S 217

A.D. 880 for 887. Æthelred, dux et patricius of Mercia, to the bishopric of Worcester; grant of 6 hides (mansiones) at Brightwell Baldwin and 8 at Watlington, Oxon., to pertain to the church at Readanoran (i.e. Pyrton, Oxon). Latin with English bounds and a list, in English, of six serfs formerly belonging to the royal vill at Bensington, Oxon.

Archive: Worcester

MSS: 1. BL Cotton Tib. A. xiii, 28v-29v (s. xi1)
2. BL Cotton Tib. A. xiii, 195r-196r (s. xi2)

Printed: Hearne, Heming, pp. 60-3, 438-40; K 311 and vol. iii. 400; Thorpe, pp. 133-4; B 547; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 2, no. 43.

Comments: Stevenson 1904, p. 300, if genuine, date must be 887; Grundy, Oxon., pp. 9-12, on bounds; PN Oxon., i. 1, 86, 94, 96, 116, 120, 121-2, 125, and ii. 484-5, on bounds; Stenton 1971, p. 260 n. 2, date probably 887; Davies 1972, pp. 469, 475, dubious; Finberg 1972, p. 510, cited with reference to list of serfs; O'Donovan 1973, p. 93, on date; Gelling, ECTV, no. 266, authentic, corrects Grundy's interpretation of bounds; Pelteret 1986, pp. 491-2, on list of serfs; Blair 1994, pp. 78, 112, 130, 133, 140-1, 198 n. 195, date 887 may not be reliable; Pelteret 1995, p. 168, on list of serfs; Faith 1997, p. 84, on list of serfs.

Byrhtanwyllan 7 Wæclingtun .

Px Regnante inperpetuum domino nostro Jhesu Christo . cujus imperio huius sæculi labentis prosperitas in adversis successibus sedula permixta et conturbata cernitur . et omnia visibilia atque desiderabilia pomparum mundi ornamenta ab ipsis amatoribus suis cotidie fugiendo transeunt . Quapropter quique sapientes ac beati cum his fugitivis seculi aeterna gaudia jugiter mansura cælestis patriæ magnopere mercanda sunt .

Quapropter ego Æðelred gratia domini largiflua concedente dux et patricius gentis Merciorum cum licentia et inpositione manus Ælfredi regis una cum testimonio et consensu seniorum ejusdem gentis episcoporum vel principum pro redemptione animarum nostrarum et pro sospitate necnon et stabilitate regni Merciorum nobis in eternam elemosinam quandam ruris portionem domino Deo et Sancto Petro liberatam ab omni tributo regali magno vel modico noto vel ignoto . hoc est . æt Berhtanwellan . vi . mansiones et æt Wæclinctune . viii . cum omnibus pertinentibus ad rura eadem in silvis et in campis sicut exterius finibus certis dinota consistunt . ad ecclesiam illam quæ vocatur æt Readanoran pertinentes utrasque terras in unam possessionem hereditatem id est . ad episcopalem sedem scilicet Uueogernensis civitatis plena videlicet mentis devotione concedendo humiliter donavimus . insuper etiam huic donationi in augmentum sex homines qui prius pertinebant ad villam regiam in Beonsincgtune cui omni prole et stirpe eorum ad eandem conscripsimus ecclesiam cum consensu præfati regis et eorundem optinatum meorum ut sine contradictione alicujus nobilis vel ignobilis semper ad terram æcclesie supradicte pertineant in sempiternam hereditatem hæc possidenda donavimus .

Si quis autem quod absit ansu philargiriæ hoc nostrum traditionis donum in aliqua corrumpenda fedare pertemptent sciant se rationem reddituros in die judicii cum Anna et Zaphira . nisi prius digna satisfactione emendare malurint .

Acta sunt hæc dom'c incarnat' . dccc . lxxx . indictione vero . v .

Þis earon þara manna noman þe gewritene earon from bynsincgtune to readanoran in þæt bisceoprice to uueogerna cestre mid heara teame 7 mid þy tudre þe from him cume a on ece yrfewardnysse . Alhmund . Tidulf . Tidheh . Lull . Lull . Eaduulf .

Hoc autem rus his finibus ambitur .

Æt byrhtan wellan from teolulfes treowe ond long longanhylles on fildena weg þonan on holandene up on cadandune to æðelheges gemære þonan to ecgfriðes gemære þonne a big ecgfriðes gemære to cuces hæma gemære þæt to incghæma gemære þæt swa ondlong incghæma gemære suð purh east leh þæt to gisles bæce þæt ondlong gisles bæce þæt eft to ceolwulfes treowe . 7 þæt mæð lond be betweonum egsafordam 7 strætforda be norðan broce 7 þone wudu þærto þe scylfhrycg is haten .

Hec nomina sunt qui hanc libertatis donationem consentientes signo crucis subscripsi .

+ Ego Ælfred rex consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Æþered dux hoc nostrum donum signo crucis confirmavi .
+ Ego Æþelflæd conjux subscribens confirmavi .
+ Ego Wulfred episcopus .
Ego Wærfrið episcopus .
Ego Deorlaf episcopus .