S 495

A.D. 944. King Edmund to Ælfric, bishop (of Ramsbury); grant of 30 hides (mansae) at Badby, Dodford and Everdon, Northants. Latin with English bounds.

Archive: Evesham

MSS: 1. BL Cotton Aug. ii. 63 (s. x med.; BM Facs., iii. 11)
2. BL Cotton Vesp. B. xxiv, 18v-19r (s. xii; incomplete)

Printed: K 399 ex MS 1; K 402 and vol. iii. 421-3 ex MS 2; B 792; Earle, pp. 178-80, bounds only; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 2, no. 79; Keays-Young 1930, pp. 275-83, bounds only, with translation.

Comments: Bond 1878, p. 7, contemporary; Stevenson 1902, p. 634, contemporary; Keays-Young 1930, pp. 271-83, on bounds; PN Northants., p. 10 n.; Hart 1970, pp. 35-7, on topography and hidage; Hart, ECNE, no. 2, MS 1 perhaps a contemporary copy; Brown et al. 1977, pp. 155-62, on bounds; Brown and Key 1977-8, pp. 1-4, on bounds; Keynes 1980, pp. 24-5, MS 1 apparent original; Dumville 1987, pp. 173-4, on script; Brown et al. 1990-1, on bounds; cf. S 496.

Endorsements:
(1) in a hand of s. xii: Badebi
(2) in a hand of s. xiii: Baddebi

+ In nomine domini nostri Jhesu Christi . Quoniam quidem transeuntis mundi vicissitudo cotidie per incrementa temporum crescendo decrescit . et ampliando minuitur . crescentibusque repentinis variorum incurs[u]rum [ru]inis vicinus finis terminus esse cunctis in proximo cernitur . idcirco vanis ac transibilibus rebus mansura cælestis patriæ præmia mercanda sunt ; Quam ob causam ego . Eadmundus . gentis Anglorum rex . cuidam pontifici meo mihique dilecto nomine . Ælfrico . ob ipsius laudabili ob[edi]entiæ zelo ejusdemque servitute placabili . dignatus sum impertiri . xxx mansas . in illo loco ubi jamdudum solicolæ illius regionis n[omen] inposuerunt . æt Baddan byrig 7 to Doddanforda 7 to Eferdune ; Tali autem tenore hoc præfatæ munificentiæ munus tradendo concessi . ut possideat et firmiter teneat hanc prædictam terram perpetualiter . cum omnibus utensilibus quæ Deus cælorum in ipso telluris gramine creavit ; Tam in notis causis et ignotis in modicis et in magnis . campis . pascuis . pratis . silvis silvarumque densitatibus donans donabo libertatem . ut postquam humani generis fragilitatem deseruerit et ad desiderabilem jucunditatis viam per gratiam superni judicis adierit succedentium sibi cuicumque libuerit æternaliter derelinquat ceu superius prænotavi . Sit autem prædictum rus liber ab omni fiscali tributo sæculariumque servitutum 'exactione' exinanitum . sine expeditione et pontis arcisve instructione . Præcipioque in nomine Dei summi tam nobis viventibus quam ætiam 'sequentibus' divina præcepta prædicantibus huius libertatis statuta ad irritum deducere minime quispiam præsumat . Quisquis benivola mente meam donationem amplificare satagerit in hoc præsenti sæculo vitam illius prospera feliciter longiturnæ vitæ gaudia teneat . Si quis autem propria temeritate violenter invadere præsumpserit . sciat se procul dubio ante tribunal districti judicis titubantem tremebundumque rationem redditurum . Nisi prius digna satisfactione emendare maluerit . Istis terminibus prædicta terra circumgyrata esse videtur .

+ Ðis sint þa land gemæra 7 se embe gang þara landa to baddan byrig 7 to doddan forda 7 to efer dune . ðæt is þone ærest æt baddan byrg westeweardre 7 norðeweardre æt þam lytlan toclofenan beorge . þonne on gerihte of ðam beorge norð to wearge dune . betweox þa lytlan twegen beorgas . þæt þær norð 7lang ðære lytlan dic æt þæs grafes ende oð ða smalan ðornas . ðonne of ðam þornum up on ða lytlan dune middeweardre . þonne of ðære d?ne east on fox hylle easteweardre .

Þonne geuðe ic Ælfwine 7 Beorhtulfe þæs leas 7 þæs hammes be norðan þære lytlan dic .

Ðonne lið ðæt gemære on gerihte of fox hylle norðeweardre on þone holan weg æt hinde hlypan . þonne of hinde hlypan on þone wylle æt þam lea ufeweardan . of ðam wylle on ðæt heorot sol . of ðam heorot sole norð on gerihte on ðone beorg . þonne of ðam beorge on gerihte to ðam lea . þæt forð be lea on wiðig wylles heafud . of ðam wylle norð on gerihte on ða ðornehtan dune to emnes þam geate æt þære ealdan byrg . þæt fram ðam geate on gerihte east to mær pytte . þonne of ðam pytte on gerihte to ðam stane æt þam wylle wið norðan mæres dæl . þonne suð on gerihte 7lang wæclinga stræt on þone weg to weoduninga gemære . þonne west 7lang weges on ðone lytlan beorg . ðær se stoc stod . ðæt þonan suðrihte on ðone ealdan mylier þær þa welegas standað . ðæt west 7lang burnan oð hit cymð þær bliðe utscyt . þæt 7lang bliðan oð ða stan bricgge . þæt east of ðære bricgge . 7lang dic oð ðone hæþenan byrgels . of þam byrgelse forð norð be wyrttruman oð ðæs heges ende be weoduninga gemære . þæt þonan 7lang gemæres on gerihte to ðam stocce on easteweardan þam lea . of ðam stocce suðrihte on þære stræt . 7lang stræt to þære fyrh ðe scyt suðrihte to þære miclan stræt æt þæs wylles heafde æt snoces cumbes gemære . þæt west 7lang stræt on ðone æsc . þæt fram ðam æsce 7lang stræt betweox þa twegen leas on ða ealdan sealt stræt oð ðone steorte . fram þam steorte 7lang þæs fulan broces oð bliðan .

Ðonne is þæt land æt snoces cumbe healf þæs cinges healf 'uncer' brentinges . buton me God geunne 7 min hlaford þæt he his me geunnan wille .

Þonne gæð sio mearc forð andlang bliðan west oð ðæt seo lacu utscyt on bliðan wið ufan stan bricgge . þæt norð 7lang lace . oð ða dic þonne 7lang dic oð ðone weg þe scyt to fealuwes lea on þam slade . þæt on fealuwes lea þær . ælfric biscep redan het to þære ealdan dic . 7lang dic to ðam wege þe scyt up to ðam hricgge . 7lang hricgges to þam wege þe scyt fram fealuwes lea to baddan by ane lytle hwile . þonne of ðære apuldre þe stent wið westan þam wege þurh þone lea to þam miclan hæsl wride . of þam hæsl wride adun on þa blacan rixa . of þam rixun on þa lytlan hecggan æt þam wege þe scyt fram baddan by to cear wyllun . 7lang weges oð ðone broc þe scyt to fealuwes lea to þam forda ðæt west æfre 7lang broces oð ðone weg þe scyt to stæfer tune wið suðan þa ealdan burh æt baddan byrg þæt west 7lang weges oð to emnes þære micelan dic oð westewearde þa burh . 7lang ðære dic 7 be þære byrg westeweardre norð oð ðone tobrocenan beorg . ðe þær is toclofen on norðweardre 7 on westeweardre baddan byrg .

Acta est hæc præfacta donatio . Anno ab incarnatione domini nostri Jhesu Christi . D CCCC XL IIII . indictione . II .

+ Ego Eadmundus rex Anglorum præfatam donationem cum sigillo sancte crucis + confirmavi .
+ Ego Eadred ejusdem regis frater prædictum donum consignavi .
+ Ego Eadgifu ejusdem regis mater confirmavi cum sigillo sancte crucis . + .
+ Ego Oda Dorobonensis ecclesie archiepiscopus ejusdem regis donationem cum tropheo agiæ crucis + subarravi .
+ Ego Wulfstan archiepiscopus ejusdem regis donationem confirmavi .
+ Ego Ðeodred Lundoniensis ecclesie episcopus consensi .
+ Ego Ælfheah Wintaniensis ecclesie episcopus triumphalem tropheum agiæ crucis + inpresi .
+ Ego Cenwald episcopus consensi .
+ Ego Ælfred episcopus confirmavi .
+ Ego Æþelgar episcopus roboravi .
+ Ego Wulfsie episcopus consignavi .
+ Ego Wulfhelm episcopus subarravi .
+ Æþelstan dux .
+ Æþelwold dux .
+ Æþelstan dux .
+ Ealhhelm dux .
+ Aðelmund dux .
+ Wulfgar minister .
+ Eadmund minister .
+ Ælfsie minister .
+ Ælfstan minister .
+ Wulfric minister .
+ Ælfsie minister .
+ Æþelgeard minister .
+ Wulfric minister .
+ Wihtgar minister .
+ Ælfred minister .
+ Æþered minister .