S 204

A.D. 844 x 845. Berhtwulf, king (of Mercia), to Forthred, his thegn; grant of 9 hides at Wotton Underwood, Bucks., in return for 30 mancuses and 900 shillings. English with bounds

Archive:

Canterbury, Christ Church

MSS:

1. Canterbury, D.C., C 1280 (s. ix med.; Pal. Soc., ser. i. 24; OS Facs., i. 8)

Printed:

K, 243; Sweet, OET, p. 454 (no. 48); B, 452; Earle, pp. 122-3; Sweet, Second Reader, pp. 219-20 (no. 29)

Printed and Translated:

Harmer, SEHD, pp. 5-6, 42-3 (no. 3); Baines 1979, pp. 141-3; Reed 1979, pp. 184, 186, ex Harmer

Comments:

Harmer, SEHD, pp. 81-2, authentic, cf. p. vi; PN Bucks., pp. 1, 103, 113-14, for identification, doubtless written locally; PN Oxon., i. 9; Stenton 1955, p. 46, authentic, may be contemporary; O'Donovan 1972, pp. 40-1, dates 843 x 845, perhaps a slightly later copy, attestation of Bishop Deorlaf of Hereford is a problem; O'Donovan 1973, p. 112; Keynes 1978, p. 172 n. 4, on chrismon; Baines 1979, authentic, discusses bounds; Gelling, ECTV, no. 146, authentic, may be original; Reed 1979, pp. 184-7, on bounds; Brooks 1984, pp. 174, 362 n. 94, original, written in very poor English; Kelly 1990, pp. 55-6; BA Facs., p. 12; Lowe 2001, Appendix I.5

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    Text

    • + In nomine Domini . Ego Berchtwulf . cyning . sile Forðrede . minum ðegne . nigen higida lond . in Wudotune . in ece erfe him to hiobbanne 7 to siollanne . ðæm ðe hit wille mið eaðmodre hernisse him to ge eornigan . ofer his daeg . cisseðebeorg . feowertreowe hyl . 7 eanburgemere . tihhanhyl . 7 ut bi Geht . tu higida lond in erfe . ece . 7 he salde to lond ceape .xxx. mancessan . 7 nigen hund scill<ingas> . wið ðaem londe . him in ece erfe . Ic Berhtwulf . rex . ðas mine ge saldnisse . trymme 7 faestna in Cristes rode tacne 7 in his ðaere haligran--a 7 in his wotona . ge witnisse . Aerist . Saeðryð regina . Cyneferð episcopus . Alchhun . episcopus . Berchtred . episcopus . Deorlaf . episcopus . Ceored . episcopus . Wichred . abbas . Aldred . abbas . Mucel . dux . Hunbercht . dux . Burgred . dux . Aefstan . Cyneberht . dux . Sigred . dux . Alberht . dux . Aldred . dux . Mucel . dux . Hunstan . dux . Eadwulf . Beornoð . Wulfred . Mucel . Aldred . Wicga . Eadgar . Baldred . Werenberht . Eadred . Aeðelwulf . presbyter . Heaberht . prs' . Ecghun . Ecgheard . Beornhaeð . Aldred 7 we aec alle bibeodað . ðe aet ðisse ge witnisse werun on Cristes noman . 7 on his ðaere haligran gif aenig monn . ðas ure ge witnisse incerre . on owihte . ðaet he aebbe ðaes aelmaehtgan godes [unhlisan] . 7 his ðaere haligran up in heofnum ðaes [we] hi[m ge]beod [an] maege.
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    Translation

    • In the name of the Lord. I, King Berhtwulf, give to my thegn Forthred an estate of nine hides in Wootton for him to have in perpetual inheritance, and to give after his day to whoever has earned it from him by humble obedience: Cissetha’s barrow; Four-tree hill; Eanburg’s mere; Tihha’s hill, and land of two hides out along the river Ray in perpetual inheritance. And he gave as the estate-price thirty mancuses and nine hundred shillings for the land in perpetual inheritance. I, King Berhtwulf, strengthen and confirm this my grant in the sign of Christ’s cross and of his saints for ever, and in the witness of his council: First Sæthryth, queen. Cynefrith, bishop. Ealhhun, bishop. Beorhtred, bishop. Deorlaf, bishop. Ceolred, bishop. Wihtred, abbot. Ealdred, abbot. Mucel, dux . Hunberht, dux. Burgred, dux. Ælfstan. Cyneberht, dux. Sigred, dux. Alberht, dux. Ealdred, dux. Mucel, dux . Hunstan, dux. Eadwulf. Beornoth . Wulfred. Mucel. Ealdred. Wicga. Edgar. Baldred. Werenberht. Eadred. Æthelwulf, priest. Heaberht, priest. Ecghun. Ecgheard. Beornhæth. Ealdred And also we all, who were at this witnessing, command in the name of Christ and in (that) of his saints that if any man change that in any way, he shall incur the infamy of Almighty God and of his saints in heaven above for it, [of which may some be declared to him].
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    Old Text

    • Endorsement in hand of s. xii: Inutile. Px In nomine Domini. Ego Berchtwulf cyning sile For∂rede minum ∂egne nigen higida lond in Wudotune in ece erfe him to hiobbanne, 7 to siollanne ∂aem ∂e hit wille mi∂ ea∂modre hernisse him to geeornigan ofer his daeg; Cisse∂ebeorg, Feowertreowehyl, 7 Eanburgemere, Tihhanhyl, 7 ut bi Geht tu higida lond in erfe ece. 7 he salde to londceape xxx mancessan 7 nigen hund scilling wi∂ ∂aem londe him in ece erfe. Ic Berhtwulf rex ∂as mine gesaldnisse trymme 7 faestna in Cristes rode tacne 7 in his ∂aere haligran <SO+>two sideways mid-height commas<SO> a 7 in his wotona gewitnisse. Aerist Sae∂ry∂ regina Cynefer∂ episcopus Alchhun episcopus Berchtred episcopus Deorlaf episcopus Ceored episcopus Wichred abbas Aldred abbas Mucel dux Hunbercht dux Burgred dux Aeestan Cyneberht dux Sigred dux Alberht dux Aldred dux Mucel dux Hunstan dux Eadwulf Beorno∂ Wulfred Mucel Aldred Wicga Eadgar Baldred Werenberht Eadred Ae∂elwulf prs' Heaberht prs' Ecghun Ecgheard Beornhae∂ Aldred. 7 we aec alle bibeoda∂ ∂e aet ∂isse gewitnisse werun, on Cristes noman 7 on his ∂aere haligran, gif aenig monn ∂as ure gewitnisse incerre on owihte, ∂aet he aebbe ∂aes aelmaehtgan Gode[s unhlisse (?) 7] his ∂aere haligran up in [heo]fnum ∂aes we him [ge]beod.n maege.