S 939
A.D. 995 x 999 (Cookham). King Æthelred confirms the will of Æthelric (i.e. S 1501), including the bequest of land at Bocking, Essex, to Christ Church, Canterbury. English.
Archive: Canterbury, Christ Church
MSS: 1. Canterbury, D. & C., Chart. Ant. B. 1 (Red Book, no. 18; s. x/xi; OS Facs., i. 17)
2. Canterbury, D. & C., Reg. A, 142r (s. xiii)
3. Canterbury, D. & C., Reg. E, 43r (s. xiii)
4. BL Stowe 853, 28v-29v (s. xvii)
Printed: K 704; Thorpe, pp. 539-41, with translation; Essays, Appendix, no. 26, in part, with translation; Earle, pp. 217-18; Whitelock, Wills, pp. 44-6 (no. 16/2), with translation, pp. 45-7.
Translated: Whitelock,EHD, no. 121 (pp. 579-80).
Comments: Plummer 1899, p. 177, dates it 997 x 1001; Whitelock, Wills, pp. 148-51; Hart, ECE, no. 29, original; HRH, p. 236, genuine, subscriptions few but consistent; Whitelock, EHD, pp. 579-80, MS 1 contemporary, discusses background; Keynes 1980, pp. 129-30, 148, 161-2, 208 n. 198, p. 222 n. 244; Keynes 1988, p. 190; Wormald 1988, no. 62; Ramsey and Sparks 1992, p. 311, cited; Lawson 1993, pp. 22-3, 241; Stafford 1994, pp. 234, 238; cf. S 1501.
Notes: Central portion of a tripartite chirograph (one portion kept at Christ Church, one in the king's haligdom and the third retained by Æthelric's widow).
+ Her swutelað on þison gewrite hu Æðelred kyning geuðe þæt Æþerices cwyde æt Boccinge standan moste. hit wæs manegon earon ær Æðeric forðferde þæt ðam kincge wæs gesæd þæt he wære on þam unræde þæt man sceolde on Eastsexon Swegen underf?n ða he ærest þyder mid flotan com. 7 se cincg hit on mycele gewitnysse Sigerice arcebisceope cyðde þe his forespeca þa wæs for ðæs landes þingon æt Boccinge ðe he into Cristes cyrcean becweden hæfde. Þa wæs he þisse spæce ægþer ge on life. ge æfter ungeladod ge ungebétt oð his laf his hergeatu þam cincge to C?cham brohte þær he his witan widan gesomnod hæfde. þa wolde se cing ða spæce beforan eallon his witan uphebban. 7 cwæð þæt Leofsige ealdorman. 7 mænige men þære spæce gecnæwe wæron. þa b'd seo wuduwe Ælfric arcebisceop ðe hire forespeca wæs. 7 Æðelmær þæt hig þone cincg bædon þæt heo moste gesyllan hire morgengyfe into christes cyrcean for ðone cincg. 7 ealne his leodscype wið ðam ðe se cing ða egeslican onspæce alete. 7 his cwyde standan moste þæt is swa hit herbeforan cwyð. þæt land æt Boccinge into christes cyrcean. 7 his oðre landare into oðran halgan st?wan swa his cwyde swutelað. þa god forgylde þam cincge getiðode he ðæs for christes lufan. 7 sancta Marian. 7 sancte Dunstanes. 7 ealra þæra haligra ðe æt christes cyrcean restað. þæs costes ðe heo þis gelæste. 7 his cwyde fæste stode. þeos swutelung wæs þærrihte gewriten. 7 beforan þam cincge and þam witon gerædd; þis syndon ðæra manna naman ðe ðises to gewittnesse wæron. Ælfric arcebiscop.7 Ælfheh biscop on Wintaceastre. 7 Wulfsige biscop on Dorsæton. 7 Godwine biscop on Hrofeceastre. 7 Leofsige ealdorman. 7 Leofwine ealdorman. 7 Ælfsige abbod. 7 Wulfgar abbod. 7 Byrhtelm abbod. 7 Lyfincg abbod. 7 Alfwold abbod. 7 Æðelmær. 7 Ordulf. 7 Wulfget. 7 Fræna. 7 Wulfric Wulfrune sunu: 7 ealle ða ðegnas ðe þær widan gegæderode w'ron ægðer. ge of Westsexan. ge of Myrcean. ge of Denon. ge. of Englon. þissa gewrita syndon þreo. an is æt christes cyrcean. oðer æt þæs cinges haligdome. þridde hæfð seo w?duwe.