S 153

A.D. 798. (a) Coenwulf, king of Mercia, to Oswulf, his dux and minister; grant of land at Hremping wiic, also known as Hafingseota, south of the river Limen, Kent, in exchange for land at Bobingseata. (b) Oswulf grants the land to Lyminge minster. Latin.

Archive: Canterbury, Christ Church (ex Lyminge)

MSS: 1. BL Cotton Aug. ii. 97 (s. viii/ix; BM Facs., i. 12; Ch.L.A., iii, no. 191; Stengel 1960, p. 64)
2. BL Stowe 853, 8v-9v (s. xvii)

Printed: K 175; HS, pp. 514-15; Mon. Angl. (rev edn), i. 453 (no. 3), part only; B 289; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 1, no. 92; Pierquin, Conciles, pp. 396-7.

Translated: Jenkins, Lyminge, pp. 29-30.

Comments: Sweet, OET, p. 433 (no. 19); Jenkins, Lyminge, pp. 30-1; Stenton 1918, p. 445 n. 57, original, p. 450, on royal style (= Stenton 1970, p. 59 n. 3, p. 64); Wallenberg, KPN, pp. 79-82, on place-names; Wright 1950, p. 390; Drögereit 1952, pp. 55-6, spurious, dicusses royal style; Stengel 1960, pp. 41-5, 69-72, authentic; Ch.L.A., iii, no. 191, contemporaneous, probably original, scribe also wrote S 41, MS 2; Bruckner 1965, p. 21 n. 47, on closing formula, p. 29, on script, p. 41, non-autograph crosses; John 1966, p. 21, on royal style, p. 74, original; Ch.L.A., iv, p. xviii, on script; Wormald 1983, pp. 109-10, apparent original, discusses royal style, notes Alcuinian influence; Brooks 1984, p. 360 n. 70, on scribe, p. 361 n. 76, contemporary or near contemporary, p. 365 n. 39; Brown 1986, p. 128, on script; Crick 1988, MS 1 fabricated at Christ Church in early or mid 9th century, discusses script and identity and career of Oswulf; Foot 1992, p. 191 n. 148, on formula; Keynes 1993/1, pp. 113, 116, on Oswulf; Cubitt 1995, p. 277, may be later copy of original.

Notes: The main text, witness-list and the record of Oswulf's grant to Lyminge were written by a single scribe, who also wrote S 188, 1268 (witnesses only), 1436, 1482 (main text, excluding witnesses and Heregyth's bequest).

Endorsements:
(1) contemporary: Hafing seotan boec
(2) s. xii: Oswlf dux dedit mariscum ad ecclesiam de limminge.
(3) s. xii: Latine.

+ Semper enim ex toto corde nobis cum propheta considerandum atque dicendum est quam magna multitudo dulcedinis [tuæ domine] cujus super nos m. . . . . . cujus bonita . . . . . imus quod . . . . . . non inmemor . . . . . inspirante bonitatis . Ego . . . . . ente rector et imperator Merciorum regni . anno secundo imperii nostri dabo et perpetuo jure possidendum sub sanctæ crucis titulo concedo . Oswulfo duci et ministro meo aliquam terram in loco qui vocatur Hremping wiic 7 alia nomine Hafingseota in australe parte fluminis qui dicitur limin . ea . in vicæ alteræ terrae qui dicitur Bobingseata . Uti in diebus ejus habeat possideat et feliciter optineat . Suisque post se heredibus vel cuicumque hominum . . . . . . . o fideli . . . . . . sicut superius . . . . . . . placita voluntate fruat . . . . . . interim post se cuicumque . . . . . . bendam restituat in perpetuam . Hæc sunt nomina episcoporum ac principum qui hoc mecum in synodo consentientes subscripserunt .

+ Ego Coenuulf Rex hanc munificentiam sub sanctae crucis titulo confirmo 7 sic ex ordine subscripsi .
+ Aeðelhard archiepiscopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Hygeberht archiepiscopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Haðored episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Unuuono episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Cyneberht episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Haðoberht episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Eaduulf episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Utel episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Alhhard episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Wiohthun episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Tidfrið episcopus consensi et subscripsi
+ Alhmund abbas .
+ Beonna abbas .

+ Uuigmund abbas .
+ Forðred abbas .

+ Signum manus Brordan principis .

+ Heaberhti ducis .
+ Esne ducis .
+ Wigberhti ducis .
+ Æðelmundi ducis .
+ Eadgari ducis .

+ Vuicggan ducis .
+ Ciolmundi ducis .
+ Beornnoði ducis .
+ Heardberhti ducis .
+ Cyddan ducis .

+ Dispensante ac guvernante superna clementia ego Osuulf dux pro perpetua redemptione ac salute animae meae meique conjugis Beornðryðe hanc praedictam mariscam dabo et concedo ad illam ecclesiam quae sita est in illo venerabile monasterio quod dicitur æt Liminge perpetualiter habendam et feliciter perfruendum . hac vero condicione interposita ut unicuique anno post . xii . mensibus migrationis nostrae tempus ab illa familia æt limingge cælebretur quamdiu fides catholica in gente Anglorum perseveret . cum jejunio divinisque orationibus in psalmodiis et missarum caelebrationibus . sen etiam in refectione fratrum in cibo et potu . juxta quod fraternitati vestrae videtur quod producere poteritis et in vesta bonitate confidimus . Unaque panis cum cibo vernaculo vel paupere illius monasterii die illa tradatur . hocque in posterum successoribus vestris praecipere praecamus .

Fraternitatem vestram superna clementia cvstodiat, in aevvm,