S 1516
s. xi med. Will of Eadwine concerning land at Algarsthorpe, Little Melton, Bergh Apton (Ashwell), Thorpe, Great Melton, Wreningham, all in Norfolk; the beneficiaries being (Bury) St Edmunds, St Benedict's (Holme), St Etheldreda's (Ely), and the churches at Algarsthorpe, Little Melton, Bergh Apton, Norfolk; and Holverstone, Suffolk; Blyford, Sparham, Ashwell, Fundenhall and Nayland in Wreningham, all in Norfolk, also Ketel. English.
Archive: Bury St Edmunds
MSS: 1. Cambridge, U.L., Ff. 2. 33, 45rv (s. xiii2)
2. BL Add. 14847, 15v (s. xiv)
Printed: K 921; Thorpe, pp. 589-91, with translation; Whitelock, Wills, no. 33 (pp. 86-9), with translation.
Translated: Douglas and Greenaway, EHD II, no. 188 (pp. 904-5).
Comments: Douglas 1932, pp. cxii-v; Whitelock, Wills, pp. 199-201; Hart, ECEE, no. 94, authentic; Pelteret 1995, pp. 123, 130.
Notes: Issued in triplicate, with copies retained by Bury, St Benet at Holme and Eadwine.
[O]n min drihtines name Ic Eadwine kithe ihu þat ic an þe þinge þe me god almithin haue lent on þise liue. þat is þat ic an þat lond at Eskeresthorp into seint Eadmund buten ten acres ic giue þer into þere kirke. And Lefric habbe þo þre acres þe he on sit. and ic 'an' þat lond at Lithle Meddeltone into sancte Benedicte 7 ten acres into þe kirke. And ic an þat lond at Beorh into sancte Etheldriðe bi suthen kinges strete buten þat northere hage at Appelsco. and half þe turfgret ligge into Apetune and þerto weye to rode brod. And ten akres into Beorh kirke be suthen strete. And ten acres into Apetune kirke bi northen strete. 7 four acres into Huluestone kirke. And four acres into Blitleford kirke. And . X . acres into Sparham kirke. 7 alle mine men fre eywer. aftir mine tyme. Þis is þat frescet þe Eadwine haueð Crist vnnen and seynte Marie 7 alle Cristes halegen his sowle to alisidnesse and his sinne tor forgiuenesse. And þis is þe forward þe Wlfric and Eadwine þa tueye brethere wrouhten hem bituen. ymbe þa to land at Thorp and at Middeltone þat is wethe[r] here so lenger libbe habbe bothe þe lond. And after here boþere day go þat lond at Middiltone into sancte Benedicte for here boþere soule. and þat lond at Thorpe; after here boþere day; fange Ketel þerto to swilke forwarde so þer wrouht is. þat is þat Ketel leste alke iher to pund into seynt Eadmunde þat is þas londes gouel. 7 for here eyþeres soule ilke day ane messe. and after Keteles day; go þat lond into seynt Eadmunde buten alken gentale. and at Metheltone into þere kirke þe Þurwerd ahte. and þat lond þe Eadwine Ecferþes sune ahte fre into þe kirke. And of þat lond at Thorp . VIII . acres into Aescewelle kirke. and of þat lond at Wreningham . VIII . acres into þe elde kirke. and to acres into Fundenhale kirke and to into Neolondes kirke. þise write sinden þre. on is binnen at sancte Eadmunde. an other at sancte Benedicte on Holm. 7 te þridde haued Eadwine himself.
In my Lord's name I, Edwin, make known how I grant the things which God Almighty has lent me in this life. That is, that I grant the estate at Algarsthorpe to St Edmund's except ten acres which I give to the church there. And Leofric is to have the three acres which he occupies. And I grant the estate at Little Melton to St Benedict's, and ten acres to the church. And I grant to St Etheldreda's the estate at Bergh south of King's Street, except the northern enclosure at Appelsco. And half the turfpit is to belong to Apton, and a way to it two rods broad. And ten acres south of the street to Bergh church. And ten acres north of the street to Apton church, and four acres to Holverstone church, and four acres to Blyford church and ten acres to Sparham church. And all my men are to be free everywhere after my time. This is the free property which Edwin has granted to Christ and St Mary and all Christ's saints for the redemption of his soul and the forgiveness of his sins.
And this is the agreement which the two brothers, Wulfric and Edwin, made between them about the two estates, Thorpe and Melton: that is, that whichever of them shall live the longer is to have both the estates; and after the death of both of them, the estate at Melton is to go to St Benedict's for the souls of them both: and Ketel is to succeed to the estate at Thorpe after the death of them both on such terms as are set forth there: namely, that Ketel is to pay each year to St Edmund's two pounds - that is the rent of the estate - and one mass [shall be said] every day for the souls of both of them. And after Ketel's death, the estate is to go to St Edmund's church without controversy; and [that] at Melton to the church which Thurward owned; and the land which Edwin, Ecgferth's son, had, free to the church; and eight acres from the estate at Thorpe, to Ashwell church; and eight acres from the estate at Wreningham to the old church, and two acres to Fundenhall church, and two to Nayland church.
There are three of these documents. One is at St Edmund's: the second at St Benedict's at Holme: the third Edwin himself has.