S 892

A.D. 998. King Æthelred to Leofwine, dux: grant of 7.5 hides (tributarii), comprising 3 hides (mansae) at Southam and 4.5 hides (manentes) at Ladbroke and Radbourne, Warwicks. The land had been forfeited by Wistan for murder. Latin with English and English bounds.

Archive: Coventry

MSS: 1. Bodleian, Eng. hist. a. 2 no. VI (s. x/xi; BA Facs., 13)
2. BL Cotton. Claud. A. viii, 80rv (s. xvi; bounds and endorsement only)
3. Bodleian, Dugdale 13, pp. 439-40 (s. xvii; bounds only)

Printed: Napier and Stevenson, pp. 19-22 (no. 8).

Comments: Napier and Stevenson, pp. 110-22, authentic; PN Warwicks., p. 135 n., on bounds of Ladbroke and Radbourne, pp. 144-5 n., on bounds of Southam; Hart 1970/1, p. 23, on endorsement; Hart, ECNE, no. 66, original; Keynes 1980, p. 104 n. 62, p. 135 n. 171, p. 256, authentic and original; Wormald 1988, no. 61; BA Facs., p. 5, unusual aspect but seems to be an original; Dumville 1994, p. 161 n. 151, script is old-fashioned, cf. also S 898; Hooke 1996, p. 112.

Endorsement:
Ðis is þæra landda boc to Suþham 7 to Hlodbroce 7 to Hreodburnan þe Æþelred cyning sealde Leofwine ealdorman on ece yrfe.

Px In nomine Deo excelsi qui quadrifida mundi moderamina gubernat. Nobis ergo karissimi in Christo illius egregi predicatoris sententia diligenda consideranda fratres. Nihil intulimus in hunc mundum uerum nec auferri quid possumus . Sed sicut illa generalis mater de qua dicitur . terra es et in terram ibis . nos nudos ueraciter procreauit . Sic iterum nos nudos excipere debet . nisi aliquis diuino inpunctus amore ad hoc idoneus sit ut adeptas res . pro omnipotenti Deo et expiatione peccaminum . suorum pauperibus et Dei seruis . beniuola mente . distribuere uoluerit et suum thesaurum thesaurizare in altis caelorum culminibus . Hinc ego . ÆÞELRED . altithrono amminiculante Anglorum ceterarumque gentium in circuitu triuiatim persistentium basileus aliquam terre particulam ad donandum curaui Leofwino meo fidelissimo duce id est .vii. tributariorum et dimidium non tamen in uno loco sed in tribus uillulis in Suþham .iii. mansas et in Hlodbroce Hreodburnanque .iiii. manentes et inter illos dimidium unius manse ut habeat et prefruat cum omnibus bonis ad illam terram rite pertinentibus in perpetuam hereditatem et quamdiu lux fulgebit super terram et hanc donationem dabo cum omni libertate nisi arcis et pontis instructione et expeditione et ab homnibus aliis notis ignotisque causis perpetualiter in libertatem compono. Si quis uero tam epylempticus phyrargirie seductus amentia quod non optamus hanc nostre munificentiae dapsilitatem ausu temerario infringere temptauerit . sit ipse alienatus a consortio sancte Dei aeclesie necnon et a participatione sacrosancti corporis et sanguinis Iesu Christi filii Dei per quem totus terrarum orbis ab antiquo humani generis inimico liberatus est . et cum Iuda Christi proditore sinistra in parte deputatus . ni prius hic digna satisfactione humilis penituerit.

Þis syn þara .x. hida longemæra to Suþham þe þa .iii. hida binnan synd þe Wistan forworhte wið þone cyning Æþelred mid unrihtum monslihte 7 fifte healf hid æt Hlodbroce 7 æt Hreodburnan þe mid þa oþrum lande forworhte wæron 7 he hyra ealra geuþe his ealdormen Leofwine a in ece yrfe . þæt is þonne þær hlodbroc fealþ on ycænan æfter streame þæt to þæm hyærde wycan fram þam hyerde wycan up to þam ællenstubbe to þam mærstane of þam mærstane to þæm gemyþan 7 æfter stream þæt to beornewæaldes hlawe of þam hlawe to þam pytte up to þam beanhlande . 7 to þæm pytte 7 swa of þem pytte to coccebyle 7 to yppescelfe of yppescelfe æfter þæm heafdan to hæahhwellan of þam wyllan to Hlodbroce . æfter þæm broce þæt æft on ycenan.

Þis syn þa hlandgemære into Hlodbroce 7 to Hreodburnan þæt is þonne to wylman forda 7 of þam forda efter sealtstrete to þam grenan wege of þam wege þæt æft on wylman broce æfter stream þæt on hreodbroce of þam broce þæt up to þam hlangan þorne of þam þorne æfter þam heafdan þæt on þa wyllan æt Hlodbroce æfter stream þæt þon' up æfter þam heafdan to þam mere of þam mere to þam hlawe on yppescelfe . of þam hlawe to grenan hylle of þam hlawe to cocgebyll of cocgebyll æfter heafdan to þam wætergefeal æfter stream þæt on stanhemeforde of þam fordæ þæt æft on wylman forde.

Hæc kartula karaxata est annon dominicæ incarnationis .DCCCC .L. XXXXVIII. huius munificentie singrapha his testibus . consenti[ent]ibus quorum inferius nomina secumdum uniuscuiusque dignitatem caraxantur.

+ Ego Æþelred Britannie rex Anglorum monarchus preformatas propinquarum sed et regum donationes hoc taumate agie crucis roboraui.
+ Ego Ælfric Dorobernensis eclesie archiepiscopus eiusdem regis beniuolentiam subscripsi.
+ Ego Aldulf Eboracensis basilice primas hoc euologium agie crucis taumate confirmaui.
+ Ego Ælfheah Licetfeldensis coenobii antistes iubente rege tropheum sanctæ crucis impressi.
+ Ego Ælfheah Wintoniensis æclesie presul canonica subscriptione hoc donum coroboraui.
+ Ego Wulfstan episcopus Lundoniensis testudinem sanctæ crucis huic regali dapsilitate libens adposui.
+ Ego Wulfsige Scireburnensis æclesie catascopus donum eiusdem regis confirmaui.
+ Ego Aþulf Herefordensis æclesie pontifex consensum prebui.
+ Ego Alfwold episcopus hoc euologium manu propria apicibus depinxi.
+ Ego Ælfsige abbas.
+ Ego Ælfweard abbas.
+ Ego Wulfgar abbas.
+ Ego Leofric abbas.
+ Ego Æþelweard dux.
+ Ego Ælfric dux.
+ Ego Ælfelm dux.
+ Ego Leofwine dux.
+ Ego Ordulf minister.
+ Ego Æþelmær minister.
+ Ego Wulfheah minister.
+ Ego Wulfgeat minister.