S 8

A.D. 679 (Reculver, May). Hlothhere, king of Kent, to Abbot Beorhtwald and his minster; grant of land at Westanae on the Isle of Thanet, and in Sturry, Kent. Latin.

Archive: Canterbury, Christ Church (ex Reculver)

MSS: 1. BL Cotton Aug. ii. 2 (s. vii2; BM Facs., i. 1; Lowe, Uncial, pl. xxi; Ch.L.A., iii, no. 182; Campbell 1982, p. 98; Wormald 1985, p.2; Making of England, no. 27)

Printed: Twysden, X Scriptores, col. 2207, ex MS 2; Smith, Bede, p. 784; K 16 ex MSS 1, 4; Mon. Angl. (rev. edn), i. 455 (no. 2) ex MS 5; Birch 1876, pp. 78-80; B 45 ex K and MS 1; Earle, pp. 8-9; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 1, no. 13; Fleming 1997, pp. 109-10 (no. 3), ex MS 3.

Translated: Whitelock, EHD, no. 56 (pp. 482-3).

Comments: Birch 1876, pp. 78-80; Bond 1878, p. 7, contemporary; Sweet, OET, pp. 427-8 (no. 4); Earle, p. 8, absolute original; Stevenson 1914, p. 703, authentic; Stenton 1918, pp. 434, 437 nn. 19, 20, original (= Stenton 1970, pp. 49, 51 n. 5, p. 52 n. 1); Wallenberg, KPN, pp. 10-13, on place-names; Levison 1946, p. 230, earliest original; John 1960, pp. 5, 36, 49, certainly authentic, discusses formulation and legal basis; Lowe, Uncial, pp. 8, 20, apparently an original document; Ch.L.A., iii. no. 182, MS 1 contemporaneous, probably original; Bruckner 1965, pp. 25-6, oldest surviving Anglo-Saxon charter in contemporary form, p. 24 n. 63 and p. 39, autograph cross in king's subscription, p. 44, on production; Chaplais 1965, pp. 49, 51-2, 53-4, original (= 1973, pp. 29, 32, 33-4); Ch.L.A., iv, pp. xvi-vii, xxiii, on script and production; Wright 1967, p. 56, MS 1 probably a later copy; Chaplais 1968, pp. 317-27, original, witness-list added later probably by same scribe, discusses latinity, formulation, date (= 1973, pp. 65-78); Chaplais 1969, pp. 538-40, compares formulation with that of S 19 (= 1973, pp. 102-5); Stenton 1971, pp. 141, 282, contemporary; Finberg 1972, pp. 406, 434, cited; Cox 1976, pp. 25-6, 27, 28, 42, on place-names; Harrison 1976, p. 118, on indiction; Whitelock 1976, pp. 142, 143, on witnesses and date; Sawyer 1978, pp. 146, 155, 157, earliest original; Rollason 1979, pp. 14-15, on estate; Scharer 1982, pp. 65-8, original; Wormald 1982, p. 98; Wormald 1985, pp. 3-5, 25, original; Making of England, pp. 43-4; Kelly, St Augustine's, pp. lxxiii-lxxxv passim, on Kentish diplomatic.

+ In nomine domini nostri salvatoris Jhesu Christi. Ego Hlotharius rex Cantuariorum pro remedium animæ meæ dono terram . in tenid . quæ appellatur . Uuestan.ae tibi Bercuald . tuoque monasterio cum omnibus ad se pertinentibus campis pascuis meriscis . siluis modicis . fonnis piscaris omnibus ut dictum est ad eandem terram pertinentia . sicuti nunc usque possessa est . juxta notissimos terminos a me demonstratus et proacuratoribus meis . eodem modo tibi tuoque monasterio conferimus . teneas possedeas tu posterique tui inperpetuum defendant a nullo contradicitur . cum consensu archiepiscopi Theodori et Edrico . filium fratris mei necnon et omnium principum . sicuti tibi donata est ita tene et posteri tui :-- quisquis contra hanc donationem venire temptaverit sit ab omni Christianitata separatus . et a corpore et sanguini domini nostri Jhesu Christi suspensus . manentem . hanc donationis chartulam in sua nihilominus firmitate et pro confirmatione ejus manu propria signum sanctæ crucis expræssi et testes ut subscriberent rogavi . actum in civitate recuulf . in mense maio indictione septima :--- In ipsa ante memorato die adjunxi aliam terram in Sturia juxta notissimos terminos a me demonstratus et proacuratoribus meis cum campis et silvis et pratis sicuti ante memorabimus supra dictam terram . ita ista sit a me donata eodem modo cum omnibus ad se pertinentia in potestate abbatis sit . inperpetuum . a me donata . a nullo contradicitur quod absit . neque a me neque a parentibus meis neque ab aliis . si aliquis aliter fecerit a Deo se damnatum sciat . et in die judicii rationem reddet Deo in anima sua :---

+ Signum manus Hlothari regis donatoris .
+ Signum manus Gumbercti :--
+ Signum manus Gæbredi :--
+ Signum manus Osfridi :--
+ Signum manus Irminredi
+ Signum manus Ædilmæri .
+ Signum manus Hagani .
+ Signum manus Ældredi :
+ Signum manus Aldhodi :--
+ Signum manus Gudhardi :
+ Signum manus Bernhardi .
+ Signum manus Velhisci : . -- : . --