S 1491
A.D. 955 x 958. Will of Ælfsige, bishop (of Winchester), concerning land at Taunton, Somerset; Crondall, Abbots Ann, the two Worthys (possibly Kings Worthy and Martyr Worthy), Clere (Burghclere or Highclere), Tichborne, Ringwood, all in Hants., the beneficiaries including the king and Old and New Minsters, Winchester. Old English, Middle English and Latin versions.
Archive: Winchester, New Minster
MSS: Earl of Macclesfield, Shirburn Castle, Liber Abbatiae, 19v-20v.
Printed: Alford 1663, iii. 301 (Latin only); Edwards, Liber de Hyda, pp. 133-6 (all versions); B 652 (Old English); B 653 (Middle English); B 654 (Latin); Birch, Liber Vitae, pp. 222-3 ex Edwards; Whitelock, Wills, no. 4 (pp. 16-17), Old English only, with translation; Councils and Synods, no. 23 (pp. 84-6), Old English only, with translation.
Comments: Whitelock, Wills, pp. 114-16; Finberg, ECW, no. 85, authentic, suggests Chiltington, Sussex, as an alternative identification of Ciltrigtune; Councils and Synods, p. 84; Pelteret 1995, pp. 121, 129.
Þis is Ælfsiges biscopes cwide. Þæt is þonne ærest, þæt ic wille þæt man gefreoge ælcne witeþeowne mannan þe on þæm biscoprice sie for hine 7 for his cynehlaford. 7 ic gean minum cynehlaford mine heregeatwa 7 þæs landes æt Tantune þe he me ær to let. 7 ic gean þæs landes æt Crundelan ofer mine dæg Ælfheage, 7 ofer his dæg gange hit into ealden mynstere. 7 ic gean minum mægcnafan þæs landes æt Anne his dæg, 7 ofer his dæg into niwan mynstere; 7 þæs landes æt þan twam Worþigum minre magan þa hwile þe hyre lif biþ, 7 siþþan minre swister 7 minum magcnafan, ægþer ge þara landa ge þæs æt Cleran 7 þa oþerra ealra þe mine fæder ahte; 7 þæs landes æt Tioceburnan Wlfrice Cufing his dæg, 7 ofer his dæg into ealdun mynstre; 7 þæs landes æt Runcwuda, swa hit ær gecweden wæs, to ealdun mynstere; 7 Ælfwige þæs landes æt Ciltrigtune ofer þære wuduwan dæg; 7 Wlfrice æt Wicham þæs æt Lætanlia. Þonne bidde ic minnan leofan freond Ælfheah þæt þu bewite ægþer ge þa land ge þa þe mine magas sien, 7 þæt þu ne geþafige þæt man þis on ænig oþer wænde. Gif hit þonne hwa do, God hine fordo ge mid sawle ge mid lichoman ge her ge on þam toweardan, butan ic hit self on oþer wænde.
This is Bishop Ælfsige's will. First, I wish that each man penally enslaved who is on the episcopal demesne be freed for my sake and my royal lord's. And I grant to my royal lord my heriot and the estate at Taunton which he has let to me. And I grant the estate at Crondall after my death to Ælfheah, and after his death it is to go to the Old Minster. And I grant to my young kinsman the estate at Ann for his lifetime, and after his death to the New Minster; and the estate at the Two Worthys to my kinswoman as long as her life lasts, and then to my sister and my young kinsman - both those estates and that at Clere and the others, all which my father possessed; and the estate at Tichborne to Wulfric Cufing for his time and after his death to the Old Minster. And [I grant] the estate at Ringwood to the Old Minster, as was settled before; and to Ælfwig the estate at Cholderton (?) after the widow's death; and to Wulfric of Wickham that at Netley. Then I pray you, my dear friend Ælfheah, that [you] will watch both over the estates and those who are my kinsmen, and that you will never permit anyone to alter this in any way. If anyone do so, may God destroy him both soul and body, both here and in the future, unless I myself change it.