S 204

A.D. 844 x 845. Berhtwulf, king (of Mercia), to Forthred, his thegn; grant of 9 hides at Wotton Underwood, Bucks., in return for 30 mancuses and 900 shillings. English.

Archive: Canterbury, Christ Church

MSS: Canterbury, D. & C., Chart. Ant. C. 1280 (Red Book no. 9; s. ix med; Pal. Soc., ser. i. 24; OS Facs., i. 18)

Printed: K 243; Sweet, OET, p. 454 (no. 48); B 452; Earle, pp. 122-3; Harmer 1914, pp. 5-6 (no. 3), with translation, pp. 42-3; Sweet, Second Reader, pp. 219-20 (no. 29); Baines 1979, pp. 141-2, with translation, pp. 142-3; Reed 1979, p. 184 ex Harmer, with translation, p. 186.

Comments: Harmer, SEHD, pp. 81-2, authentic, cf. p. vi; PN Bucks., pp. 1, 113-14, for identification, p. 103, doubtless written locally; Stenton 1955, p. 46, authentic, may be contemporary; PN Oxon., i. 9; O'Donovan 1972, pp. 40-1, dates 843 x 845, perhaps a slightly later copy, attestation of Bishop Deorlaf of Hereford is a problem; O'Donovan 1973, p. 112; Keynes 1978, p. 172 n. 4, on chrismon; Baines 1979, authentic, discusses bounds; Gelling, ECTV, no. 146, authentic, may be original; Reed 1979, pp. 184-7, on bounds; Brooks 1984, pp. 174, 362 n. 94, original, written in very poor English; Kelly 1990, pp. 55-6; BA Facs., p. 12.

Endorsement in hand of s. xii: Inutile.

Px In nomine Domini. Ego Berchtwulf cyning sile Forðrede minum ðegne nigen higida lond in Wudotune in ece erfe him to hiobbanne, 7 to siollanne ðaem ðe hit wille mið eaðmodre hernisse him to geeornigan ofer his daeg; Cisseðebeorg, Feowertreowehyl, 7 Eanburgemere, Tihhanhyl, 7 ut bi Geht tu higida lond in erfe ece. 7 he salde to londceape xxx mancessan 7 nigen hund scilling wið ðaem londe him in ece erfe.

Ic Berhtwulf rex ðas mine gesaldnisse trymme 7 faestna in Cristes rode tacne 7 in his ðaere haligran two sideways mid-height commas a 7 in his wotona gewitnisse.

Aerist Saeðryð regina
Cyneferð episcopus
Alchhun episcopus
Berchtred episcopus
Deorlaf episcopus
Ceored episcopus
Wichred abbas
Aldred abbas
Mucel dux
Hunbercht dux
Burgred dux
Aeestan
Cyneberht dux
Sigred dux
Alberht dux
Aldred dux
Mucel dux

Hunstan dux
Eadwulf
Beornoð
Wulfred
Mucel
Aldred
Wicga
Eadgar
Baldred
Werenberht
Eadred
Aeðelwulf prs'
Heaberht prs'
Ecghun
Ecgheard
Beornhaeð
Aldred.

7 we aec alle bibeodað ðe aet ðisse gewitnisse werun, on Cristes noman 7 on his ðaere haligran, gif aenig monn ðas ure gewitnisse incerre on owihte, ðaet he aebbe ðaes aelmaehtgan Gode[s unhlisse (?) 7] his ðaere haligran up in [heo]fnum ðaes we him [ge]beod.n maege.