S 371
A.D. 904 for 903. King Edward, with Æthelred and Æthelflæd, renews a landbook destroyed by fire for Æthelfrith, dux; confirmation of 20 hides (cassati) at Wrington, Somerset. Latin with English bounds.
Archive: Glastonbury
MSS: 1. Marquess of Bath, Longleat, 39, 185rv (s. xiv)
2. Bodleian, Wood empt. 1, 206v-207r (s. xiv)
3. Liber Terrarum, no. 41 (lost, cf. Abrams 1996, p. 32)
Printed: Mon. Angl., ii. 840; K 338 ex MS 2, without bounds; Mon. Angl. (rev. edn), i. 49-50 (no. 95); B 606 ex MSS 1, 2; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 2, no. 54; Watkin, Glastonbury Cart., ii. 545-6 (no. 1016) ex MS 1.
Comments: Napier and Stevenson, p. 83 n. 1, a puzzling document, apparently genuine; Grundy, Somerset, pp. 171-8, on bounds; Robinson 1923, p. 45, corrupt but some genuine material; Stenton 1955, p. 52, possibly authentic; Finberg, ECW, no. 423, authentic basis; Sawyer, Burton, p. 4; Keynes 1980, p. 32 n. 53, cited; Scott 1981, pp. 112, 201 n. 108; Costen 1992, p. 44, on estate; Keynes 1993/2, p. 309, 'improved', pp. 311-14, on background; Baines 1994; Keynes 1994/2, pp. 1143-4, cited; Abrams 1996, pp. 29, 32, 39, on MS sources, pp. 254-6, on Wrington; cf. S 367, 367a.
Regnante imperpetuum et mundi monarchiam gubernante altritoni patris sobolo qui celestia simul et terrena moderatur illius etenim incarnationis anno .dcccciiii. indictione vero sexta . contigit quod Ethelfritho duci omnes hereditarii libri ignis vastatione combusti perierunt . Tali igitur necessitate cogente predictus dux rogavit Edwardum regem et Elredum quoque et Ethelfledam qui tunc principatum et potestatem gentis Merceorum sub prædicto rege tenuerunt omnes etiam senatores Merceorum ut ei consentirent et licentiam darent alios libros rescribendi .
Tunc illi unanimiter omnes devota mente concesserunt ut alii ei libri scriberentur eodem modo quo et priores scripti erant in quantum eos memoriter recordari potuisset . Si vero quoslibet recordari minime potuisset . tunc ei ista cartula in auxilio et affirmatione fieret . ut nullus eum contentiose cum aliis libris affligere voluisset nec propinquus nec alienus quamvis aliquis homo aliquem de vetustis libris protulerit quem prius fraudulenter vel hora ipsius incendii vel alio quolibet tempore per furtum abstraxisset . novimus namque quod omnia que in hoc mundo contingere solent aliquando citius aliquando tardius ex memoria mortalium delapsa deveniunt nisi in cedulis litterarum caracteribus annotentur . quapropter in hac cartula innotescere ratum atque gratum satisque comodum duximus de illa videlicet terra . at . Wring' huius quantitas est . viginti cassatorum .
Et hanc præfatam largitionem . ego Edred rex et totus senatus Anglorum devoto animo Ethelfrigo duci in perpet[u]am hereditatem persolvimus ut nemo post nos percipientes sine indignatione Dei omnipotentis illam irritam faciat .
+ Ego Athelret consensi et confirmavi .
+ Ego Edward rex consensi et subscripsi .
Hii sunt termini prefati ruris a rege recuperati .
Erest on preosteselwe . of preosteselwyn on . wrythwey . of Writhweie of wryoheme on Egelescombe . of Egelescombe on etecombe . of etecombe on Wulfcombe . Endelanges Wolfcombe midewardes þar on Stificleie northward of þar leighe on wynter acres estward . þanen on Swynhage . þanen þoru atteleighe to farnhamme of farnhamme on histlyngdene estward . þare on þane Berghe of þan Berghe to likelan . of likelan to credelinghales of credelinghale on suwardynglegh estward to Wetheleighe brok and endelanges broke to merewollen . of merewollen on estmedewen of estmedewen on wilbicanhulle . of wilbicanhulle on the heghe rewe bi southensuddonne . of þare heghe rewe on mererigge of mererigge on hagennedewe of hagenedewe endelang stremes on wring' to wringforde . of wringforde on þe heghe rewe est to schirebourne elm of þan elme on carstie on þa heghe rewe . Eft endlang þare heghe rewe on wythescombe . of þan combe on brokenanbrugge of þar brugge to stanbrugge of stanbrugge to wetmedewen of wetmedewen to watercombe of watercombe to ethecombe of ethecombe to elkanleighe of elkanleighe to hilisbrok on þane holm þane endelanges thes brokes eft in on wryng . þanen endlang wryng . Eft on the mede westward þanen on preostwlwe .
Hanc prefatum hereditatem . Athelstan dux filius Etheredi conversus et factus monachus optulit secum ad monasterium Glastingensis illamque sibi largitus est Athelstan . Rex .