Early-Medieval-England.net

S 64

A.D. 699 x 709. Offa, king of Mercia (? recte of Essex), also termed subregulus, to the church of Worcester; grant of 33 hides (cassati) at Shottery, 3 at Nuthurst, Warwicks.; and 3 at Hellerelege (lost, in Kings Norton), Worcs. Latin with English bounds.

Archive: Worcester

MSS: 1. BL Cotton Nero E. i, pt 2, 184r (s. xi)
2. BL Cotton Tib. A. xiii, 107rv, omits Hellerelege (s. xi¹)
3. BL Cotton Tib. A. xiii, 107v-108r, omits Nuthurst (s. xi¹)

Printed: Hearne, Heming, pp. 227-9; K 55 and vol. iii. 374-5; B 123 ex MS 1; B 123A ex MS 2; B 123B ex MS 3; Earle, pp. 310-11.

Comments: Earle, p. 311, spurious; Turner 1916, p. xxxii, citing Stevenson, authentic; Grundy, Worcs. 1927, pp. 163-4, on bounds of Hellerelege; PN Worcs., p. 15; PN Warwicks., p. 239 n., on bounds; Finberg, ECWM, no. 200 and p. 182, authentic basis, donor was probably Offa of Essex; Hart, ECNE, no. 42, authentic basis; Cox 1976, pp. 22, 25, 26, 38, 43, 45, on place-names; Dyer 1980, p. 25, cf. S 1278; Hooke 1985, p. 57, on bounds and topography; Wormald 1985, p. 25, unreliable later copy, possible genuine elements; Yorke 1985, pp. 7-8, 22-3, 25-6, uses charter as evidence for royal status of Offa of Essex; Hooke 1990, pp. 58-61, on bounds of Hellerelege, solution still not definite; Sims-Williams 1990, p. 35 n. 99, citing Whitelock, may originally have been a charter of Cenred of Mercia, p. 162; Hooke 1991-2, p. 79; Lapidge 1993, p. 293 n., has some claim to be genuine; Hooke 1996, p. 106.

+ Regnante in perpetuum domino universitatis creatore . Ego Offa rex Merciorum aliquam partem terrarum id est . xxxiii . cassatorum in jus æcclesiasticæ libertatis Wigornensis largior . æt Scotta rið . quem tamen agrum fluvio quem dicunt Afen constat interlui ; is demum subregulus . iii . postea cassatos ruris silvatici largiendo addidit . æt Hnuthyrste . Istis terminis præfatum rus cingitur . in primis balgandun . billes læh . westgraf . heofentill . baddan dun . hoc est in occidentali parte fluminis . in orientali plaga . wudan bergas . ruggan broc . bromhlinces dene . inde on sture . ondlonges sture usque in afene . Addidit etiam prædictus Offa . iii . cassatos in alio loco silvatici ruris usitato nomine Hellerelege pro remedio suæ animæ in civitate Wegornensi . his terminis cingitur .

ærest on leontan þæt cume on blacan mere . þonne þæt cume in ða geapan linde . þonon þæt cume on lindwyrðe . spa þæt cume on ciondan . of ceondan þæt cume on reodmore . þonon þæt cume on þa greatan ac . þonon þæt cume in ða readan sole . þonne þæt cume on cærspytt . swa þæt cume in usan mere . of usan mere . þæt cume eft on leontan:---

+ Ego Offa rex .
+ Ego Æþelward .
+ Ego Æþelberht .
+ Ego Ecgwine episcopus .
+ Ego Æþelmund .
+ Ego Æwelric .

Text from MS 2 (Birch 123A)

+ Regnante in perpetuum domino universitatis creatore . Ego Offa rex Merciorum aliquam partem terræ id est . xxxiii . cassatorum in jus ecclesiasticæ . libertatis . Wiogernensis concedens libentissime largior ejusdem agelli nomen est Scottarit . quem tamen agrum fluvio quem dicunt . Afen . constat interlui isdem vero subregulus tres postea cassatos ruris silvatici la[r]giendo rogatus addidit usitato nomine. Hnuthyrst dici solet. Istis terminibus cingitur præfata ruus in primis balganduun . billesleah . westgraf . hofentill baddanduun . Hoc est in occidentale parte fluminis . In orientale plaga wudan bergas hrucggan broc brom hlinces deonu inde on sture postea tragitur in longitude sture usque in afene ;

+ Ego Offa rex Merciorum consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Ecguuine episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Æþelweard propriam donationem et subscripsi .
+ Ego Æþelmund consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Æþelberht consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Æþelric consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Oswudu consensi et subscripsi .

Text from MS 3 (Birch 123B)

+ Regnante in perpetuum domino universalis creatore . Ego Offa rex Merciorum, aliquam partem terræ id est . xxxiii . cassatorum in jus ecclesiasticæ libertatis possessionis concedens libentissime . largior ejusdem vero agelli nomen est Scottarit quem tamen agrum fluvio quem dicunt Afen constat interlui isdem vero subregulus tres postea cassatos ruris in alio loco silvatici largiendo rogatus addidit usitato nomine Hellerelege . Hoc largitus sum pro animæ meæ in civitate Weogernensis æcclesiæ dici solet.

Istis terminibus, cingitur . ærest of liontan þæt cume in blacan mere . of blacan mere þæt cume in þa geapanlinde . of þære geapanlinde þæt cume in lindwyrðe . of linwyrðe þæt cume in ciondan . of ciondan þæt cume in hriodmore of . hriodmore þæt cume in þa greatan ac . of þære greatan ac . þæt cume in þa readan sole . of þære readan sole . þæt cume in cærspyt . of cærs pytte . þæt cume in usan mere . of usan mere . þæt cume eft in liontan ;

+ Ego Offa rex Merciorum consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Ecgwine episcopus . consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Æþelward propriam donationem et subscripsi .
+ Ego Æþelmud consensi et subscripsi.
+ Ego Æþelberht consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Æþelric consensi et subscripsi .