S 877
A.D. 996. King Æthelred to Ælfthryth, his mother; grant of 3.5 (sulunga) at Brabourne, 3.5 at Evegate, 2 at Burhwarefelda, 3 at Nackington, 3 at Chalk and 1 at Wirigenn (? Perry), Kent, forfeited by Wulfbald for many crimes. Ælfthryth gives in exchange land at Cholsey, Berks. Latin with English bounds and an account of Wulfbald's forfeiture in English.
Archive: Winchester, New Minster
MSS: Earl of Macclesfield, Shirburn Castle, Liber Abbatiae, 34v-35v (s. xv1)
Printed: Alford 1663, iii. 423-4 (Latin only, witness-list abbreviated); Edwards, Liber de Hyda, pp. 242-53, with translation of Old English sections, pp. 359-63; Robertson, Charters, no. 63 (pp. 128-31), section b only, with translation; Miller, New Minster, no. 31.
Comments: Wallenberg, KPN, pp. 336-51, on place-names; Robertson, Charters, pp. 372-7; Whitelock 1959, p. 82, on a witness; HRH, p. 236, probably genuine, subscriptions are consistent, dates 989 x 990; Whitelock, EHD, p. 575; Keynes 1980, pp. 97, 104, 130 n. 158, p. 201 n. 178, pp. 249, 254, authentic; Vollrath 1985, pp. 300-5, on synodal aspects; Wormald 1988, nos 57-8; Keynes 1991, pp. 78-9, on background; Keynes 1996, p. 33, Queen Ælfthryth may have consignd the charter to New Minster for safe-keeping.
Notes: The date 993 earlier associated with S 877 arose from a misreading of the MS.
Rubric: Carta regis Etheldredi
In nomine Dei et Domini nostri Iesu Christi, anno ab incarnatione dominice incarnationis .dccccxciii., indictione .ix., ego Æðelredus rex Anglorum totiusque Britannie orbis gubernator, superno annuente gratia ab eodem Deo et Domino nostro populis et tribubus preordinatus in regem, anno imperii mei .xviii., dono concessi mee uenerabili matri Ælfþryþe uocitamine quasdam terrarum particulas semotis in locis id est .vii. sulunga in loco qui Bradanburna uocitatur, et quartam semis ipso in loco qui æt Þeofacotan dicitur, .ii. quoque nec minus æt Burhwarefelda, .iii. itidem eo in loco quem solicole æt Natincgdune appellare solent, item quoque .iii. æt Cealconæt, .i. æt Wirigenn, tali tenore ut easdem predictas terras habeat et possideat quamdiu in mortali carne uitalem spiritum inextinctum contineat, deinceps namque sibi succedenti cui placuerit sibi relinquat heredi seu supra monstrauimus in eternam hereditatem. Maneat igitur nostrum hoc immobile donum ac eterna libertate iocundum cum omnibus que ad ipsum locum pertinere dinoscuntur, tam in notis causis quam ignotis, in modicis et in magnis, campis, pascuis, siluis, aquarumque cursibus, exceptis istis tribus, expeditione, pontis arcisue coedificatione. Et hoc mandatum mandamus in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti ut nullus superueniret hominum superbie inflatus aut aliqua maliuola instigatione hanc prefatam libertatem in alicuius honeris molestia uitare satagerit, et prescriptis statutis noluerit consentiens esse, sciat se alienum esse a consortio sancte Dei ecclesie per auctoritatem beati Petri apostoli omniumque sociorum eius, nisi hic digna emendauerit penitentia ante mortem quod contra nostrum decretum maliuola machinacione fecisset, quia dicitur per psalmigraphum 'Nolite tangere christos meos' et cetera. Has sane prefatas terras quidam uir uocitamine Wulboldfus habuisse dinoscitur, et ob reatus sui offensam principum meorum omnium equissimo examine ad mei iuris imperium sunt addicte, sicut in subsequentibus anglice relatione scriptum repperitur. Hacque territoria illi concedo pro ipsa terra quam illa michi prius donauerat id est Ceolesig rependens munere munus diuinum optans consequi promissum, 'Date et dabitur uobis'.
Þis sind þa forwyrhto þe Wulfbold hine wyþ his hlaford forworhte. Þæt is ærest þa his fædor wæs forfæren þa ferd he to his steopmoder land 7 nam þær eal þæt he þær funde inne 7 ute læsse 7 mare. Þa send se cyng him to 7 bead him þæt he agefe þæt reaflac, ða forset he þæt þa getæhte mon þan cing his wer. 7 se cing him send eftsoma to 7 bead him þæt ilce, þa forset he þæt þa getæhte eft oþre siðe þam cingi his wer. Ufonan þæt þa ferde he to 7 gerad his mæges land Byrhtmæres æt Burnan. Þa send se cing him to 7 bead him þæt he hit rymde þæt land, þa forsæt he þæt þa getæhte mon þam cynge his wer þriddan siðe. 7 se cyng sende him þa gyt to 7 bead him of, þa forsæt he þæt þa getæhte mon þam cynge his wer feorðan siðe. Þa þæt micel gemote wæs æt Lundene þan wæs Æþelwine ealdorman þaru 7 ealle þæs cyngis witon. Þa getæhton ealle þæt witan þe þær wæron ge gehadode ge læwide þam cynge ealle Wulboldes ære 7 hine silfne to þam þe se cynge wolde swa to life swa to deaþe. 7 he hæfne ealle þis ungebet oþe he forþferd. Eft þa he wæs forþfaran ufenan eal þis þa ferd his laf to mid hyre cilde 7 ofsloh Eadmær þæs cyngis þegen Wulfboldis faderan sune 7 his fiftyne geferan on þan land æt Burnan þe he on reaflace ongen þæne cynyng hefde. 7 þa Æþelgare arcebisceop hæfde þæne miclan sinoþ an Lundene þa getæhte man þam cinge hine 7 ealle his are.
Þis sind þa men þa wæron æt þære tæcinge: Æþelgar arcebiscop 7 Oswold arcebiscop 7 Ælfstan biscop of Londone 7 Sigeric biscop 7 Ælfstan bisceop on Hrofecenstre 7 Ordbyrht bisceop Ælfeah bisceop 7 Æþelsige biscop 7 Ælfwold biscop of Defenascire 7 Ealdred biscop 7 Sigegeard biscop 7 Æscwig biscop 7 Þeodred biscop 7 Ælfheah biscop 7 Aþulf bisceop 7 Aþelwine ealdorman 7 Byrhnoþ ealdorman 7 Aþelweard ealdorman 7 Alfric ealdorman Þeodred eorl 7 Eadulf abbod 7 Byrnoþ abbode 7 Germanus abbod 7 Wlfsige abbod 7 Leofric abbod 7 Sigeweard abbod 7 Leofric abbod of Miclanige 7 Leofric abbod of Eaxcestre 7 Ælfhun abbod 7 Ælfelm 7 Wlfeah 7 Wulfric Wulfrune suni 7 Stir Wulfes suni 7 Nafena 7 Norþman his broðor 7 Leofwine Leoftætan suni 7 Leofsige æt Mordune 7 Bonda 7 Ælfhelm polga 7 Aþelwold 7 Leofric 7 Sigeward on Cent 7 Leofsunu 7 Aþelwold þes greta 7 Ælfgar se Hunitunisca 7 Wulfegat 7 Æþelmer 7 Æþelric 7 Æþelnoðe Wistanes suni 7 Leofwine Æþulfes suni 7 Sigebrht 7 Leofstan on Suþseaxan.
Þis sind þære feorþan healfre sulunga landgemæro into Bradanburnan silfon, þæt is, ærest from hreodburnan to þan holan wege, fro than holan wege up ofer dune to þære mænisse to cuwara wudu, of cuwara wuda to cuninges ne holte, of cuninges ne holte to Bodesham to þær bisceopes mearce, of þær bisceopes mearce to hægmere, of hægmere suð to stocces gatan, of stocces gaten to wicinges felda, of wicinges felda to colheawytte, of colheawytte to clænan dune east heale, of cleanan dune east heale to sibban burnan mearce, of sibban burnan mearce to ulhæma mearce 7 .xxv. æcera liþæt on eastan uban ham into Bradanburnan, of ulheama mearce west to deor gatan, west be haran strode to forda, fram forda to Bocceham to þære milne, fram þære milne to sandhirst, of sandhirste to þæs cinges Ac holte, fram þære Ac holte to gysincg hirnan, of gisincg hirnan east to forda, of þæt forda ofer þa mænisse to þorn æcere, fram þorn æcere into hreodburnan eft þær hit ær wæs. 7 þær sind milna binnan þis andlandgemæron.
7 þis is seo mæd into Bradanburnan þe liþe butan þam landgemære þæt sind .v. æceras æt swaðforda, 7 .i. æcer æt wifelesbeorge, 7 .ii. æt Muselege, 7 .ii. æt Brunesforda, 7 .ii. æt milan campe, 7 .i. milen man boht of Hæstingalege into Bradanburnan, 7 .iii. hagan on Liminan, .iii. on Cantwærebyrig, 7 .vi. ðe on Wealde þe licgeaþ into Bradanburnan: an is crudan hole, oþer Hæmstede, þrid beginge den, feorþe hereburne, fifte stræt den, sixte Bidingden.
+ Þis sind þære feorþan helfre sulunga landgæmæra to Þeofagadan þes genat landes: ærest on norweardan Biricholte to eartinge to þelbricge to þære miln, fram þær miln betweox heortes stede 7 stan stede to ymmunga bire norþæt to þæra Sture to þære bricge, þanon wæst to Sture oþæt leofstanes mæde, of þæra mæde to scobbinge, fram scobbinge to norðwida, fram norþwida to weliscinge, from weliscinge eft on norþwida.
+ Þis sind þæra twægra sulunga landgemæra to Burhwarafelda, þæt is, ærest on rammis hirste, of rammis hirste on wirestede, fram wirestede to lurdinga dene, of lurdinga dene to ealdrig seaþe, of ealdrig seaþe to Ac ersce, of Ac ersce to ælfrucge, of ealfruige to peallestede, of peallestede to suþland eft to rammes hyrste. 7 an dene to bingdene hatte.
+ Þis sind þæra þreora sulunga landgemæra to Natyngdune, þæt is, ærest on leofsiges mearce, of leofsiges mearce to kaseru strete, andlang stræte to þam cyrstel mæle, fram þam cyrtel mæle forþæt andlang kaseru stræte to þam beorge æt hloþgewirpe, fram hloþgewirpe to wulfrices milne æt his burhgatan, fram þare milne andlang wulfrices stræte ut to sewehlinc, fram sepehlinc ut to harþan, fram harþan to suþ Natingdune to siwerdes mearce eft sona to leofsiges mearce þæs blaccan.
+ Þis is se haga þæt gebiraþ to Natingdune binnan cwene gaton þe Leofstan getimbrade. Þis is þæt den into Natingdune wireding æcras 7 æt wirege an is an sulung þa hæfþ Wlfstan æt Sealtwida.
+ Ego Æthelredus rex totius Britannie prefatam donationem cum sigillo sancte crucis confirmaui
+ Ego Æthelfricus Dorobernensis ecclesie archiepiscopus consignaui
+ Ego Eadulphus Eboracensis ecclesie archiepiscopus corroboraui
+ Ego Ælfheah Wintoniensis ecclesie episcopus consensi
+ Ego Wulfstan Lundoniensis ecclesie episcopus inpressi
+ Ego Æscwi episcopus consignaui
+ Ego Ælfheah episcopus consensi
+ Ego Aþulf episcopus conscripsi
+ Ego Ortbyrht episcopus consignaui
+ Ego Ælfwold episcopus consensi
+ Ego Ælfweard abbas
+ Ego Ulfsige abbas
+ Ego Wulfgar abbas
+ Ego Leofric abbas
+ Ego Byrthelm abbas
Ego Ælfere abbas
+ Ego Beorthnoþ
+ Ego Germanus abbas
+ Ego Ælfwold abbas
+ Ego Athelweard dux
+ Ego Ælfric dux
+ Ego Ælfhelm dux
+ Ego Leofsyge dux
+ Ego Leofwine dux
+ Ego Beorhtwold minister
+ Ego Wulfheah minister
+ Ego Wulfric minister
+ Ego Wulfgeat minister
+ Ego Æþelmær minister
+ Ego Ordulf minister
+ Ego Æþelric minister
+ Ego Æþelnoþæt minister
+ Ego Ethelwine minister
+ Ego Æthelweard minister
+ Ego Fræne minister
+ Ego Leofric minister