A.D. 859 ? for 869 or 870 (Woodyates, Dorset). Æthelred, king of the Saxons, to Ælfstan, princeps; grant of 2 hides (cassati) at Cheselbourne, Dorset. Latin with English bounds

Archive:

Shaftesbury

MSS:

1. London, British Library, Harley 61, ff. 18v-19v (s. xv in.)

Printed:

K, 300 and vol. iii. 397; B, 525; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 2, no. 36; Kelly, Shaftesbury, no. 5

Comments:

Stevenson 1914, pp. 692 n. 16, 694 n. 32, 698 n. 44, doubtful or spurious; Grundy, Dorset, II, pp. 122-9, on bounds; Robertson, Charters, pp. 281-2, dated 859 but 870 more probable, may be independent of S 342; Finberg, ECW, no. 574, authentic; PN Dorset, i. 303, 310, ii. 271, iii. 202-8, 218; Meyer 1981, p. 354, cited; Sawyer 1983, p. 298, on meeting-place; Forsberg 1984, p. 6, on detail of bounds; Keynes 1988, p. 185 n. 3, on formulation; Keynes 1994b, pp. 1123-34, esp. p. 1125, authentic basis, perhaps drafted by royal scribe; Cubitt 1995, p. 310, on Woodyates; Kelly, Shaftesbury, pp. 27-8, authentic basis, but boundary clause is a later interpolation and other details may have been altered. S 342 is a translation; Wormald, English Law, p. 108 n. 376

Show all data

  • Metadata

    Text

    • Regnante imperpetuum Domino nostro Iesu Christo. Omnia que uidentur temporalia sunt et que non uidentur eterna sunt; iccirco terrenis et caducis eterna et iugiter mansura mercanda sunt. Quapropter ego Atheldred Deo donante Saxonum rex, cum consensu et licencia omnibus optimatibus gentis nostre, amantissimo atque fidelissimo meo principi Alfstano aliquam terre partem, id est duos cassatos in loco qui dicitur be Chiselburne, ut liberam habeat et uiuente et post obitum eius cuicumque uoluerit dare in eternam hereditatem, libenter impendo et deuota mente liberam, id est ut omnium regalium debitum et principalium rerum ceterarumque causarum furisque comprehencione et ab omnium secularium seruitutum molestia secura et inmunis equaliter, sine expedicione et arcis municione, permaneat, ut michi clemens et misericors rerum conditor ad uicissitudinem huius munificencie emulamentum largitur, ercata piaculorum preterita indulgeat, presencia emendet, contra futura clipeum potentatus apponat. Si quis uero hanc donacionem atque libertatem augere uoluerit, sit mercis eius cum sanctis angelis Dei; alioquin si quis diabolica fraude deceptus infringeret uel mutare desiderat, sciat se separatum a consorcio sanctorum, nisi satisfactione emendauerit. Ðis is þes landes imare þus uten ymsald. Arest on land scorhlinc to Chiselburne, þannen anlang streames, þannen up of streame on anne hlinchesheaued, þanen be suþe scaftesbury on þane hlinc, of þat ihlinche on anne castel at swindune upward, of ðycastele to burnstowe, þanen on anne linkes heaued, þanen to anne castel, of ðicastele on anne herepaþ, westward ouer herepaþ on hlinc reawe, þanen on anne crundel to burnstowe, on anne cnap, on anne ierð londe northward, þanen wið anne crundeles, of þane crundele on þes heges hirne, þanen eft to herepaðe, of herepaðe on heandene beorg, on Deuelisc, of dune anlang streames, up of streame on anne furch, on anne stan castel, of ða icastele on bleomannes berge, of þa iberge on land scarlinc, an sex made eres be Frome be Deuelisc made þe ierþ on þise lande. Scripta est hec signigrafa in publico loco qui dicitur at Wdegeate, anno ab incarnacione Domini nostri Iesu Christi .d.ccc.lix., indiccione .iii., coram ydoneis testibus quorum nomina infra clare patescit . Ego Aþeldred rex hanc donacionis cartulam propria manu cum signo sancte crucis confirmaui. + Signum manus Alfherð episcopi. + Signum Heahmundi episcopi, et ceteri. +
  • Metadata

    Old Text

    • Rubric: Aeˇeldredus rex ista subscripcione litterarum .ii. cassatos iuxta Cheselburnam ut presens notatur inscripcio in hereditatem concedit perhennem. Regnante imperpetuum Domino nostro Iesu Christo. Omnia que uidentur temporalia sunt et que non uidentur eterna sunt, iccirco terrenis et caducis eterna et iugiter mansura mercanda sunt. Quapropter ego Atheldred Deo donante Saxonum rex, cum consensu et licencia omnibus optimatibus gentis nostre, amantissimo atque fidelissimo meo principi Alfstano aliquam terre partem, id est duos cassatos, in loco qui dicitur be Chiselburne, ut liberam habeat et uiuente et post obitum eius cuicumque uoluerit dare in eternam hereditatem, libenter impendo et deuota mente liberam, id est ut omnium regalium debitum et principalium rerum ceterarumque causarum furisque comprehencione et ab omnium secularium seruitutum molestia secura et inmunis equaliter, sine expedicione et arcis municione, permaneat, ut michi clemens et misericors rerum conditor ad uicissitudinem huius munificencie emulamentum largitur, ercata piaculorum preterita indulgeat, presencia emendet, contra futura clipeum potentatus apponat. Si quis uero hanc donacionem atque libertatem augere uoluerit, sit mercis eius cum sanctis angelis Dei, alioquin si quis diabolica fraude deceptus infringeret uel mutare desiderat, sciat se separatum a consorcio sanctorum, nisi satisfaccione emendauerit. ˘is is ˇes landes imare ˇus uten yinsald. Arest on land scorhlinc to Chiselburne, ˇannen anlang streames, ˇannen up of streame on anne hlinchesheaued, ˇanen be suˇe Scaftesbury on ˇane hlinc, of ˇat ihlinche on anne castel at swindune upward, of ∂y castele to burnstowe, ˇanen on anne linkes heaued, ˇanen to anne castel, of ∂i castele on anne herepaˇ, westward ouer herepaˇ on hlinc reawe, ˇanen on anne crundel to burnstowe, on anne cnap, on anne ier∂ londe northward, ˇanen wi∂ anne crundeles, of ˇane crundele on ˇes heges hirne, ˇanen eft to herepa∂e, of herepa∂e on Heandene beorg, on Deuelisc, of dune anlang streames, up of streame on anne furch, on anne stan castel, of ∂a icastele on bleomannes berge, of ˇa iberge on land scarlinc, <<and> sex made eres be Frome be Deuelisc made ˇe ierˇ on ˇise lande. Scripta est hec signigrafa in publico loco qui dicitur at Wdegeate, anno ab incarnacione Domini nostri Iesu Christi .dccclix., indiccione .iii., coram ydoneis testibus quorum nomina infra clare patescit . Ego Aˇeldred rex hanc donacionis cartulam propria manu cum signo sancte crucis confirmaui. + Signum manus Alfher∂ episcopi. + Signum Heahmundi episcopi et ceteri. +