S 201
A.D. 851. Berhtwulf, king of Mercia, to St Mary's church, Worcester; grant of 3 hides (cassati) at Grimley, Worcs. Latin with English bounds.
Archive: Worcester
MSS: 1. Lost original
2. BL Cotton Tib. A. xiii, 186r-187r (s. xi2)
3. BL Cotton Vitell. C. ix, 130r (s. xvii; incomplete; ex 1)
Printed: Hearne, Heming, pp. 416-18 ex MS 2, p. 562 ex MS 3; K 266 and vol. iii. 393; B 462.
Comments: Stevenson 1914, p. 698 n. 44, authentic; Robinson 1919, p. 28, spurious; Grundy, Worcs. 1927, pp. 115-19, on bounds; Robertson, Charters, p. 267, very suspicious; Finberg, ECWM, no. 255, spurious, witnesses largely copied from S 180, bounds identical to S 1370; Hart, ECNE, p. 92 n. 1, forgery; Hooke 1980, pp. 41, 46, on boundary marks; Hooke 1990, pp. 115-20, on bounds.
De Grimelege .
Px Anno dominicæ incarnationis . dcccli . Ego Beorhtuulf rex Merciorum anno . xiii . regni mei cum consensu et consilio optimatum meorum terram . iii um . cassatorum ab incolis terræ Grimanlea vocitatam . pro remedio animæ meæ æcclesiæ sanctæ Dei genitricis Mariæ in Uuigornaceastre . ad victus fratrum in illo monasterio Deo servientium perpetualiter possidendam concedo eamque liberam et absolutam esse volo et præcipio ab omni humano servitio . magnis causis modicis præter pontis instructionem . et publicam expeditionem . et singulare prætium contra alium solvat . hæc libertas firma ei in perpetuam permaneat hereditatem .
Et si quis hanc nostram munificentiam abripere vel minuere temptaverit . anathematizetur et dampnetur a Deo omnipotenti in die judicii cum Dathan et Abiron : et cum Juda proditore domini ; ut sicut illos duos viventes dehiscens terra deglutivit . tertiumque laqueus suspensu visceribus diruptis suffocavit sic eum gehennalis inferni absorbeat incendium . nisi digna satisfactione defleat commissum .
Ego Berhtuulf rex Merciorum hanc meam donationem cum signo sanctæ crucis roboravi .
Ego . Alhunus . episcopus .
Ego . Wiberhtus . episcopus .
Ego . Atheuulf . episcopus .
Ego . Wilheard . abbas .
Ego . Eanmund . abbas .
Ego . Wihtred . abbas .
Ego . Peota . presbiter .
Ego . Sired . dux .
Ego . Beornoth . dux .
Ego . Dynne . dux .
Ego . Eadberht . dux .
Ðis syndon ðæs landesgemæru æt Grimanleage . Ærest of Seferne be higna gemære on sceacan halh 7 swa be þære alra ofesce in ða neowan dic . 7 swa up ondlang þære neowan dic þæt on þa aldan hegestowe . 7 syððan a andlang þære ealdan hege stowe on þone folc hearpað þæt up ondlang þæs hearpoðes to þæm Criste mæle . 7 swa fram þam Cristes mæle of dun weard ondlang anre ealdre dic west weard 7 norð weard þæt in ælr broc . 7 seoððan a swa alr broc ligeð upweard to mos setena gemære . 7 swa big mos setena gemære ofer siht ferð on þone ealdan kyninges hagan . þæt swa andlang þæs aldan cyninges hagan norð weard to ðam aldan stod falde . 7 þonne fram ðam aldan stod falde bi beonot setena gemære on sihferð . 7 swa ondlang sihtferdes in bæle . swa ondlang bæles in Seferne .
Ðis syndon ðæs londes gemære æt mosleage of ðæm aldan felda west reht on gearnec . swa ondlang broces on ðone gemær hagan ofer fild burnan on timber rycg . ðonon on beosting hrycg swa east weard on blacan brygce . þanon eft on þone ealdan feld .