Duties of the Infirmary Attendants at St Andrew’s Priory, Rochester, c.1235

Translation

Concerning the infirmary attendant: what he ought to do: In the household of the infirmary: Humphrey Costard, William Blundus and Graffard.  When Graffard was rejected, Ethelstan son of Athelard advanced by means of simony through Bishop Ascelin.¹ At this time, there came a certain legate, Ymarus, bishop of Tusculum, who corrected many injuries inflicted upon the monks by the very same Ascelin.  Among other things, mention was made of how Graffard was expelled, contrary to the wishes of the monks, from his service to the infirm brothers.  Moreover, calling forth the bishop, the legate decreed, in obeying virtue, that he would remove the aforesaid Ethelstan.  And immediately in front of all those present Graffard was restored.  Moreover, the legate said to the bishop that for the sake of his crosier² he ought not to have done this.  After Graffard, the monks took William son of Freode of the brewery, and set William in place of Graffard; and in place of William they set in the brewery Eilred, brother of Jordon the sub-prior.  And it will be noted that at that time they were not, however, permitted to serve permanently.  After William Freode the monks took Robert Spicard from the laundry, at the request of the monk Osbern of Sheppey, in whose place in the laundry they put Hamo Pinel.  After Robert Spicard, Matthew Peccator succeeded.  After Mathew, William of Westerfield; after William, Robert Melcsop. He must always be busy serving in the house of the sick, and he will sleep there.  He will never stay outside at night unless by the permission of his master, and even then he must always be available, so that if something has pleased or displeased anyone of the sick brothers, he can, if there is no mention beforehand, make it known to the master of the infirmary.  He must serve all who live there from the kitchen, and he will have as daily sustenance one of the remaining loaves. Likewise, among the little ones he will serve in an orderly fashion, thus adeptly, that no one need ask for anything, and especially then he will guard the door against members of the laity entering, that no one may enter without the permission of his master. When someone of the sick needs service or help requiring two people to lead or carry, the cellarer shall find one servant and the chamberlain another. Note that one will always be from among the lads of the tanning house.  If someone has his last rites, he will have, from that time, nothing of food or drink unless he himself asks with words or signs upon recovering.  At this day or hour anyone serving the sick will have an allowance from the cellar and two candles from the sacristy for visiting the sick. But when he is close to the end and his body is stretched upon a haircloth, then he [the attendant] will remain next to the patient and carefully observe him until that one surrenders his spirit, and then immediately he will close the eyes of the deceased one and raise his chin.³  He will not wash anything of the deceased because he serves the healthy at mealtime.  He serves the monastery with water for washing their hands. If in winter it freezes, servants from the laundry will supply hot water and carry it to the refectory wash-basin.  When those from the world come to the monks, the attendant of the sick will have their boots and shoes.⁴  His wage is 5 shillings.

Footnotes

1 Ascelin (Anselm): Bishop of Rochester 1142-48.  In addition to the scandal outlined above, he was also sued by the monks of Canterbury for appropriating some of their manors for his own use. An agreement about this was reached in 1145 in the presence of Ymarus and Archbishop Theobald: Ascelin renounced his claims in exchange for 100 marks.  Everett U. Crosby, The King’s Bishops: The Politics of Patronage in England and Normandy, 1066–1216 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013), p. 148.

2 For the sake of his crosier: Latin, pro baculo suo.  The crosier, or staff, is in this context the symbol of the bishop’s office.

3 Raise his chin: i.e. close his mouth.

4 Will have their boots and shoes: probably meaning the infirmary attendant is responsible for cleaning the footwear of all visitors.

Duties of the Granger of St Andrew’s Priory, Rochester, c.1235

The granger was responsible for receiving fodder and distributing it along with bedding to the guest houses, for sowing barley and all the seed in Priestfield with the ploughman, watching the hay in the barn at night, and for dividing up the winnowed wheat with the granary keeper.

Transcription

55v (select folio number to open facsimile)

De Grangerio quid facere debeat. GRangiarius debet recipere totam auenam que
pertinet ad prebendam. Debet eciam distribuere fur-
ragium et prebendam equis hospitum. Ipse debet semi-
nare omne semen in Prestefeld. Et cum perseminaverit
ordeum habebit sportellam de qua seminavit plenam

56r

ordei. Similiter de frumento. Si nescit seminare, debet
interim dum carucarius seminat carucam tenere.
Habebit etiam corredium suum de cellario a prima
die falcationis prati, quousque fenum sit delatum in
curiam. Et a prima die qua incipiunt metere in Preste-
feld usque extrema garba de autumpno sit in horreo
recondita. Domuncula illa que de feno honusta est,
quamdiu noctibus circa senum vigilant, dum foris
est, Grangerii erit. Solebat enim olim ad accubi-
tum celerarii semper esse. Ipse eciam debet talliare
contra Gerentarium totum Bladum postquam ventila-
tum est, antequam introeat in granarium.

Translation

Concerning the granger, what he ought to do:

The granger must receive all the oat straw pertaining to fodder.

He must also distribute bedding and fodder to guests’ horses. He himself must sow all the seed in Priestfield.

And when he sows the barley he will have a small basket full of the barleycorn which he will sow; likewise with the wheat. If he does not know how to sow, he ought to hold the plough while the ploughman sows.

He will also have his allowance from the cellar from the first day of the mowing of the meadow until the hay is brought into court. And on the first day that they begin to reap in Priestfield until the last sheaves of autumn, he retires to the barn.

This, which is laden with hay, is the lodging of the granger for as long as they are watching the hay during the night, while it is outside.

He was indeed formerly used to always being at the table of the cellarer.

He himself must also, face to face with the granary-keeper, divide up all the grain after it is winnowed, before he goes to the granary.

Duties of the Cellarer’s Doorkeeper of St Andrew’s Priory, Rochester, c.1235

The cellarer’s range formed the west range of the priory cloister and was were food, wine and other goods were stored in cool, sunken vaults. The duties of the cellarer’s doorkeeper were distinct from the gatekeeper servicing the wider priory, presumably because the stores required round-the-clock security.

Transcription

55v (select folio number to open facsimile)

De Hostiario cellarii. Hostiarius nunquam abesse debet propter extraneos. Hic
debet esserre pottos liberacionum de dolio post impleti-
onem. Stipendium ejus III solidos. Habebit cotidie pa-
nem armigeri et bollam cervisie et de coquina sicut
unus in hostelaria.

Translation

Concerning the cellarer’s doorkeeper:

The doorkeeper ought never to be absent on account of outsiders. He must carry the allowances from the tun¹ after filling it. His salary is 3 shillings. He will have daily the bread of a squire and a bowl of ale, and from the kitchen just the same as one in the guest-house.

Footnotes

1 Tun: a cask. The Latin word used in the passage is dolium which may also mean a large, wide-mouthed jar or a barrel. The text refers to the ‘pots of liberations’ taken from the tun. A liberatio is an allowance of food, drink, clothing or money given to servants. In this case, it is the ale that seems to be referred to.

Duties of the gatekeeper of St Andrew’s Priory, Rochester, c.1235

Duties of the gatekeeper of St Andrew’s Priory, Rochester, c.1235

Translation from Latin of Custumale Roffense, folio 54r by Dr Christopher Monk.

Translation

Concerning the gatekeeper: what he ought to do: The gatekeeper has a deputy porter, arranged through the prior, who must never be absent while the master [i.e. the gatekeeper] takes news to the cellarer.  He only goes to the kitchen, the refectory, the infirmary, the prior’s chamber in order to take a message when guests have arrived, which it is fine to allow the deputy porter to do even when the master is absent.  He must always rest at night at the gate.  The stipend of the master is 10 shillings.  He also has control at the granary of the provender of all the horses, ahead of the carters and steers.  And therefore he has a horse as often as the prior or cellarer summon him to ride with them.  Likewise when the bishop performs the feasts at Rochester – at Easter, Christmas, the Passion of St Andrew and the rest – and when he holds a synod and makes ordinations, if he spends the night he [i.e. the gatekeeper] will take control to feed all the horses of the bishop and his guests.  He will also provide for his horse when riding, when he [i.e. the bishop] summons the knights of the bishopric – namely from the fief¹ of one knight of Heslingham and of Wicham, from the half-fief of Ade the butler, from the half-fief of Hugo de Stoke, from the quarter² of one knight at Brutinesland³ in Frindsbury, from the half-fief of Robert Biset and of the quarter of Robert’s grandson in Wouldham.  And each day he will receive bread of one monk and enough ale and one dish from the best being sent into the refectory, as it pleases the cellarer.  He also obtains an attendant for himself, who always rests with the deputy porter at the gate and carries the evening key to the cellarer’s bed after the signal – that is to say, after the hearth is put out – and in the morning, as is necessary, quickly or slowly, he collects it; and then they will have in common a full bowl of ale.

Footnotes

1 Fief: land granted by a superior lord in return for services, most often military.

2 quarter: a quarter-fief.

3 Brutinesland: unable to identify.

Duties of the Cooks of St Andrew’s Priory, Rochester, c.1235

Recording the responsibilities of the priory cooks. Translation of Custumale Roffense, folios by Dr Christopher Monk.

Translation

Concerning the cooks and the house which belongs to their office.

The office of R. Fichet and Ernulf serves at supper.  The office of G. Toterel serves the patients and the little brothers in the infirmary.  The office of S. Calchepalie serves the guests, and watches over the kitchen door, and carries out the slaughter of sheep and pigs at the Feast of St Martin, and distributes the cooks’ fee.  

The office of Fichet carves all the dishes, both meat and fish.  He himself [i.e. Fichet, the cook] makes the first or second dish and thereupon serves the monastery. He himself is witness to the buyer in order that all purchasing may be bought well and faithfully and later accounted for before the cellarer in the cellar.  His wage is 7 shillings.  Ernulf’s office is 5 shillings.  Toteterel’s office is 4 shillings.  Calchepalie’s office is 4 shillings. They have in common daily bread of a single monk and 2 and a half gallons of ale, but this from goodwill; and this was made by joint decision on account of the offenses which used to happen when they were eating at home, because there was no one who might respond to strangers arriving.  They will also have in the evening, after the reckoning of the dishes, a pot of ale in common to drink.  They also have, when the cellarer makes his larder, all necks of oxen and cows and all pieces from the knee to the foot, so that the sinews of the aforesaid pieces will remain attached. They have the heads for their skinning, and the cellarer keeps the tongues. They have at the same time, to be sure, all necks and tails of pigs, attached to a single joint from the backbone.  They have also all heads of fish except salmon, from which they have the tail.  For the offal of the prepared oxen, cows and pigs, the cooks will fetch their wives and the cellarer will supply them.  And if the cellarer wishes, when, instead of one pig, two or three sucklings are slaughtered for the court, the swineherd has a tale and neck from the cook, and for prepared offal they [i.e. the cooks] have charity, namely bread and ale, but by the goodwill of the cellarer.  They also get to take all the feathers of all the types of birds which come into the kitchen for eating.

Supper: Latin ad cenam, meaning the principal communal meal of the day which was taken in the evening rather than at noon.

Feast of St Martin: or St Martin’s Day, 11th November .  In England, the day of the annual butchering of animals for food.

Makes his larder: prepares his meat for storage, by slaughtering, butchering and salting.

Duties of the Brewers of St Andrew’s Priory, Rochester, c.1235

Transcription

By Jacob Scott (pending review).

54r (select folio number to open facsimile)

De braciatoribus quid agere debeant.
Magister braciator custodit clavem de bracino quousque
cervisia colatlir,. postea tradit eam Gerentario
vel Subcelerario. Ipse recipit totam sirmam que pertiliet
ad cervisiam faciendam, et curat et palpat Grodum
et brasium, utrum sit idoneum vel non antequam portetur
in granarium, et habet dicam contra celerarium, quotiens
fuerit braciatum in. mense. Capit etiam ebdoma-
dam suam in bracino sicut unus sociorum suorum. Sti-
pendia ejus V solidos. Item de uno tonello de cervisia
conventus habebit seces, celerarius de omnibus aliis. Secun-
darii habebunt secundam loturam de omnibus tonellis.
Debent etiam habere in communi unam bollam plenam de II
galonibus de nova cervisia ad bibendum. Stipendia istoram
duorum unusquisque IIII solidos. Debet magister cum hostiario cel-
larii portare cervisiam conventus de cellario in refecto-
rium et statim recedere.

Translation

Concerning the brewers, what they ought to do:

The master brewer guards the key of the brewery until the ale is filtered; afterwards, he delivers it¹ to the granary keeper or the sub-cellarer.

He himself receives the full food-rent² that pertains to ale-making, and looks at and strokes the groats³ and the malt, for what may be suitable or not, before it may be carried into the granary; and he has talk face-to-face with the cellarer as often as [the ale] may be brewed in the month. Also, he holds his Sabbath in the brewery just the same as one of his associates.

His wages: 5 shillings.

Also, the monastery will have/manage the dregs from one cask of ale, the cellarer from all the others.

The second-ranks [the brewer’s assistants] will manage the subsequent washing of all the casks.

They ought also to have in common one full bowl of 2 gallons of new ale for drinking.

The wages for these second-ranks is 4 shillings each.

The master ought, with the doorkeeper of the cellar, to carry the ale of the monastery from the cellar into the refectory and then return immediately.

Footnotes

1 He delivers it: the grammar allows for ‘it’ to mean either the key or the ale.

2 Food-rent: the payments of grain from the various farmed estates owned by the monastery.

3 Groats: hulled kernels of grain, here likely referring to barley.

Rochester Priory Library list, c.1123

Introduction

The Benedictine Priory of Rochester Cathedral was commenced by Gundulf, William the Conqueror’s architect/engineer, close to the site of the original Cathedral of St. Andrew at Rochester dated to AD604. The Venerable Bede informs us that the original cathedral had lay clerics supporting the Bishop, not a monastery or priory as did other such early cathedrals.¹ By the time of the Norman Conquest the community of St. Andrew’s Anglo-Saxon Cathedral church had descended into extreme poverty with only a Bishop and four Lay Clerics remaining. After the Conquest a Benedictine community of monks at Rochester Cathedral Priory had been commenced by c1082/3. Thereafter, building of a much more substantial cathedral church was also begun by Gundulf, who became the second Norman appointed Bishop of Rochester. By the c1120s the monks had brought together a sizeable library collection, largely by their own considerable industry. Reading as well as prayer was a most important part of the life of a Benedictine monk. They would have borrowed exemplars to copy from other religious libraries, such as Christchurch Canterbury and further afield e.g. the New Minster, Winchester and beyond to enlarge their library. This was no mean effort when taking into account the relatively small number of monks in the Priory at its maximum were only 60. A catalogue, compiled largely by one scribe, of the priories books, was bound into the manuscript which became known as Textux Roffensis, the Rochester Book. A scribe has written in a later hand Textus de Ecclesia Roffensi per Ernulfum espicopium indicating that they believed the work to have been carried out during the Bishopric of Ernulf who was Bishop from AD1114 to 1124. There are many facets to this Ms., not least that it is essentially two documents which have been bound together, the first containing the earliest known Anglo-Saxon Law Codes and much much more. As far as is known, it contains the earliest written record of the Old English language. The second document is in Latin as might be expected in later mediaeval ecclesiastical houses. But it also contains many more aspects of early mediaeval history. The monks clearly regarded this little book as a very precious possession. Its contents have also proven to be as precious through the centuries to the present day for the wide range of knowledge it contains. At the time of the Reformation, when the great Cathedral Abbey/Priories were dissolved and their library collections removed to the libraries of King Henry VIII, this little Textus remained at Rochester, possibly hidden by those monks still remaining. The Catalogue within it, on Folios 224r to 230r dating to 1123/4, records some 93 items. It provides good evidence of the range of written works available for religious communities in the early 12th century. Sadly very few, however, have remained in Rochester. The 93 Mss. were eventually given to the British Museum, from other library collections such as Sir Hans Sloane, Sir Robert Cotton and Robert & Edward Harley in 1753 to form a part of this country’s (free) National Library. From there they were transferred to the newly built British Library for which construction started in London in 1973. The RochesterEx Libris penned into the front covers of many of the Cathedral’s Mss. listed in the attached Catalogue by a later scribe show where they were once owned and that they are now safely stored in the British Library in London. In later centuries the Textus Roffensis went through many travels. Loaned to antiquarian historians, one of whom mislaid it to the hands of a person who misappropriated it and refused its return. The Cathedral was then obliged to pay to get it back. It was dropped in a river causing water damage, but has survived relatively unscathed as the result of previously very good binding with strong metal clasps holding it tightly shut. As the possible result of damp, however, the first record on folio 224r commences on line four with ‘Expositionum ejusdem super psalterium in tribus voluminibus’. The first three lines are now too faint to be accurately transcribed and although water damage has affected a large part of the right-hand side of the folio, that is still clearly legible. Many, but not all of the individual manuscripts recorded commence with a rubricated letter ‘I’ for ‘Ite(m)’, the letter ‘m’ being a scribes superscript abbreviation. Other rubricated capital letters and one large green letter commence the title of parts of the Scriptures, commentaries thereon and a number of sermons and extracts. The ‘hands’ throughout are mostly crisp, clear and legible, but for the sake of space saving this document contains many scribal abbreviations. Textus Roffensis is considered in the main to have been written by a single scribe. There is, however, evidence of different hands throughout the complete Ms. and also in the c.1124 Library Catalogue.

Beverley Dee Jacobs

31st October 2021

Folio

Transcription

Literal Translation (see Translation Notes)

224r (select folio number to open facsimile)

Expositionem eiusdem super psalterium . in ·iii· uol.

Exposition on the psalms, in 3 volumes².

Librum ipsius de civitate dei . in ·i· uol. Expo-

On the city of God, in one volume³

sitionem eiusdem super epistolam sancti iohannis apostoli in ·i·

Exposition on the letters of Saint John the Apostle, in one

uol . in quo et sermo ipsius inter pressuras . et

volume⁴, in which his sermon on pressures, and

apocalipsis . et cantica canticorum. Item aug-

the revelation, and song of songs. Also,

ustinum contra faustum in ·i· uol. Enkiridi-

Augustine against Faustum, in one volume⁵.

on ejusdem . et librum beati ambrosii de bono mor-

A handbook of the same, and the book of blessed Ambrose, on the good

tis . librum quoque; domini lanfranci archiepiscropi con-

death. The book also; lord Lanfranc Archbishop

tra beringerium in ·i· uol. Item librum eiusdem

against Beringeria, in one volume⁶. Also the same book

contra felicianum . et librum domini anselmi ar-

against Felician, and the book of Lord Anselm

chiepiscopi Cur deus homo . et librum de asseneth cum

Archbishop, why was God a man[?] and the book of asseneth

quib; dam aliis opusculis in ·i· uol. Item librum

in one volume⁷. Also, in the book

ipsius de trinitate in ·i· uol. Item librum ipsius

on The Trinity, in one volume⁸. Also a book

contra . v. hereses . et sermonem eiusdem de muli-

against five heresies, and sermons about a

ere forti . et librum didimi de spiritu sancto . expo-

strong woman, and the book we have received from the Holy Spirit,

sitio quoque; bedae super . xxx. quaestiones in libros regum

also an exposition on Bede. Thirty questions in the book of kings,

item expositio eiusdem de templo solomis . et ex-

likewise an exposition of the same concerning the temple alone. and

positionem super canticum abbacuc . epistolam quoque

an exposition on the song Abbacuc[?]. Also the letter of the

mansueti episopi ad constantinum in ·i· uol.

meek bishop to Constantine, in 1 volume⁹.

Item librum Ipsius de concordia evangelistarum . et ipsium expositionem de sermone domini in monte

The same book on the Harmony of the Gospels, and on his own interpretation of the Lord's Sermon on the Mount

224v

et librum ipsius de blasphemia in spiritum sanctum .

and book on the blashphemy against the Holy Ghost,

et sermonem ipsius de decem plagis : in ·i· uol.

and sermons on the ten plagues, in one volume¹⁰.

Item de doctrina christiana et de vera reli-

The same Christian Doctrine and the true

gione et de paenitentia : in ·i· uol. Item

religion and unknown, in one volume¹¹. The same

contra caelestianos et pelagianos . et de na-

against the Celestians, and the Pelagians, and of the

tura boni . et dialogus eiusdem ad ieronimum

nature of the good, the Dialogue of the same to the ieronimum,

et de cura pro mortuis gerenda, et regula

on behalf of the dead, and, carrying out about the care of,

eius ad monachos in ·i· uol. Item exceptio-

and its relation to the monks, in one volume¹². The same

nes de augustino super iohannem et aliae plu-

exceptions of Augustine on John, and

res exceptiones de libris ipsius in ·i· uol.

the exceptions of the book, in one volume¹³.

Item librum eiusdem de agone christiano cum aliis

Also the same book on Christian agony with

pluribus minutis opusculis in ·i· uol

many other small works, in one volume¹⁴.

Sermo eiusdem de pastoribus et sermo de ovibus . liber

Sermon on the shepherds and sermon on the sheep. A book

quoque adversus donatistas de baptismo . liber eiusdem

also against the Donatists on Baptism. In the same book

etiam de baptismo parvulorum et epistola ad marcellinum

also the baptism of infants, and the letter to Marcellus,

et liber de unico baptismo et liber eiusdem de spiritu lit-

and the book of the only baptism, and the book of the same from the spirit

tera in ·i· uol. Libri confessionum eiusdem⁶

of the letter[?] In one volume. A book on confessions

in ·i· uol‡ Item liber retractationum eiusdem et liber

in the same one volume¹⁵. Also a book of retractions of the same and a book

de ortu vita vel obitu sanctorum patrum qui in scri-

on the birth or death of the holy fathers who are

pturarum laudibus efferuntur . liber etiam sancti ysi-

extolled in the praises of the Scriptures. Also a book by St.

dori quidam . catalogus quoque beati ieronimi de ca-

Isadore. A catalog of St Jerome on the

tholicis scriptoribus et catalogus gennadii episcopi

catholic writers and catalogue of Bishop Gennadius

post⁶ ieronimum et catalogus ysidori de illustribus

after Jerome and catalogue of Isadore,

viris . et decretalis epistola gelasii papae de reci

and the decree letter of Pope Gelasius the

[There is an empty line here followed by:]

‡ et Liber eiusdem de diversis heresib; ⁶

and the book of the same on different heresies.

225r

piendis & non recipiendis libris liber quoque catholici

receiving[?] and not receiving the books of the Catholic

senatoris de institutionibus divinarum litterarum

senator on the institution of the divine letters

et liber prohemiorum sancti ysidori episcopi in ·i· uol. Item

and book preamble by St Isadore the bishop in one volume¹⁷. Likewise,

liber eiusdem de nuptis et concupiscentia et respon-

a book about married women and their lust, and

sio ejusdem sancti augustini contra cartulam missam

the response of the same Saint Augustine against the letter sent

valerio comiti a quodam reprehendente eius-

to Count Valerio by a certain man criticizing

dem librum et libros vi. contra iulianum episcopum pe-

the same book and five books against Bishop Julianus,

lagianae heresis defensorem in ·i· uol¹⁸. Item de

defender of the Pelagian heresy in one volume¹⁹. Likewise

praesentia dei ad dardanum et epistolae senicae ad

concerning the prescense of God at Dardanus and the old short[?] letter

paulum et pauli ad senicam et liber rathramni

of Paul to Senica and the book of Rathramnus

de co quod christus ex virgine natus et liber ejusdem

that Christ was born of a virgin, and of the same book

de anima et sermones de assumptione sanctae

of the soul and sermon on the assumption of the blessed

mariae et sermo pascasii diaconi in genea-

Mary and sermon on Passover, and the deacon in

logia christi et sermo sancti ambrosii de nativitate sanctae

Christ’s genealogy, and the sermon of St Ambrose concerning the birth of the blessed

mariae et quoddam scriptum anselmi archiepiscopi in ·i· uol.

Mary, and a document written by Archbishop Anselm in one volume²⁰.

Libri beati ieronimi : sunt isti.

These are the books of blessed Jerome:

Epistolae ipsius in uno volumine. Commentarium eiusdem

His letter, in one volume²¹. Commentary on the same

super matthaeum in ·i· uol. Item libri eiusdem

subject in Matthew, in one volume²². Also a book

super xii. prophetarum et super danihelem in du-

on twelve of the prophets and on Daniel, in

obus voluminibus. Item liber eiusdem contra iovinia-

two volumes²³. Likewise a book against

num hereticum in ·i· uol. Item expositio

the heretic Jupiter in i volume²⁴. Also the exposition

eiusdem super epistolam ad titum et isidorus super

of the same on the letter to Titus and Isidorus on

genesim in ·i· uol. Item liber eiusdem7 de essentia et

Genesis in one volume²⁵. Likewise a book of the same on the essence and

in effabilitate dei . cum aliis pluribus; minu-

in the effability of God, with many

tis opusculis in ·i· uol. Item liber eiusdem

other small works, in one volume²⁶. The same book also

225v

in vitam sancti pauli heremitae . et sancti bilarionis .

on the life of the hermit St. Paul, and St. Bilarionis,

et aliorum plurimorum sanctorum patrum . etiam

and many other holy fathers, even

actus monachi captivi . cum vita sancti an-

the actions of the captive monks. with the life of St.

tonii . et liber heraclidis qui paradysus ap-

Anthony, and the book of Heraclides which is called

pellatur in ·i· uol. Vetus et novum⁶ testamentum quam

Paradise, in one volume²⁷. The Old and New Testament which he

(trans-)⁶ tulit de hebreo (sic) in latinum in duobus voluminibus. Quorum

(translated) from Hebrew into Latin, in two volumes. Of which

primum continet hos libros . Quinque libros moy-

he first contains these books; the five books of

si . Iesum naue . Iudicum . Ruth . Psalterium

Moses. Judges, Ruth. The psalter,

Proverbiorum Ecclesiastes . Sapientiae Ecclesi-

Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, wisdom of the church[?]

asticum Hezram et neemiam . Paralipomenon

chronicles of Hezram and Nehamiah. Chronicles

duos libros et quatuor evangelia. In alio vero vo-

in two books and four Gospels. In another

lumine continentur quatuor libri regum Iob

volume the four books of the kings of Job

Liber tobie . Iudith . Hester. Libri machabe-

are contained in the Book of Tobie. Judith. Esther. Book of

orum duo. Libri prophetarum omnes . Actus apostolorum .

two Machabees. All the books of the prophets. The Acts of the Apostles.

Epistolae pauli aliorumque apostolorum. Apocalypsis.

The Epistle of Paul and other Apostles, and Apocalypse²⁸.

Item expositio eiusdem super ysaiam prophetam

Also an exposition of the same on the prophet Isaiah

in ·i· uol. Expositio eiusdem super ysaiam prophetam

in one volume²⁹. Exposition of the same on the prophet Isaiah

in ·i· uol. De hebraicis quaesti-

in one volume³⁰. On the Hebrew

onibus in genesi . et de mansionibus filiorum israel

questions in Genesis and concerning the dwellings of the sons of Israel,

et de distantiis locorum et interpretationes

and of the distances of places, and the interpretations

hebraicorum nominum . et quaestiones in li-

of the Hebrew names, and questions in

brum regum . et in paralippomenon . et de decem

the book of kings and in the Chronicles and concerning the ten

temptationibus et canticum debborae et lamen-

temptations and the canticle of Deborah and the

tationes ieremiae in ·i· uol. Item tra³¹

lamentations of Jeremiah, in one volume³². Also in

tatus eiusdem in libro ihesu naue libri quoque

the same book of Jesus his book on the

duo beati augustini doctoris de adulteri-

two St Augustine, doctor on

nis conjugiis et liber unus de mendacio et

adulterous marriages, and one book on the lie and

alius contra mendacium et liber eiusdem ad

the other against the lie, and the same book

renatum de natura et origine animae . et ali-

for the birth of the nature and origin of the soul, and

us liber de eadem re ad petrum presbyterum ad

another book about the same thing to Peter the priest,

vincentium victorem quoque duo libri de

to the victorious conqueror also two books on

eadem re et sermo arrianorum et liber sancti

the same subject, and the speech of the asians, and the book of St.

augustini respondentis contra arrianorum

Augustine, answering against the treachery of the Asians,

perfidiam et libri duo eiusdem contra adversa-

and two books of the same against the

rium legis et prophetarum in ·i· uol. Ixposi-

adversary of the law and the prophets, in one volume³³.

tio super ezechielem prophetam in ·i· uol.

Exposition on the prophet Ezekiel in one volume³⁴.

Item quinque libros moysi in uno volumine

The five books of Moses in one

novo. Iesum nave . Iudicum . et . Ruth in uno

new volume³⁵. Jesus in a ship, Judges, and Ruth in one

volumine novo. Item explanatio eiusdem

new volume³⁶. Also an explanation of the same

in ieremiam prophetam in ·i· uol. Item super

in the prophet Jeremiah in one volume³⁷. Also on

ecclesiastem et Bedam de tabernaculo et vasis eius et

Ecclesiastes and Bede, on the tabernacle and its vessels, and

super actus apostolorum et improperium ad monachos

on the acts of the apostles, and the reproach to the monks,

et responsiones cujusdam in ·i· uol.

and the answers of one of them, in one volume,

226v

Leaf filled in a later 15th/16th century hand, very faint but showing donations to the monastery, e.g.;

Piscaria de Gillingham data monachis

Archiep. C. dat, etc. etc.

227r

Libri beati ambrosii : sunt isti:

The books of blessed Ambrose are these:

De officiis in uno volumine. Exameron

The Offices, in one volume. Exameron

eiusdem in uno volumine. Item liber eiusdem

of the same in one volume. Likewise the book of the same

de virginitate . et de viduis . et de lapsu

on virginity. and of widows and of the fall

virginis ·i· uol. Item liber eiusdem de conflictu

of the virgin, in one volume. Likewise the book of the same on the conflict

vitiorum et virtutum . et oratio sancti effrem

of vices and virtues. and the speech of St. Augustine

de compunctione libri etiam iuliani episcopi de

on the compunction of the Book of Bishop Julian

prognosticis et plures sermones sancti augustini

concerning the diagnoses and the many sermons of Saint Augustine

et liber paschasii de corpore et sangui-

and the Book of Easter concerning the body and

ne domini in ·i· uol. Epistolae ipsius in ·i· uol11.

Blood of the Lord, in one volume. His letters, in one volume.

Item expositio in evangelium lucae evange-

Also an exposition on the Gospel of Luke

listae in ·i· uol. De fide ad gratianum im-

the Evangelist, in one volume. On the faith and grace of

peratorem lucae evangelistae in ·i· uol. Item de paenitentia conra

the emperor[?] Luke the evangelist, in one volume. Also concerning penance against the

novatianos . et liber sancti augustini de u-

Novatians, and the book of St. Augustine on the

tilitate credendi et liber eiusdem de fide

utility of creed, and the same book on faith

ac simbolo . et liber liber illius ad inquisitiones ianu-

and creed, and book book[?] of that inquiries of

arii et epistola ad armentarium et paulinam

January, and the letter to the armory, and Pauline,

et sermo de perjurio et sermo de excidio

and sermon on the destruction of the

urbis romae et sermo de faciendis elemo-

city of Rome, and sermon to be performed on the giving of

sinis et sermones de fide . de caritate . de

alms, and sermons on faith, charity, the

timore domini . et liber iustini in libris trogi

fear of the Lord, and the book of Justin in the trophy[?]

pompeii in ·i· uol. Item liber de mysteriis

of Pompeii, in one volume. Likewise, a book on the mysteries

sive initiandis et sermo de sacramentis

or initiations, and sermons on the sacraments

neophitorum habitus in synodo . et epistolarium

of the neophists held in the synod, and the letter of

ivonis carnotensis episcopi in ·i· uol.

Ivonis the bishop of Chartres, in one volume.

227v

Libri sancti Gregorii papae sunt hi ;

These are the books of the blessed Pope Gregory.

Moralia eiusdem in duob; voluminib; Pastora-

The morals of the same in two volumes;

lis et dialogus in ·ii· uol. Liber ipsius super eze-

Pastoral care and dialogue, in two volumes. The book of

chielem in ·i· uol. Registrum in ·i· uol. Specu-

Ezekiel, in one volume. Register, in one volume.

culum12 in ·i· uol. Gregorius super ezechielem in duobus

Mirror[?], in one volume. Gregory on Ezekiel in two

voluminibus.13

volumes.

Pastoralis anglicus in ·i· uol.14 Prosper in ·i· uol.

English pastoral care, in one volume. Prosper, in one volume.

Egesippus in ·i· uol. Itinerarium petri in ·ii·

Egesippus, in one volume. Peter's Travels, in two

uol. Rufinus in ecclesiasticam hystoriam in uno .

volumes. Rufinus in ecclesiastical history, in one

uol. Canones et decreta pontificum in ·i·

volume. The canons and decrees of the Pontiffs, in one

uol. Exceptiones de eisdem in ·i· uol. Orosius

volume. Exceptions to the same, in one volume. Orosius

cum gothorum hystoria in ·i· uol. Iohannes crisosto-

with the history of the Goths, in one volume. John

mus de reparatione lapsi . libi quoque eiusdem de com-

Chrysostom of the reparation of the fallen. Book of the same for

punctione . liber etiam ipsius de de psalmo quinqua-

compunction[?], also his book on the fiftieth psalm,

gesimo . et liber ipsius de eo quod nemo laeditur nisi

and his book on that which no one is injured except

a se ipso . et de expulsione sua, sermonesque be-

by himself, and concerning his expulsion, and the sermon of

ati augustini de simbolo et oratione dominica .

St Augustine concerning the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer,

quoddam quoque miraculum sancti martini . et scri-

also a miracle of St Martin, and

ptum fulberti de eo quod tria maxime sunt neces-

it was written of Fulbert about the three things most

saria christianae religioni . item scriptum fulberti

necessary for the Christian religion, also written by Fulbert

de sacerdote et hostia quam accipit cum or-

about the priest and the victim which he receives when he is

dinatur . libri quoque alcuini ad Karolum de

ordained. also a book of alcuini to Charles on the

trinitate in ·i· uol. Liber scintillarum

Trinity in one volume. The book of sparks[?],

in ·i· uol. Diadema monachorum in ·i· uol.

In one volume. The crown[?] of the monks, in one volume.

228r

Institutiones regum anglorum in ·i· uol.

Institutes of the kings of the English, in one volume.

Librum amalarii abbatis de officiis divinia

The book of Abbot Amalarii on the divine services,

in ·i· uol.

In one volume.

Descriptio locorum que vidit bernardus sapiens

A description of the places which Bernard the wise man

quando ivit ierusalem vel rediit . et vita } Karoli magni

saw when he went to Jerusalem and returned, and the life of Charles[?] the great

regis . et itinerarium christianorum in ierusalem contra paganos

king, and the journey of the Christians into Jerusalem against the pagans

et hystoria }15 normannorum in ·i· uol.

and the history of the Normans, in one volume.

228v

[Blank leaf]

229r

Libri venerabilis baedae presbyteri sunt isti:

These are the books of the venerable Bede:

Hystoria anglorum in ·ii· uol. Eiusdem de tempo-

History of the English, in two volumes. Of the same

ribus . et de aequinoctio cum Alberico de compoto

period, and about the equinox with Alberic on his account,

in ·i· volumine.

in one volume.

Alcuinum

Alcuinum[?]

De arte metrica et de scematibus

On the art of prosody, and of semates,

et de miraculis sancti cuthberti versifice compo-

and of the miracles of Saint Cuthbert, composed in verse

situm cum libro Karoli et alcuini de dialectica

the book of Charles and Alcuinus on the dialectic

libellus quoque petri damiani cuius nomen dominus vo-

book of Peter Damian, whose name is lord

biscum et sexaginta sex quaestiones orosii

with you and sixty-six questions of Orosius

ad augustinum et sermo beati isidori de cor-

to Augustinus and the speech of blessed Isidore concerning

pore et sanguine domini . et liber sancti augustini

the body and blood of the lord. and the book of St. Augustine

de agone christiano in ·ii· uol.16 Super tobiam et

on the agony of Christians, in two volumes. On Tobias and

>ezram . et liber eiusdem in verbis neemiae in ·i·

Ezra, and the book of the same in the words of Nehemiah in one

uol. Item expositio eiusdem super apocalipsin cum alia

volume. Also an exposition of the same on the apocalypse with another

expositione sine titulo in ·i· uol. Commen-

exposition without a title, in one volume.

tarius eiusdem super marcum evangelistam in ·i· uol.17

The commentary of the same on the evangelist Mark, in one volume.

Item martyrologium de nataliciis sanctorum et re-

Likewise the martyrology on the birthdays of the saints and

gula sancti benedicti consuetudinesque lan-

the rule and customs of the blessed blessed

franci archiepiscopi in ·i· uol.

Archbishop Lanfranc, in one volume.

Regula sancti iohannis cassiani in ·i· volumine.

Rule of St John Cassian, in one volume.

Iginus de spera mundi et hystoria longobardo-

Iginus concerning the sphere of the world and the history of the Longbardi

rum et gesta alexandri regis macedonum in ·i· uol.

and the exploits of Alexander king of the Macedonians, in one volume.

229v

Expositio super apocalipsin sine titulo in ·i·

Exposition on apocalypse without a title, in one

uol. Collationes de dictis vel factis pa-

volume. Conferences on the sayings or deeds of the

trum in ·i· uol. Collationes abbatis moysi

fathers, in one volume. The Conferences of Abbot Moses

et libri sancti effrem . cum pluribus; omeliis et

and the Holy Book with many homilies and

multis aliis opusculis : in ·i· uol. Vita sancti

many other works, in one volume. The life of St

dunstani . et passio sancti Aelphaegi cum sermo-

Dunstan, and passion of St Aelphaeus with

nib; de dedicatione aecclesiae in ·i· uol. Epistolae

sermons, about the dedication of the church. A glossed Epistle

sancti pauli glosatae in ·i· uol. Epistolae domini lan-

of St. Paul, in one volume. Letters of Lord

franci archiepiscopi cum aliis minutis opus-

Lanfranc the Archbishop with other small

culis in ·i· uol. Liber de ratione et peccato-

works, in one volume. A book on the nature and

re cum pluribus opusculis in ·i· uol. Liber

sinner, with many works, in one volume. Book of

prognosticorum in ·i· parvo uol. Passionalia

prognostications[?], in one small volume. Passionalia[?],

in . iiii . uol. Sermonalia anglica in ·ii·

in four volumes. English sermons, in two

uol. Sermones diversarum solennitatum

volumes. Sermons on different festivals and of

diversorumque; auctorum : in ·i· uol. Omedia-

different things; authored, in one volume. Two

ria duo : in duob; uol. Unum de dominicis :

omedaries[?], in two volumes; one on Sundays,

aliud de sanctis. Lectionarii duo ad matuti-

the other on saints. Two lectionaries at

nas in duob; uol. Unus de dominicis alius : de

Matins, in two volumes: nne on Sundays, another on the

sanctis. Benedictionalia in duob; uoluminibus.

saints. Blessings in two volumes.

Tripartitum psalterium in ·i· uol. Iosephus in

The Tripartite psalter, in one volume. Joseph, in

·ii· uoluminibus. Solinus . et dares . et liber18 per gesis

Two volumes. Solinus, the daresm[?] and the book through the acts,

.i. de situ terrae prisciani gramatici urbis romae . et va-

about the situation of the land of the ancient grammarian of the city of Rome, and the

ticinium sybillae . et historia britannorum in ·i·

prophecy of the sybil, and the history of the Britons, in one

uol.

volume.

230r

Epistolas beati pauli in uno volumine.19

The letters of St Paul, in one volume.

Collationes diversorum auctorum in uno volumine.

Collations of different authors, in one volume

Lectionaria in tribus voluminibus. Novum20 Testamen-

Lectionary, in three volumes. New

tum in uno volumine. Haimonen in uno volumine.

Testament in one volume. Haimonen[?] in one volume.

Ysidorum de ordine creaturor . et miracula sanctae

Creator of the order of Isidore and the miracles of the blessed

mariae in uno volumine.

Mary, in one volume.

[One half line, one full line and a further half line have been scraped off here]

Quinque libri

The five books

moysi et Iosuae et iudicum in uno volumine

of Moses, and Joshua, and Judges, in one volume.

Collectiones ecclesiasticarum regularum domini iuonis carnotensis.21

Collections of the ecclesiastical rules of the lord of Chartres.

[Apparent erasure of one possibly 3 lines here.]
[Text on the verso of folio 230 includes the date:]

m.c.xl.iii

c.1143

Further reading

Folios 224r. to 230v. used for comparison from the Textus Roffensis with the following:

Rev. R.P.Coates: Catalogue of the Library of the Priory of St. Andrew, Rochester, from the Textus Roffensis. Published in Archaeologia Cantiana, Vol. 6 1866.

Colin Flight: The Bishops and Monks of Rochester – 1076 – 1214. Published by Kent Archaeological Society, Maidstone 1997.

N.R. Ker, Ed.: Medieval Libraries of Great Britain, A list of Surviving Books, 2nd Edition, London 1964.

Footnotes

1 Bede, The Ecclesiastical History of The English People, Eds: Judith McClure and Roger Collins, Oxford 1999.

2 All three volumes extant in the British Library, known as Enarrationes in Psalmos, Royal 5 D I (volume 2), II (volume 3) and III (volume 1)

4 British Library Royal 5 B VI.

5 Contra Faustum Manicheum, British Library Royal 5 B X.

6 Enchiridion, De bono mortis, De corpore et sanguine Domini, British Library Royal 5 A XV.

7 De Trinitate, British Library Royal 5 B IV.

8 De Consensu Evangelistarum, Rochester Cathedral Chapter Library.

9 British Library Royal 5 B XII.

10 Not listed in the 1202 catalogue or known to be extant.

11 British Library Royal 5 B XLII.

12 Cambridge University Library ff.4.32.

13 An original rubricated mark righthand margin, refers end of this leaf for an omission of the next six words ‡.

14 Post’ somewhat doubtful.

15 British Library Royal 5 B XVI.

16 Lambeth Palace 76, ff. 1-147.

17 Bodley 134.

18 Cambridge Corpus Christi College 332.

19 British Library Royal 6 D II

20 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Super matheum in I vol.’. Not known to be extant.

21 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Super xii prophetas et Danielem in ii vol.’. Not known to be extant.

22 Eton College 80.

23 British Library Royal 3 B I.

24 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Ysidorus super Genesim cum aliis in I vol’. Not known to be extant.

25 Possibly recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Vita sanctorum patrum in ii vol.’. Recorded in the Butterfly Fragments as ‘radysus appellatur in I vol.’. Not known to be extant.

26 Huntington Library MS HM 62.

27 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Super ysaiam in I vol.’. Not known to be extant.

28 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Psalterium eius in I vol.’, and in the Butterfly Fragments as ‘Expositio quoque eiusdem super psalterium in I vol.’. Not known to be extant.

29 Cambridge Trinity College 1238.

30 Bodley 387.

31 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Super ezechielem in I vol.’, and in the Butterfly Fragments as Expositio super ezechielem in I vol.’ Not known to be extant.

32 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Pentateuchi moysi in vol. Novo’, and in Royal 10 A XII: tertiam partem novi bibli armarii Roffensi quarum I pars est Genesis’. Not known to be extant.

33 Possibly British Library Royal I C VII.

34 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Super jeramiam in I vol.’. Not known to be extant.

35 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Super exxlesiasten et aliis pluribus operibus in I vol.’. Not known to be extant.

36 British Library Royal 6 A IV.

37 British Library Royal 6 A I and 7 A XI, ff. 19-24.

38 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘De virginitate et viduis in I vol.’. Not known to be extant.

39 British Library Royal 5 A VII.

40 Not known to be extant.

41 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Super lucam in I vol.’ Not known to be extant.

42 British Library Royal 6 C IV.

43 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Dre penitentia cum trogo pompeio et aliis in I vol.’. Not known to be extant.

44 British Library Royal 6 B VI.

45 British Library Royal 3 C IV and 6 C VI.

46 Possibly British Library Royal 5 E II and 6 B II.

47 Recorded in the Butterfly Fragments as ‘Liber ipsius super ezechielem in duobus vol.’.

48 British Library Royal 6 C X.

49 Recorded in 1202 catalogue and the Butterfly Fragments under same title.

50 British Library Royal 4 B I.

51 British Library Royal 5 E X.

52 Edinburgh National Library Adv. 18.3.9.

53 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Itinerarium petri in I vol. Not known to be extant.

54 Possibly Cambridge Corpus Christi College MS 184.

55 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Canones et concilia in I vol.’ Not known to be extant.

56 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Exceptiones ex decretis pontificum et registro’. Not known to be extant.

57 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Orosius cum historia gothorum in I vol.’. Not known to be extant.

58 British Library Royal MS 6 A XII.

59 The first of the two parts of Textus Roffensis.

60 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Amalarius in I vol.’.

61 Possibly recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Hystoria ierusalem cum pluribus aliis in I vol.’.

62 Harley MS 3680.

63 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘De temporibus in I vol.’ and the Butterfly fragments as ‘..ribus et de aequinoctio cum alberico de c…. poto in I vol.’.

64 Cambridge Trinity College 1128.

65 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Super tobian in i vol.’ and the Butterfly fragments as ‘Super tobian et ezram, et liber…’.

66 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Super apocalipsim in I vol.’

67 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Martirologium cum aliis in I vol.’.

68 British Library Royal MS 8 D XVI.

69 Possibly British Library Royal MS 12 C IV.

70 Possibly recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Collationes patrum cum multis aliis in I vol.’.

71 Vatican MSS, Reg, Lat. 646 ff. 1-48, 458 ff. 1-36, 598 f. 8r.

72 Possibly recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Item epistole pauli glosate in alio vol. parvo’.

73 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Epistole lanfranci et anselm[i] cum aliis in I vol’.

74 British Library Royal MS 12 C I.

75 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Passyonaria iiii’.

76 Bodley 340, 342^2.

77 Possibly Vatican Lat. 4951^2.

78 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Omeliaria ii.’

79 Possibly recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Lectionaria v.’.

80 Recorded in 1202 catalogue.

81 British Library Royal MS 15 A XXII.

82 British Library Cotton MS Vitellius A XIII.

83 Possibly recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Item epistole pauli sine glosa’.

84 Possibly recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Lectionaria v.’.

85 Baltimore, Walters Art Gallery 57^3.

86 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Haymo in I vol.’.

87 Recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Ysidorus de ordine creature cum miraculis sancte Marie et aliis in I vol.’.

88 Possibly recorded in 1202 catalogue as ‘Decreta yvonis in I vol.’.

5 Apparently added in a different hand, preceding the continuation of the previous paragraph on Folio 225r.

7 Inserted above the line.

8 Gundulph’s Bible.

9 ‘Trans’ added afterwards in same hand.

10 Page ends with ‘tra,’ next page begins with ‘tatus,’ In this way the c was omitted.

11 Double underlined and appears to have been scored out.

12 ‘Cu’ ends a line, and is repeated at the beginning of the next.

13 Very faded ink.

14 Crossed through – no explanation as to why.

15 Written in a later hand. Poorer ink.

16 The total paragraph has been crossed through, but also underlined. Alcuinum has been superimposed over ‘arte metrica’ possibly at the same time.

17 Complete line underscored and crossed through.

18 P Periegesis. Priscian paraphrased the Periegesis of Dionysius.

19 90. to 96. Appears to be a later hand!

20 Underlined.

21 Considered a much later hand.

Æthelberht’s Code, c.600 CE

These are the judgements which King Æthelberht set down in Augustine’s day.

In this video I read from the first two folios of Æthelberht’s Code, followed by a translation. See below for translations of the entire code.

The literal, word-by-word, line-by-line translation, below, is offered to enable an understanding of the relationship between Old English and present-day English vocabulary, and as a means of aiding non-specialists to locate the text in the Textus Roffensis digital facsimile. It should be born in mind that the word-order in Old English often differs from that in present-day English. A non-literal translation, which provides the full sense of the original language, is also provided below.

Please note Text written within square brackets, on the lines of Old English, indicates where the letters are no longer readable in the manuscript but can nevertheless be understood to have been there originally. Words in square brackets in the translation are given to aid understanding or to indicate the implied meaning of the original language. Scribal abbreviations have been expanded where it is obvious how they should read; the expansions are indicated by italics. Occasionally, the scribe writes a word across the end of one line and the beginning of the next; this is indicated below by the use of a hyphen.

Transcription

Jump to Translation

1r (select folio number to open facsimile)

Þis syndon þa domas þe æðelbirht cyning
asette on aGVSTinus dæge. _GODES FEOH· ⁊ CI-
ricean¹ ·xii· gylde. Biscopes feoh ·
·xi· gylde. Preostes feoh ·ix· gylde.
Diacones feoh ·vi· gylde. Clero-
ces⁴ feoh ·iii· gylde. Ciric friþ ·
ii· gylde. M[æðl]friþ ·ii· gylde. Gif cyning his
leode to him gehateþ ⁊ heom mon þær yfel gedo ·
ii· bote ⁊ cyninge ·L· scillinga. Gif cyning æt
mannes ham drincæþ, ⁊ ðær man⁵ lyswæs hwæt
gedo, twibote gebete. Gif frigman cyninge
stele ·ix· gylde forgylde. Gif in cyninges tu-
ne⁹ man mannan ofslea ·L· scill.¹⁰ Gif man
frigne mannan ofsleahþ, cyninge ·L· scill to
drihtinbeage. Gif cyninges ambiht-smið oþþe
laadrincmannan ofslehð, [me]duman leod-gelde
forgelde. Cyninges mundbyrd ·L· scillinga. Gif
frigman freum stelþ ·iii· gebete, ⁊ cyning age þ
wite ⁊ ealle þa æhtan. Gif man wiþ cyninges mæg-
denman¹⁵ geligeþ ·L· scillinga gebete. Gif hio grin-
dende¹⁶ þeowa sio ·xxv· scillinga gebete. Sio þridde
xii· scillingas. Cyninges fedesl ·xx· scillinga
forgelde. Gif on eorles tune man mannan

1v

[ ]¹⁸ ofslæhþ ·xii· scill gebete. Gif wið eorles
birele man geligeþ ·xii· scill gebete. Ceorles mund-
byrd²⁰ ·vi· scillingas. Gif wið ceorles birelan man
geligeþ ·vi· scillingum²¹ gebete. Aet þære oþere ðeo-
wan²² ·L· scætta. Aet þare þriddan ·xxx· scætta. Gif
man in mannes tun ærest geirneþ ·vi· scillingum
gebete. Se þe æfter irneþ ·iii· scillingas. Siððan ge-
hwylc²⁵ scilling. Gif man mannan wæpnum bebyreþ
ðær ceas weorð, ⁊ man nænig yfel ne gedeþ ·vi· scillin-
gum²⁷ gebete. Gif wegreaf sy gedon ·vi· scillingum
gebete. Gif man þone man ofslæhð ·xx· scillingum
gebete. Gif man mannan ofslæhð, medume leod-
geld ·c· scillinga gebete. Gif man mannan ofslæhð
æt openum græfe ·xx· scillinga forgelde,²⁹ ⁊ in ·xl·
nihta ealne leod³⁰ forgelde. Gif bana of lande
gewiteþ, ða mag[as] healfne leod forgelden. Gif man
frigne man geb[indeþ] ·xx· scill gebete. Gif man
ceorlæs hlafætan ofslæhð ·vi· scillingum gebete.
Gif læt ofslæhð þone selestan ·Lxxx· scill³³ forgelde.
Gif þane oþerne ofslæhð ·Lx· scillingum forgelde.
Ðane þriddan ·xL· scillingum forgelden. Gif friman
edorbrecþe gedeþ ·vi· scillingum gebete. Gif man
inne feoh genimeþ, se man ·iii· gelde gebete. Gif
friman edor gegangeð ·iiii. scillingum gebete.

2r

Gif man mannan ofslea agene scætte, ⁊ unfacne feo
gehwyilce gelde. Gif friman wið fries mannes wif
geligeþ, his wergelde abicge, ⁊ oðer wif his agenum
scætte begete, ⁊ ðæm oðrum æt þam gebrenge.
Gif man r[i]hthamscyld þurh stinð, mid weorðe for-
gelde. Gif feaxfang geweorð ·L· sceatta to bote.
Gif banes blice weorðeþ ·iii· scillingum gebete. Gif

banes bite weorð ·iiii· scillingum gebete. Gif sio
uterre hion gebrocen weorðeþ ·x· scillingum ge-
bete. Gif butu sien ·xx· scillingum gebete. Gif
eaxle gelæmed weorþeð ·xxx· scill gebete. Gif
oþer eare nawiht gehereð ·xxv· scill gebete.
Gif eare of weorð aslagen ·xii· scill gebete. Gif
eare þirel weorðeþ ·iii· scill gebete. Gif eare
sceard weorðeþ ·vi· scill gebete. Gif eage of we-
orð⁴² ·L· scillingum gebete. Gif muð oþþe eage woh
weorðeþ ·xii· scill gebete. Gif nasu ðyrel weorð
viiii· scillingum gebete. Gif hit sio an hleore
iii· scill gebete. Gif butu ðyrele sien ·vi· scill
gebete. Gif nasu ælcor sceard weorð gehwylc ·
vi· scill gebete. Gif ðirel weorþ ·vi· scill gebete.
Se þe cinban forslæhð, mid ·xx· scillingum for-
gelde. Æt þam feower toðum fyrestum æt
gehwylcum ·vi· scillingas. Se toþ se þanne

2v

bi standeþ ·iiii· scill. Se þe ðonne bi ðam standeþ ·
iii· scill. And þonne siþþan gehwylc scilling. Gif
spræc awyrd weorþ ·xii· scillingas. Gif widoba-
ne gebroced weorðeþ ·vi· scill gebete. Se þe earm
þurh stinð ·vi· scillingum gebete. G[if][e]arm
forbrocen weorð ·vi· scill gebete. Gif þuman of
aslæhð ·xx· scill. Gif ðuman nægl of weorðeþ·
iii· scill gebete. Gif man scytefinger of aslæhð·
viiii· scill gebete. Gif man middelfinger of aslæhð·
iiii· scill gebete. Gif man goldfinger of aslæhð·
vi· scill gebete. Gif man þone lytlan finger of
aslæhð ·xi· scill gebete. Æt þam neglum ge-
hwylcum, scilling. Æt þam lærestan wlitewam-
me ·iii· scillingas. And æt þam maran ·vi· scill.
Gif man oþerne mid fyste in naso slæhð ·iii· scill.
Gif dynt sie, scilling. Gif he heahre handa dyn-
tes onfehð, scill forgelde. Gif dynt sweart sie
buton wædum ·xxx· scætta gebete. Gif hit sie
binnan wædum, gehwylc ·xx· scætta gebete.
Gif hrif wund weorðeþ ·xii· scill gebete. Gif he
þurhðirel weorðeþ ·xx· scill gebete. Gif man
gegemed weorðeþ ·xxx· scill gebete. Gif man
cearwund sie ·xxx· scill gebete. Gif man ge-
kyndelice lim awyrdeþ, þrym leudgeldum hine

3r

man forgelde. Gif he þurhstinð ·vi· scill gebete.
Gif man inbestinð ·vi· scill gebete. Gif þeoh gebro-
cen weorðeþ ·xii· scillingum gebete. Gif he healt
weorð, þær motan freond seman. Gif rib forbro-
cen weorð ·iii· scill gebete. Gif man þeoh ðurhstingþ
stice gehwilce ·vi· scillingas. Gyfe⁵³ ofer ynce scilling,
æt twam yncum twegen, ofer þry ·iii· scll.⁵⁴ Gif
wælt wund weorðeþ ·iii· scillingas gebete. Gif fot
of weorðeþ ·L· scillingum forgelden.⁵⁵ Gif seo my-
cle⁵⁷ ta of weorðeþ ·x· scll forgelden. Æt þam o-
ðrum⁵⁹ taum gehwilcum healf gelde, ealswa æt þam
fingrum ys cwiden. Gif þare mycclan taan nægl
of weorþeð ·xxx· scætta to bote. Æt þam oþrum
gehwilcum ·x· scættas gebete. Gif friwif locbore
leswæs hwæt gedeþ ·xxx· scll gebete. Mægþ-
bot⁶¹ sy swa friges mannes. Mund þare betstan
widuwan eorlcundre ·L· scillinga gebete. Ðare
oþre ·xx· scll, ðare þriddan ·xii· scll. Þare
feorðan ·vi· scll. Gif man widuwan unagne ge-
nimeþ⁶³ ·ii· gelde seo mund sy. Gif man mægþ
gebigeð ceapi geceapod sy, gif hit unfacne is,
gif hit þonne facne is, ef þær æt ham gebren-
ge⁶⁷ ⁊ him man his scæt agefe. Gif hio cwic bearn
gebyreþ healfne scæt age, gif ceorl ær swylteþ.

3v

Gif mid bearnum bugan wille, healfne scæt age. Gif ceorl
agan wile swa an bearn. Gif hio bearn ne gebyreþ fæ-
deringmagas⁷¹ fioh agan, ⁊ morgengyfe. Gif man
mægþman nede genimeþ, ðam agende ·L· scillinga, ⁊
eft æt þam agende, sinne willan ætgebicge. Gif hio
oþrum mæn in sceat bewyddod sy ·xx· scillinga ge-
bete.⁷⁵ Gif gængang⁷⁶ geweorðeþ ·xxxv· scill, ⁊ cyninge
xv· scillingas. Gif man mid esnes cwynan geligeþ
be cwicum ceorle ·ii· gebete. Gif esne⁷⁸ oþerne⁷⁹ ofslea unsyn-
nigne,⁸¹ ealne weorðe forgelde. Gif esnes eage ⁊ foot
of weorðeþ aslagen, ealne weorðe hine forgelde.
Gif man mannes esne gebindeþ ·vi· scll gebete. Ðeo-
wæs⁸² wegreaf se ·iii· scillingas. Gif þeow steleþ ·
ii· gelde gebete.

Literal translation

These are the judgements which Æthelberht king set in Augustine’s day.

God's property & [the] Church’s, 12[-fold] compensation.²

[A]³ bishop’s property 11[-fold] compensation.

[A] priest’s property, 9[-fold] compensation.

[A] deacon’s property, 6[-fold] compensation.

[A] cleric’s property, 3[-fold] compensation.

[Infringement of] Church peace 2[-fold] compensation.

[Infringement of] assembly peace, 2[-fold] compensation.

If [the] king his people to him summons & to them [a] person there evil does 2[-fold] restitution & [to the] king 50 shillings.

If [the] king at [a] person’s home drinks,⁶ & there [a] person corrupt anything does,⁷ double-restitution [one] should pay.

If [a] freeman [from the] king steals, 9[-fold] compensation [he] should pay.⁸

If in [the] king’s house¹¹ [a] person someone slays, 50 shillings.

If one [a] free person slays, [to the] king 50 shillings as lord-money.

If [the] king’s official-smith¹² or escort [one] slays, average man-price [one should] pay.

[Violation of the] King’s protection, 50 shillings.

If [a] freeman [from a] freeman steals, 3[-fold] [one] should pay, & [the] king owns that fine or¹³ all the possessions.¹⁴

If one with [the] king’s maiden lies, 50 shillings [one] should pay.

If she [a] grinding slave be, 25 shillings [one] should pay.

Be [she] third[-class], 12 shillings.

[For the] King’s feeding, 20 shillings [one] should pay.¹⁷

If in [a] nobleman’s house [a] person someone slays, 12 shillings [one] should pay.

If with [a] nobleman’s cupbearer one lies, 12 shillings [one] should pay.

[For violation of a] ceorl’s protection,¹⁹ 6 shillings.

If with ceorl’s cupbearer onelies, 6 shillings [one] should pay. For the second-[rank] slave, 50 sceattas.²³ For the third[-rank], 30 sceattas.

If [a] person into someone’s house first breaks,²⁴ 6 shillings [one] should pay.

He who next breaks [in], 3 shillings.

After, each one [a] shilling.

If [a] person [for] someone weapons supplies where [a] quarrel occurs, but one not any evil not does,²⁶ 6 shillings [one] should pay. If highway robbery²⁸ is done, 6 shillings [one] should pay. If one the person slays, 20 shillings [one] should pay.

If [a] person someone slays, [an] average man-price of 100 shillings [one] should pay.

If [a] person someone slays, at [the] open grave 20 shillings [one] should pay, & in 40 nights all man[-price] [one] should pay.

If [the] killer from [the] land departs, the kin half [the] man[-price] should pay.

If one a free-man³¹ binds, 20 shillings [one] should pay.

If one [a] ceorl’s loaf-eater³² slays, 6 shillings [one] should pay.

If [a] freed-man³⁴ [one] slays of the highest rank, 80 shillings [one] should pay.

If the second[-rank] [one] slays, 60 shillings [one] should pay.

[If] the third[-rank], 40 shillings [one] should pay. If [a] freeman hedge-breaking³⁵ does, 6 shillings [one] should pay. If one within property takes, that one 3[-fold] compensation should pay.

If [a] person someone slays, [with one’s] own money or unblemished property, whichever, [one] should pay.

If [a] freeman with free man’s wife lies, [with] his wergild [he] should pay recompense, & another wife [with] his own money obtain, & to the other [man] at home³⁶ [he] should bring [her].

If [a] person [the] rihtmanscyld³⁷ through pierces, with [its] worth [one] should pay back.

If seizing of hair occurs, 50 sceattas as recompense.

If [a] bone’s cutting occurs, [with] 4 shillings [one] should compensate.

If the outer hion³⁹ broken becomes, [with] 10 shillings[one] should compensate.

If both be [broken], [with] 20 shillings [one] should compensate.

If[a] shoulder lamed becomes, 30 shillings [one] should pay.

If either ear nothing hears,⁴⁰ 30 shillings [one] should pay.

If [an] ear off becomes struck,⁴¹ 12 shillings [one] should pay.

If [an] ear pierced becomes, 3 shillings [one] should pay.

If [an] eargashed becomes, 6 shillings [one] should pay.

If [an] eye off becomes,⁴³ [with] 50 shillings [one] should compensate.

If [the] mouth or [an] eye damaged becomes, 12 shillings [one] should pay.

If [a] nose pierced becomes[with] 9 shillings [one] should compensate.

If it be on [the] cheek, 3 shillings [one] should pay.

If both [cheeks] pierced be, 6 shillings[one] should pay.

If [a] nose otherwise gashed becomes, [for] each [gash] 6 shillings [one] should pay.

If [?the throat]⁴⁴ gashed becomes, 6 shillings [one] should pay.

He who [the] jawbone breaks, with 20 shillings [he]

should make good.

For the four teeth foremost for

each 6 shillings.

The tooth which then beside stands, 4 shillings.

The [one] which then beside that [one] stands, 3 shillings.

And then thereafter, each [a] shilling.

If speech harmed becomes, 12 shillings.

If [a] collarbone broken becomes, 6 shillings [one] should pay.

He who [an] arm through stabs, 6 shillings [one] should pay.

If [an] arm broken becomes, 6 shillings [one] should pay.

If [a] thumb off [one] strikes, 20 shillings.

If [a] thumbnail off becomes,⁴⁵ 3 shilllings [one] should pay.

If one [a] shooting-finger⁴⁶ off strikes, 9 shillings [one] should pay.

If one [a] middle finger off strikes, 4 shillings [one] should pay.

If one [a] gold-finger⁴⁷ off strikes, 6 shillings [one] should pay.

If one the little finger offstrikes, 11 shillings [one] should pay.

For⁴⁸ the nails⁴⁹ each, [a] shilling.

For the least facial disfigurement, 3 shillings.

And for the greater, 6 shillings.

If [a] person another [person] with [a] fist in [the] nose strikes, 3 shillings.

If [a] blow [it] be, [a] shilling.

If he [from a] raised hand blow receives, [a] shilling [one] should make good.

If [a] blow black be⁵⁰outside clothing, 30 sceattas [one] should pay.

If it be inside clothing, [for] each [bruise] 20 sceattas [one] should pay.

If [a] belly wound becomes, 12 shillings [one] should pay.

If he pierced-through becomes, 20 shillings [one] should pay.

If [a] person healed becomes, 30 shillings [one] should pay.⁵¹

If [a] persongrievously wounded be, 30 shillings.

If [a] person [the] genital limb damages,⁵² [with] three man-prices himone should compensate.

If he through-stabs [it], 6 shillings [he] should pay.

If [a] person into-stabs [it], 6 shillings [one] should pay.

If [a] thigh brokenbecomes, [with] 12 shillings [one] should compensate.

If he lame becomes, then must friends arbitrate.

If [a] rib brokenbecomes, 3 shillings [one] should pay.

If [a] person [a] thigh through-stabs, [for] stab each, 6 shillings.

If [the stab wound is] over [an] inch, [a] shilling; for two inches, two [shillings]; over three [inches], 3 shillings.

If a welt-wound occurs, 3 shillings [one] should pay.

If [a] foot off becomes,⁵⁶ with 50 shillings [one] should compensate.

If the big toe off becomes,⁵⁸ [with] 10 shillings [one] should pay.

For the other toes, each half [the] payment, as for the fingers is discussed.

If the big toenail off becomes, 30 sceattas as recompense.

For the others, each 10 sceattas [one] should pay.

If [a] free-woman key-holder corrupt anything does, 30 shillings [she] should pay.⁶⁰

Maiden-compensation is that of [a] free person.⁶²

[For violation of the] protection of the foremost widow [of] noble kin, 50 shillings [one] should pay.

Of the second [rank], 20 shillings; of the third, 12 shillings.

Of the fourth, 6 shillings.

If one [a] widow unowned takes, 2[-fold] compensation the protection should be.⁶⁴

If one [a] maidenbuys [with a] [bride-]price, [the] transaction should be,⁶⁵ if it honest is;⁶⁶ if it, then, dishonest is, afterward there to [her] home [he] should bring [her] and [to] him one his money should repay.⁶⁸

If she [a] living child bears, half [the] wealth [she] should obtain, if [the] husband first dies.

If with [the] children to live [she] should wish, half [the] wealth [she] should obtain.⁶⁹

If [another] husband to obtain [she] should wish, [a provision] as [for] one child.⁷⁰

If she [a] child not bears, [her] father’s kin [the] property [they] obtain, and [the] morning gift.⁷²

If one [a] maiden [by] force takes, [to] the owner⁷³ 50 shillings, &afterward from the owner, his consent [one] should buy.⁷⁴

If she [to] another man by payment betrothed be, 20 shillings [he] should pay.⁷⁷

If [a] return [of the maiden] occurs, 35 shillings, & [to the] king15 shillings.

If one with [a] servant’s wife lies while alive [the] husband [is], 2[-fold] [one] should pay.⁸⁰

If [a] servant another slays [who is] innocent, [the] entire worth [of the victim] [one] should make good.

If a servant’s eye or footoff becomes cut, [the] entire worth [to] him [one] should pay.

If [a] person someone’s servant binds, 6 shillings [one] should pay.

[For a] slave’s highway robbery, [payment] should be 3 shillings.

If [a] slave steals 2[-fold] compensation [one] should pay.⁸³

Complete translation

These are the judgements which King Æthelberht set down in Augustine’s day.⁸⁴

God’s property and the Church’s, [one should make good] with a 12-fold compensation.

A bishop’s property, with an 11-fold compensation.

A priest’s property, with a 9-fold compensation.

A deacon’s property, with a 6-fold compensation.

A cleric’s property, with a 3-fold compensation.

[Infringement of] church peace, with a 2-fold compensation.

[Infringement of] assembly peace, with a 2-fold compensation.

If the king summons his people to him and one does evil to them there, a 2-fold restitution and 50 shillings to the king.

If the king is drinking at someone’s home and one does anything corrupt there, one should pay double restitution.

If a freeman steals from the king, he should make good with a 9-fold compensation.

If one slays someone in the king’s house, one should pay 50 shillings.

If one slays a freeman, 50 shillings to the king as lord-money.

If one slays a court-smith or escort of the king, one should pay an average man-price.

[For violation of] the king’s protection, 50 shillings.

If a freeman steals from a freeman, he should pay back 3-fold, and the fine belongs to the king – or all the possessions.⁸⁵

If one lies with a king’s maiden, one should pay 50 shillings.

Should she be a grinding slave, one should pay 25 shillings.

Should she be third class, 12 shillings.

For the feeding of the king, one should pay 20 shillings.

If one slays someone in a nobleman’s house, one should pay 12 shillings.

If one lies with a nobleman’s cupbearer, one should pay 12 shillings.

[For violation of] a ceorl’s protection, 6 shillings.

If one lies with a ceorl’s cupbearer, one should pay 6 shillings.

For the second-rank slave, 50 sceattas.

For the third-rank, 30 sceattas.

If one breaks into someone’s house first, one should pay 6 shillings.

He who breaks in next, 3 shillings.

After that, each one a shilling.

If one supplies weapons for someone where a quarrel occurs, and yet no harm occurs, one should pay 6 shillings.

If highway robbery is committed, one should pay 6 shillings.

If one slays the person, one should pay 20 shillings.

If one slays someone, one should pay an average man-price of 100 shillings.

If one slays someone, one should pay 20 shillings at the open grave and pay the whole of the man-price within forty nights.

If the killer departs the land, the kinsmen should pay half the man-price.

If one binds a freeman, one should pay 20 shillings.

If one slays a member of a ceorl’s household, one should pay 6 shillings.

If one slays a freed man of the highest rank, one should pay 80 shillings.

If one slays one of the second rank, one should pay 60 shillings.

If of the third rank, one should pay 40 shillings.

If a freeman breaks into an enclosure, he should pay 6 shillings.

If one takes property from within, that one should pay with a three-fold compensation.

If a freeman enters an enclosure, he should pay 4 shillings.

If one slays someone, he should pay compensation with his own money or unblemished property, whichever.

If a freeman lies with a wife of another freeman, he should give recompense with his wergild [‘man-price’] and obtain another wife with his own money and bring her to the other man at his home.

If a person pierces through a rihthamscyld, one should make good with its value.⁸⁶

If seizing of the hair occurs, 50 sceattas as recompense.

If exposure of a bone occurs, one should compensate with 3 shillings.

If cutting of a bone occurs, one should compensate with 4 shillings.

If the outer hion becomes broken, one should compensate with 10 shillings.⁸⁷

If both should be broken,⁸⁸ one should compensate with 20 shillings.

If a shoulder is made lame, one should compensate with 30 shillings.

If either ear is made deaf, one should compensate with 25 shillings.

If an ear is struck off, one should compensate with 12 shillings.

If an ear is pierced [or, perhaps, ‘perforated’], one should compensate with 3 shillings.

If an ear is gashed, one should compensate with 6 shillings.

If an eye is lost, one should compensate with 50 shillings.

If a mouth or an eye is damaged [or ‘made crooked’], one should compensate with 12 shillings.

If a nose is pierced, one should compensate with 9 shillings.

If it be on the cheek, one should compensate with 3 shillings.

If both [cheeks] are pierced, one should compensate with 6 shillings.

If a nose becomes otherwise gashed, one should compensate for each [gash] with 6 shillings.

If [the throat] becomes pierced, one should compensate with 6 shillings.⁸⁹

He who breaks the jawbone, he should make good with 20 shillings.

For the four front teeth, 6 shillings each.

The tooth which then stands besides, 4 shillings.

The one which then stands to the side of that one, 3 shillings.

Then each one after that, a shilling.

If speech becomes damaged, 12 shillings.

If a collarbone is broken, one should compensate with 6 shillings.

He who stabs through an arm, he should compensate with 6 shillings.

If an arm is broken, one should compensate with 6 shillings.

If one strikes off of thumb, 20 shillings.

If a thumbnail becomes detached, one should compensate with 3 shillings.

If one strikes off a shooting finger [i.e., forefinger], one should compensate with 9 shillings.

If one strikes off a middle finger, one should compensate with 4 shillings.

If one strikes off a gold-finger [i.e., ring finger], one should compensate with 6 shillings.

If one strikes off the little finger, one should compensate with 11 shillings.

For each of the fingernails, a shilling. For the least facial disfigurement, 3 shillings.

And for the greater, 6 shillings.

If one strikes another in the nose with a fist, 3 shillings.

If it should be a blow, a shilling.

If he receives a blow from a raised hand, one should make recompense of a shilling.

If a blow leaves a bruise outside the clothing, one should pay 30 sceattas.

If it is inside the clothing, one should pay 20 sceattas.

If a belly wound occurs, one should compensate with 12 shillings.

If he is pierced through, one should compensate with 20 shillings.

If a person becomes healed, one should compensate with 30 shillings.⁹⁰

If a person should be grievously wounded, one should compensate with 30 shillings.

If one destroys the genital limb,⁹¹ he should compensate him with three man-prices.⁹²

If he stabs through it, he should compensate with 6 shillings. If one stabs into it, one should compensate with 6 shillings.

If a thigh becomes broken, one should compensate with 12 shillings.

If he becomes lame, then friends must arbitrate.⁹³

If a rib is broken, one should compensate with 3 shillings.

If a person stabs through a thigh, for each stab 6 shillings.

If a wound is over an inch, a shilling.

For two inches, two shillings.

Over three, three shillings.

If a welt-wound occurs, one should pay 3 shillings.

If a foot is cut off, one should compensate with 50 shillings.

If the big toe is cut off, one should pay 10 shillings.

For the other toes, one should pay half the payment decided elsewhere for the fingers.

If the big toenail becomes removed, 30 sceattas as recompense.

For each of the others, one should pay 10 sceattas.

If a free-woman key-holder does anything corrupt, she should pay 30 shillings.⁹⁴

Maiden-compensation is that of a free man [or ‘person’].

[For violation of the] protection of the foremost widow of noble rank, one should pay 50 shillings.

Of the second rank, 20 shillings.

Of the third, 12 shillings.

Of the fourth, 6 shillings.

If one takes an unowned widow, [violation of her] protection should be a 2-fold compensation.⁹⁵

If a man buys a maiden with a [bride-]price, the transaction should stand if there is no deception.⁹⁶

If then there is deception, afterwards he shall bring [her] to [her] home, and one should repay him his money.

If she bears a living child, she should obtain half the wealth [or ‘property’] if the husband dies first.

If she should wish to live with the children, she should obtain half the wealth [or ‘property’].⁹⁷

If she should wish to obtain another husband, [a provision] as for one child.

If she does not bear a child, her father’s kin should obtain her property and the morning-gift.

If one takes a maiden by force, to the owner one should pay 50 shillings, and afterwards one must procure from the owner his consent [to marry her].

If she be betrothed through goods to another man, one should pay 20 shillings.

If a return [of the maiden] happens, 35 shillings and 15 shillings to the king.

If one lies with a hired labourer’s wife while the husband is alive, one should pay back 2-fold.

If a hired labourer [or ‘servant’] should slay another who is innocent, one should pay back [to the victim’s master] the entire worth [of the victim].

If a servant’s eye, or foot, is removed, one should pay to him the entire worth.

If one binds another’s servant, one should compensate with 6 shillings.

For a slave’s highway robbery, [compensation] shall be 3 shillings.

If a slave steals, there should be paid a 2-fold compensation.

Further Reading

Books

Tom Lambert, Law and Order in Anglo-Saxon England (Oxford University Press, 2017)

Lisi Oliver, The Beginnings of English Law (University of Toronto Press, 2002).

Journal articles

Christine Fell, ‘A “friwif locbore” revisited’, Anglo-Saxon England 13 (1984), pp. 157–66.

Carole Hough, ‘The early Kentish “divorce laws”: a reconsideration of Æthelberht, chs. 79 and 80’, Anglo-Saxon England 23 (1994), 19–34.

Footnotes

Use your browsers 'back' button to jump back to the text.

1 ‘Ciricean’ (‘Church’s’) is written over two lines.

2 The sense of this and the next few clauses is that if someone steals or damages the said property, that person must make good, or pay back, a compensatory amount beyond the value of the goods concerned, from twelve-fold down to two-fold, according to rank.

3 There is no indefinite article (‘a’) in Old English.

4 ‘Cleroces’ (‘Cleric’s’) is written over two lines.

5 ‘man’ (and its variant spellings, e.g., ‘mon’, above) can mean a person of any gender, so can be translated as ‘a person’ or ‘one’, or something similar.

6 Or ‘is drinking’.

7 Meaning: ‘and a person does anything corrupt there’.

8 Or ‘make good’.

9 ‘tune’ (‘house’) is written over two lines.

10 An abbreviated form is used here, and elsewhere in the law-code. I have not expanded it because it is not clear what the grammatical case of the noun is.

11 Or ‘household’, ‘estate’, or ‘dwelling’.

12 Or ‘court-smith’; this seems to be referring to an official blacksmith (or another craftsman, e.g., a carpenter) of the king’s household or court.

13 Or ‘&’. See Lisi Oliver’s discussion on why ‘or’ is the probable sense here: The Beginnings of English Law (2002), p. 65, note d.

14 The sense here, as I understand it, is that if the thief does not pay the fine owed to the king, all his possessions are seized.

15 ‘mægdenman’ (‘maiden’) is written over two lines.

16 ‘grindende’ (‘grinding’) is written over two lines.

17 If a person defaulted on his responsibility to provide the king with sustenance as he moved around his realm, or he wished to commute it to a monetary payment, he owed 20 shillings to the king; see Lisi Oliver, ‘Cyninges fedesl: The Feeding of the King in Æthelberht ch. 12’, Anglo-Saxon England 27 (1998), pp. 59-75.

18 Text has been erased.

19 A ceorl was the lowest rank of freeman.

20 ‘mundbyrd’ (‘protection’) is written across two lines.

21 The abbreviation ‘-ū’, here and elsewhere, has been expanded. The spelling ‘scillingum’ is the first of several uses of what Oliver refers to as ‘the dative of quantity’ and may be translated properly as ‘with 6 shillings one should pay’. See Oliver, The Beginnings of English Law, pp. 32-4.

22 The ‘n’ has been added above the ‘a’.

23 Oliver explains: ‘The Kentish shilling was a gold piece containing 20 sceattas; the sceatta was a smaller gold piece equal in weight to a grain of barley.’ See The Beginnings of English Law, p. 67, note d.

24 i.e., is the leader among a group breaking into the house.

25 ‘gehwylc’ (‘each one’) is written across two lines.

26 Old English has a double negative.

27 ‘scillingum’ (‘shillings’) is written across two lines.

28 ‘highway robbery’ translates ‘weg-reaf’, literally ‘[high]way plunder’.

29 The verb forgieldan (‘forgelde’) has the same essential meaning – ‘to pay’ – as the verb betan (‘gebete’), which has up to this point been the preferred term. More subtly, ‘forgelde’ literally means ‘for-yield’, with the sense of ‘pay back’, whereas ‘gebete’ has the sense of ‘make amends’, and in later writings is associated with penance.

30 The manuscript reads ‘leo-d’. At this point, and following, leod is used as short-hand for leod-geld (‘man-price’).

31 Or ‘free person’.

32 The sense of hlafæta is a member of one’s household, a dependent.

33 ‘scill’ is inserted above the final ‘x’.

34 A læt, a ‘freed-man’, seems to refer to a former slave freed through a process of manumission, though not someone who has yet obtained the status of freeman; for more details, including a discussion of ‘the three generations’ (corresponding to the three classes in this law-code) ‘required for the descendants of a freedman to acquire full freedom’, see, David A. E. Pelteret, Slavery in Early Medieval England: From the Reign of Alfred until the Twelfth Century (Boydell, 1995), pp. 294-96; see also Oliver, The Beginnings of English Law, pp. 91-3.

35 A literal rendering of ‘edor-brecþe’, it appears to refer to breaking into an enclosure, violating someone’s property; see Oliver, The Beginnings of English Law, p. 69, note c.

36 ‘at home’ translates ‘æt þam’ though this assumes either ‘þam’ (‘that’) is an error for ‘ham’ (‘home’) or that ‘æt þam’ (‘at that [one’s home]’) is idiomatic; see Oliver, The Beginnings of English Law, p. 69, note f.

37 ‘rihthamscyld’ is not attested elsewhere in Old English works and its meaning is uncertain.

38 Here, and elsewhere in this law-code, the Old English word for ‘shillings’ is in the dative case, indicating ‘with 3 shillings’, etc. This use of the ‘dative of quantity’ does lead me here, and in other clauses that follow, to translate betan (‘gebete’) as ‘compensate’ rather than simply ‘pay’, but ‘pay’ would still work.

39 The meaning of ‘hion’ is unclear as it is not used anywhere else in Old English texts; Oliver tentatively offers ‘?=covering of the skull’ for ‘outer hion’, The Beginnings of English Law, p. 71. I suggest the injury may be the exposing of the skull. Oliver discusses in detail the problem of the translation at pp. 101-2.

40 Or ‘is made deaf’.

41 Meaning ‘If an ear is struck off’.

42 ‘weorð’ (‘becomes’) is written across two lines.

43 Meaning ‘If an eye is lost’.

44 The scribe has missed out what it is that is being pierced; it has been suggested that throtu ‘throat’ was intended; see Oliver, The Beginnings of English Law, p. 70, note c.

45 Meaning ‘is stuck off’ or ‘becomes detached’.

46 i.e., the forefinger.

47 i.e., the ring-finger.

48 Literally, ‘At’.

49 This seems to refer to the finger nails, as the thumbnail has already been mentioned.

50 Meaning ‘if a blow [to the body] leaves a bruise’.

51 This is probably referring to the assailant paying costs to compensate the victim for any medical treatment received; see Oliver, The Beginnings of English Law, pp. 104-5.

52 Or ‘destroys’.

53 A rather tall ‘f’ has been added later after ‘Gy’, and the ‘e’ is added over the ‘o’ of the following word.

54 The abbreviation for ‘shillings’ is modified at this point, and in several places after this, omitting the ‘i’.

55 The ‘-n’, both here and in the next clause, is a scribal error: it should read ‘forgelde’ to make sense.

56 Meaning ‘if a foot is cut off’.

57 ‘mycle’ is written over two lines.

58 Meaning ‘if the big toe is cut off’.

59 ‘oðrum’ is written across two lines.

60 This clause is discussed in detail by Christine Fell, ‘A “friwif locbore” Revisited’, Anglo-Saxon England 13 (1984), pp. 157-66; see also Oliver, The Beginnings of English Law, pp. 110-11.

61 ‘Mægþbot’ is written across two lines. A point is added after ‘bot’ to separate it from the following word, ‘sy’; I haven’t reproduced it here.

62 Or ‘free man’. This clause appears to equate free women to free men in terms of compensation; see Oliver, The Beginnings of English Law, p. 106.

63 ‘genimeþ’ is written across two lines.

64 The ‘unowned’ widow probably refers to a widow without kin to protect her. Such a widow receives a recompense twice that of a protected widow. See further, Oliver, The Beginnings of English Law, pp. 111-12.

65 i.e., it should stand. For a discussion of the ‘price’ for obtaining a wife, see Oliver, The Beginnings of English Law, pp. 106-7.

66 Possibly an allusion to the virginity of the maiden.

67 ‘gebrenge’ is written across two lines.

68 i.e., it is repaid by the kin, usually the father, who received the bride-price.

69 For a discussion of this and the following clause, see Carole Hough, ‘The early Kentish “divorce laws”: a reconsideration of Æthelberht, chs. 79 and 80’, Anglo-Saxon England 23 (1994), 19–34. Oliver summarises Hough’s argument in The Beginnings of English Law, pp. 112-14, explaining that this relates to widowhood, not divorce.

70 This is the earliest reference to the Kentish practice of ‘gravelkind’ by which inheritances were divided among all the children; see Oliver, The Beginnings of Early English Law, pp. 113-14.

71 ‘fæderingmagas’ (‘father’s kin’) is written across two lines.

72 The ‘morning gift’ appears to refer to a gift the wife receives after consummation of a marriage: see Oliver, The Beginnings of English Law, pp. 106-7.

73 i.e., the owner of her protection, from among her kin, typically the maiden’s father; for a discussion of this and the following two clauses, see Oliver, The Beginnings of English Law, pp. 108-9

74 i.e., he should pay a bride-price in order to marry the maiden.

75 ‘gebete’ is written across two lines.

76 The final ‘g’ has been squeezed in later and is elongated to fit it in.

77 To the betrothed man, it would seem.

78 The esne, at this time in Kent, was probably a poor, landless labourer who hired himself out to his lord; he was above a slave as can be seen by the fact that his marital rights were protected; however, note below the allusion to binding an esne, which suggest the lack of any real freedom; see Pelteret, Slavery in Early Medieval England, pp. 271-72.

79 ‘oþerne’ inserted above the line.

80 Oliver explains this means two-fold what he would have paid had the woman been unmarried: The Beginnings of English Law, p. 79.

81 ‘unsynningne’ (‘innocent’) is written across two lines.

82 ‘þeowæs’ (‘slave’s) is written across two lines.

83 Oliver discusses the question of who pays the compensation for crimes committed by a slave (and those referred to as ‘esne’): The Beginnings of English Law, pp. 114-16.

84 This heading is provided by the Textus Roffensis scribe and is not normally considered to be part of the original lawcode.

85 The sense here, as I understand it, is that if the thief does not pay the fine owed to the king, all his possessions are seized.

86 The word rihthamscyld is not attested elsewhere in Old English writings and its meaning is uncertain, so I have not translated it.

87 The meaning of hion is unclear as it is not used anywhere else in Old English texts; so I have left it untranslated. Lisi Oliver tentatively offers ‘?=covering of the skull’ for ‘outer hion’, see The Beginnings of English Law, p. 71. I suggest the injury may be the exposing of the skull.

88 This may refer to the skull being both exposed and fractured.

89 The scribe has missed out what it is that is being pierced; it has been suggested that throtu ‘throat’ was intended; see Oliver, The Beginnings of English Law, p. 70, note c.

90 This is probably referring to the assailant paying medical fees; see Oliver, Beginnings of English Law, pp. 104-5.

91 A euphemism for the penis.

92 The high payment, i.e., the equivalent of the value of three men, may be viewed as compensating the injured man for loss of future children.

93 It is possible that the injury would require the use of a crutch and so it would have an impact on the use of an arm too, requiring further compensation, to be decided upon by the concerned parties; see Oliver, The Beginnings of English Law, pp. 99-100.

94 Old English ‘friwif locbore’, literally, ‘free-woman lock-bearer’, translated here as ‘key-holder’, most likely signifies a house-keeper with responsibility for a household and its stores; see Christine Fell, ‘A “friwif locbore” revisited’, Anglo-Saxon England 13 (1984), pp. 157–66; and Oliver, The Beginnings of English Law, pp. 110-11.

95 The ‘unowned’ widow probably refers to a widow without kin to protect her. Such a widow receives a recompense twice that of a protected widow. See further, Oliver, The Beginnings of English Law, pp. 111-12.

96 Possibly alluding to the maiden’s virginity.

97 For a discussion of this and the following clause, see Carole Hough, ‘The early Kentish “divorce laws”: a reconsideration of Æthelberht, chs. 79 and 80’, Anglo-Saxon England 23 (1994), 19–34.

Almsgiving for deceased brothers of St Andrew’s Priory, Rochester, c.1235

This details the almsgiving for deceased brethren at St Andrew’s priory.

Transcription

67r (select folio number to open facsimile)

De Fratribus defunctis Elemosina pro fratribus nostris de hac vita migrantibus.
Sacrista debet duodecim denarios.
Camerarius duodecim denarios.
Celerarius duodecim denarios.
Hedenham quatuor denarios.

67v

Frendesberia quatuor denarios.
Suthflete quatuor denarios.
Derente tres denarios.
Wldeham tres denarios.
Stokes tres denarios.
Denitune tres denarios.
De hiis quinque folidis emetur panis et per manus ele-
mosinarii et alterius de fratribus cui preceptum fuerit
distribuetur pauperibus. Ipso die quo corpus defuncti
sepulture traditur.

Translation

For deceased brethren:

The alms for our brothers that have passed away.
The sacrist should pay 12 shillings.
The chamberlain 12 shillings.
The cellarer 12 shillings.
Haddenham four shillings.
Frindsbury four shillings.
Southfleet four shillings.
Darenth three shillings.
Wouldham three shillings.
Stoke three shillings.
Denton three shillings.
Of those, five solidi to be buy bread by hand. Arms and alter of the brothers which keeps the commandment to distribute to the poor. That same day for the bodies of the dead to be buried traditionally.

Concerning salmon paid to the refectory of St Andrew’s Priory, Rochester, c.1235

Salmon dues could be commuted as sturgeon or a payment in shillings, as detailed on the previous folio.

Transcription

66v (select folio number to open facsimile)

Mutatio Salmonum De Wldeham, de Suthfete, de Frendesberia, de
denitune de Stokes IIII salmones, si hii mu-
tati sunt in sturgun, scillingas in XXXII frustis. De Frendesberia et de Stokes XXX agnos ad pascha.
Hos habet episcopus contra cartam Gundulfi episcopi.

67r

De Salmonibus, qui expenduntur in Refectorio. IN Refectario octo salmones de pulcesoribus qui inve-
niri possunt, quos invenient custodes maneriorum,
scillingas. Hedenham duos salmones. Derente duos
salmonest Stokes duos salmones. Frendesberia
tres partes de uno salmone. Est denintone quartam
partem. Suthflete dimidiurn salmonem.
[W]ldeham dimidium salmonem.

Translation

Alternatives for salmon:

Concerning Wouldham, concerning Southfleet, concerning Frindsbury, concerning Denton, concerning Stoke: four salmon, alternatives in sturgeon, shillings, in 32 pieces.

Concerning Frindsbury and Stoke, 30 lambs at Easter. These are the bishops as per the charter of Bishop Gundulf.

Concerning salmon that are paid to the Refectory:

In the refectory eight salmon of the best looking which can be found by the custodians of the manor, or shillings. Haddenham two salmon. Darneth two salmon. Stoke two salmon. Frindsbury three parts of one salmon. And Denton a quarter part. Southfleet half a salmon. Wouldham half a salmon.

Almsgiving for Ernulf, Bishop of Rochester, c.1235

This details the dues to be paid as alms to the poor on the anniversary of Ernulf. Ernulf (1115-1124) was the ruling bishop when Textus Roffensis was produced.

Transcription

67r (select folio number to open facsimile)

De Ernulfo Roffensi Episcopo. Elemosina in anniversario Ernulfi episcopi pauperibus distribuenda.
De ecclesia de Hedenham panem valentem XV solidos.
In Refectorio fratribus piscem vel aliquid aliud valenis
sexdecim solidos.

Translation

For Ernulf Bishop of Rochester:

Alms on the anniversary of Bishop Ernulf to be distributed to the poor.

The church of Haddenham, bread worth 15 shillings.

In the Refectory of the brothers, fish or some other valuing sixteen shillings.

Almsgiving for Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester, c.1235

This details the dues to be paid as alms to the poor on the anniversary of Gundulf.

Transcription

66v (select folio number to open facsimile)

De Gundulfo episcopo Roffensi. Elemosina in anniversario patris nostri Gundulfi episcopi
pauperibus distribuenda. Frendesberia XXVII denarios.
Denitune novem denarios.

67r

Suthflete oaodecim denarios.
WIdeham octodecim denarios.
Hedenham quatuor solidos.
Celerarius quadraginta denarios.
Sacrista quadraginta denarios.
Camerarius quadraginta denarios.

Translation

For Gundulf Bishop of Rochester:

Alms on the anniversary of Bishop Gundulf to be distributed to the poor.
Denton 11 shillings.
Southfleet 11 shillings.
Wouldham 8 shillings.
Haddenham 4 shillings.
The cellarer 40 shillings.
The sacrist 40 shillings.
The Chamberlain 40 shillings.

Payments of Romescot, c.1235

A list of the payments of Romescot, an annual contribution to the Roman see due from various southern English cathedrals. Of the fifteen cathedrals listed, Rochester has the second lowest annual payment of just 112 shillings (£5 and 12 shillings). The highest is £21 and 10 shillings for Norwich. In comparison, the Archbishop of Canterbury, listed first, owed a modest £7 and 17 shillings. Important historically. Romescot, better known as Peter’s Pence, was a ‘voluntary’ tax or levy against each household to the See of Rome. Practically, one presumes the householders paid their debt to their local church who in turn forwarded it to the cathedral churches, hence the cathedral’s are obliged to raise and pay the amounts listed in the Rochester custumal. Romescot originated in eight-century Anglo-Saxon England (Old English scot means ‘payment’). In 1031 King Cnut wrote a letter to the clergy outlining the levy as one penny on each hearth or household with an annual rental of 30 pence or more. In the 13th century, probably due to widespread avoidance of the payment, the revenue arising from the tax was stabilised at an annual sum of £20 1s. 9d for the whole of England. However, Pope Clement V (1305-1314) pressed to have the levy returned to the ancient basis of one penny per household – obviously more rewarding. The figures given in the Rochester custumal list suggest that these payments reflect the penny-per-household model.

Transcription

27r (select folio number to open facsimile)

_Romiscoth de Anglia;
Archiepiscopatus Canterberiensis: Vll· libras et XVII· solidos.
Eboracensis: XI· lib. et ·X· solidos.
Wintoniensis episcopatus: XVII· Libras.
Lincolniensis: XLII· Libras.
Northwicensis: XXI· libras et X· solidos.
Exoniensis: IX· libras et ·V· solidos.
Herfordensis: VI· libras.
Cestrensis: IX· lib. & ·V· solidos.
Roffensis: C· et ·XII· solidos.
Londoniensis: ·XVI· libras et ·X· solidos.
Salesberiensis: XVII libras.
Eliensis: C· solidos.
Cicestrensis: VIII· Libras.
Batoniensis: XI· libras et V· solidos.
Wigornensis: XI libras et V· solidos.
Dunolmensis pertinet ad Eboracensem Archiepiscopum.

Translation

Romescot of England:

Archbishop of Canterbury 7 pounds and 17 shillings.
York 11 pounds and 10 shillings.
Bishopric of Winchester 17 pounds.
Lincoln 40 pounds.
Norwich £11 and 10 shillings.
Exeter £11 and 5 shillings.
Hereford 6 pounds.
Chester: 9 pounds and 5 shillings.
Rochester 112 shillings.
London: 16 pounds and 10 shillings.
Salisbury: 17 pounds.
Ely: 100 shillings.
Chichester: 8 pounds.
Bath: 11 pounds and 5 shillings.
Worcester: 11 pounds and 5 shillings.
Durham pertains to the Archbishop of York.

Church payments for Chrism oil, c.1123

A record of the churches within the Diocese of Rochester that pay to receive Chrism (holy anointing oil). Translation of Textus Roffensis, folios 220v-222r by Jacob Scott (pending review). Introduction by Joseph Miller, Dean’s Verger. Chrism oil is still distributed from the Cathedral to the churches of the diocese today. The Blessing of the Oils takes place at the Chrism Eucharist on Maundy Thursday. Three types of oil are blessed by the Bishop during this service and are used by the clergy throughout the following year in the exercise of various aspects of their ministry: Baptism, Chrism, and Oil of the Infirm (Sick). The oils are presented within the service by specially appointed oil deacons. The oils having been blessed are bagged in bottled sets of three and collected by the diocesan clergy following the service. The remaining oil is transferred to glass containers and put into reservation for the remainder of the year; immediately prior to the following Maundy Thursday the oil is put to ground and the process started again. The Cathedral today doesn’t charge for this service!

Folio

Transcription

Translation (see Translation Notes)

220v (select folio number to open facsimile)

De numero ecclesiarum Rofensis episcopatus

Concerning the number of churches within the Rochester episcopate

& de reddittibus quos singulæ reddunt quando

and the amounts each pays when they

accipiunt sanctum crisma a matre ecclesia episcopatus.

receive the holy chrism from the mother church of the episcopate.

Tonebrigga, reddit nouem denarios.

Tonbridge, pays nine silver coins.

barindena . ix denarios. Ealdinga ix denarios.

Barinden, nine silver coins. Yalding nine silver coins.

Lega ix denarios Brancesle .ix. denarios. Hors-

Leigh nine silver coins. Brenchley nine silver coin.

bundenne .ix. denarios. Theudelei .ix. denarios. Lam-

Horsmonden nine silver coins. Tudeley nine silver coins.

burherste .ix. denarios. Peppingeberia .ix. denarios.

Lamberhurst nine silver coins. Pembury nine silver coins.

Speldherste .ix. denarios. Wotringaberia. ix.

Speldhurst nine silver coins. Wateringbury nine

.ix. denarios. Eastpecham .ix. denarios. West pecham .ix. denarios.

silver coins. East Peckham nine silver coins. West Peckham nine silver coins.

East Eearnlega .ix. denarios. Becceham .ix. denarios.

East Farleigh nine silver coins. Beckenham nine silver coins.

Trottescliui .ix. denarios. Ciselherste .ix. denarios.

Trottescliffe nine silver coins. Chislehurst nine silver coins.

Cudena .ix. denarios. Aeischerste .ix. denarios. Aeiles-

Cowden nine silver coins. Ashurst nine silver coins.

ford .ix. denarios. Berlingis .ix. denarios. Meallin-

Aylesford nine silver coins. Birling nine silver coins.

gis .ix. denarios. Codeham .ix. denarios. Reiersce

East Malling nine silver coins. Cudham nine silver coins. Ryarsh

.ix. denarios. Offeham .ix. denarios. dictuna .ix. denarios.

nine silver coins. Offham nine silver coins. Ditton nine silver coins.

Huntintune .ix. denarios. Netlesteda .ix. denarios.

Hunton nine silver coins. Nettlested nine silver coins.

Burcham .ix. denarios. Wlydam .ix. denarios. Sancta

Burham nine silver coins. Wouldham nine silver coins. Saint

margarita .ix. denarios. Caetham .ix. denarios.

Margaret nine silver coins. Chatham nine silver coins.

Sancti Clemens .ix. denarios. Cuclestena .ix. denarios.

Saint Clements nine silver coins. Cuxton nine silver coins.

Hallingis .ix. denarios. Snodlande .ix. denarios.

Halling nine silver coins. Snodland nine silver coins.

Wroteham .ix. denarios. Meapeham .ix. denarios.

Wrotham nine silver coins. Meopham nine silver coins.

Pennes herste .ix. denarios. Ehteham .ix. denarios.

Penshurst nine silver coins. Ightham nine silver coins.

Cadintuna .ix. denarios. Lisna .ix. denarios. Leuese-

Addington nine silver coins. Erith nine siver coins

ham .ix. denarios.

Lewisham nine silver coins.

221r

[ ] Erde .ix. denarios.

[ ] Crayford nine silver coins.

Wilinentuna .ix. denarios. Lullingestuna .ix. denarios.

Wilmington nine silver coins. Lullingstone nine silver coins.

Le .ix. denarios. Maruurtha .ix. denarios. Wester-

Lee nine silver coins. Mereworth nine silver coins.

ha’ .ix. denarios. Watlande .ix. denarios. Cimi-

Westerham nine silver coins. Woodlands nine silver coins.

singa .ix. denarios. Wicham .ix. denarios. Brade-

Kemsing, nine silver coins. Wicham nine silver coins.

steda .ix. denarios. Faermingeham .ix. denarios. Ha-

Brasted nine silver coins. Farningham nine silver coins.

selholte .ix. denarios. Readlega .ix. denarios.

Hadlow nine silver coins. Ridley nine silver coins.

Aisce .ix. denarios. Herclei .ix. denarios. Sunder-

Ash nine silver coins. Hartley nine silver coins.

ersce .ix. denarios. Mapeldreskampe .ix. denarios.

Sundridge nine silver coins. Maplescombe nine silver coins.

Heure .ix. denarios. Scorham .ix. denarios. Hludes-

Hever nine silver coins. Shoreham nine silver coins.

dune .ix. denarios. Otteford .ix. denarios. Rokes-

Ludsdown nine silver coins. Otford nine silver coins.

se .ix. denarios. Leleburna .ix. denarios. Culinga.

Ruxley nine silver coins. Leybourne nine silver coins. Cowling

ix. denarios. Juelda .ix. denarios. Cidingestane .ix.

nine silver coins. Ifield nine silver coins. Chiddingstone nine

.ix. denarios. Terstana .ix. denarios. Ailentune

nine silver coins. Teston nine silver coins. Allington

Freondesbyri .ix. denarios. Lilecirce .ix. denarios.

Frindsbury nine silver coins. Lillechurch nine silver coins.

Heahham .ix. denarios. Cobbeham .ix. denarios. Scoene

Higham nine silver coins. Cobham nine silver coins. Shorne

.ix. denarios. Halgesto .ix. denarios. Hnutstede.

nine silver coins. High Halstow nine silver coins. Nurstead

.ix. denarios. Sca’ wereburh dehou .ix. denarios.

nine silver coins. Saint Werburgh in Hoo nine silver coins.

Dereuuoldes treop .ix. denarios. Ordmares-

Dode nine silver coins. All Hallows/St. Mary's

circe dehou .ix. denarios. Dodes circe .ix. denarios.

Church in Hoo nine silver coins. Dode Church nine silver coins.

Deremannes cirte. dehou .ix. denarios. Clue

All Hallows/St. Mary's Church in Hoo nine silver coins. Cliffe

.ix. denarios. Falkenham .ix. denarios. Denituna .ix.

nine silver coins. Fawkham nine silver coins. Denton nine

denarios. Meletuna .ix. denarios. Grauesaende.

silver coins. Milton nine silver coins. Gravesend

221v

ix. denarios. Eadelmesbrege .ix. denarios. Stokes.

nine silver coins. Edenbridge nine silver coins. Stoke

ix. denarios. Grean .ix. denarios. Gilesfeld .ix. denarios.

nine silver coins. Grain nine silver coins. Chelsfield nine silver coins.

Celca .ix. denarios. Northcrai .ix. denarios. Rodulfes

Chalk nine silver coins. North Cray nine silver coins. Rudolf’s

crai .ix. denarios. Fotescrai .ix. denarios. Nordfleotes.

Cray nine silver coins. Foots Cray nine silver coins. Northfleet

.ix. denarios. Sudfleotes .ix. denarios. Bixle .ix. denarios.

nine silver coins. Southfleet nine silver coins. Bexley nine silver coins.

Suaneskape .ix. denarios. Haltesteda .ix. denarios. Deren-

Swanscombe nine silver coins. Halstead nine silver coins.

te. .ix. denarios. [ ] Derte-

Darenth nine silver coins.

ford .ix. denarios. Sud clerente .ix. denarios. Sud-

Dartford nine silver coins. South Darenth nine silver coins.

tuna .ix. denarios. Stanes .ix. denarios. Orpingtu-

Sutton-at-Hone nine silver coins. Stone nine silver coins.

na .ix. denarios. Hortune .ix. denarios. Plustede

Orpington nine silver coins. Horton Kirby nine silver coins. Plumstead

.ix. denarios. Bromlega .ix. denarios. Aelteham .ix.

nine silver coins. Bromley nine silver coins. Eltham nine

denarios. Witcham .ix. denarios. Cerlentune¹ .ix. denarios.

silver coins. Wickham nine silver coins. Charlton nine silver coins.

Greneuuic .ix. denarios. West greneuuic² .ix. denarios.

Greenwich nine silver coins. West Greenwich nine silver coins.

Wleuuic .ix. denarios. Gillingeham³ .ix. denarios.

Woolwich nine silver coins. Gillingham nine silver coins.

Bearmlinges⁴ .ix. denarios. [ ] .ix. denarios.

Barming nine silver coins. [ ] nine silver coins.

Seouenaca .ix. denarios. Meallingetes⁵ .ix. denarios.

Sevenoaks nine silver coins. Malling nine silver coins.

De capellis. Bitteberga. reddit sex de-

The chapels: Bidborough, pays six

narios. Chitebroc .vi. denarios. Comba .vi. denarios.

silver coins. Kidbrooke six silver coins. (Westcombe in Greenwich?) six silver coins.

Strodes .vi. denarios. Capella de hou .vi. denarios.

Strood six silver coins. The chapel at Hoo six silver coins.

[ ]. Hal-

gelei .vi. denarios. Aeflingeham .vi. denarios. West-

Hawley six silver coins. Aflingeham(?) six silver coins.

cliue .vi. denarios. Greuuic .vi. denarios. Stanste-

West Cliff six silver coins. Greenwich six silver coins.

de .vi. denarios. Thorinduna .vi. denarios. Lindisinge.

Stanstead six silver coins. Thorinduna(?) six silver coins. Lidsing

vi. denarios. Mersctuna .vi. denarios. Lullingestana .vi. denarios.

six silver coins. Merston six silver coins. Lullingstone six silver coins.

222r

Hescendena. Bearmlingetes .vi. denarios

Nashenden and Barming six silver coins.

Cusintune. Bearlesteda. Graie.

Cossington, Bearstead, Grain,

Cretenersce. Sciburna. Helle .vi. denarios

Greatness, Shipbourne, Helle (St Margarets in Darenth), six silver coins.

Fearnberge. vi. denarios. Sancti Leonardus.

Farnborough six silver coins. Saint Leonard’s

Lilintuna. Sancta Maria decastello.

Linton. Saint Mary at the Castle.

Jacob Scott

Research Guild

With thanks for the notes of Dr Christopher Monk and the research of the Kemsing Heritage Centre and Sevenoaks Society.

Footnotes

Use your browsers 'back' button to jump back to the text.

1 An annotation ‘Chitebroc’ in the margin is possibly linked to Cerlentune.

2 An annotation ‘Comba’ in the margin is linked to Greneuuic.

3 An annotation ‘Greine. Lidisinga’ (Grain, Lidsing) in the margin is possibly linked to Gillingeham, although it’s symbol is truncated by the edge of the folio.

4 An annotation ‘Bearmlingetes’ in the margin is linked to Bearmlinges.

5 An annotation ‘Sc’i Leonard’’ in the margin is linked to Meallingetes (i.e. St Leonard’s Church in Malling).

Duties of the Steward of St Andrew’s Priory, Rochester, c.1235

Translation

Concerning the steward: what he ought to do.

The steward must always be at the ready for all matters with the prior, or with the cellarer, or with any other person, or for those things which by himself alone are discharged outside the court.  He also must make presents for guests if such are being sent to persons who are being lodged in town. As long as he is at the house [i.e. at the monastery], he always has the allowance of a single monk, but when absent, he gets nothing.  He ought to carry a staff in hand and in the guest hall to arrange the seating at table.  His annual stipend is 10 shillings.  And whenever he rides with the prior or cellarer outside the gate for business of the house, he has a servant to discharge his duties, who serves the guests in the guest house and draws ale; and he [the steward] carries presents for guests with the agreement of the cellarer wherever he wishes to send them; and he will have daily from the cellar the bread of a squire/attendant and a bowl of ale and from the kitchen just the same as one in the guest house.  The steward also ought to have the bishop’s household under his charge.

Watch and ward list, c.1337

Item 221, fols. 232v-234r in the original codex – a digital reproduction is available here; a printed version can be found in Textus Roffensis. Accedunt, Professionum antiquorum Angliae Episcoporum Formulae, de Canonica obedientia Archiepiscopis Cantuariensibus praestanda, et Leonardi Hutteni Dissertatio, Anglice conscripta, de Antiquitatibus Oxoniensibus (Oxford, 1720), pp, 236-242.

At first, this document seems a rather incongruous addition to the Textus’ other contents, both in date and subject matter, but the reason can be found early in the list itself: the prior of Rochester was expected to provide three ‘men-at-arms’ or armoured horsemen to help patrol the sea-coast on the Hoo peninsula.

The list was drawn up at the very beginning of the Hundred Years War. Edward III was then planning to go to France, to conduct a campaign in either Flanders or Guyenne and he needed to ensure that his own country was protected during his absence. In the previous year French ships had raided the port of Orford in Suffolk.¹ On 21 August 1337, the King ordered the sheriff of Kent:

to cause proclamation to be made in cities, boroughs, market towns and other fit places that archbishops, bishops, all abbots and priors and other ecclesiastical persons, earls, barons, knights, lords of towns, merchants and other rich people of that county, shall be at Rochester on the morrow of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross next, to hear the king’s intention and will concerning the defence of the realm against the king of France, who is waging war on it, which will be set forth to them by those whom the king will send for this, making known to them that if they refuse to come, the king will punish them as disobedient.²

On the same day, the king appointed John de Stratford, archbishop of Canterbury, and William de Clynton, earl of Huntingdon, both responsible for the defence of Kent, to impart the king’s ‘intention and will’ to the county’s landowners. However, because the earl and the archbishop had pressing duties elsewhere, they were replaced on the following day by Hamo de Hethe, bishop of Rochester, John de Sheppey, prior of Rochester, John de Cobeham and Thomas de Aldon.³ When the assembly was subsequently held at Rochester on 15 September, perhaps in the cathedral itself or more likely in the hall of the nearby castle, the county’s elite agreed to - or were told - who would be providing the individual watches and wards, the number of men required, and the portions of coastline they would be guarding, from the Hoo Peninsula all the way round to Dungeness. This list was drawn up by Huntingdon, who was able to attend this assembly despite his pressing duties elsewhere, together with de Cobeham and de Aldon.⁴ All, or a part of it, was subsequently copied into the Textus Roffensis, where it served as an aide memoire to the prior and his successors on their obligations. John de Sheppey, the prior at the time, later succeeded Hamo de Hethe as bishop and subsequently became the treasurer of England. His magnificent effigy, in its original polychrome, can still be seen in the cathedral today.⁵ The prior was expected to provide three men-at-arms, with eleven more supplied by seven other local landowners, making a total of fourteen. They were supplemented by seven ‘hobelars’ or mounted infantrymen, probably armed with longbows.⁶ These latter soldiers were named individually in the list and seem to have lived in the area concerned, one coming from Cliffe and another from Higham. Their collective task was to patrol the area along the ‘Yenlade in Hoo’ to prevent any French raiders landing there. In addition, the local communities between Dartford and Strood were expected to provide nine men to keep watch at night, ‘according to ancient practice.’ These may have been based at Cliffe and Hoo, where in later times warning beacons were ordered to be set up and which may already have been in place.⁷ The ‘Yenlade’ or Yantlet used to be a navigable creek that separated the Isle of Grain from the rest of the Hoo peninsula, crossed by a single bridge. During medieval times and beyond, it provided a sheltered passageway for smaller craft to traverse the water between the Thames and Medway estuaries.⁸ As most of the coastline of the Hoo peninsula consisted of marshland, the Yantlet creek seems to have been the most likely point where any French raiders could make a landing. The 17th-century map of Kent in John Speed’s The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain in the Chapter Library shows Yantlet creek separating the Isle of Grain from the rest of the Hoo Peninsula. Similar watches and wards were also provided for Sheppey, Thanet, and Kentish coastline beyond. Only those are far as Walmer are included in the Textus list, where it abruptly ends. Why it terminates here is not clear. Perhaps a further folio, containing the rest of the list was lost before the Textus was bound in its present binding. Fortunately, a more complete version can now be found in the British Library, bound at the end of Additional Manuscript No. 38006. This lists the same defensive arrangements that can be found in the Textus but continues all the way round the coast to Dungeness. The same manuscript also contains an updated version of the list, which was compiled after Easter 1346 by John de Cobeham, Roger de Northwood, Thomas de Brockhull and the sheriff of Kent, William Langley. This was the year in which Edward III invaded France with a large army, resulting in his famous victory at Crecy. In this revised list, only the bishop and prior of Rochester are listed as being responsible for the ward at ‘Yenlade in Hoo’. This fuller version is probably the source of the list found printed in Philipott’s ‘Villare Cantianum.’⁹ Just a year after the list was compiled, the watch and ward system would have been put into operation in earnest. Portsmouth was sacked and burnt in March and a devastating raid was also made on Southampton in early October. It was also thought that the French would attempt to land on the Isle of Sheppey and that they would go on to attack London. With the king absent abroad, on 14 October 1338 the keeper of the realm and the king’s council sent letters to the bishop and prior of Rochester, Sir Philip de Pympe, and other landowners in Kent commanding them to send men-at-arms and archers urgently to Sheppey to defend it.¹⁰ This was no doubt in addition to their existing duties, ensuring that other sections of the Kentish coastline were patrolled and watched. It is therefore likely that the prior’s three horsemen and their counterparts spent many weary hours in the saddle that autumn, making sure that the French did not also land in the Hoo peninsula. There was no let-up in the following year, with the French first attacking Harwich, followed by further descents on Southampton, Plymouth, and the Isle of Wight. Thereafter various attempts were made to attack the Kent and Sussex coasts, but only Hastings was successfully sacked and burnt. On this occasion, William de Dene recorded in his chronicle, the Historia Roffensis, that Bishop Hamo de Hethe provided six men-at-arms with ‘covered’ or barded horses (sex homines ad arma cum equis coopertis) to help defend the Kent coast from the attacks made by the French fleet.¹¹ It was only after that fleet was defeated and destroyed by Edward III himself at the battle of Sluys in 1340, that the prior’s busy men-at-arms would have found some rest at last from their onerous duties.¹²

Randolph Jones

Transcription and translation

The ‘Watch and Ward’ for Yantlet in Hoo, 1337

Watch

Hundred of Number of men to provide

Hoo 2

Malling 1

Shamel¹³ 5

Dartford 1

Total 9

Ward

Men-at-arms¹⁴

Prior of Rochester 3

Philip de Pympe, Knight¹⁵ 2

Thomas Malmayns¹⁶ 2

John de Frenyngham¹⁷ 2

Stephen de Dalham¹⁸ 1

Thomas Walram 1

John Giffard 2

Henry de Greffort 1

Total 14

Hobelars

Roger de Estcheker 1

John att Forde 1

Robert Vyannde 1

Henry Lomer 1

Robert le Ram 1

John Mortemere de Clyve 1

Michael Sunna de Hieham¹⁹ 1

Total 7

Footnotes

Use your browsers 'back' button to jump back to the text.

1 Jonathan Sumption, The Hundred Years War: Vol. I. Trial by Battle (London, 1990), p. 164.

2 CCR 1337-39, pp. 254, 255.

3 CPR 1334-38, pp. 502, 504.

4 For careers of these three men see: Matthew Raven, ‘William Clinton, Earl of Huntingdon, and the county of Kent: a study in magnate service under Edward III,’ Archaeologia Cantiana, Vol. 142 (2021), pp. 59-80, Nigel Saul, Death, Art, and Memory in Medieval England. The Cobham Family and their Monuments 1300-1500 (Oxford 2001), pp. 19-20; Dorothy Gardiner, ‘The Manor of Boughton Aluph and Sir Thomas de Aldon,’ Archaeologia Cantiana, Vol. 50 (1939), pp. 122-130.

5 For Sheppey’s biography, see the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

6 Summary at the end of this list erroneously mentions a total of 12 men-at-arms and 6 hobelars for the Yantlet ward.

7 CPR 1377-81, p. 77.

8 Edward Hasted, The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent, Vol. 4 (Canterbury, 1798), pp 250-1.

9 Thomas Philipott, Villare Cantianum: or Kent surveyed and illustrated (London, 1659), pp. 4-7. This source states that the prior of Rochester was responsible for providing eight men-at-arms, but this is an error.

10 CCR 1337-39, p, 609; Thomas Rymer (ed.), Foedera, Conventiones, Litterae, et cujuscunque generis Acta Publica, inter Reges Angliae (London-1821), Vol. II, part II, p. 1026; Sumption, The Hundred Years War, pp. 248-9.

11 Henry Wharton, Anglia Sacra, sive Collectio Historiarum, Partim antiquitus, partim recenter scriptarum, de Archiepiscopis & Episcopis Angliae, a prima Fidei Christianae susceptione ad Annum MDXL (London, 1691), vol. 1, p. 374.

12 Sumption, Hundred Years War, pp. 261-5.

13 The Hundred of Shamel contained the parishes of Halling, Cuxton, Cobham (part), Shorne, Chalk, Denton, Merston, Higham, Cliffe, Cooling, Frindsbury, and Strood.

14 All of these men are mentioned in the Kent Lay Subsidy of 1334/5, though not all necessarily in connection with the Hundreds of Hoo and Shamel. See H.A. Hanley and C.W. Chalklin (eds.), The Kent Lay Subsidy of 1334/59 (1961), available online here

15 Frequently sitting in parliament as a knight of the shire for Kent, Sir Philip’s principal seat was at Pympe’s Court, Nettlestead, but he also held an estate in Allhallows on the Hoo peninsula. See Hasted, Survey of Kent, Vol. 4, p. 29.

16 In the Kent Lay Subsidy of 1334/5, Thomas was assessed for 9s. 10½d. for property held in the Hundred of Hoo. He held three quarters of a knight’s fee in Stoke. Hasted, Survey of Kent, p. 39.

17 John de Frenyngham or Farningham.

18 In the Kent Lay Subsidy of 1334/5, Stephen de Delham was assessed for 8s. 3¾d. for property held in the Hundred of Hoo and 4s. 7¾d. in the Hundred of Shamwell.,

19 Possibly ‘Michael Somers’.

Requiem Masses performed for benefactors to St Andrew’s Priory, Rochester, c.1235

Transcription

68r (select folio number to open facsimile)

What is to be done for our benefactors on their anniversary days and how we ought to include them at Mass for the dead.

Anniversaria tria principalia similiter celebrantur, Gundulfi, Ernulfi, Lanfranci. Qua>rus Radulfi scilicet archiepiscopi, ubi cantor duobus sibi as[ci]tis {cf. ascire, to engage as assistant} chorum tenere debet, et tria signa maio[ra] cum ceteris.

The three principal anniversaries are celebrated alike, Gundulf’s, Ernulf’s and Lanfranc’s – a fourth less so, namely Archbishop Ralph’s – where the cantor must lead the choir with two responding to him;¹ and three greater [bell] signals,² as well as the others.³

Vii idus Januarii obiit Odo Baiecensis [Thorpe has ‘Baiocensis’] episcopus, cappa j myssa ad minus altare, ij, R/, ij, K/. Signum grossum unum cum ceteris in parua turri.

7th January,⁴ Odo bishop of Bayeux died.⁵ 1 cope;⁶ Mass at the lesser altar; 2 [?responses; or Requiescant in pace (May they rest in peace), also known as Requiem aeternam ] 2 Kyrie eleison. One great bell, as well as the others in the small tower.

23rd January,⁷ Bishop Anselm [Ascelin] died.⁸ 2 copes, 3 ?responses/RIPs, 3 ?Kyrie eleison. Two great bells [or the great bell twice]. Mass at the greater altar.⁹

2nd February,¹⁰ for William son of Anfrid,¹¹ the same as for Odo.

10th March,¹² Lord Bishop Gundulf,¹³ of affectionate memory, founder of our church, died.

15th March,¹⁴ Bishop Ernulf,¹⁵ of adored memory, died.

20th April,¹⁶ Prior Ralph.¹⁷ 1 cope, one candelabrum.

10th May,¹⁸ for Countess Goda,¹⁹ the same as for Odo.

28th May,²⁰ Lord Archbishop Lanfranc,²¹ of affectionate memory, died.

21st June,²² for Bishop John,²³ the same as for Anselm, 2 candelabra.²⁴

24th June,²⁵ for Bishop [Gilbert],²⁶ the same as for Anselm.

26th June,²⁷ for Hugo abbot of St Augustine’s,²⁸ the same as for Anselm.

17th May,²⁹ for William de Helles, the same as for Anselm.

8th July,³⁰ in commemoration of fathers and mothers, the same as for Anselm.

16th July,³¹ for Bishop Arnost,³² the same as for Prior Ralph.

26th July,³³ for Bishop Walter,³⁴ the same as for Anselm.

2nd August,³⁵ for King William,³⁶ the same as for Odo.

12th August,³⁷ for Offa,³⁸ the same as for Odo.

29th August,³⁹ for Bishop Waleran,⁴⁰ the same as for Anselm.

9th September,⁴¹ for King William.⁴²

6th October,⁴³ for John de Beseville, the same as for Odo.

14th October,⁴⁴ for Bishop Siward,⁴⁵ the same as for Odo.

20th October,⁴⁶ Lord Archbishop Ralph died.⁴⁷

23rd October,⁴⁸ for Prior Silvester,⁴⁹ the same as for Ralph.

25th October,⁵⁰ for King Stephen,⁵¹ the same as for Ralph.

27th October, ⁵² for Hanfrid and Amabel, ⁵³ the same as for Odo.

2nd December,⁵⁴ for King Henry,⁵⁵ 1 cope and 2 great [bell] signals.

19th December,⁵⁶ for Bishop Benedict, ⁵⁷ the same as for Anselm.

Et nota quod hic et in omnibus quando constant duo Kyrie elieson, Requiem aeternam, ii. diaconus et subdiaconus casulas habebunt et duo candelabra. Quando cantant ad maius altare non erunt plures collecte [Thorpe], nisi due.

And it should be noted that here, and in all things, when they establish/agree two Kyrie elieson, two Requiem aeternam, the deacon and subdeacon will have chasubles and two candelabra.

When they sing at the greater altar [high altar] there will be no more than two collections.⁵⁸

Footnotes

1 ‘responding’: or ‘engaged as assistants’, Latin ascitis, from ascire; see DMLBS, ascire: logeion.uchicago.edu [accessed 06.12.18]. This may be alluding to how, in the Mass, the cantor sings the ‘Responsorial Psalm’ and the congregation takes part by means of the response; see The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, 2011), p. 14: liturgyoffice.org.uk [accessed 06.12.18].

2 Probably meaning one of the named bells in the great tower of Rochester Cathedral was to be struck three times; this is suggested by a passage concerning the duties of the church attendants, recorded in Custumale Roffense (fol. 58r): ‘Also, in the great tower, during dinner on the principal feast days, they make three strikes of a great bell, either Bretun or Thalebot.’ Allusion to bells being rung for the dead is also recorded in this section of the manuscript (fol. 58r-v): ‘When from the community a body of the deceased laity is received, according to whom the person is, it may be accepted; and, as it pleases the sacristan, bells in the great tower, many or few, may be struck.’

3 ‘as well as the others’, probably indicating other bells in the smaller tower were rung too; see below.

4 Or ‘The 7th day before the ides of January’. Dates in this text use the Roman calendar – with its kalends (calends), nones, and ides – where days ‘before’ are counted inclusively; in other words, in this instance, the ides of January, i.e. 13th January, is the first of the seven days counting backwards, and thus we arrive at the 7th of January (not the 6th). For more on medieval English dating and calendars, see C. R. Cheney (ed.) and revised by Michael Jones, A Handbook of Dates for Students of British History: New Edition (Cambridge University Press, 2000); also the very useful website: medievalgenealogy.org.uk [accessed 05.12.18].

5 Bishop of Bayeux from 1049 until his death in 1097.

6 ‘It belongs to the master to regulate all things in the church, […] and that the copes in the second choir, when feast days occur, are carried in an orderly manner. He has nevertheless a man for himself who must with the second rank [attendant] strike and regulate the bells at processions’. From the same passage as above.

7 Or ‘The 10th day before the kalends of February’.

8 Or ‘Ancel’ (Latin Ancelus, abbreviated as Anceľ in the manuscript), probably a confusion of Anselm, the alternative name for this bishop of Rochester, who ruled from 1142 until his death in 1148. See ‘Ancel’ in DMNES. Handbook of British Chronology gives 24 January as his death.

9 The high altar.

10 Or ‘The 4th day before the nones of February’.

11 William of Allington (de Elintune), son of Sheriff Ansfrid (filius Ansfridi vicecomitis) is listed in Vespasian A. xxii; see Thorpe, Registrum Roffense, p.119; on Ansfrid of Allington, sheriff of Kent, see Martin Brett and Joseph A. Gribbin (eds), English Episcopal Acta 28: Canterbury 1070-1136 (Oxford University Press, 2004), pp. xlvi-xlvii.

12 Or ‘The 6th day before the ides of March’. Handbook of Chronology gives 7th March.

13 Bishop of Rochester from 1077 until his death in 1108.

14 Or ‘The ides of March’.

15 Bishop of Rochester from 1115 until his death in 1124.

16 Or ‘The 12th day before the kalends of May’.

17 Prior of Rochester; BHO gives ‘before 1107’, but this seems inaccurate as Gundulf was also prior during his bishopric, i.e. 1077-1108; see british-history.ac.uk [accessed 05.12.18]

18 Or ‘The 6th day before the ides of May’.

19 Goda, also known as Godgifu, died in 1055. Daughter of King Ethelred the Unready (r. 978-1013 and 1014-16) and his second wife Emma of Normandy (d. 1052); sister of King Edward the Confessor (r. 1042-66).

20 Or ‘The 5th day before the kalends of June’. Handbook gives death as 24th May.

21 Archbishop of Canterbury from 1070 until his death in 1089.

22 Or ‘The 11th day before the kalends of July’. BHO gives 20 June as his death, and 22nd as his commemoration.

23 Bishop of Rochester, from 1125 until his death in 1137.

24 The abbreviation ca. is used in the manuscript; Thorpe gives cappe ‘copes’ rather than ‘candelabra’.

25 Or ‘The 8th day before the kalends of July’.

26 The name has been erased from the manuscript. Bishop of Rochester from 1185 until his death in 1214.

27 Or ‘The 6th day before the kalends of July’.

28 Hugh of Trottiscliffe, former monk of Rochester, died 1151. BHO gives ‘the morrow of St. John Baptist’, i.e. 25th June as the date of his death: see british-history.ac.uk (accessed 05.12.18).

29 Or ‘The 16th day before the kalends of June’.

30 Or ‘The 8th day before the ides of July’.

31 Or ‘The 17th day before the kalends of August’.

32 Or ‘Ernost’; Ernust, correcting Ernulf, in the manuscript; the correction is rather clumsy. Bishop of Rochester, from 1075 until his death in 1076. Handbook of Chronology: 15 July 1076

33 Or ‘The 7th day before the kalends of August’.

34 Bishop of Rochester, from 1148 until his death in 1182.

35 Or ‘The 4th day before the nones of August’.

36 William II (‘Rufus’), r. 1087-1100.

37 Or ‘The 2nd day before the ides of August’.

38 Presumably King Offa of Mercia, r. 757-96. Check Handbook

39 Or ‘The 4th day before the kalends of September’.

40 Spelt Galeranno in the manuscript; Bishop of Rochester, from 1182 until his death in 1184.

41 Or ‘The 5th day before the ides of September’.

42 William I (‘the Conqueror’), r. 1066-1087.

43 Or ‘The 2nd day before the nones of October’.

44 Or ‘The 2nd day before the ides of October’. BHO gives 30th October as the commemoration date: british-history.ac.uk [accessed 05.12.18].

45 Bishop of Rochester, from 1058 until his death in 1075.

46 Or ‘The 13th day before the kalends of November’.

47 Ralph d’Escures, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1114 until his death in 1122, former Bishop of Rochester, 1108-14.

48 Or ‘The 10th day before the kalends of November’.

49 Prior of Rochester, from c. 1178 to c.1181; he probably died in office; see: british-history.ac.uk [accessed 06.12.18].

50 Or ‘The 8th day before the kalends of November’.

51 Stephen, reigned from 1135 to his death in 1154.

52 Or ‘The 6th day before the kalends of November’.

53 Or ‘Mabel’: Mabilia in the manuscript.

54 Or ‘The 4th day before the nones of December’.

55 Henry I, reigned from 1100 to his death in 1135; Henry died on 1st December.

56 Or ‘The 14th day before the kalends of January’.

57 Benedict of Sawston, Bishop of Rochester, from 1215 to his death in 1226. BHO gives the 18th December as the date of his death: british-history.ac.uk [accessed 06.12.18].

58 This appears to allude to the collection of alms during the Offertory Chant, the part of Mass which accompanies the procession of the bread and wine and their placement on the altar. See: liturgyoffice.org.uk, p. 17.

Sir Edward Dering, lst bart., of Surrenden Dering and his 'Booke of Expences' 1617-1628

Excommunication curse no. 8, mid-10th to 11th century

The first of two excommunication Curses for the expulsion of a person from the society of the Church.

This document is essentially ecclesiastical and relates to the expulsion of a person from the society of the Church. Tristram Shandy, the eighteenth-century novel by Laurence Sterne, borrows from this excommunication document found in Textus Roffensis. A section of the text was translated by Sterne for the notoriously long-winded curse of Obadiah. In no sense dull, it incorporates a passionate cursing of all parts of the excommunicated person’s body and bodily functions. It even manages to slip in an expletive or two!

Listen to Michael Wood reading from Excommunicatio VIII here.

Transcription

98r (select folio number to open facsimile)

Excommunicatio
_Ex auctoritate dei omnipotentis pa-
tris, et filii, et spiritus sancti, et sanctorum ca-
nonum, sanctaeque et intemeratae uirginis dei
genitricis mariae atque omnium caelesti-
um uirtutum, angelorum, archangelorum, throno-
rum, dominationum, potestatuum, cheru-
bin, ac seraphin, et sanctorum patriarcharum,
prophetarum, et omnium apostolorum et euangeli
starum, et sanctorum innocentum qui in con-
spectus agni soli digni inuenti sunt
canticum cantare nouum, et sanctorum
martyrum, et sanctorum confessorum, et sanctarum
uirginum, atque omnium simul sanctorum et
electorum dei. Excommunicamus et ana-
thematizamus hunc furem, uel
hunc malefactorem ameN. et a limini-
bus sanctae dei aecclesiae sequestramus, ut
aeternis suppliciis cruciandus man-
cipetur cum dathan et abiron, et cum his
qui dixerunt domino deo recede a nobis,
scientiam uiarum tuarum nolumus, et sicut
aqua ignis extinguitur, sic extingua-
tur lucerna eius in secula seculorum, nisi
resipuerit et ad satisfactionem uene-

98v

rit, amen. Maledicat illum deus pater,
qui hominem creauit. Maledicat
illum dei filius, qui pro homine passus
est. Maledicat illum spiritus sanctus, qui in
baptismo effusus est. Maledicat
illum sancta crux, quam christus pro nostra salu-
te hostem triumphans ascendit. Maledicat illum sancta dei genitrix et
perpetua uirgo maria. Maledicat
illum sanctus michael animarum susceptor
sacrarum. Maledicant illum omnes angeli
et archangeli, principatus et potestates,
omnisque militia caelestis exercitus.
Maledicat illum patriarcharum et
prophetarum, laudabilis numerus.Ma-
ledicat illum sanctus iohannes precursor et
baptista christi praecipuus. Maledicat
illum sanctus petrus et sanctus paulus, atque sanctus
andreas, omnesque christi apostoli simul et caeteri
discipuli, quattuor quoque euangelistae qui
sua predicatione mundum uniuersum
conuerterunt. Maledicat illum cune-
us martyrum et confessorum mirificus,
qui deo bonis operibus placitus inuentus
est. Maledicant illum sacrarum uir-

99r

ginum chori, quae mundi uana, causa ho-
noris christi respuenda contempserunt.
Maledicant illum omnes sancti qui ab initio
mundi usque in finem seculi, deo dilecti inue-
niuntur. Maledicant illum caeli et terra, et
omnia sancta in eis manentia. Maledictus
sit ubicunque fuerit, siue in domo, si-
ue in agro, siue in uia, siue in semita
siue in silua, siue in aqua, siue in aec-
clesia. Maledictus sit uiuendo, mo-
riendo, manducando, bibendo, esu-
riendo, sitiendo, ieiunando, dormitan-
do, dormiendo, uigilando, ambulan-
do, stando, sedendo, iacendo, operando,
quiescendo, mingendo, cacando, fle-
botomando. Maledictus sit, in totis ui-
ribus corporis. Maledictus sit, intus et
exterius. Maledictus sit, in capillis.
Maledictus sit in cerebro. Maledictus
sit in uertice, in temporibus, in fronte,
in auriculis, in superciliis, in oculis, in ge-
nis, in maxillis, in naribus, in dentibus
mordacibus, in labris, siue molibus, in la-
biis, in gutturae, in humeris, in har-
mis, in brachiis, in manibus, in digitis,

99v

in pectore, in corde, et in omnibus interi-
oribus stomachotenus, in renibus, in in-
guinibus, in in femore, in genitalibus, in
coxis, in genibus, in cruribus, in pedibus,
in articulis, et in unguibus. Maledi-
ctus sit in totis compaginibus membror-
um, a uertice capitis usque ad plantam
pedis, non sit in eo sanitas. Maledi-
cat illum christus filius dei uiui toto
suae maiestatis imperio, et insurgat ad-
uersus eum caelum cum omnibus uirtuti-
bus quae in eo mouentur ad damnandum
eum nisi poenituerit, et ad satisfacti-
onem uenerit, amen.
Fiat. Fiat. AMEN.

Translation

Excommunication:

By the authority of omnipotent God the Father, and of the Son, and of the spirit of the holy, and of the holy canons, Holy and the spotless of the Virgin Mary Mother of God and that of all of the celestial powers, the angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, powers, of the cherubim, and seraphims, and the saints of the patriarchs, prophets, and all the apostles and evangelists, a work of the soil, and of the holy innocents, who in the sight of the lamb, have been found to be worthy to sing the new song, and the saintly martyrs, and saintly confessors, and holy virgins, the saints, and at the same time all the elect of God. Excommunicate and anathematise this thief, or criminal, and for the threshold of the holy church to sequester the eternal punishment with Dathan and service, with those who said the god away from us, knowledge of your ways, such as water and fire it is extinguished, so let the light of him, forever and ever, unless it shall repent him and make satisfaction to these evil-doers are - they must be tortured and enslaved.

May he be cursed by God the Father, who created man.

May he be cursed by the Son of God, he who suffered for us.

May he be cursed by the Holy Spirit, who is in baptism discharged to us.

May he be cursed by the holy cross, which Christ for our salvation, triumphing over his enemies, went up.

May he be cursed by the Holy Mother and perpetual virgin. May he be cursed by the souls St. Michael advocated.

May he be cursed by all the angels and archangels, principalities and powers, and all the army of the warriors of heaven.

May he be cursed by the patriarchs and the prophets, praised their number.

May he be cursed by Saint John the first and the baptiser of Christ. May he be cursed by Saint Peter and Saint Paul, and by Saint Andrew, and all the disciples of Christ, and the rest of the apostles at the same time, and the evangelist, who preached over the entire world. May he be cursed by the martyrs and confessors pleasing to God.

May he be cursed by the Holy virgin choir, after futile things of the world, for the sake of honor, Christ rejected and despised.

May he be cursed by all the saints who from the beginning of the world until the end of the world, are found to be beloved of God.

May he be cursed by the heaven and the earth, and all the holy saints remaining therein.

May he be cursed wherever he is, whether in the house, or in the field, or on the road, or in the path, in the wood, or in the water, or in the church. May he be cursed in living, and in dying, in eating, drinking, in hunger and thirst, in fasting, sleeping; in slumbering, in walking, standing, sitting, lying, working, resting, in pissing, in shitting, and in bloodletting. May he be cursed by all the faculties of his body. May he be cursed inwardly and outwardly. May he be cursed in the hair in his head.

May he be cursed in the brains.

May he be cursed in his vertex[?], in his temples, in his forehead, in his ears, in his eyebrows, in his cheeks, in his jawbone, in his nostrils, in his foreteeth and in his grinders, his arms, his hands, his fingers, down to the very stomach, may he be cursed in his reigns, in his groin, in his thghs, in his genitals, in his hips, in his knees, in his legs, in his feet, and in his toenails.

May he be cursed in all the joints of the limbs, from the top of his head to the sole of the foot, even unto the head until there is no sanity in him.

May he be cursed by Christ the son of the living God, with all the powers of heaven at the command of his majesty, and let heaven rise up against him. Unless all the virtues that are move in him to condemn him, he repents, and comes to atonement, so be it.

Let it be done.

Let it be done.

So be it.

Excommunication curse no. 9, mid-10th to 11th century

Folio

Transcription

Translation (see Translation Notes)

99v (select folio number to open facsimile)

Excommunicatio

_Auctoritate dei patris omnipotentis,

et filii, et spiritus sancti, et beatae dei genitrices

MARIAE, omniumque sanctorum, et sanctorum canonum,

excommunicamus, anathematizamus, et a

liminibus sanctae matris aecclesiae sequestramus

illos malefactores. AmeN. consenta-

neos quoque uel participes, et nisi re-

sipuerint et ad satisfactionem uene-

rint, sic extinguatur lucerna eorum

100r

ante uiuentem… in secula seculorum.

Fiat. Fiat. AmeN.

Translation

Excommunication

By the authority of almighty God the Father, and the son, and the Holy Spirit, and Saint Mary, all the saints and holy canons, excommunicate, anathematise and sequester those doers from the bounds of holy mother church. So be it.

Those who agreed to participate, and do not repent or give a satisfactory answer, so extinguish the light in front of their living ... for ages and ages.

Let it be done. Let it be done. So be it.