S 100
A.D. 716 x 757. Æthelbald, king of Mercia, to Wihtred, his comes, and to Ansith, Wihtred's wife; grant of 7 hides (manentes) in the regio called Geddinges (cf. Yeading), Middx. Latin with bounds.
Archive: Canterbury, Christ Church
MSS: BL Cotton Aug. ii. 32 (s. xiii1)
Printed: K 101; B 182; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 1, no. 45.
Comments: PN Mddx, pp. 1, 2, 40; Stenton 1971, p. 294, cited, with reference to place-name; Cox 1976, p. 42, on place-name; Gelling, ECTV, no. 198, authentic, estate need not be in the immediate vicinity of Yeading; Scharer 1982, pp. 184-6, 292, late single-sheet copy, possibly authentic, dates to c. 730 x 745; Brooks 1984, p. 142, on the beneficiary; Wormald 1985, p. 10, on formulation, p. 25, broadly trustworthy, dates 716 x c. 730; Bailey 1989/2, pp. 111, 118, on Middlesex background; Vince 1990, p. 120, on topography; Dumville 1992, p. 3 n. 16, cited, with reference to political background; Bailey 1996, pp. 64-6.
In nomine domini nostri Jhesu Christi .
Nichil intulimus in hunc mundum sed nec auferre quid possumus . Ideo præmia æternæ patriæ nobis caducis cælestia momentaneis manentia sunt mercanda .
Iccirco ego Æthelbaldus rex Merciorum domino dispensante comite meo Withredo conjugique ejus Ansithe terram . vii tem . manencium in provincia Midelsexorum . in regione quæ dicitur Geddinges in australi atque in occidente habens torrentem cujus vocabulum Ficesburne . et in aquilonale ulterius quam via publica jacet . duorum jujerum latitudine in oriente in aquam quæ anglorum lingua Lake nominatur habens . quæ est duarum quæ ibi sunt . ulterior usque dum illam accipient sulcesque precedunt . Insuper memoratam aquam . id est Fissesburnam ea racione prorogans dono ut sit æcclesiastice juris potestate subdita in per[pet]uum nunquam ego ullusque successorum meorum contra hanc donacionis descriptionem venire temptaverit .
Quod si quis hoc præsumserit . noverit se in districto examine domino racionem reddendam insuper cum raptoribus insolubilem subire sentenciam .