S 251
A.D. 725. Ine, king of Wessex, to the familia at Glastonbury; grant of 12 hides (manentes) at Sowy (cf. Othery, Middlezoy and Westonzoyland), Somerset. Latin with English bounds.
Archive: Glastonbury
MSS: 1. Marquess of Bath, Longleat, 39, 174rv (s. xiv)
2. Bodleian, Wood empt. 1, 191rv (s. xiv)
3. Liber Terrarum, no. 14 (lost, cf. Abrams 1996, p. 31)
Printed: Mon. Angl., ii. 839-40, ex MS 2; K 74 and vol. vi. 226 ex MS 2; Mon. Angl. (rev. edn), i. 49 (no. 93); B 143 ex K and MS 2; Earle, p. 426, bounds only; Watkin, Glastonbury Cart., ii. 495 (no. 903) ex MS 1.
Comments: Davidson 1884, pp. 11, 13-14; Plummer 1899, p. 39, spurious; Stevenson 1899, p. 36, agrees mutatis mutandis with S 249, for proem see S 298; Grundy, Somerset, pp. 116-18, bounds are of Middlezoy; Finberg, ECW, no. 379, authentic; Cox 1976, pp. 29, 33, on place-names; Scott 1981, pp. 95, 198 n. 87; Morland 1982, bounds may also include Westonzoyland and Othery; Wormald 1985, p. 25, unreliable later copy, possibly genuine elements; Edwards 1988, pp. 38-40, may be genuine or have some genuine basis, boundary clause an addition, pp. 48-52, on formulation, p. 205, probably model for S 249; Costen 1992, pp. 41-2, on estate; Abrams 1996, pp. 29, 31, 35, 38, on MS sources, pp. 190, 205, 218-20, on estate history.
+ Siquidem salutaribus instruimur eloquiis . amicos nobis de mammona iniquitatis faciendos esse . qui nos in æterna recipient thabernacula . unde ego . Ini . rex Westsaxonum . una cum conjuge Æthelburge porciunculam terræ . que nobis divina dispensacione collata est Dei servorum mancipare usibus decrevimus quo nobis amplior in hæreditate justorum porcio tribuatur ; terram videlicet quæ sic appellatur Sow? . xii . manentium . Christi familiæ que in Glastingburi omnipotenti domino voluntarie devotionis obsequium impendit liberali munificentia collatam cum conscientia ac consensu venerandi pontificis Fortheres . inconvulsa collatione donavimus possidendam atque . Ut certioribus documentis prefata concessio roboretur propriis subscriptionibus ipsius donationis titulum firmamus . presentium quoque testium infra subjectis annotationibus jus testium plurimorum ratum stabileque caravimus efficere judiciis . Si quis vero cujuslibet dignitatis vel potenciæ quovis deinceps tempore qualibet occasione haunc infringere . tyrannica fretus presumptione collationem temptaverit . sit a collegio catholicæ ecclesiæ separatus . Si quis vero pia preditus intentione hæc probare ac defendere curaverit . amplificet Deus portionem ejus in terra viventium Scripta est autem hæc cartula huius donationis anno ab incarnatione domini . dccxxv . indictione octava . Et hæc sunt territoria .
Ærest of Wilbrittispathe on midde Pedredistrem adoun endlangestremes on Bridweresmere ðanen northrizt endelang midmores on kari . ðanen up endlang kari on Hamelondesmere on Poholte . ðanen south bi line endlang midwardmores est on Wilbrithes pathes more.
+ Ego Ina subscripsi.
+ Ego Fortherus episcopus consensi et subscripsi . cum multis aliis.