S 21

A.D. 700 or 715. Wihtred, king of Kent, to St Mary's Church, Lyminge; grant of 4 sulungs (aratra) at Pleghelmestun and pasture in Romney Marsh. Latin.

Archive: Canterbury, Christ Church (ex Lyminge)

MSS: BL Cotton Aug. ii. 88 (s. viii or ix; BM Facs., i. 4; Ch.L.A., iii, no. 189; Ward 1936, facing p. 11)

Printed: Smith, Bede, pp. 785-6; K 47; Mon. Angl. (rev. edn), i. 452-3 (no. 2); B 98; Earle, pp. 17-19; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 1, no. 20.

Translated: Jenkins, Lyminge, pp. 19-20; Ward 1936, pp. 11-12.

Comments: Jenkins, Lyminge, pp. 20-2; Bond 1878, p. 7, 9th century; Stenton 1918, p. 427 n. 19, original (= Stenton 1970, p. 51 n. 5); Wallenberg, KPN, pp. 25-7, on place-names; Lowe 1935, p. xiii-xiv, trustworthy, a copy of S 19; Ward 1936, pp. 14-16; Ward 1949, p. 40; Wright 1950, p. 388; Ekwall, DEPN, p. 392, under Romney; Ch.L.A., iii, no. 189, contemporaneous, very probably original; Bruckner 1965, pp. 27, 27, on script, p. 42 n. 158; Ch.L.A., iv, p. xvii, treats as authentic, modelled on S 19; Chaplais 1969, p. 539 (= 1973, p. 103), interpolated version of S 19 produced a century or so later; Stenton 1971, p. 283, cited; Bischoff 1976, pp. 691-2, script probably mid 8th century; Cox 1976, pp. 26, 38, 41, 44-5, on place-names; Whitelock 1976, pp. 142, 144, on date and witnesses; Sawyer 1978, p. 152, 8th-century copy extending grant; Scharer 1982, pp. 94-7, interpolated version of S 19; Tatton-Brown 1984, p. 27, on topography; Wormald 1985, p. 25, original or early copy; Brooks 1988, p. 93, on topography.

Endorsements:
(1) Rumening seta inn to Limining + mynster
(2) s. xii: Wictredus rex Cantuariæ contulit ecclesiæ sanctæ Mariæ de Limminge . iiii . aratra . Pleghelmestun et Rumingsete ad pastum ovium ccc.

+ In nomine domini Dei nostri Jhesu Christi . Ego Uuihtredus rex Cantuariorum providens mihi in futuro decrevi dare aliquid omnia mihi donanti et consilio accepto bonum visum est conferre basilicæ beatæ Mariæ genetricis Dei quæ sita est in loco qui dicitur Limingæ terram . iiii . aratrorum quæ dicitur Pleghelmestun . cum omnibus ad eandem terram pertinentibus juxta notissimos terminos id est bereueg . et meguuines paed' et stretleg . terrulæ quoque partem ejusdem Dei genetrici beatæ Mariæ similiter inperpetuum possidendam perdono . cujus vocabulum est Rumining seta . ad pastum videlicet ovium trecentorum . ad australem quippe fluminis quæ appellatur Liminaea . terminos vero huius terrulæ ideo non ponimus quoniam ab accolis undique certi sunt . Quam donationem meam volo firmam esse [in] perpetuum ut nec ego seu heredes mei aliquid imminuere præsumant . Quod si aliter temptatum fuerit a qualibet persona sub anathematis interdictione sciat se prævaricari ad cujus confirmationem pro ignorantia litterarum + signum sanctæ crucis expressi et testes idoneos ut subscriberent rogavi id est Berhtuualdum archiepiscopum virum venerabilem .

+ Ego Berhtuualdus episcopus . rogat[us] consensi et subscripsi .
+ Signum manus Uuihtredi regis .
+ Signum manus Æthilburgæ reginæ .
+ Signum manus Enfridi .
+ Signum manus Ædilfridi .
+ Signum manus Hagana .
+ Signum manus Botta .
+ Signum manus Bernhærdi .
+ Signum manus Theabul .
+ Signum manus Frodi .
+ Signum manus Aehcha .
+ Signum manus Aesica .
+ Signum manus Adda .
+ Signum manus Egisberhti .

Actum in mense Julio Indictione xiiima.