S 447

A.D. 939. King Athelstan to Eadwulf, minister; grant of 12 hides (mansae) at Meopham, Kent. Latin with English bounds.

Archive: Canterbury, Christ Church

MSS: BL Cotton Aug. ii. 23 (s. x1; BM Facs.. iii. 9)

Printed: K 377; B 741; Earle, pp. 173-5; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 2 no. 69.

Comments: Bond 1878, p. 7, contemporary; Wallenberg 1928, pp. 43-4, on bounds; Wallenberg, KPN, pp. 241-6, on place-names; Drögereit 1935, p. 373, original; Ker, Catalogue, p. xxxiii, on script; Chaplais 1965, pp. 59-60, probably written by a Winchester scribe, also responsible for S 464, 512 (= 1973, pp. 41-2); Forsberg 1970, p. 74, on a boundary mark; Hart 1970/1, p. 22, on endorsement; Witney 1976, pp. 232-3, on swine-pastures; Keynes 1980, pp. 16, 24, 43, 45, original, product of 'Æthelstan C'; Dumville 1987, p. 173, on script; Dumville 1994, p. 159, on script.

Endorsements:
(1) in a contemporary hand: þis is Meap hames land boc þe . Æþelstan cing gebocode . Ealdulfe his þegne on ece yrfe .
(2) in a hand of s. xii: 'Ethelstanus Rex dedit . xii . mansas apud Meapham . Ealdulfo ministro suo', 'latine'

+ Regnante in perpetuum domino nostro Jhesu Christo . Omnia de summo cæli apice visibilia et invisibilia ordinabiliter gubernante presentisque vitæ semper curriculo cotidie decrescente ac nobis mortalibus temporalia gaza necnon et lucra possessionum inaniter fruentibus facescunt ac defluunt .

Quapropter ego . Æþelstanus . divina mihi adridente gratia rex Anglorum et curagulus totius Bryttanniæ aliquam partem terræ juris mei perpetuali donatione libenter concedo . cuidam fideli meo ministro . nomine . Ealdulfo . xii . mansas in illo loco cui ruricolæ apellativo usu ludibundisque vocabulis nomen indiderunt . æt Meapham . quatinus ille bene perfruatur ac perpetualiter possideat quamdiu . istius caducis seculi vitam tenere presumet . et post se cuicumque voluerit ceu corroboravimus perhenniter heredi derelinquat in æternam hereditatem . Sit autem predictum rus liberum ab omni mundiali obstaculo cum omnibus ad se rite pertinentibus . campis . pascuis . pratis . silvis . exceptis istis tribus expeditione pontis arcisve constructione .

Si quis autem quod non optamus hanc nostram difinitionem elationis habitu incedens infringere temptaverit perpessus sit gelidis glaciarum flatibus et pennino exercitu malignorum spirituum . nisi prius inriguis pænitentiæ gemitibus et pura emendatione emendaverit .

Istis terminibus predicta terra circumgyrata esse videtur .

Þis synt þa land gemæro to meapham on suþan 7 on westeweard setl þonne norþ fram setle to netles stede to þære hane þonan norþ on gerihte andlang hrycges oþ hredles stede þæt forþ þonan to fearn leage geate þonne norþ þonan to cobba hammes mearce þonan east on gerihte to heorot felda geate fram þam geate east 7 suþ on hludes beorh of þam beorge forþ be þære mearce oþ þone calewan stoc þonan suþ to blacan meres geate þæt suþ þonan on þone oran foran wiþ eastan ecgulfes setl west be þam oran eft toweard setle .

Þis synt þa den bæra on wealda þe þærto gebyriað be suþan ea stanihtan hyrst . 7 ceolan hyrst 7 be norþan ea gelecan camp 7 gumbrihting hyrst 7 ceorla den .

Acta est hæc prefata donatio . Anno ab incarnatione domini nostri Jhesu Christi . dccccxxxix . Indictione . xii .

+ Ego Æþelstanus rex totius Bryttanniæ prefatam donationem cum sigillo sancte + crucis confirmavi .
+ Ego Wulfhelm Dorobonensis æcclesiæ archiepiscopus ejusdem regis donationem cum tropheo agie + crucis consignavi .
+ Ego Ælfheah Wintaniensis æcclesiæ episcopus triumphalem tropheum agie + crucis inpressi .
+ Ego Þeodred Lundoniensis æcclesiæ episcopus consignavi .
+ Ego Cenwald episcopus predictum donum consensi .
+ Ego Wulfhun episcopus consensi .
+ Ego Oda episcopus confirmavi .
+ Ego Wulfhelm episcopus consignavi .
+ Ego Burhric episcopus consensi .
+ Ego Æþelgar episcopus roboravi .
+ Ælfhere . dux .
+ Wulfgar . dux .
+ Æþelstan . dux .
+ Uhtred . dux .
+ Odda . minister .
+ Ælfric . minister .
+ Eadmund . minister .
+ Wulfsige . minister .
+ Wihtgar . minister .
+ Æþelwold . minister .
+ Ælfred . minister .
+ Wulfmær . minister .
+ Wulfgar . minister .
+ Ælfsige . minister .
+ Ordeah . minister .
+ Sigulf . minister .
+ Eadric . minister .
+ Ealhhelm . minister .
+ Ælfsige . minister .
+ Æþered . minister .
+ Æþelmund . minister .
+ Wulfhelm . minister .
+ Wullaf . minister
+