S 79

A.D. 709. Cenred, king of Mercia, to Ecgwine, bishop; grant, for life, of 12 agri at Oldberrow, Warwicks., with reversion to St Mary's Minster at Evesham. Latin with English bounds prefixed by a statement that Berhtwulf, king (of Mercia), gave the land to Evesham (A.D. 840 x 852).

Archive: Evesham

MSS: BL Cotton Vesp. B. xxiv, 38v-39r (s. xii)

Printed: K 60 and vol. vi. 226; B 124.

Comments: HS, p. 280; spurious; Stevenson 1914, p. 695 n. 33, spurious, p. 702, a late and clumsy fabrication; Davies 1972, p. 465, spurious; Finberg, ECWM, no. 204, spurious, the witness-list appears to have been copied from a genuine charter, but the bounds belong to the reign of Berhtwulf (840-52); Hooke 1978, bounds appear to date from mid 9th century; Scharer 1982, p. 156, spurious; Hooke 1985, pp. 63, 191-2, on boundary marks; Hooke 1991-2, p. 90, with map p. 96; Lapidge 1993, p. 293 n., spurious; Hooke 1996, p. 109 and map p. 110.

+ Subthronizatus regali solio et sceptrifera 'ditione' per pantocratoris inedicibilem potentiam 'sullimatus' ego Kenredus rex Merciorum ipsius eximiæ munificentiæ refero indefessas grates . qui alta . media . yma superno nutu gubernat. Potissime id censeo fore ratum divis mortalibus. quia sontium prothoplastorum piaculum expiavit . et chelindrum veneniferum inerte lætantem destruxit . data pace supernis et mediis civibus . ut media eligant summorum consortium . respuendo ima . Quoniam assuescit microcosmus superni regis vultum lætificare dapsilitate terrena.

Iccirco astipulatus monarchia Albionis regni celsoque fastigio culminis roboratus . non solum æcclesias vel arcisteria quassata desideramus renovari . donando quæ nobis collata sunt a Sabaoth perpetuo verum etiam præstantissimis pontificibus et amicis volumus munifico corde largire . quatinus fideliores effecti valeant honestius vitæ huius tempora tractare viventes gloriose . Sane quoniam carta carraxata subsistit . quod os fatur transit . propterea insignire perplacet quod volumus cuidam nostro fideli amico et pontifici Ecguino quandam partem terræ concedere . id est bissenos agros . quam incolæ huiusce regionis sic vocitant Aet Ulenbeorge . quam a me placita obedientia dignoque officio impetravit . atque grato adquisivit prætio . donando pensum libræ auri purissimi quod æqua lance trutinatum ponderatumque præcipuum reddidit talentum . Tribuamus illi ob beneficium suæ reverentiæ ut sit illa terra libera ab expeditione et arcis constructione et pontis renovatione . et post eclipsin huius fallentis vitæ derelinquat in cenobio quod construxit in honorem sanctæ Mariæ æt Homme . pro redemptione animarum nostrarum . ut simul sumere in extremo examine valeamus perpetuæ salutis denarium crescente corona.

Si quis autem hanc nostram donationem a nobis traditam infringere temptaverit . confringat Deus regnum et potentiam ejus et hic et in futuro sæculo . et ponat partem illius cum Juda infideli traditore. Si quis autem servando augere voluerit . augeat Deus partem illius cum fideli latrone qui meruit audire . 'Hodie mecum eris in paradiso.' 1

Acta sunt haec anno dominicæ incarnationis . dcc . ix indictione . iiii . his testibus consentientibus quorum nomina infra caraxata esse videntur.

Ego Kenredus rex Merciorum hanc præfatam donationem sub sigillo agiæ crucis donavi .
Ego Brithwaldus archiepiscopus in nomine sanctæ et individuæ trinitatis corroboravi .
Ego Ceadda episcopus consensi .
Ego Acca episcopus consensi .
Ego Ecguinus episcopus consensi .
Ego Aldelmus episcopus consensi .
Ego Inwaldus episcopus consensi .
Ego Ceolredus rex consensi
Ego Æilbaldus rex consensi .
Ego Æhilhardus rex consensi .
Ego Æhilwardus consensi .
Ego Eþelscic æþeling .
Ego Osweda .
Ego Æþilmund .
Ego Cuthbert comes .
Ego Æþelbrith comes .
Ego Æadbrith comes .
Ego Eoppa comes .
Ego Turtuc miles .
Ego Wada miles .
Ego Waldhere miles .

Ðys synd þa . xii . acera londe gemæra æt ulenbeorge þe Beortulf cyng gefreoda 7 gebocoda into Eveshomme .

þæt is ærest of ulan wyllan on osland mære . of osland mære on long mores on ða brodan stret . þanon on ðone rescihtan garan . of þam garan on ða mær áác on stanbeorge . þanne on þa lytle dic . on stanbeorge . of þam beorge on ðone ealde weg . of þam wege in þæt riði . þanne on ederes broc . swa uppon heortpord . þanon fif gemære . swa on fearnlege . þanne on feala mæres broc . þæt swa on ðone ealdan broc . of þam broce on buntinge dic . þanne on wynes wyrðe . swa on þonne grenan garan . þonon on þæt riði . swa æft on feala mæres broc . onlong streames on sceannforde . þonan to þam ryðie . ðwyres ofer ðene ridig on fif acan . þonon on ceoldryðe bece ufeweardne . þanon in ðene broc 7lang streames . of þam streame on ryschealas middewearde on þene blacan broc . þonon on ðene ealdan broc . onlong broces midstreame on þa lytle riðig . of þam riðige æft on ulan wylle.