Early-Medieval-England.net

S 139

A.D. 793 x 796 (Clobeshoas). King Offa to Æthelmund, his minister; grant of 55 hides (cassati) at Westbury-on-Trym, Gloucs. Latin.

Archive: Worcester

MSS: 1. BL Add. Ch. 19790 (s. viii/ix; BM Facs., ii. 5; Pal. Soc., ser. i, pl. 12; Ch.L.A., iii, no. 180; Making of England, p. 204 [no. 158]; Morgan 1876, opp. p. 190; Brown 1996, p. 206, fig. 22)
2. BL Cotton Tib. xiii, 52rv (s. xi¹)
3. BL Cotton Vitell. C. ix, 130v (s. xvii; incomplete)

Printed: Hearne, Heming, pp. 109-10 ex MS 2, p. 565 ex MS 3; K 167; HS, pp. 483-4; Morgan 1876, pp. 190-1, with translation; B 274; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 1, no. 87; Pierquin, Conciles, pp. 368-9.

Comments: Sweet, OET, pp. 431-2 (nos 15-16); Stevenson 1914, p. 689 n. 3, p. 692 n. 16, p. 696 nn. 36, 37, contemporary; Stenton 1918, p. 440 n. 35, original (= Stenton 1970, p. 54 n. 4); Lowe 1935, pp. xiii-iv, MS 1 trustworthy; Parsons 1939, p. 14, genuine and contemporary; Stenton 1955, p. 58 n. 1, cited; Ch.L.A., iii, no. 180, MS 1 is contemporaneous, very probably original; Bruckner 1965, pp. 24, 29-30, 41, on script; John 1966, p. 107 n., respectable; Ch.L.A., iv, p. xviii, on script; Brooks 1971, p. 78, on reservation of common burdens; Stenton 1971, p. 289, cited with reference to reservation clause; Finberg, ECWM, no. 49, authentic; Sawyer 1978, p. 143, cited, p. 145, on estate; Scharer 1982, pp. 274-7, contemporary; Wormald 1982, p. 123; Brown 1986, p. 134, on script; Wormald 1986, p. 155-6, original, discusses background; Abels 1988, p. 53; Sims-Williams 1990, pp. 38-9, on beneficiary, p. 175; Making of England, pp. 203-4 (no. 158); Wormald 1993, pp. 220-2, on background and estate history; Cubitt 1995, p. 274, contemporary; Abrams 1996, p. 243, on documentation for Westbury; Brown 1996, pp. 165-8, on script of MS 1.

Endorsement (s. xi): Westbyrig

+ Px In nomine summi tonantis qui est Deus benedictus in sæcula amen . Regibus potentibus et huius sæculi divitibus cum fallacibus istius lugubri mundi substantiis quæ omnia sicut umbra evanescunt . æternæ vitæ præmia mercanda sunt .

Quapropter ego Offa rex a rege reguum constitutus . terram . l .v. cassatorum in provincia huuicciorum ubi nominatur . Uuestburg . prope flumen qui dicitur Aben . Æðelmundo fideli meo ministro pro ereptione animæ meæ in libertatem perpetuam sub hac condicione libens concedo , ita ut ab omni tributo parvo vel majore publicalium rerum et a cunctis operibus vel regis vel principis sit in perpetuum libera , preter expeditionalibus causis et pont'i'um structionum et arcium munimentum quod omni populo necesse est ab eo opere nullum excussatum esse , Scripta est autem hæc libertatis kartula ab universo concilio synodali in loco celeberrimo qui nuncupatur . Clobeshoas . quorum signa et nomina infra tenentur . . ,

+ Ego Offa rex Dei dono propriam donationis libertatem signo sanctæ crucis confirmo .
+ Ego Ecgferð filius regis consensi .
+ Signum Hygeberhti archiepiscopi .
+ Signum Æðelheardi archiepiscopi .
+ Signum Ceolulfi . episcopi .
+ Signum Haðoredi . episcopi .
+ Signum Unu'u'ona . episcopi .
+ Signum [C]yneberht . episcopi .
+ Signum [D]eneferði . episcopi .
+ Signum Ceolmundi . episcopi .
+ Signum Coenwalh . episcopi .
+ Signum Uuermundis . episcopi .
+ Signum Alhheardi . episcopi .
+ Signum Ælfhuni episcopi .
+ Signum Uuiohtuni episcopi .
+ Signum Alhmund abbatis .
+ Signum Beonnan abbatis .
+ Signum Uuigmundi abbatis .
+ Signum Utel , abbatis .
+ Brorda .
+ Esne .
+ Heardberht .
+ Ubba .

+ Bynna .
+ Æðelmund .
+ Uuynberht .
+ Lulling .

+ Alhmund
+ Uuigberht .
+ Ceolmund .
+ Eafing .