S 449

A.D. 939. King Athelstan to Wulfswith, ancilla Dei; grant of 15 hides (mansae) at East Overton, Wilts. Latin with English bounds.

Archive: Winchester, Old Minster

MSS: 1. BL Cotton Ch. viii. 22 (s. x1; BM Facs., iii. 8)
2. BL Add. 15350, 118r (s. xiv1)

Printed: K 378 ex MS 1; K 1120 ex MS 2; B 734; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 3, no. 95.

Comments: Bond 1878, p. 7, MS 1 contemporary; Stevenson 1902, p. 638 n. 61, contemporary; Stenton 1913, p. 39, original; Grundy, Wilts. 1919, pp. 240-7, bounds difficult to locate; Robinson 1923, p. 60, contemporary; Brentnall 1939, on bounds; Darlington 1955, p. 85, contemporary; Finberg, ECW, no. 245, authentic; Hart 1970/1, p. 22, on endorsement, p. 38 (no. 215), original; Keynes 1980, pp. 24, 43, 45, original, scribe was colleague of 'Æthelstan C'; Dumville 1987, p. 173, on script; Dumville 1992, pp. 178-9, on status of beneficiary; Dumville 1994, p. 159, on script.

Sections in square brackets have perished from MS 1, and are made up from MS 2

Endorsements on MS 1:
(1) in a contemporary hand: þis is Oferan tunes lan[des boc] þe Æþelstan cing gebocode Wulfswyþe on ece yrfe .
(2) in a hand of s. xiii: 'monachorum', 'Ofretone . Donum Adhelstani Regis Ancille sue Wlfihe juxta Ripam Kinete .'

Rubric in MS 2:
Carta Athelstani Regis Overtone

+ Ægregius agonista sermocinatus est in scripturis divinis 'omnia quæ videntur temporalia sunt quæ autem non videntur æterna' . Idcirco superflua utentibus divinus sermo ut supra taxati sumus terribiliter præmonet ut huius sæculi caduca contempnentes spiritaliaque imitantes cælestia properemus ad regna .

Quapropter ego . Æþelstanus . divina mihi adridente gratia rex Anglorum et æque totius Bryttanniæ curagulus aliquam partem terre juris mei perpetuali donatione libenter concedo . cuidam sancte conversationi dedite Christi ancille nomine . Wulfswyþe . eatinus ut mei memoriam suis sanctis orationibus indesinenter 'h'abeat . xv . mansas agelluli juxta dirivativis fluentium successibus . æt Cynetan . in illo loco ubi ruricoli antiquo usu nomen indiderunt . Uferan tun . Quatinus illa bene perfruatur ac perpetualiter possideat quamdiu istius caducis sæculi vitam tenere presumet . post se cuicumque voluerit ceu corroboravimus per[enni]ter heredi derelinquat ceu supradiximus in æternam hereditatem . Sit autem prædictum rus liber ab omni mundiali obstaculo cum o[m]nibus ad se rite pertinentibus campis pascuis pratis silvis . excepto istis tribus expeditione pontis arcisve [con]s[truc]tion[e].

[Si quis aut]em quod non optamus hanc nostram difinitionem elationis habitu incedens aut infringere temptaverit [perpessus sit gelidis glaciarum flati]bus et pennino exercitu malignorum spirituum nisi prius inriguis penitentiæ gemitibus et pura [emendatione emendaverit . Istis] terminibus prædicta terra circum gyrata esse videtur .

Þis synt þa land gemæro to uferan tune . [of cynetan to þon ellene . þonne . on wod]nes dene . þonne to wuda on mær wege . þonne on hyrs leage up to wodnes dic on titferþes geat . þonne on wiþig[meres hege easte weardne suþ on bu]tan to Æþelferþes setle on þone stanihtan weg . þonne on smalan leage . þonne þurh scyt hangran 7lang þæs weges to þæm [hlince ; þonne to west heafdon] þonne norð ofer dune on þæt riht gemære . þær to tune . þonne on cynetan on sealt ham . of sealt hamme up betweox [þa twegan beorgas . of þa]m on þæs furlanges west heafde . þonne on scropes pyt þonne on þone . . . . pan crundel midde wer[dn]e . þonne on coltan beorh . [oþ þæne herpoþ an h]acan penne . þonne andlang herpaþes on þa dic . wiþ suþan Æþelferþes stane . þonne suþ andlang hric weges . on þone dunnan stan . þonne west [7 suþ ofer þæt yr]dland on pyttel dene . þonne up on lamba pæþ suð on þone hlinc ufeweardne . on hole weg . þon eft on cynetan . þonne is þis þara [feoh wicuna] gemære 7 þæs dun landes on mappeldrelen west weardre . þonne norþ up anlang stan ræwe . þonne on þa byrgelsas . þonne suþ andlang weges [of þam weg]e andlang hlinces on þæt suþ heafod . þonne adune on þæt slæd . þonne up andlang weges eft to mappeldre lea .

[Acta est hæ]c præfata donatio . Anno ab incarnatione domini nostri Jhesu Christi . dccccxxxviiii . Indictione . xii .

[+ Ego Æþel]stanus rex totius Bryttanniæ præfatam donationem cum sigillo sancte crucis confirmavi .
[+ Ego Wul]helm Dorobonensis æcclesie archiepiscopus ejusdem regis donationem cum tropheo agie crucis consignavi .
[+ Ego Ælf]heah Wintaniensis æcclesie episcopus triumphalem tropheum agie crucis inpressi .
[+ Ego Þeodr]ed Lundoniensis æcclesie episcopus consignavi .
[+ Ego Cenwald] episcopus prædictum donum consensi .
[+ Ego Wulfhun] episcopus consensi .
[+ Ego Oda] episcopus confirmavi .
[+ Ego Wulfh]elm episcopus consignavi .
[+ Ego Burg]ric episcopus consensi .
[+ Ego Æþel]gar 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 .
+ Æþered minister .
+ Æþelmund . minister .
+ Wulfhelm . minister .
+ Wullaf minister .