Early-Medieval-England.net

S 909

A.D. 1004 (Headington, Oxon., 7 Dec.). King Æthelred to St Frideswide's Abbey, Oxford; confirmation of 10 hides at Upper Winchendon, Bucks., and 3 at Whitehill in Tackley, 3 at Cowley, 3 at Cutslow, and land at Headington, all Oxon. Latin with English bounds.

Archive: Oxford, St Frideswide's

MSS: 1. BL Cotton Vitell. E. xv, 5r (s. xiii; damaged)
2. BL Harley 258, 16r (s. xvii; beginning only; ex 8)
3. PRO Ch.R. 6 Edw. II, no. 21
4. PRO Ch.R. 6 Edw. III, no. 17
5. PRO Ch.R. 3 Ric. II, no. 17
6. PRO Pat. R. 5 Hen. V, m. 3
7. Oxford, Corpus Christi College, 160, p. 271 (s. xiii; no bounds or witnesses)
8. Oxford, Christ Church, St Frideswide's Cartulary, p. 7 (s. xv)
9. Bodleian, Dodsworth 55, 17rv (s. xvii; no bounds or witnesses)
10. Bodleian, Dodsworth 55, pp. 25-6 (s. xvii; ex Inspeximus)
11. Bodleian, Dodsworth 55, pp. 36-7 (s. xvii; ex Inspeximus)
12. Bodleian, Dodsworth 55, pp. 44-5 (s. xvii; ex Inspeximus)
13. Bodleian, James 26, pp. 153-4 (s. xvii; no bounds or witnesses)

Printed: Mon. Angl., i. 174, ex MS 1; K 709; Mon. Angl. (rev. edn), ii. (no. 4); Parker 1885, pp. 320-2 ex MS 8; Wigram, St Frideswide's Cart., pp. 2-6 ex MSS 1, 3, 7, 8; pp. 6-7 bounds ex MS 4; pp. 8-9, bounds ex MS 3; Reed 1979, p. 183, bounds of Upper Winchendon only, ex Wigram; PN Oxon, ii. 485-6, 489, bounds of Cowley, Cutslow and Whitehill only.

Translated: Whitelock, EHD, no. 127 (pp. 590-3).

Comments: Stevenson 1896, p. 737 n. 28, authentic; Plummer 1899, p. 182, spurious; Grundy, Oxon., pp. 15-17, 24-6, on Oxon. bounds; Stenton 1936, pp. 105-6, authentic (= 1970, pp. 226-7); Tengstrand 1940, pp. 106-7; Forsberg 1950, p. 30, on bounds; PN Oxon., i. 3, 4, 6, 27, 39, 32, 35, ii. 267, 268, 271, 485-6, 489; Baines 1972, on Winchendon bounds; Gelling, ECTV, no. 289 (pp. 78, 137-8), may be interpolated; Reed 1979, pp. 181-4, on bounds; Whitelock, EHD, p. 590, authentic, bounds may not be contemporary, section concerning Headington perhaps a spurious addition; Keynes 1980, pp. 96, 127, 204-5, 260, authentic; Cooper 1985, pp. 16-17, 21-3, on Whitehill and Cotteslowe bounds; Blair 1994, p. 128, on Cowley boundary, pp. 167-8, on background; Pelteret 1995, p. 282.

Anno dominicae incarnationis millesimo quarto, indictione secunda, anno uero imperii mei uicesimo quinto, dei disponente prouidentia, ego Æðelred, totius Albionis monarchiam gubernans, monasterium quoddam in urbe situm quae Oxoneforde appellatur, ubi beata requiescit Frideswide libertate priuilegii auctoritate regali pro cunctipatrantis amore stabiliui, et territoria quae ipsi adiacent Christi archisterio noui restauratione libelli recuperaui, cunctisque hanc paginam intuentibus qua ratione id actum sit paucis uerborum signis retexam. Omnibus enim in hac patria degentibus sat constat fore notissimum, quoddam a me decretum cum consilio optimatum satrapumque meorum exiuit, ut cuncti Dani qui in hac insula uelut lolium inter triticum pullulando emerserant, iustissima examinatione necarentur, hocque decretum morte tenus ad effectum perduceretur, ipsi quique in praefata urbe morabantur Dani mortem euadere nitentes, hoc Christi sacrarium fractis per uim ualuis et pessulis, intrantes asylum sibi propugnaculumque contra urbanos suburbanosque inibi fieri decreuerunt; sed cum populus omnis insequens, necessitate compulsus, eos eiicere niteretur nec ualeret, igne tabulis iniecto, hanc aecclesiam, ut liquet, cum munimentis ac libris, combusserunt. Postquam dei adiutorio a me et a meis constat renouata, et ut praefatus sum, retentis priuilegii dignitate cum adiacentibus sibi territoriis in Christi onomate roborata, et omni libertate donata, tam in regalibus exactionibus quam in aecclesiasticis omnino consuetudinibus. Si autem fortuito aliquo contigeret tempore aliquem uesanae mentis, quod absit, irretitum desidia, huiusce donationis nostrae munus, satagente diabolo, defraudare, anathema sanctae dei aecclesiae excipiat aeternum, mortis nisi ante exitum questionem tam calumpniferam ad satisfactionem perducat exoptabilem. Istis terminis praefati monasterii rura circumcincta clarescunt.

(Reconstruction of bounds from Wigram, St Frideswide's Cartulary - MS evidence interpreted with considerable latitude)

+ Þis sondon þara .x. hida land emara into Wincandone. Arest of æsculfes willan on þa biris dic on hundryþe treow of þan treowe on twam moran of þan moran on þæt heafedland of þam heafedland on toen willan riþige of þam riþige on bicanbroce of þam broce on tama andlang tamae to ebbeslade of þam slade to merwille from merwille to rugan hlæye of þam hlaye on þone fulan pitte of þam pitte on risc broc of risce broce on wotesbroce of wotesbroce eft in to æsculfes willan.

+ Þis syndon þara þreora hida land maræ into wihthille, þæt is of ealdon hensing' lade ofer þe clyf on þam stennithtanwege, of þan wege on langan hlawe, of þam hlaewe on þa porte strete, of þara strete on cere willam stream, swa æfter streame þ hit scyt eft into hensing lade.

+ Ðis sondon þara þreora hide langemara into Couelea, of cere willa bricga and lang streames on þa riþig, wid hacelinges crofte andlang rightes estward þæt hit comæ into ofranfurlange, þæt scyt upp nordwerd to hwet furlanges heafde, of þam hefde on þat riþig east weard to mer higte, of þam hyge in to þam broce, of dam broce to den acere, of þam aceron into hocce mære, of þam mere in to Gifetelea, of gifetelea into þam broce, of þam broce eft into cere willan.

Þis sind þara þreora hida lande marae into Cuðues hlawe, erest of þere portestrete on trilwille of ðere wille on þet riþig, of þam riþie to þes biscopes gemeron, of þem gemarun in to wifeleslace on þed slad, of þam slade on wyfeleshille, of þare hille on hyne.

De L .rii S. Frideswide. This priuilege was idith in Hedington .myn owne mynster in Oxenford. There seint Frideswide .alle that fredome that any fre mynstre frelubest .mid sake and mid socna, mid tol and mid teme, and with . of Hedington, and of all the londe that therto be .and in felde and alle other thinge and ryth that y .belyueth and byd us for quike and dede, and alle other .alle other bennyfeyt, and alle other thinge that ther .

Scripta fuit haec scedula iussu praefati regis in uilla regia, quae .appellatur, die octauarum beati Andreae apostoli hiis consentientibus p .qui subtus notati uidentur.

+ Ego Æðelredus rex Anglorum hoc priuilegium Christi nomine perpetua libertate praedicto donaui.
+ Ego Ælfrich Dorouernensis aecclesiae archipraesul corroboraui sub anathemate.
+ Ego Wulfstan Eboracensis ciuitatis archipontifex confirmaui.
+ Ego Æðelric Scireburnensis episcopus consensi.
+ Ego Ælfgiua thoro consecrata regio hanc donationem sublimaui.
+ Ego Æðelstan regalium primogentius filiorum cum fratribus meis testis be .interfui.
+ Ego Ælfean Wentanus antistes consignaui.
+ Ego Ælfstan Fontanensis aecclesiae episcopus consolidaui.
+ Ego Ælfun Lundoniensis aecclsiae episcopus consecraui.
+ Ego Godwine Lychefeldensis aecclesiae episcopus communiui.
+ Ego Ordbyrt Australium Saxonum episcopus conclusi.
+ Ego Æðelbrit Scireburnensis aecclesiae episcopus consensi.
+ Ego Ælfeod Cridiensis aecclesiae episcopus uegetaui.
+ Ego Ælfric dux.
+ Ego Leofwyne dux.
+ Ego Wulfgar abbas.
+ Ego Ælfsige abbas.
+ Ego Æðelmer comes.
+ Ego Ordulf comes.
+ Ego Æðelmer comes.
+ Ego Ælfryc comes.
+ Ego Ælfgar comes.
+ Ego Goda minister.
+ Ego Æðelwerd comes.
+ Ego Æðelwyne comes.
+ Ego Ordmere comes.
+ Ego Leofwyne comes.
+ Ego Godwyne comes.