S 103
A.D. 716 x 745. Æthelbald, king of the South Angles, to the church of St Peter, Worcester; grant of 3 hides (cassati) of woodland at Woodchester, Gloucs. Latin with bounds.
Archive: Worcester
MSS: 1. Lost original
2. BL Cotton Tib. A. xiii, 42v-43r (s. xi1)
3. BL Cotton Tib. A. xiii, 55rv (s. xi1)
4. BL Cotton Tib. A. xiii, 169v-170r (s. xi2)
5. BL Cotton Vitell. C. ix, 129r (s. xvii; incomplete; ex 1)
Printed: Hearne. Heming, pp. 92-3, 117, 375-6, 555; K 89 and vol. iii. 377-8; Woodchester, with translation; B 164; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 1, no. 39.
Comments: Turner 1916, p. xxxiii, citing Stevenson, authentic; Stenton 1918, p. 442 n. 44, possibly represents a text that was produced before the Mercian witan in 896, cf. S 1441 (= Stenton 1970, p. 57 n. 2); Grundy, Gloucs., pp. 271-6, on bounds; Watson 1932, pp. 205-9, on bounds; PN Gloucs., i. 98, 102, 103, 116, on bounds; Davies 1972, p. 462, on formula; Finberg, ECWM, no. 14, authentic; Cox 1976, p. 38, on place-name; Scharer 1982, pp. 174-6, spurious, bounds possibly forged for the 896 meeting but rest of charter probably fabricated later; Wormald 1985, p. 25, unreliable later copy, possibly genuine elements; Cox 1992, on bounds; cf. S 1441.
De Wuduceastre.
Px In nomine sanctæ trinitatis .
Ait enim apostolus . 'Nichil intulimus in hunc mundum . nec auferre quid possumus'. Et beatus Job . 'Nudus egressus sum ex utero matris . et nudus revertar in terram' .
Quapropter ego Æthilbaldus . rex australium Anglorum brevitatem vitæ huius considerans . et quod cum his caducis mercanda esse æterna polorum regna . rogatus a venerabili Uuilfrido episcopo terram trium cassatorum ruris silvatici . in loco qui vetusto vocabulo nuncupatur Uuduceastir . ad æcclesiam beati Petri apostolorum principis in Uuigorna civitate . in jus proprium libentissime concedens possidendum donabo.
His terminibus institutis . in borea roddan beorg . in oriente smiececumb . in austrum sentodleag . et heardanleag . negles leag . minor totus uuidan cumb . in carlesleage . in occidente hæslburg . haboccumb . in aquilone iemyð teag.
+ Ego Æthelbald. rex Merciorum . signum sanctæ crucis Christi imposui .
+ Ego Uuilfridus episcopus .
+ Ego Uuilferð prefectus .
+ Ego Cuðredus abbas .
+ Ego Sigeberht .
+ Ego Iebe Abbas .
+ Ego Oba .
+ Ego Ætheluualdus abbas .
+ Ego Heardberht .
+ Ego Aðelricus presbyter .