Early-Medieval-England.net

S 145

A.D. 777. Offa, king of the English, to St Mary's minster, Worcester; grant of 5 hides (manentes) at Doughton in Tetbury, Gloucs., and 5 at Eisey in Latton, Wilts. Latin with English bounds.

Archive: Worcester

MSS: 1. BL Cotton Tib. A. xiii, 42rv (s. xi¹)
2. BL Cotton Tib. A. xiii, 170v-171r (s. xi²)

Printed: Hearne, Heming, pp. 90-2, 377-8; K 134 and vol. iii. 384; B 226; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 1, no. 67.

Comments: Stenton 1918, p. 448 n. 67, suspicious, vernacular bounds cannot be contemporary (= Stenton 1970, p. 62 n. 2); Robinson 1919, p. 26, spurious, perhaps modelled on S 109; Finberg, ECW, no. 193, spurious; PN Gloucs., i. 111, 113; Finberg, ECWM, no. 34, spurious, anachronistic OE bounds and reference to St Mary's; Scharer 1982, pp. 239-40, spurious, dates 777 from subscription of Bishop Ealdberht of Hereford; Prince 1983, on bounds.

Ductun 7 Eseg.

+ Cuncta regalia sceptra recto justoque moderamine jugiter gubernante pio salvatore hominum . Ego Offa Dei prædestinatione rex Anglorum seniorum meorum magisterio edoctus et exemplo roboratus ut ex percepto mundanis regni dominio qualemcunque partem quamvis minus dignam pro absolutione meorum peccaminum ; et pro redemptione animæ meæ . in usus æcclesiasticæ liber'ali'tatis subrogarem . Ideoque nunc terram . v . manentium hoc est vicum qui nuncupatur . æt Ductune . et . v . æt Esig . pro æterna salute meæ animæ quandoque in futuro dante Deo ad monasterium sanctæ Mariæ vocabulo Weogerna Ceastre . In jus ruris æcclesiastici libentissime perdonans concedo .

Sunt hi termini ruris illius .

ærest of winterburnan into mægþan wyllan . of mægþan wyllan on puttan crundell. of puttan crundelle on bradan beorh . of bradan beorge on þone ellen stub . of þam ellen stubbe on þone yfemestan hangran. þurh yfemestan hangran . on hris weg. of hris wege adune to þære dene andlang þære dene to ægan stane . of ægan stane on mærweg . andlang mær weges on pumere . of pumere on bedewillan . of bedewellan suðrihte on winterburnan .

Condonantium vero et consentientium signa hic infra et nomina sub testimonio majore perscripta notabo .

+ Ego Offa rex hanc meam munificentiam signum crucis munio.
+ Ego Eadberhtus episcopis .
+ Ego Berhtun episcopus .
+ Ego Wermund episcopus .
+ Ego Ceolwulf episcopus .
+ Ego Cudd abbas .
+ Ego Diera episcopus.
+ Ego Aldberht episcopus .
+ Ego Botwine abbas
+ Signum manus Eatani principis.
+ Signum manus Berhtwaldi.