S 1526

A.D. 942 x c. 951. Will of Theodred, bishop of London, including bequests of land at Duxford in Cambs., Illyntone (probably Illington, Norfolk) and Arrington, Cambs., to the king; land at St Osyth in Essex, Southery in Norfolk, and Tillingham and Dunmow in Essex, to St Paul's, London; land at Mendham, Suffolk, to his sister's son, Osgot (except for the minster and 1 hide, to belong to the church); land at Shotford and Mettingham, Suffolk, to Mendham church; land at Syleham, Instead, Chickering, Ashfield Green, all in Suffolk, and Wrtinham (? Wortham, Suffolk) to Osgot; land at Horham, Athelington, Suffolk, to St Æthelberht's church at Hoxne; land at Lothingland, Suffolk, to Offa, his sister's son; land at Barton, Rougham, Pakenham, Suffolk, to his kinsman Osgot, Eadulf's son; land at Nowton, Horningsheath, Ickworth and Whepstead, Suffolk, to St Edmund's church (Bury); land at Waldringfield and a messuage in Ipswich, Suffolk, to Osgot, his sister's son; land at Wortham, Suffolk, to Wulfstan; with arrangements for the episcopal demesne in London and at Hoxne, Suffolk; at Wimbledon and Sheen, Surrey; at Fulham, Middx; and at Dengie, Essex. English.

Archive: Bury St Edmunds

MSS: 1. Cambridge, U.L., Ff. 2. 33, 48r (s. xiii2)
2. BL Add. 14847, 17v-18r (s. xiv)

Printed: K 957; Thorpe, pp. 512-15, with translation; B 1008; Whitelock, Wills, no. 1 (pp. 2-5), with translation; Councils and Synods, no. 21 (pp. 76-81), with translation.

Translated: Whitelock, EHD, no. 106 (pp. 552-4).

Comments: Stevenson 1904, p. 232, authentic; Galbraith 1925, p. 223; Whitelock, Wills, pp. 99-103; Hart, ECEE, no. 49 (pp. 40, 53, 79), authentic; Hart, ECE, no. 11, authentic; Stenton 1971, p. 444, on Theodred; Brooke and Keir 1975, p. 368, cited; Whitelock 1975, pp. 18-20; Brooks 1978, pp. 87-91, on heriot; Gelling, ECTV, no. 329 (pp. 108-9, 158), authentic; Whitelock, EHD, pp. 552-3; Councils and Synods, pp. 74-6; Taylor 1992, pp. 288-93; Dumville 1993, p. 35, cited with reference to Bury; Lowe 1993b, on vocabulary; Pelteret 1995, pp. 120-1, 129; Campbell 1996, pp. 14-15.

In nomine Domini nostri Iesu Christi.
Ic Þeodred, Ludeneware biscop, wille biquethen mine quiden mines erfes, þe ic begeten habbe 7 get bigete, Godes þankes and his halegen, for mine soule 7 for min louerde þat ic [it] under bigeat and for min eldrene and for alle þe mannes soule þe ic foreþingiae, and ic almesne underfongen habbe, and me sie rithlike for to bidden. Þat is þan erst þat he an his louerd his heregete, þat is þanne, tua hund marcas a rede goldes, and tua cuppes siluerene, and four hors so ic best habbe, and to suerde so ic best habbe, 7 foure schelda and foure spere, and þat lond þat ic habbe at Dukeswrthe, and þat lond þat ic habbe at Illyntone, and þat lond þat ic habbe at Earnningtone. 7 ic an Eadgiue fifti marcas redes goldes; and into sancte Paules kirke mine to beste messehaclen þe ic habbe, mid alle þe þinge þe þereto birið, mid calice and on cuppe; and mine beste masseboc and alle mine reliquias þe ic best habbe, into Paules kirke. And ic an þat lond aet Cic into seynte Paules kirke þen hewen to bedlonde, mid al þat þe þeron stant, buten þe men þe þer aren; fre men alle for mine soule. And ic an þat lond at Suthereye mid alle þe fiscoðe þe þerto bireð þen hewen into sancte Paules kirke; and frie men þo men for þe bisscopes soule. And Þeodred bisscop an þat lond at Tillingham into sancte Paules kirke þo hewen to are; and fre men þo men for mine soule. And ic an þat lond at Dunemowe ouer mine day into sancte Paules kirke þen hewen. And ic an þat lond at Mendham Osgote mine sustres sune ouer mine day, buten ic wille þat se minstre . . . an hide londes at Myndham to þere kirke. And ic an þat lond at Scotforð and Mydicaham into Myndham kirke þo Godes hewen. And ic an Osgot þat lond at Silham 7 at Isestede 7 at Chikeringe 7 at Aysfeld and at Wrtinham, and alle þe smale londe þat þereto bereð. And ic an þat lond at Horham and at Elyngtone into Hoxne into sancte Aethelbrichtes kirke þen Godes hewen. And ic an þat lond at Luthinglond Offe mine sustres sune and his broþer; and fre men þo men halue, and at Mindham also for þe bisscopes soule. And ic an Osgote mine mey, Eadulfes sune, þat lond at Bertune and at Rucham and at Pakenham. And ic an þat lond at Newetune and at Horninggeshæthe and at Ikewrthe and at Wepstede into sancte Eadmundes kirke þen Godes hewen to are for Þeodred bisscopes soule. And ic an þat lond at Waldringfeld Osgote mine sustres sune, and min hage þat ic binnin Gypeswich bouhte. And ic [an] Wlstan þat lond at Wrtham so it stant. And ic an into eueri bisscopes stole fif pund to delen for mine soule. And ic an þen archebiscope fif markes goldes. And ic an þat men dele at mine biscopriche binnen Lundene and buten Lundene X pund for mine soule. And ic an at Hoxne at mine biscopriche þat men dele X pund for mine soule. And ic wille þat men nieme þat erfe þat at Hoxne stand, þat ic þerto bigeten habbe, and dele it man on to, half into þe minstre 7 [half] dele for min soule. And lete men stonden so mikel so ic þeron fond, and fre man þo men alle for mine soule. And ic wille þat men lete stonden at Lundenebyri so mikel so ic þeron fond, 7 nime þat ic þerto bigat and dele on to, half into þe minstre 7 half for mine soule; and fre men alle þo men. 7 do men þat ilke at Wunemannedune 7 on Sceon. 7 lete men stonden at Fullenham so it nu stant, buten hwa mine manne fre wille. 7 on Denesige let stonden so mikel so ic þeron fond, and dele it man on to, half into þe minstre 7 half for mine soule. And ic an into Glæstingbiri V pund for mine soule. And ic an Þeodred min wite massehakele þe ic on Pauie bouhte, and al þat þerto bireð, 7 simbelcalice 7 þere messeboc þe Gosebricht me biquaþ. And ic an Odgar þere gewele massehakele þe ic on Pauie bouhte, 7 þat þerto birað. And ic an Gundwine þer oþer gewele massehakele þat is ungerenad, 7 þat þe þerto bireð. And ic spræc Acke þe rede messehakele 7 al þat þe þerto bireð. And wo so mine cuyde ofte, God him ofte heuene riches, buten he it er his ende bete.