S 1489
A.D. 1023 x 1038.Will of Ælfric, bishop (of Elmham), including bequests of land at Worlingworth, Suffolk, and at Hunstanton, Holme, Tichwell and Docking, Norfolk, to Bury St Edmunds; at Grimston, Norfolk, to Leofstan, the dean; and instructions to sell land at Walsingham and Fersfield, Norfolk; also bequests of land at Egmere, Norfolk, part to Ælfwine and part to Ufi, the prior; the mill at Guist, Norfolk, to Edwin, the monk; land at Roydon, Norfolk, to Ælfwig, the priest; and at Moulton (probably Suffolk) to Sibriht; also a messuage in Norwich to St Edmunds and one in London to St Peter's. English.
Archive: Bury St Edmunds
MSS: 1. BL Cotton Aug. ii. 85 (s. xi1; BM Facs., iv. 21)
2. Cambridge, U.L., Ff. 2. 33, 48rv (s. xiii2)
3. BL Add. 14847, 18v (s. xiv)
4. Bodleian, Gough Berks. 20, 14rv (s. xviii)
5. Bodleian, James 24, pp. 72-3 (s. xvii)
Printed: K 759; Thorpe, pp. 567-9, with translation; Sweet, Second Reader, pp. 236-7 (no. 45); Earle, pp. 240-1; Whitelock, Wills, no 26 (pp. 70-3), with translation; Councils and Synods, no. 66 (pp. 514-16).
Comments: Bond 1878, p. 7, MS 1 contemporary; Stevenson 1913, p. 115 n. 16, MS 1 a contemporary hand; Whitelock, Wills, pp. 181-4; Hart, ECEE, no. 88 (pp. 65, 82), authentic; Brooke and Keir 1975, pp. 368, 369, authentic; Councils and Synods, p. 513; Dumville 1993, p. 42 and n. 177, dates 1023 x 1038; Pelteret 1995, p. 122; Campbell 1996, p. 17, probably Ælfric II (d. 1038).
+ Her swytelað on þissum gewrite hu Ælfric biscop wille his are beteon þe he under gode geernode 7 under Cnute kyncge his leofue laforde 7 siþþan hæfð rihtlice gehealdan under Haralde cyncge; þæt is þonne ærest þæt ic gean þæt land et Wilrincgawerþa into sancte Eadmunde for mira saule 7 for minas lafordas. swa ful 7 swa forð swa he hit me to handa let. 7 ic gean þæt land æt Hunstanestune be æstan broke 7 mid þan lande et Holme into sancte Eadmunde. 7 ic wille þæt þa munecas on Byrig sellan syxtig punde for þan lande et Ticeswelle 7 et Doccyncge 7 þæt þerto geherað: 7 ic gean Leofstane dæcane þæt land et Grimastune swa ful 7 swa forð swa ic hit ahte. 7 ic gean mine cynelaforde Haralde . II . marc gol. 7 ic gean mire hlefdigen an marc gol. 7 gelæste man Ægelrice . IIII . pund mire fatfylre. 7 sela man mine cnihtas þa mina stiwardas witan . XXXX . punda. 7 fif pund into Elig. 7 fif pund into Holm. 7 fif pund Wulfwarde muneke minne mæge. 7 fif pund Ælffæh min sæmestre. 7 ic wille þæt man sella þæt land et Walsingaham swa man derast mage. 7 gelesta 'man þæt feoh' swa ic gewissod hæbbe. 7 ic wille þæt man selle þæt land et Fersafeld swa man derast mæge. 7 recna man iung'ere' Brun an marc gol. 7 mid þan laue scytte man mina borgas. 7 ic gean Ælfwine minan preoste et Walsingaham . XXX . akera et Eggemera. 7 Uui prouast habba þone ofaræcan. 7 'ic gean' Ædwine muneke. þæta mylne et Gæssæte þe Ringware ahte. 7 ic gean Ælfwig preoste. þæt land et Rygedune þe ic bohte to Leofwenne. 7 ic gean þæt myln þe Wulnoð ahte into sancte Eadmunde. 7 ic gean Sibriht þæt land þe ic gebohte on Mulantune. 7 ic gean þæt fen þe Þurlac me sealde into Ælmham þa preostas to foddan; 7 ic gean into Hoxne. þa preostas. an þusend werð fen. 7 ic gean þæt fen þe Ælfric me sealde into Holme. 7 ic gean þon hage binnon Norðwic for mire saule 7 for ealra þe hit me geuðon into sancte Eadmunde. 7 ic gean þan hage into sancte Petre binnon Lunden. 7 ic gean iungre Brune þæt healfe þusend fen.
It is made known here in this document how Bishop Ælfric wishes to assign his property which he acquired under God and under King Cnut his dear lord, and has since held lawfully under King Harold. First, then, I grant the estate at Worlingworth to St Edmund's, for my soul and for my lord's, with the same rights as when he gave it into my possession. And I grant the estate at Hunstanton, east of the brook, and including the estate at Holme, to St Edmund's. And it is my will that the monks of Bury pay sixty pounds for the estates at Tichwell and at Docking and what belongs there. And I grant to Leofstan the dean the estate at Grimston with all the rights with which I have held it. And to my royal lord Harold I grant two marks of God. . . . And I grant to my lady one mark of gold. . . . And Æthelric my cup-bearer, is to be paid four pounds. And forty pounds are to be paid to my servants whom the stewards know; and five pounds to Ely and five pounds to Holme and five pounds to my kinsman Wulfweard the monk and five pounds to Ælfheah my tailor. And I wish that the estate at Walsingham be sold as dearly as possible, and the money be paid out as I have directed. And I wish that the estate at Fersfield shall be sold as dearly as possible, and one mark of gold shall be paid to the younger(?) Brun, and with what is left let my debts be paid. And to Ælfwine, my priest at Walsingham, I grant thirty acres at Egmere, and Ufi the prior is to have the rest. And I grant to Edwin the monk the mill at Guist which Ringwaru owned. And I grant to Ælfwig the priest the estate at Roydon which I bought from Leofwyn. And I grant the mill which Wulfnoth owned to St Edmund's. And I grant to Sibriht the estate in Moulton which I bought. And I grant the fen which Thurlac gave me to Elmham for the sustenance of the priests: and I grant to the priests at Hoxne fenland worth a thousand [pence]. And I grant the fen which Ælfric gave me to Holme. And I grant the messuage in Norwich to St Edmund's for my soul and the souls of all those who granted it to me. And I grant the messuage in London to St Peter's. And I grant to the younger(?) Brun the fen worth half a thousand [pence].