S 404
A.D. 930. King Athelstan to Cynath, abbot; grant of 10 hides (mansiunculae) at Dumbleton, Gloucs., with 2 hides at Aston Somerville, Worcs., and woodland at Fleferth (? Kington, near Flyford Flavell,Worcs.). Latin with English bounds and a note, in Latin, recording King Edgar's confirmation of the land to Osulf, bishop of Ramsbury (A.D. 959 x 970).
Archive: Abingdon
MSS: 1. Lost original
2. Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, 111, pp. 171-3 (s. xvi; ex 1)
3. BL Cotton Claud. B. vi, 18r-19r (s. xiii)
4. BL Cotton Claud. C. ix, 109rv (s. xii; no bounds)
5. BL Cotton Claud. C. ix, 201v (s. xii; bounds only)
6. BL Cotton Vitell. D. vii, 19rv (s. xvi; ex 2)
7. Bodleian, Gough Berks, 20, 7r (s. xviii; ex 5)
Printed: K 346; Stevenson, Chron. Abingdon, i. 60-4; B 667; B 668 ex MS 5; Kelly, Abingdon, no. 22.
Comments: Stevenson 1904, p. 150-1 n. 1, spurious or much corrupted, 152 n. 3, spurious; Stenton 1913, pp. 33-4, spurious in present form; Robinson 1923, p. 35, difficult to believe it is spurious; Grundy, Gloucs., pp. 116-18, on bounds of Dumbleton; Grundy, Worcs. 1928, pp. 41-2, on bounds of Fleferth; Robertson, Charters, p. 299, probably of later date; Drögereit 1952, p. 63 n. 23, pp. 67ff., spurious; Stengel 1960, pp. 59-67, unusual but possibly authentic; PN Gloucs., ii. 11; John 1966, p. 53, on royal style; Finberg, ECWM, no. 92 (pp. 52, 108), authentic basis; O'Donovan 1972, pp. 36-7, 38, 42, citing Whitelock, much of witness-list taken from S 544; O'Donovan 1973, p. 97; Whitelock, EHD, pp. 372-3, on alliterative charters; Keynes 1980, p. 82 n. 165; Hooke 1981, pp. 354-5, on bounds; Keynes 1985, p. 157, plainly spurious but based in part on genuine charter of the 'alliterative' group issued in 940s, perhaps forged in 11th century; Hooke 1990, pp. 158-62, on bounds; Dumville 1992, p. 164 n. 153, p. 168 n. 182, troublesome; Kelly, Abingdon, no. 22, a difficult text with an impossible witness-list, but unlikely to be an outright forgery. Cynath was abbot of Evesham, not Abingdon, and the formulation fits into a recognisable West Mercian diplomatic tradition.
C. BL Cotton Claudius C. ix, 109rv: copy s. xii
Rubric: Carta regis Æthelstani de Dumeltuna.
C*. BL Cotton Claudius C. ix, 201v: copy of bounds, s. xii
Rubric: Mete ad Dumoltun.
D. BL Cotton Claudius B. vi, 18r-19r: copy, s. xiii
Rubric: Carta Aþelstani de Dumelt'.
E. CCCC 111, pp. 171-3: copy of lost single sheet, s. xvi
Rubric: Carta Regis Edelstani de Domeltona.
+ Summa polorum cacumina, ima quoque solorum fundamina, tetra necnon baratrorum tragoedia almæ trinitatis monarchia regnando ac regendo premendoque auctor omnium Deus gubernat æthraliter, cuius uidelicet largifluæ liberalitatis munificentia Æthelstanum regem Albionis præstantissimum solio sublimauit paterno ac triquadri orbis rumigerula pre ceteris ampliauit prerogatiua. Tali namque sceptrorum suffultus diademate patronus regiæ dignitatis pannagericus gratuita cordis generositate Cynatho monastice conuersationis archimandrite proprie possessionis tellurem duobus in locis iure hereditario perpetualiter condonauit, ac prefato abbati suisque post se heredibus, euuangelico prouocatus paradigmate taliter promulgante 'Omni habenti dabitur et habundabit', 1 perhenniter possidendam firmauerat. Hoc denique imperator magnanimus non pretio philargirie sed longeuæ prosperitatis patrocinio ac paradisiace amenitatis mercimonio more solito prestauerat gratis. Hæc scilicet loca hoc utuntur nomine ad Dumoltan, .x. mansiuncule uidelicet, que sunt occidentali parte fluminis Esingburnan, et due communiter orientali plaga eiusdem limphæ populari sorte deriuantur ad Eastune. Quinque nam locis habentur siluaticis ad Fleferth, dextra leuaque illius riuuli qui uulgariter Piduuella uocitatur. Huiusque loci usurpationem adoptat dominus abbas, siluis, pratis ac pascuis, aratura ac reliquiis illac rite subsidiis, ut perpetim pertineat ad Dumoltan in posterum pio potissimum prosatori ade gloriam ac deinceps magnopere conlator ad premium. Hec nempe condonatio peracta est nongentesimo atque tricesimo laterculo Iesualis infantiæ summique prolis essentie, ac ter assis indictio copulatim coniungitur. Huius pro certo largiflue dapsilitatis locupletatio firma senatorum adstipulatione atque rata adsertione, uti infra caraxatur, quinto anno ex quo nobilissime gloriosus rex Angolsaxones regaliter gubernabat tertioque postquam authentice Northanhymbrorum Cumbrorumque blanda mirifici conditoris beniuolentia patrocinando sceptrine gubernaculum perceperat uirge constat esse Christo to theon suffragante salubriter adimpleta ac prisco certissimæ diriuationis confinio circumcincta hoc modo dinoscitur.
Primitus ad Dumoltan eastan on Isesingburna, ðonne suðan of Esingburnan, west weardes ondlong dices, ðæt swa upp on gerihte on dagan oran, ðæt swa ondlong stæð broces in gemære dic, ðæt swa ondlong in secg mere, ðæt swa of secgmere east ryhte in Esing burnan in derna ford.
Ðonne sind ðis ða lond gemæru æt Pidwellan, of Pidwellan in crundelu, of crundelum suð ryhte ondlang hrycges on tittandune, of tittandune west on ealdan wellan, ðonon in winterburnan, swa in Pidwellan, of Pidwellan on eomæres mædwa 7 swa on oðerne winterburnan, ðæt in Pidwellan 7 swa ondlang Pidwellan up oð crundelu.
Hoc supplementum quoque huic singraphæ rex famosissimus augmentabat ut ne aliquis fraudulenta seductione hunc codicellum uetustis euincere ualeat libellulis. Si quis quod absit possessor agelluli fas diuinum profanando seu ius humanum uiolando deliquerit, alius eiusdem genealogie rationabilius agens regi supradicto in longinquam perfruatur retributionem. Augentibus uero hoc regale donatiuum dupla Deus adaugebat bona, minuentibus necnon Satan cum satellitibus inferat dampna. Det Deus ne proueniat. Pax in euum seruantibus.
+ Ego Æthelstan rex et rector totius Britannie ceterarumque Deo concedente gubernator prouinciarum hec dona uexillando conscripsi.
+ Ego Uulfhelm quoque archipresul cum Roduuardo ceterisque pontificibus consensi et subscripsi.
+ Ego Theodred presul, atque Ælfhæh, consensi et subscripsi.
+ Ego Cynsige biscup, cum Ælfrico, consensi et subscripsi.
+ Ego Wulfsige episcopus, atque Ælfred, consensi et subscripsi.
+ Ego Æþelgar pontifex, cum Æþelwaldo, consensi et subscripsi.
+ Ego Koenwald antistes, atque Wulfhelm, cum testibus subnotatis conscripsi.
+ Ego Æþelstan dux, Æþelmund comes, consensi et subscripsi.
+ Ego Uhtred eorl atque Scule subscripsi.
+ Ego Ælfgar consul, Ælfsige miles, consensi et subscripsi.
+ Ego Wiferð clauiger, Leofsige signifer, consensi et subscripsi.
+ Ego Wulfric rector, et Þelgeard armiger, consensi et subscripsi.
+ Ego Eadgar Christi annuente gratia Anglorum basileus largifluam huius territorii confirmationem Osulfo præsuli, utiq a Cynatho abbate ei pridem concessa fuerat, crucis taumate optimatum meorum utens consilio, restaurando perpetim corroboraui.