantandas pro anima mea, et .iiii. ad principales ecclesias huius terre, et sodalibus meis .iiii. marcas auri et omnes terras meas quas ego dimitto, preter illas duas quas Deo et sancto Albano concessi, et concedo Dagfino marcam auri, et Æfino .ii. marcas argenti et .i. equum, et Æþelrico ministro .ii. marcas, et Eadwardo .i. equum, et singulis hominibus meis qui terras non habent singulos equos, et si adhuc de auro uel argento aliquid super est ille plus habeat qui plus pro anima mea facere uoluerit, et .xxx. de mancipis meis libertatem pro anima mea habeant.
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    Translation

    • This is Wulf’s will. In the first place, I bequeath for my soul to God and St Alban the land at Aston, with produce and with men just as I lease it, and also the land at Oxwick, to the holy place at St Albans where I wish to be buried; and the best set of mass-vestments that I have, and chalice, dish and mass-book, and the thickest dorsal, so that for ever, every week, two masses may be celebrated for his soul; and the better costly cloak, which Godgifu owned, and the other one to Ramsey. And four marks of weighed (silver) to Rome for St Peter, and four marks of weighed (silver) for the procuring of masses for my soul, and four marks of weighed (silver) for the principal minsters in this country, and to my associates four marks of gold and (?) all the land which I leave, except for the two (estates) which I have bequeathed to God and to St Alban. And I grant to Oðin two marks of weighed silver, and to Earl Sihtric half a mark of gold, (and) to Osgod six ores of gold and four marks of silver, and to his brother four marks of silver; and to Dagfinn a mark of gold, more if he should deserve more, and to Æfin two (marks) of weighed silver and a horse, and to Æthelric Swegn two marks, and to Edward a horse; and otherwise a horse to each of my household servants who have no land, and to Thorod the Little two (marks) of weighed (silver), and Saxa is to look after the child and the money, or entrust him to a minster with the money. And if there should be anything left over, in gold or in silver or in vestments, the person who best deserves it from me and who wishes to do the most for my soul is to have the most; and thirty men are to be freed for my soul.
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    Old Text

    • ˘is is Wulfes cwide. Ærest ic becwe∂e for mine sawle Gode 7 sancte Albane ˇæt land æt Eastune mid mete 7 mid mannon swa swa ic hit læne, 7 eallswa ˇæt land æt Oxawican, into ˇære halgan stowe æt sancte Albane ˇær ic licgan wille, 7 ˇæt betste mæssreaf ˇe ic hæbbe, 7 calic 7 disc 7 mæseboc 7 an hricghrægl ∂icoste ˇæt mon æfre ælcere wucan gemærsige twa mæssan for his sauwle 7 ˇone betera pællene cyrtel ˇe Godgyua ahte 7 ˇæne oˇerne into Hramesige, 7 iiii. marc gewegenes to Rome to sancte Petre 7 iiii marc gewegenes to bicganne mæssan for mine sauwle, 7 .iiii. marc gewegenes to heh mynstran her on lande, 7 minon feolagan iiii marc goldes, 7 ealles ˇæs landes ˇe ic læfe, buto[n] ˇam twam ˇe ic Gode hæbbe betæht 7 sancte Albane. 7 ic ann Oˇine ii marc gewegenes seolfres 7 Sihtrice eorle healf marc goldes, Osgode six oran goldes 7 iiii marc seolfres, 7 his broˇer .iiii. marc seolfres, 7 Dagfinne an marc goldes, mare gif he mare geearnaˇ, 7 Æfine ii. [marc] gewegenes seolfres, 7 an hors, 7 Æˇelrice Swegne .ii. marc 7 Eadwearde an hors 7 elles ælc minra hiredcnihta an hors ˇe nan land nabbaˇ 7 ˝orode ˇam litlan ii. gewegenes 7 healde Saxa ˇæt cild, 7 ˇæt feoh o∂∂e befæste into sumum mynstre mid ˇam feo 7 gif ˇær hwæt belife on golde o∂∂e on seolfre o∂∂e on rægle, hæbbe se mæst ˇe me betst to geearnaˇ 7 mæst fore mine sauwle don wille, 7 .xxx. manna frige mon for mine sauwle. Latin Abstract Hæc carta loquitur de terris quas Thulf dedit Sancto Albano. Eastun et Oxawica. In nomine Domini nostri Iesu Christi. Ego Wulf inprimis concedo pro anima mea Deo et Sancto Albano, terram quæ vocatur Eastun, cum omnibus ad se pertinentibus; sicuti eam habui a rege, cum consensu illius, videlicet Eadwardi regis, et illam terram similiter æt Oxawican, sanctæ ecclesiæ Albani martyris, ubi et ego iacere volo, et unum de melioribus meis vestimentis quas ego habeo, et unum calicem, et i. missalem, et i. dorsalem, et palleam tunicam meliorem quæ fuit Godgyue, alteram vero ad monasterium Ramesige, et iiii. marcas argenti ad ecclesiam Sancti Petri Romæ, et iiii. ad missas cantandas pro anima mea, et iiii. ad principales ecclesias huius terræ, et sodalibus meis iiii. marcas auri, et omnes terras meas quas ego dimitto, præter illas duas quas Deo et Sancto Albano concessi, et concedo Dagfino marcam auri, et Æfino ii. marcas argenti et unum equum, et Æˇelrico ministro ii. marcas, et Eadwardo unum equum et singulis hominibus meis qui terras non habent, singulos equos, et si adhuc de auro vel argento aliquid superest, ille plus habeat, qui plus pro anima mea facere voluerit, et xxx. de mancipiis meis libertatem pro anima mea habeant.