Donation of land to Rochester Cathedral partly within and partly to the north of Rochester, 868
Æthelred I of Wessex grants to Cuthwulf, bishop of Rochester, land partly within and partly to the north of Rochester (868).
Campbell, no. 26. Probably genuine, but note Campbell: ‘This charter is of unusual form’. No rubric. The text begins with purple display initial ‘R’ and is marked by a large, black cross in the left margin. The boundaries are written in Old English, beginning on the first line of 141r, marked by a black cross, and continuing for another thirteen lines.
Transcription
140v (select folio number to open facsimile)
+ Regnantem in perpetuum domino deo nostro omnipoten-
ti sabaoth, cui patent cuncta penetra-
lia cordis et corporis, terrestria simul et
caelestia, necnon super aethera regnans in sedibus al-
tissima, et alta omnia sua dicione gubernans, cuius
amore et ęternis premiis ego aeðered rex occi-
dentalium saxonum necnon et cantuariorum, dabo et
concedo amico meo cuðwulfo hrofensis ęcclesię
episcopo aliquam partem terrę iuris mei hoc est in
duo loco, alia in ciuitate dorobroeuia, alia
in aquilone ciuitate marisco et prata longe et
lato alta et aquęflua, usque ad flumine modico
et magno meadowege flumina, uocatus et
ueribracho et fretos circulo et cingulo. In-
cipiunt pellati, pirigfliat, et scipfliat,
pausunt in flumine. + Her sint ða gemæra
oð miadowegan fram dodding hyrnan west
andlanges stræte, ut oð weall ⁊ swa be norðan
wege ut oð liabinges cota, ⁊ swa be liabinges
cotum oð þæt se weall east sciat, ⁊ swa east bin-
nan wealle oð ða miclan gatan angæn dodding
hirnan, ⁊ swa ðanne suð an geriaht fram
ða gatan andlanges weges be eastan ði lande
suð oð doddinghyrnan. Þanne be norðan weal-
le mers ⁊ maeða, oð mediwægan sindan þa gemæra.
Fram miadawegan binnan twam fliatum tiala
sint genemde, pirifliat, ⁊ scipfliot, ða gescea-
dað æt land westan ⁊ eastan oððæt weallfæ-
stenn. Þus >hit< is befangen mid friodome, amen >soð<.
+ Ego æðered rex hęc omnia dabo et concedo cuð-
wulfo meo dilecto fratre et episcopo in sempiternam he-
reditatem sibi habendum et possidendum, feliciterque
in dies eius perfruendum, et post dies eius cuicunque
ei herede placuerit ad derelinquendum liberam
ab omni seruitute >et< regali subiectione liberrima,
quam diu christiana fides in terra serbatur ęternaliter
permaneat, hoc ipsumque omnibus successoribus nostris
in nomine omnipotentis dei obserbare precipimus.
Et si quis hoc serbare uoluerit, seruet eum
omnipotens deus. Si quis uero per tyrannicam potestatem frin-
gere aut minuere uoluerit, sciat se maledi-
ctum esse a christo nisi emendare boluerit deo et ho-
minibus. Manente hac kartula in sua nichilo-
minus firmitate roborata, his testibus consen-
tientibus, quorum hic, illic, nomina infra scripta
sunt, et signo sanctę crucis corroborata.
+ Ego æðered rex confirmationem cum uexillo
sanctę crucis christi corroborabi et subscripsi. + Ego
alhferð episcopus consensi et subscripsi. + Ego heah-
mund episcopus consensi et subscripsi. + Ego wulfhere
dux consensi et subscripsi. + Ego eadred dux con-
sensi et subscripsi. + Ego ælfstan dux consensi
et subscripsi. + Ego wigstan dux consensi et sub-
scripsi. + Ego ælfstan dux consensi et subscripsi.
+ Ego drihtwald dux consensi et subscripsi.
+ Ego ecgbearht minister consensi et subscripsi.
+ Ego beorhtnoð minister consensi et subscripsi.
+ Ego ordulf minister consensi et subscripsi. + Ego
æsca minister consensi et subscripsi. Actum est
autem anno ab incarnatione domini nostri iesu christi
dccclxviii.
Translation
Reigning eternally our Lord God the Almighty of Hosts, to whom all the interior parts of the heart and body, both terrestrial and celestial, as well as over the ether reigning in the highest seats, and governing all high things by his dominion, are revealed to him, by whose love and eternal rewards, I, Æthelred, King of the West Saxons as well as of Kent, will give and grant to my friend Cuðwulf, bishop of the church at Rochester some part of the land of my right, this is in two places, one in the city of Rochester, the other in the north of the city of Marisco[?], and meadows far and wide, high and flowing, as far as the little river and the great meadow rivers, called, and the arm, and the belt, and the girdle. They begin to be driven, to Pirigfliat and Scipfliat, they pause in the river. oð miadowegan fram dodding hyrnan west andlanges stræte, ut oð weall ⁊ swa be norðan wege ut oð liabinges cota, ⁊ swa be liabinges cotum oð þæt se weall east sciat, ⁊ swa east binnan wealle oð ða miclan gatan angæn doddinghirnan, ⁊ swa ðanne suð an geriaht fram ða gatan andlanges weges be eastan ði lande suð oð doddinghyrnan. Þanne be norðan wealle mers ⁊ maeða, oð mediwægan sindan þa gemæra. Fram miadawegan binnan twam fliatum tiala sint genemde, pirifliat, ⁊ scipfliot, ða gesceadað æt land westan ⁊ eastan oððæt weallfæstenn. Þus >hit< is befangen mid friodome, amen >soð<.
+ I, King Ered, will give all this and grant to Cuðwulf, my beloved brother and bishop, to have and possess as an eternal inheritance for himself, and to enjoy it during his days, and after his days to whomsoever he pleases as an heir to leave free from all servitude >and< free from royal subjection, as long as the Christian faith is preserved on earth, may it continue eternally, and this very thing we command all our successors to observe in the name of Almighty God.
And if anyone wants to keep this, let him keep it, Almighty God will keep him. If any one wishes to break or diminish by tyrannical power, let him know that he is cursed by Christ unless he is willing to make amends to God and man. Remaining in this charter, strengthened in its firmness nonetheless, with the consent of these witnesses, whose names here and there are written below, and strengthened with the sign of the holy cross.
+ I, King Ælthelred, with the sign of the holy cross of Christ confirmed and subscribed.
+ I, Bisop Alhferð, agreed and subscribed.
+ I, Bishop Heamund, agreed and subscribed.
+ I, Duke Wulfhere, agreed and subscribed.
+ I, Duke Eadred, agreed and signed.
+ I, Duke Ælfstan, agreed and subscribed.
+ I, Duke Wigstan, agreed and subscribed.
+ I, Duke Ælfstan, agreed and subscribed.
+ I, Duke Drihtwald, agreed and subscribed.
+ I, Ecgbearht the minister, agreed and subscribed.
+ I, Beorhtnoð the minister, agreed and signed.
+ I, Ordulf the minister, agreed and subscribed.
+ I, æsca the minister, agreed and subscribed. Enacted in the year from the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ 868.
