S 343
A.D. 852 for ? 878. Alfred, king of Wessex, to Athelney Abbey; grant of 10 hides (cassatae) at Long Sutton, Somerset. Latin with English bounds.
Archive: Athelney
MSS: 1. BL Lansdowne 447, 59rv (s. xvii; no bounds)
2. London, Soc. Ant., 128, 154v (s. xvii; part only)
3. Oxford, Dr D. Rogers, pp. 34-8 (s. xviii)
4. Oxford, Bodleian, Eng. Hist. c. 241, 53v-54r (s. xvii)
5. Northants. R.O., Finch-Hatton 113, pp. 367-9 (s. xvii)
Printed: Reyner 1626, p. 132; Mon. Angl., i. 202-3; Collinson, Somerset, iii. 197, bounds only; K 309 ex Mon. Angl.; Mon. Angl. (rev. edn), ii. 406 (no. 4); B 545 ex Reyner; B 546, bounds only, ex Collinson; Finberg, ECW, no. 415 (pp. 123-5) ex MS 3.
Translated: Bates, Athelney Register, pp. 127-8 ex MS 2; Hugo 1897, pp. 102-3 ex MS 1.
Comments: Plummer 1899, p. 94, spurious; Stevenson 1904, p. 259 n. 4, spurious; Stevenson 1914, p. 692 n. 16, doubtful or spurious; Bates, Athelney Register, p. 128, date impossible, p. 191; Grundy, Somerset, pp. 126-9, on bounds; Forsberg 1950, p. 8; Finberg, ECW, no. 415, authentic, dates 871 x 886; O'Donovan 1973, pp. 104, 108, not acceptable, impossible date; Whitelock 1979, p. 92 n. 5, forgery; Keynes 1980, p. 125 n. 135, spurious, elements of dispositive section recur in S 921; Keynes and Lapidge 1983, p. 271 n. 228, not authentic in received form; Keynes 1992/1, p. 159 n. 62, on date; Keynes 1994/2, p. 1134, not acceptable in received form, but probably based on an authentic charter of 870s; Smyth 1995, pp. 266, 373.
+ Regnante in perpetuum domino nostro Jhesu Christo . Omnia regna huius vitæ labentis , regnorumque dispensatores ab initio istius sæculi cum velocitate deficientes transeunt . Ideo fugitivis et mortalibus rebus æterna gaudia promerenda sunt .
Quapropter ego Aelfred divina ordinante misericordia Occidentalium Saxonum rex , pro remedio animæ meæ , et criminum meorum absolutione aliquantulam agri partem , id est decem carratas in loco ubi dicitur Sudton ad insulam Clitonum , quæ Anglice usitato onomate Ædlingarey nuncupatur ad supplementum monasterialis vitæ monachis ibidem sub regulari exercitio Deo omnipotenti devote servientibus , animo volenti largitus sum , hancque libertatem præfato monasterio devota mente donavi , cum pratis , pascuis , rivulis , et omnibus rebus ad ea rite pertinentibus , ut ab omnium regalium tributorum , et exactione operum atque penalium causarum , absque expeditione sola arcis et pontium structura , secura , immunis et libera perpetualiter permaneat . Et qui hoc augere voluerit , augeat Deus bona illius in regione viventium . Si autem aliquis , quod absit , superbiæ fastu inflatus et tyrannica potestate illectus hoc infringere , et irritum facere conatus fuerit , sciat se ab omni ecclesia Christianorum anathematizatum , et in die judicii coram Christo et angelis ejus , nisi ante emendaverit , rationem redditurum esse . Præfata vero terræ et donatio huius agelli , his terminis circumsepta patescit . Arastore , Lerore etc.
Scripta autem est hæc scedula huius donationis anno ab incarnatione Christi dccclii . indictione . 4 . his testibus consentientibus , quorum nomina patescunt .
Ego Ælfred rex hanc meam donationem cum signo sanctæ crucis corroboravi .
+ Ego Ealferd Episcopus . etc.
Ferst on Chelbroke , from Chelbroke up to Harepath , endelang Harepath to Merfronford , from Merfronford endlung strate on Ryshwyll , from Ryshwyll to Foulwille into Anhence , endlanges Penheved unto Foxhole , from Foxhole unto Erthenote eastwards , out of Erthenote into Cuttleston , from Cuttleston unto Herpath , endelang Herpath unto Dyrston ynto Anhence , from Anhence endelange the more unto Boyledych , from Boyle-dyche into the Lake , endelang the Lake unto the Dyche , out of the Dyche endlang Mores unto Benham eastwards , from Benham unto Swanmore , out of Swanmore into Yevel , out of Yevel into Pedryd , out of Pedryd into Abanlake , out of Abanlake est into Chelbroke .