Three sulungs and a fourth at Bromhey with a fishery and swine-pastures, 801
Coenwulf of Mercia and Cuthred of Kent grant to Swithun, minister, for his good service and his money, three sulungs and a fourth one nearby at Bromhey, with the use of a fishery and four swine-pastures (801). A note of Swithun’s bequest of the land to St Andrew’s follows.
Campbell, no. 16. On 135v several words have been underlined in a fainter, brown ink. At 136r there is the annotation ‘bocland’ (‘bookland’) in the right margin, written in a later hand.
Transcription
135v (select folio number to open facsimile)
+ Regnante et adiuuante nos deo et domino nostro
iesu christo, ego coenuulfus gratia dei rex
merciorum, anno v.o imperii nostri, una cum
fratre meo cuðredo rege scilicet cantua-
riorum, dabo in perpetuam possessionem suiðhune
nostro in commune ministro modicam telluris por-
tionem trium scilicet aratrorum ubi nominatur
aet bromgehaege in prouincia cantię, et unius
aratri adiacentem altera terra quod uocatur aeðiluul-
fing lond adiecto uno piscatorio on tæmise
flumine ubi dicitur fiscnæs, adiectis iiii. denbe-
ris in commune saltu id est on cæster sæta walda,
his locis aet otan sihtre, ⁊ aet crangabyrum,
⁊ aet frecinghyrte, ⁊ aet haeseldenne predicto
uiro uel eius posteris sub perpetua libertate
concedimus cum omnibus ad se pertinentibus rebus
pro eius beneplacabile pecunia simul et deuoti fa-
mulatus sui parientia, ut habeat et posside-
at quam diu uiuat, et post se cui uoluerit re-
linquat in sempiternam possessionem eo uideli-
cet iure si ipse nobis et optimatibus nostris fide-
lis manserit minister, et inconuulsus amicus.
+ Ego coenuulfus rex donationem meam signo
crucis confirmo. + Signum manus cuðredi re-
gis cantuariorum. + Signum manus ceolberhti du-
cis. + Signum manus berhthuni et byrnwaldi
comitum. Hoc item secunda die pascę adfirmant
coram rege cuðredo in urbe cantuariorum archiepiscopus
aeðilheard, ⁊ merciorum abbas daeghelm cum
optimatibus quorum hic scripta sunt nomina.
+ Aeðilheard archiepiscopus. + Daeghelm presbiter
abbas. + Heaberht. + Osuulf. + Egnulf. + Alh-
mund. + Beornheard. + Esne. + Ealdberht. + Haehfrið.
+ Ealdberht. + Osmod. + Wiohthert. + Bealðheth.
Quomodo suiðun hanc terram sibi datam a re-
gibus, concessit sancto andreae post obitum suum.
+ Ego swiðun post obitum meum trado terram
huius libelli pro remedio animę meae
omnibusque sibi pertinentibus sancte andreę in perpetuum.
Et si quis augerit, ęternam uitam tribuat ei deus,
si quis tunc minuere uoluerit, mortem supplicium
cum diabolo in ęternum sit passus.
Translation
+ By our reigning and sustaining God, and our Lord Jesus Christ, I will bestow on you by the grace of God King of the Mercians, in the 5th year of our empire, along with my brother Cuthred, King of the Kentishmen, I will give to Swithun our common minister a small portion of the earth, namely, the three plows where he is named Bromhey in the province of Kent, and the land adjoining another one plow, which is called Aeðwulf Land, with the addition of one fishery on the River Thames, where it is called Furs, an addition of 4 in commune saltu id est on cæster sæta walda, in these places at Otan Sihtre, and at Crangabyrum, and at Frecinghyrte, and at Haeselden to the aforesaid man or his posterity, we grant under perpetual freedom with all matters pertaining to him for his good money at the same time also bearing his devout service, that he may possess, and possess as long as he lives, and leave behind him to whomever he wishes to be in perpetual possession by the right, if he himself remain a faithful servant to us and our nobles, and a good friend.
+ I, King Coenwulf, confirm my gift with the sign of the cross.
+ Signed by the hand of Cudred, King of Kent.
+ Signed by the hand of Duke Ceolberht.
+ Sign of the hand of Berthhun and Byrnwald of the community. They also assert this on the second day of Easter before King Cuðred, in the city of Canterbury, Archbishop Aeðilheard, bbot of the Mercians, together with the nobles whose names are here written.
+ Archbishop Aeðilheard.
+ Abbot Daeghelm the presbiter.
+ Heaberht.
+ Osuulf.
+ Egnulf.
+ Alhmund.
+ Beornheard.
+ Esne.
+ Ealdberht.
+ Haehfrið.
+ Ealdberht.
+ Osmod.
+ Wiohthert.
+ Bealðheth.
How Swithun bequethed this land, granted to him by the king, to Saint Andrew’s after his death:
+ I, Swithun, after my death, hand over the land of this book for the relief of my soul and all that belongs to Saint Andrew forever. And if any man should increase, may God grant him eternal life; if any one then wish to diminish, he would suffer death and punishment with the devil forever.
