S 615
A.D. 956 (ii). King Eadwig to Brihthelm, his kinsman, bishop-elect; grant of 5 hides (mansae) at (Church) Stowe, Northants. Latin with English bounds.
Archive: Abingdon
MSS: 1. Lost original
2. Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, 111, pp. 159-60 (s. xvi; ex 1)
3. BL Cotton Vitell. D. vii, 33v (s. xvi; ex 2)
Printed: K 449 and vol. iii. 443; B 986; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 2, no. 102; Kelly, Abingdon, no. 62.
Comments: Stenton 1913, p. 41, cited; PN Northants., p. 30 n., on bounds; John 1960, p. 99, authentic; Hart 1970, pp. 33, 34, on hidation; O'Donovan 1973, p. 107, on beneficiary; Whitelock 1973, p. 235, on beneficiary; Hart, ECNE, no. 6, authentic; Keynes 1980, pp. 50, 54-6, 64-5, 67 n. 127, p. 68 n. 128, 'Group Two', p. 68 n. 131, on pictorial invocation; Brown et al. 1981, on bounds; Hart 1992, pp. 445-9; Kelly, Abingdon, no. 62, authentic.
Rubrics:
(1) + Þis is þara .v. hida boc æt Stowe þe Eadwig cing gebocode Byrhtelme his mæge on ece yrfe.
(2) Carta Edwii regis cuidam priori concessit istam terram de Stowe.
*. BL Cotton Vitellius D vii, 33v: copy, s. xvi
+ Summo alme et indiuidue trinitatis fatimine egregius symphonista sancte predicationis hortator talem protulit sententiam dicens, Omnia nuda sunt et aperta coram Domini oculis, et a luce prima usque conticinium uniuscuiusque actus prospicit. Ideo ego Eadwig totius Albionis insulæ illustrissimus archons cuidam meorum charorum propinquorum qui per Dei prouidentiam ad episcopalem gradum electus necnon predestinatus feliciter conscendit [ ] Byrhtelm .v. mansas in eternam stabilitatem concessi apud locum ubi uulgari dicitur nomine æt Stowe, ut uita comite sicut optamus possideat [ ] post discessum uero sui componat æternaliter quem desiderauerit heredem sibi cum omnibus [ ] rite pertinentibus, campis, pascuis, pratis, siluis; expeditionis, pontis et arcis non expers sit hoc donum sed ceterarum rerum. Si quis uero tyrannica inflatus potestate infringere temptauerit huius nostri decreti chirographum, sciat se coram Christo et angelis eius in tremendo examine rationem redditurum, nisi hic prius emendare satagerit. Istis terminis ambitur predicta tellus. Þis sint þa land gemæro in to Stowe. Ærest of þam halgan wylles forda suð andlang Wæclinga stræte an hludan wylles [ ], 7lang broces on þa fyrd stræt, 7lang þære stræt on þa oþre stræt, 7lang þære stræt on ramboldes dene, adune [ ] wyl, adune 7lang streames eft on halgan wylles ford.
Hec carta scripta est anno dominice incarnationis .dcccclvi., indictione xiiii.
+ Ego Eadwig rex Anglorum indeclinabiliter concessi.
+ Ego Eadgar eiusdem regis frater consensi.
+ Ego Cenwald episcopus consignaui.
+ Ego Oscytel episcopus confirmaui.
+ Ego Osulf episcopus corroboraui.
+ Ego Byrhtelm episcopus adquieui.
Ego Aþulf episcopus conclusi.
+ Æþelstan dux
Eadmund dux
Æþelstan dux
Æþelsige dux
Ælfgar minister
Ælfwold minister
Aþelwold minister
Ælfric minister