S 51

A.D. 676 (= 675, 6 Nov.). Osric, king, to Bertana, abbess; grant of 100 hides (manentes) at Bath, Somerset, for the foundation of a nunnery. Latin.

Archive: Bath

MSS: Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, 111, pp. 59-60 (s. xii2)

Printed: K 12; Mon. Angl. (rev. edn), ii. 264 (no. 2); B 43 ex K; Earle, pp. 6-7; Hunt, Bath Carts., p. 6; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 1, no. 12.

Comments: HS, p. 129, doubtful, the indiction is wrong and there are two bishops of the West Saxons; Finberg, ECW, no. 355, authentic basis; Finberg, ECWM, pp. 172-4, perhaps amplified from a shorter authentic charter; Harrison 1973/1, pp. 553-4, 556, authentic basis, discusses dating-clause; Brooks 1974, p. 225, cited with reference to Harrison's discussion of date; Sims-Williams 1975, especially pp. 1-6, sanction and witness-list at least derive for genuine earlier charter, other details (e.g. abbess's name) depend on early records; Harrison 1976, pp. 67-9, some very early features; Scharer 1982, p. 76 n. 32, spurious; Cunliffe 1984, pp. 347-8, on Bath; Wormald 1985, p. 25, broadly trustworthy; Edwards 1988, pp. 218-23, authentic basis but substantially interpolated and rewritten, may not originally have referred to a minster in Bath; Sims-Williams 1988, pp. 165-74, entire charter may belong to 675, literary proem may show Aldhelm's influence; Sims-Williams 1990, pp. 56-7, 104, 111-13, 120, may have genuine basis.

+ Regnante ac gubernante regimonia regni Osrici regis , anno recapitulationis Dionysii , id est , ab incarnatione domini nostri Jhesu Christi sexcentesimo septuagesimo sexto , indictione quarta , mense Novembris . viiio idus Novembris . Cum nobis evangelica et apostolica dogmata post baptismi sacramentum , Deo suffragante , fuissent delata , et omnia simulacrorum figmenta ridiculosa funditus diruta , tum primitus ad augmentum catholicæ et orthodoxæ fidei pontificalem dumtaxat cathedram erigentes , juxta synodalia decreta construere censuimus . At vero nunc cum gratia superna longe lateque profusius enitesceret cænobialia etiam loca sparsim virorum , sparsimque virginum Deo famulancium , erigenda statuimus , ut ubi truculentus et nefandus prius draco errorum deceptionibus serviebat , nunc versa vice ecclesiasticus ordo in clero conversantium domino patrocinante , gaudens tripudiet . Quamobrem ego supradictus Osricus rex pro remedio animæ meæ et indulgentia piaculorum meorum hoc privilegium impendere ad laudem nominis domini nostri decreveram : id est Bertanæ abbatissæ quæ pro Christiana devotione et pro spe æternæ beatitudinis dei famulam se profitetur . centum manentes qui adjacent civitati quæ vocatur Hat Bathu tribuens ad construendum monasterium sanctarum virginum . Igitur subnixis precibus imploro , ut nullus post obitum meum de ea cespitis conditione tollere vel auferre quippiam , contra canonicæ auctoritatis interdictum , pertinaciter præsumat . Si quis vero , quod absit , succedentium episcoporum seu regum contra hanc nostræ diffinitionis cartulam propria temeritate præsumere temptaverit , sit sequestratus a communione corporis domini nostri Jhesu Christi et a consortio omnium sanctorum in ævum privatus .

Signum manus Osrici regis qui hanc cartam donationis fieri rogavi . +
Ego Æthelredus rex consensi et subscripsi . +
Ego Theodorus gratia Dei archiepiscopus testis subscripsi .+
Ego Leutherius acsi indignus episcopus subscripsi . +
Ego Uuilfridus episcopus consensi et subscripsi . +
Ego Hedda episcopus consensi et subscripsi . +
Ego Frignualdus episcopus consensi et subscripsi . +
Ego Saxuulfus episcopus consensi et subscripsi . +
Signum Baldredi . +
Signum Gadfridi . +
Signum Æthelmodi . +