S 794
A.D. 974. King Edgar to Ælfhelm, his minister; grant of 2.5 hides (mansae) at (West) Wratting, Cambs. Latin with English bounds.
Archive: Ely
MSS: Cambridge, U.L., EDC 1B/1A (s. xi2; BA Facs., 25)
Printed: K 1274; Birch 1882, pp. 382-3; B 1305; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 5, no. 3.
Comments: Stevenson 1904, p. 202 n. 2, authentic; Hart, ECEE, no. 57, authentic; HRH, p. 231, genuine; Keynes 1980, pp. 77-8, 'Edgar A' formulation; BA Facs., p. 8, MS a later imitative copy, probably an adaptation of a genuine charter of Edgar, discrepancy between hidage assessments in text and in bounds; Dumville 1993, pp. 29-30 n. 101, not contemporary; Keynes 1994, p. 170, 11th-century copy or adaptation of lost original; cf. S 1487 for beneficiary's bequest of part of the land to Ely.
Endorsements:
(1) Þis is þara þreora hida land boc æt wrettinge þe Eadgar cyninge gebocode Ælfhelme his þegne on ece yrfe .
(2) De Wrettinge
(3) Carta Eadgari .
Px Imminentibus vite caducis terminis quam nos sceleris [li]cet onere pressi nutu divino statuti tamen dominica prosequentes monita prout quimus secundum illud evangelium ubi dicitur 'Date et dabitur uobis' 1 .
Ideo ego Eadgar totius Brittannie basileus quandam ruris particulam duas videlicet mansas et dimidiam in loco qui celebri æt Wreat tinge nuncupatur vocabulo cuidam ministro mihi oppido fideli qui ab huiusce patriae gnosticis nobili Elfhelm appellatur onomate pro obsequio ejus devotissimo perpetua largitus sum hereditate
ut ipse vita comite cum omnibus utensilibus pratis videlicet . pascuis . silvis . voti compos habeat et post vite sue term[inum] quibuscumque [volu]erit cleronom[is] inmunem derelinquat . Sit autem praedictum rus omne terrene servitutis jugo liberum
tribus exceptis rata videlicet expeditione pontis arcisve restauratione .
Siquis igitur hanc nostram donationem in aliud quam constituimus transferre voluerit privatus consortio sancte Dei ecclesie eternis barathri incendiis lugubris jug[i]ter cum Juda Christi proditore ejusque complicibus puniatur . si non satisfactione emendaverit congrua quod contra nostrum deliquid decretum .
Hiis metis praefatum rus hinc inde giratur .
Ðis syndon þara þreora hide land gemæra æt wræt tinge wudes 7 feldes swa hit binnan þ[æm] mearcum beluð . ærest æt ðan hean gatan fram þan gatan east 7lang stræte oð west tuniga gemæra . of þam felde on þa wude mearca 7lang þæs mæres oð . . . . . . ldinga gemæra 7lang gemæres oð wichamme . . . . . . gemære 7lang gemæres to eanheale of eanheale gemære to bellesham gemære 7lang gemæres þæt eft on þa . . . dic .
Anno dominicæ incarnationis . DCCCCLXXIIII . scripta est hec carta his testibus consentientibus quorum inferius nomina caraxantur .
+ Ego Eadgar rex praefatam donationem concessi .
+ Ego Dunstan Dorovernensis ecclesie archiepiscopus consignavi .
+ Ego Oswold archiepiscopus confirmavi .
+ Ego Aðelwold episcopus corroboravi .
+ Ego Alfwold episcopus consolidavi .
+ Ego Ælfstan episcopus consensi .
+ Ego Sideman episcopus non renui .
+ Ego Ælfstan episcopus conscripsi .
+ Ego Ælfðnyð regina .
+ Ego Æswi . . . abbas .
+ Ego Kyn . . . abbas .
+ Ego Osgar abbas .
+ Ego Æðelgar abbas .
+ Ego Ælfhere dux .
+ Ego Æðelwine dux .
+ Ego Byrhtnoð dux .
+ Ego Oslac dux .
+ Ego Æþelweard minister .
+ Ego Ælfsige minister .
+ Ego Ælfweard minister .
+ Ego Byrhtric minister .
+ Ego Leofwine minister .
+ Ego Eanulf minister .