S 986

A.D. 1020. Writ of King Cnut declaring that he has granted to Archbishop Æthelnoth judicial and financial rights over his own men, and over Christ Church, and over as many thegns as the king has granted him to have. English

Archive:

Canterbury, Christ Church

MSS:

1. London, British Library, Add. 14907, f. 18r (s. xviii)
2. London, Lambeth Palace Library, 1370, f. 114v (s. xi)

Printed:

Earle, p. 232; Harmer, Writs, no. 28

Translated:

Whitelock, EHD, no. 134 (p. 602)

Comments:

Harmer, Writs, pp. 171, 449-50, authentic; Chaplais 1966, p. 18, copy in Canterbury gospel-book, declaration may originally have reached Canterbury in oral form (= 1981, XV p. 18); Chaplais 1966a, p. 175, authentic, MS 2 written by contemporary scribe (= 1973, pp. 59-60); Whitelock, EHD, earliest royal writ to survive in contemporary or near contemporary form; Brooks 1984, p. 290, on MS 2; Keynes 1988, p. 216 n. 83, stylistic links with S 1091; Ker, Catalogue, pp. 346-7 (no. 284), art. d; Lawson 1993, pp. 66 n. 29, 237; Kennedy 1995, p. 151 n. 86, on immunity; Wormald 1995, pp. 116, 128-9, authentic, discusses immunity; Wormald 1996, p. 123, on immunity; Sharpe 2003, p. 287, part of sequence of writs

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  • Metadata

    Text

    • + Cnut cyncg gret ealle mine . bisceopas 7 mine eorlas 7 mine gerefan on ælcere scire þe Æþelnoð arcebisceop . 7 se hired æt Cristes cyrcean land inne habbað freondlice . 7 ic cyðe eow þæt ic hæbbe geunnen him þæt he beo his saca 7 socne wyrðe . 7 griðbryces 7 hamsocne 7 forstealles 7 infangenes þeofes 7 flymena fyrmðe ofer his agene menn binnan byrig 7 butan 7 ofer Cristes cyrcean 7 ofer swa feala þegna swa ic him to lætan hæbbe 7 ic nelle þæt ænig mann aht þær on teo buton he 7 his wicneras forþam ic hæbbe Criste þas gerihta forgyfen minre sawle to ecere alysendnesse 7 ic nelle þæt æfre ænig mann þis abrece be minum freondscipe.
  • Metadata

    Translation

    • + King Cnut greets all my bishops and my earls and my reeves in each shire, in which Archbishop Æthelnoth and the community at Christ Church have land, in friendship. And I make known to you that I have granted him that he shall be entitled to his sake and soke, to [the rights of] breach of the peace, hamsocn, forstal, the thief captured therein and the harbouring of fugitives—over his own men within borough and outside, and over Christ Church, and over as many thegns as I have assigned him. And I forbid that anyone take anything therefrom except him and his bailiffs; for I have given these rights to Christ for the eternal salvation of my soul; and I forbid that anyone violates this, because of my friendship.
  • Metadata

    Old Text

    • Cnut cyncg gret ealle mine biscopas 7 mine eorlas 7 mine gerefan on ælcere scire ˇe æˇelno∂ arcebiscop 7 se hired æt Cristes cyrcean land inne habba∂ freondlice. & ic cy∂e eow ˇæt ic hæbbe geunnen him ˇæt he beo his saca 7 socne wyr∂e 7 gri∂bryces 7 hamsocne 7 forstealles 7 infangenes ˇeofes 7 flymena fyrm∂e ofer his agene menn binnan byrig 7 butan 7 ofer Cristes cyrcean 7 ofer swa feala ˇegna swa ic him to lætan hæbbe. & ic nelle ˇæt ænig mann aht ˇær on teo buton he 7 his wicneras for ˇam ic hæbbe Criste ˇas gerihta forgyfen minre sawle to ecere alysendnesse. & ic nelle ˇæt æfre ænig mann ˇis abrece be minum freondscipe.