S 56
A.D. 759 (February). Eanberht, Uhtred and Ealdred, brothers and under-kings of the Hwicce, with the permission of Offa, king of Mercia, to Headda, abbot; grant of 10 hides (cassati) at Andoversford, Gloucs. Latin with English bounds.
Archive: Worcester
MSS: 1. BL Add. Ch. 19789 (s. viii med.; BM Facs., ii. 2; Ch.L.A., iii, no. 179; Making of England, p. 202 (no. 156); Pal. Soc., ser. i, 10)
2. BL Cotton Tib. A. xiii, 24v (s. xi1)
Printed: Hearne, Heming, pp. 52-3; K 105; B 187; Earle, pp. 45-6; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 1, no. 48.
Comments: Bond 1878, p. 7, MS 1 contemporary; Sweet, OET, p. 430 (no. 10); Stevenson 1914, p. 695 n. 35, a 9th-century copy of a presumably genuine contemporary charter of the 8th century; Turner 1916, p. xxxiv, citing Stevenson, authentic; Stenton 1918, p. 444 n. 50, cited (= Stenton1970, p. 58 n. 2); Lowe 1935, pp. xiii-xiv, trustworthy; Parsons 1939, p. 14, genuine and contemporary; Finberg 1955/1, p. 7 and n. 3, on topography (= 1964, p. 22 and n.); PN Gloucs., i. 153, 168, 170-1; PN Worcs., p. xxiii n. 1, original; Ch.L.A., iii, no. 179, MS 1 contemporaneous, very probably original; Bruckner 1965, p. 40 and n. 156, on attestations; Ch.L.A., iv, p. xvii, on script; Stenton 1971, p. 287, cited; Finberg, ECWM, no. 26, authentic; Scharer 1982, pp. 214-16, authentic and contemporary; Brown 1986, p. 120, citing Budny, scribe identified as scribe 1 of BL Royal 1 E. VI; Sims-Williams 1990, pp. 155-6, original; Making of England, p. 202 (no. 156); Keynes 1996/1, p. 160 n. 174, identification with scribe 1 of BL Royal 1 E. vi may be unsound; Kelly, Selsey, p. xlix, on formulation; cf. S 1413.
Endorsements on MS 1 (s. x):
(1) Offa rex
(2) to Onnaforda
+ In nomine domini nostri Jhesu Christi salvat[oris] nihil intulimus in hunc mundum verum nec auferre quid possumus idcirco terrenis ac caducis æterna et cælestis patriæ præmia mercanda sunt . Quapropter . cum licentia et permissione piissimi regis Offan Merciorum . nos tres germani uno patre editi . Eanberht atque Uhctred necnon et Aldred prætio redemptionis animæ nostræ non ignorantes in futuro prodesse si quid Christi membris libenter inpendimus . donavimus tibi Headda abbas . terram juris nostri decem cassatorum . æt Onnanforda confiniæ tamen ejusdem terræ . ab australi plaga Uuisleag . ab occidente Rindburna , a septemtrionale Meosgelegeo; ab oriente vero Onnanduun cum campis silvis pratis pascuis cum omnibus ad se pertinentibus . ut quidquid exinde agere volueris liberam habeas arbitrium donandi in tuo sit potestate . numquam nos heredesque nostros ullo tempore . contra hanc donationem esse venturos quod si quis præsumserit in magno vel in modico inrumpere , sit separatus ab omni societate christianorum et in examine . districti justique judicis præsumtionis suæ pænam incurrat . ad cujus cumulum nihilominus firmitatis testes conpetenti numero ut subscriberent rogavimus . et ipsi signum sanctæ crucis inpræserunt . Peracta est autem hæc donatio in mense februarii indictione xiia . anno vero ab incarnatione Christi . dccoloviii[i] . et isti testes consenserunt .
+ Ego Offa rex Merciorum huic donationi consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Eanberht regulus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Uhctred regulus consensi et subscripsi
+ Ego Aldred regulus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Milred episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Tilhere abbas consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Cusa abbas consensi et subscripsi .
+ Signum manus . . acan .
+ Signum manus Dilran .
+ Signum manus Bobban .
+ Signum manus Bynnan .
+ Signum manus Berhtuuald .
+ Signum manus Tilberhti abbatis .