S 160

A.D. 804. Coenwulf, king of Mercia, and Cuthred, king of Kent, to Selethryth, abbess, and her familia at Lyminge; grant of land in Canterbury to serve as a refuge. Latin.

Archive: Canterbury, Christ Church (ex Lyminge)

MSS: 1. Lost original

Printed: Somner 1640, p. 325 ex MS 1; Twysden, X Scriptores, col. 2213 ex MS 2; Somner 1703, Appendix, p. 68 ex MS 1; K 188 and vol. iii. 388 ex Somner; Mon. Angl. (rev. edn), i, 453 (no. 5) ex Somner; B 317 ex Somner; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 1, no. 100; Fleming 1997, p. 119 (no. 17) ex MS 3.

Translated: Jenkins, Lyminge, pp. 31-2; Ward 1941, pp. 63-4; Whitelock, EHD, no. 82 (p. 514).

Comments: Jenkins, Lyminge, pp. 32-5; Ward 1941, on topography; Potts 1943, pp. 19-20, on topography; Sawyer 1978, p. 211, cited; Whitelock, EHD, p. 514; Tatton-Brown 1984, pp. 7-8, on topography; Brooks 1984, pp. 26, 34-5, 201, treats as authentic, discusses location; Kelly, St Augustine's, p. xxix, on historical background.

+ Dispensante ac gubernante domino Deo omnipotente . Ego Coenulph rex Mærciorun et Cuthred frater meus rex Cantuariorum anno dominicæ incarnationis . dccciiii . concessimus venerabili abbatissæ Selethrythæ et suæ familiæ ad ecclesiam sanctæ Mariæ semper virginis quæ sita est in loco qui dicitur Limming , ubi pausat corpns beatæ Eadburgæ , aliquantulam terræ partem in civitate Dorobernia ad necessitatis refugium : hoc est . vi . jugera pertinentia ad ecclesiam quæ sita est in honore beatæ Mariæ in occidentali parte civitatis et quorum termini sic cingere videntur . Ab oriente fluvius Stur . Ab occidente et ab austro murus civitatis . A statu ecclesiæ protenditur in aquilonem emissione virgarum circiter ut fertur quindecim .

Si quis autem hanc nostram donationem infringere vel minuere temptaverit sciat se rationem redditurum in die judicii , nisi ante digna satisfactione Deo et hominibus emendare voluerit . Et hæc testium nomina quæ inferius scripta sunt .

+ Ego Coenulfus rex Merciorum hanc donationem meam cum signo crucis Christi confirmo .
+ Ego Cuthredus rex Cantuariorum signo crucis confirmo .
+ Ego Aethelheardus gratia Dei archiepiscopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Adulf episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Dæneberht episcopus consensi et subscripsi .