Early-Medieval-England.net

S 293

A.D. 843 (Mereworth, Kent, 28 May). Æthelwulf, king of Wessex and Kent, to Æthelmod, his minister; grant of 10 sulungs (aratra) at (Little) Chart, Kent, with woodland and swine pastures. Latin with bounds.

Archive: Canterbury, Christ Church

MSS: BL Stowe Ch. 17 (s. ix med.; OS Facs., iii. 17; Making of England, p. 257 (no, 232); Parsons 1939, pl. 1)

Printed: B 442.

Comments: Sweet, OET, pp. 436-7 (no. 25); Stevenson 1904, p. 203 n. 1, in English script but apparently drafted by a Frank; Stevenson 1914, p. 699 n. 48, contemporary; Deanesly 1927, p. 4 n. 3; Wallenberg, KPN, pp. 184-8, on place-names; Parsons 1939, pp. 15-19, genuine and contemporary, written by Canterbury scribe; Ward 1945, on swine-pastures; Stenton 1955, pp. 47-8, continental draftsman; Chaplais 1965, pp. 56-7, Canterbury scribe of main text and witnesses also wrote B 310, cf. formulation of S 1269 (= 1973, pp. 37-8); Chaplais 1968, p. 332, original, discusses attached scedule of witnesses (= 1973, p. 84); Witney 1976, pp. 262-3, on swine-pastures; Keynes 1978, p. 172 n. 4, on chrismon; Sawyer 1983, p. 295; Brooks 1984, pp. 147-8, 360 n. 67, contemporary; Rumble 1984, p. 46, compares names in memorandum and text; Kelly 1990, p. 44, on schedule of witnesses; Making of England, pp. 256-7 (no. 232); Keynes 1993/1, p. 126; Lapidge 1996, p. 447, notes on latinity.

Endorsements in s. xi hands:
+ ðis is sio boc to Cert . .
To cert
Ethelwlf Rex dedit chert Ethelmode ministro suo
Latine

Px In nomine altithroni regis aeterni salvatoris mundi ego Aetheluulf gratia Dei rex occidentalium Saxonum seu etiam Cantuuariorum cum consensu ac licentia meorum sapientum liventi animo dabo 7 concedo meo fideli ministro Aethelmode pro ejus humili obedientia aliquantulam partem terrae juris mei hoc est . x . aratrorum in regione Cantiae quodque nominatur on Cert cum campis silvis pratis pascuis venationibus omnibusque utilitatibus ad eam intus 7 foras rite ac recte pertinentibus 7 post dies ejus cuicumque ei heredi placuerit derelinquendum liberam per omnia habeat potestatem hoc ipsumque supradictum agellum ujus meae donationis on Cert ab omnium saecularium difficultatum servitus liberabo nisi his tantum tribus causis id est expeditione ac pontis constructione 7 arcis munitione . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ðone . . . . . ford . . . . . . hoc idemque agellum his notissimis terminibus unde cumque circum cingitur ab aquilone in leag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , 'alteraque molina in loca qui dicitur noðfueðing' 7 suae cildebergas 7 tycanora ðonne mogancumb æt stænan steaple , þonne heardemed 7 unus singularis silva ad hanc eadem terram pertinens quem nos theodoice snad nominamus '7 altera silva in loca qui vocatur bean eccer quibus termini notissimi sunt' , et hec sunt termini ejus ab oriente gyldeburne ab occidente berhteningleag et haec sunt pastus porcorum qui in nostra saxonica lingua denbera vocantur ætingden lidingden meredenn uddanhom cadaca hrygc heoratleag hwitan . . ede hildgaringdenn tilgeseltha hlifgesella . Omnibusque successoribus meis in nomine alme 7 individuae trinitatis hanc meam donationem libertatemque huius praedictae terre , fixam incontaminatamque observare præcipio ,

Si autem sit quod non optamus aliquis regum aut episcoporum vel principum sive praefectum diabolica temeritate instigatus quod hanc nostram donationem infringere vel minuere aut in aliut convertere temtaverit quam a nobis constitutum est sciat se a Deo omnipotenti alienatum et aeterne anathematis vinculis esse nodatum nisi digna satisfactione ante ea emendare voluerit ,

Actum est autem anno dominice incarnationis , dccc , xliii , indictione , vi , in illa famosa loco quae nominatur Meran worð die , v , k'l . Junias . ii . feria .

His testibus consentientibus 7 signo sanctae crucis Christi subscribentibus quorum hic nomina infra in cartula karaxata continentur ,

+ Ego Aetheluulf rex hanc meam donationem cum signo sanctae crucis Christi confirmabo 7 sub' ;
+ Ego Aeðelstan rex cons' 7 sub' ,
+ Ego Aeðeluulf dux cons' 7 sub' ,
+ Ego Alahhere dux cons' 7 sub' ,
+ Ego Freðoric abbas cons' 7 sub' ,
+ Ego Aeðelmod cons' 7 sub' ,
+ Ego Di'o'ra cons' 7 sub' ,
+ Ego Aeðelric cons' 7 sub' ,
+ Ego Duduc cons' 7 sub' ,
+ Ego Huda cons' 7 sub' ,
+ Ego Eanuulf cons' 7 sub' .
+ Ego Lulluc cons' 7 sub' .
+ Ego Ceolnoð gratia Dei archiepiscopus hanc eandem donationem cum signo sanctae crucis Christi confirmabo 7 sub' ,
+ Ego Uuaeheard presbiter 7 abbas cons' 7 sub' ,
+ Ego Brunheard presbiter cons' 7 sub' ,
+ Ego Hysenoð presbiter cons' 7 sub' ,
+ Ego Hunred presbiter cons' 7 sub' ,
+ Ego Wimund presbiter cons' 7 sub' ,
+ Ego Beornferð presbiter cons' 7 sub' ,
+ Ego Walahhere diaconus cons' 7 sub' ,
+ Ego Noðwulf diaconus cons' 7 sub' ,
+ Ego Wærbald subdiaconus cons' 7 sub' ,

On a small piece of vellum attached to the right hand lower corner of the charter, the following signatures -

+ Æðeluulf rex .
+ Æðelstan rex .
+ Æðeluulf dux .
+ Alhhere dux .
+ Friðeric abbas .
+ Æðelmod cel' .
+ Dera cel' .
+ Æðelric minister .
+ Duduc minister .
+ Huda minister .
+ Eanuulf minister .
+ Lulluc minister .

+ Ceolnoð archiepiscopus .
+ Brunheard presbiter .
+ Hysenoð presbiter .
+ Hunred presbiter .
+ Wimund presbiter .
+ Beornferð presbiter .
+ Wealhhere archidiaconus .
+ Werbeald subdiaconus .
+ Noðwulf archidiaconus .