S 70

A.D. 671 for ? 679 (Chelsea). Æthelred, king of Mercia, to Osric and Oswald, his noble ministri; grant of 300 hides (tributarii) at Gloucester, Gloucs., to Osric, and 300 hides (cassati) at Pershore, Worcs., to Oswald; Osric's part being used by him for the foundation of a minster at Gloucester. Latin.

Archive: St Peter's, Gloucester

MSS: Gloucester, D. & C., Reg. A, 9r (s. xiv)

Printed: Hart, Cart. Gloucs., i, pp. lxxi-ii; B 60 ex Hart; Finberg, ECWM, p. 158; Morris 1995, p. 123, ex B.

Translated: Jones 1958, pp. 52-3.

Comments: Taylor 1903, pp. 319-31; Stevenson 1904, p. 155 n. 6; Stenton 1918, p. 436 n. 18, not a medieval fabrication (= Stenton 1970, p. 51 n. 4); PN Worcs., p. xvi, very corrupt but should not be rejected, cf. n. 3; Finberg 1957, p. 12; John 1960, pp. 7, 46, 76, based on early materials; John 1966, pp. 83-5, not in the ordinary sense a forgery, much more an incompetent foundation history based on authentic contemporary material; Finberg, ECWM, no. 1, authentic basis, pp. 153-66, composed in 9th century from miscellaneous material, p. 240, on vocabulary; Scharer 1982, pp. 146-8, fabricated, authentic material minimal, probably based on a charter of Osric founding Gloucester; Hooke 1990, p. 19; Sims-Williams 1990, pp. 34-5, on beneficiaries, p. 89 n. 9, on Gloucester, pp. 94-6, on Pershore, p. 122.

Notes: S 70 is part of a composite 'foundation charter', other sections of which are formed by Glo 1 (S 1782) and S 209.

In nomine domini nostri Jhesu Christi.

Solet non nunquam inter multos sacerdotes domini vel quoslibet minores gradus ecclesiæ, et inter ipsos etiam laicos fideles, de possessionibus agrorum vel quis vel ad quamlibet ecclesiæ pertineat, vel quis etiam cujuslibet magis sit, maxima discordia oriri, quapropter ego Ethelredus, Deo adjuvante, rex Merciorum fui cogitans de remedio animæ meæ ut aliquid fecerim mihi in elemosinam pro nomine omnipotentis Dei in sæcula. Concedens autem donabo duobus ministris meis nobilis generis in provincia Huicciorum, Osrico scilicet et Oswaldo fratri ejus in vicarium, cum nostra licentia et consensu, aliquam partem telluris, id est . ccc . tributariorum at Gleaweceasore Osrico, et altera similiter . ccc . cassatorum at Pershoram, hoc est, ut Osric acciperet illud obe Gleaweceasdre, Oswald etiam et Pershoram haberet.

Postquam ego Etheldredus rex fui rogatus a venerabili viro præfato Osrico licentiæ meæ ut monasterialem locum et vitam in illa civitate construere potuisset, et cænobialem regulam perenniter ibi constitueret; et tunc ita fiebat, et ipse comparavit illam civitatem cum agro suo, et ad liberam potestatem omnis rei, cum uno suleaurea, in quo fuit . xxx . milia, sibi in perpetuam hæreditatem possidendum et adhabendum, et post se in suam genelogiam qualicunque manu voluerit donandum.

Facta vero est hæc conditio in quinto anno regni Ethrelwedi regis Merciorum, hoc est, anno dominicæ incarnationis sexcentesimo septuagesimo primo, tunc fuerunt domini archiepiscopus Deusdedit, et Saxulphus episcopus, gentes Mercini, et sinodus congregata fuit in loco famosa Ethcealchy de istis rebus sic factis .