Biography of King Eadred I of England -955

Charter s564. A.D. 955. King Eadred to Ælfheah, his kinsman and minister; grant of 8 hides (cassati) at Compton Beauchamp, Berks. Latin with English bounds

Archive: Abingdon

MSS: 1. London, British Library, Cotton Claudius B. VI, ff. 40v-41r (s. xiii in.)

Printed: K, 1172; Stevenson, Chron. Abingdon, i. 158-9; B, 908; Earle, pp. 383-4; PN Berks., iii. 692, bounds only; Kelly, Abingdon, no. 50

Comments: Stenton 1913, p. 41, cited; Grundy, Berks., III, pp. 87-9, on bounds; PN Berks., i. 3-4, ii. 346-7, 360, iii. 677, 692-4, bounds cover western part of parish of Compton Beauchamp; Hart, ECNE, pp. 19-22, discusses charter-type, which he terms 'Dunstan B'; Gelling, ECTV, no. 65, authentic; Keynes 1980, pp. 46-8, on charter-type; Keynes 1994, on charter-type, esp. pp. 174, 188; Abrams 1996, pp. 93-4, on possible links with Gl 77 (S 1735a); Kelly, Abingdon, no. 50, authentic

In the year of the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ 855, I, Eadred, by the favor of divine grace, king and chief ruler of all Albion, have most willingly granted a small portion of land, measured at eight cassati, to my minister Ælfheah, who is related to me by kinship, in the place called æt Cumtune, near the hill known as Æces dune.

I bestow this gift with the condition that after his death, he may leave it in perpetuity to whichever heir he chooses. If anyone—though we do not wish it—attempts to violate this donation, may he, unless duly punished in this world, suffer eternal torment in the next.

The boundaries of this piece of land are outlined as follows: These are the land boundaries at Cumtune: First, from Hricg weg to the wide gate, from the wide gate to Æþelmes hlinc at the edge of the hill, from Æþelmes hlinc to Icenhilde weg, from Icenhilde weg to Bican dic, from Bican dic into Swyn broc, from Swyn broc to the broad thorn west of the mere, from that thorn to the red ditch, along the ditch to Hildes hlæw, from Hildes hlæw to Blæc pytt, from Blæc pytt along the western rush row into Swyn broc, from Swyn broc to Read, from Read to Hwittuces hlæw at Icenhilde weg, from Icenhilde weg to Mæres crundel, from Mæres crundel to Dinra beorh, from Dinra beorh to Hricg weg, from Hricg weg to Fearn hylles slæde, from Fearn hylles slæde southward to Hæsl hyll, from Hæsl hyll westward to the green way, along the road to the trampled thicket, along the thicket until it reaches the wide gate east of Wayland's Smithy Long Barrow [Map].

The names of those who confirm this grant are recorded below: I, Oda, Archbishop, have given my consent. I, Wulfstan, Archbishop, have confirmed it. I, Ælfsige, Bishop, have confirmed it. I, Alfwold, Bishop, have corroborated it. I, Wulfsige, Bishop, have approved it. I, Osulf, Bishop, have agreed. I, Byrhtelm, Bishop, have established it. I, Cenwold, Bishop, have inspected it. I, Cynsige, Bishop, have subscribed to it. I, Leofwine, Bishop, have consented. I, Æþelstan, Duke. I, Eadmund, Duke. I, Ælfsige, Duke. I, Æþelsige, Minister. I, Ælfnoð, Minister. I, Ælfgar, Minister. I, Byrhferð, Minister."

Anno ab incarnatione Domini nostri Iesu Christi .dcccclv. Ego Eadred diuina gratia fauente rex et primicerius totius Albionis aliquantulam particulam Ælfheho ministro meo, mihi propinquitate coniuncto, sub estimatione .viii. cassatorum in loco qui dicitur æt Cumtune iuxta montem qui uocatur Æces dune libenter admodum concessi, eo tenore huius munificentie donum perstringens ut post obitum suum in perpetuum ius cuicumque uoluerit heredi derelinquat. Quod si quisque quod non optamus huiusce donationis cartulam infringere temptauerit, ni prius in hoc seculo digne castigetur, in futuro perenni cruciatu prematur. Et his limitibus hec telluris particula circumgirari uidetur. Ðis sint þæs landes gemære æt Cumtune. Ærest of Hricg wege on þæt wide geat, of þan widan geate on æþelmes hlinc on forwerde dune, of æþelmes hlince on Icen hilde weg, of Icenhilde wege on bican dic, of bicandice inon swyn broc, of swyn broce on þone bradan þorn be westan mere, of þan þorne on þa readan dic, 7lang þære dic on Hildes hlæw, of Hildes hlæwe on blæc pytt, of blæc pytte 7langes þære westran risc ræwe innan swynbroc, of swynbroce on read, of ræde on hwittuces hlæwe on Icen hilde weg, of Icenhilde wege on mæres crundel, of mæres crundelle on dinra beorh, of dinra beorge on Hricg weg, of Hricg wege on fearn hylles slæde, of fearn hylles slæde to hæsl hylle suþe weardre, of hæsl hylle west on þone grenan weg, 7lang weges to þære gedrifonan fyrh, andlang fyrh oþ hit cymð on þæt wide geat be eastan Welandes smiððan. Huius doni constipulatorum nomina inferius notata uidentur. + Ego Oda archiepiscopus consensi. + Ego Wulfstan archiepiscopus roboraui. + Ego Ælfsige episcopus roboraui. + Ego Alfwold episcopus corroboraui. + Ego Wulfsige episcopus suppressi. + Ego Osulf episcopus annui. + Ego Byrhtelm episcopus constitui. + Ego Cenwold episcopus conspexi. + Ego Cynsige episcopus subscripsi. + Ego Leofwine episcopus consensi. + Ego Æþelstan dux. + Ego Eadmund dux. + Ego Ælfsige dux. + Ego Æþelsige minister. + Ego Ælfnoð minister. + Ego Ælfgar minister. + Ego Byrhferð minister.

Rubric: Carta regis Eadredi de Cumtune. Anno ab incarnatione Domini nostri Iesu Christi .dcccclv. Ego Eadred diuina gratia fauente rex et primicerius totius Albionis aliquantulam particulam Ælfheho ministro meo, mihi propinquitate coniuncto, sub estimatione .viii. cassatorum in loco qui dicitur æt Cumtune iuxta montem qui uocatur Æces dune libenter admodum concessi, eo tenore huius munificentie donum perstringens ut post obitum suum in perpetuum ius cuicumque uoluerit heredi derelinquat. Quod si quisque quod non optamus huiusce donationis cartulam infringere temptauerit, ni prius in hoc seculo digne castigetur, in futuro perenni cruciatu prematur. Et his limitibus hec telluris particula circumgirari uidetur. ˘is sint ˇæs landes gemære æt Cumtune. Ærest of Hricg wege on ˇæt wide geat, of ˇan widan geate on æˇelmes hlinc on forwerde dune, of æˇelmes hlince on Icenhilde weg, of Icenhilde wege on bican dic, of bican dice inon swyn broc, of swyn broce on ˇone bradan ˇorn be westan mere, of ˇan ˇorne on ˇa readan dic, 7lang ˇære dic on hildes hlæw, of hildes hlæwe on blæc pytt, of blæc pytte 7langes ˇære westran risc ræwe innan swynbroc, of swynbroce on read, of rædea on hwittuces hlæwe on Icenhilde weg, of Icenhilde wege on mæres crundel, of mæres crundelle on dinra beorh, of dinra beorge on Hricg weg, of Hricg wege on fearn hylles slæde, of fearn hylles slæde to hæsl hylle suˇe weardre, of hæsl hylle west on ˇone grenan weg, 7lang weges to ˇære gedrifonan fyrh, andlang fyrh oˇ hit cym∂ on ˇæt wide geat be eastan Welandes smi∂∂an. Huius doni constipulatorum nomina inferius notata uidentur. + Ego Oda archiepiscopus consensi. + Ego Wulfstan archiepiscopus roboraui. + Ego Ælfsige episcopus roboraui. + Ego Alfwold episcopus corroboraui. + Ego Wulfsige episcopus suppressi. + Ego Osulf episcopus annui. + Ego Byrhtelm episcopus constitui. + Ego Cenwold episcopus conspexi. + Ego Cynsige episcopus subscripsi. + Ego Leofwine episcopus consensi. + Ego Æˇelstan dux. + Ego Eadmund dux. + Ego Ælfsige dux. + Ego Æˇelsige minister. + Ego Ælfno∂ minister. + Ego Ælfgar minister. + Ego Byrhfer∂ minister.

John of Worcester. 24 Jun 1070. The feast of St. John the Baptist being near, earl Asbiorn sailed to Denmark with the fleet which had wintered in the Humber; but his brother Sweyn (age 51) outlawed him, because he had accepted money from king William (age 42), to the great regret of the Danes. Edric, surnamed the Forester, a man of the most resolute courage, of whom we have spoken before, was reconciled with king William. After this, the king summoned from Normandy Lanfranc (age 65), abbot of Caen, a Lombard by birth, a man of unbounded learning, master of the liberal arts, and of both sacred and secular literature, and of the greatest prudence in counsel and the administration of worldly affairs; and on the day of the Assumption of St. Mary, appointed him archbishop of Canterbury, causing him to be consecrated at Canterbury on the feast of St. John the Baptist, being Sunday. He was consecrated by Giso, bishop of Wells, and Walter, bishop of Hereford, who were both ordained at Rome by pope Nicholas, when Aldred, archbishop of York, received the pallium,—for he evaded being ordained by Stigand, who then held the archbishopric of Canterbury, knowing him not to have received the pallium canonically. Bishop Heriman, who had already transferred the seat of his bishopric from Sherbourne to Salisbury, also assisted at his consecration, with some others. Afterwards, Lanfranc consecrated Thomas, archbishop of York. The suit of the reverend Wulfstan (age 62), bishop of Worcester, was again prosecuted, there being now a bishop who could advocate the cause of the church of York; and the affair was, by the aid of God's grace, decided at a council held at a place called Pedred, before the king, archbishop Lanfranc, and the bishops, abbots, earls, and lords of all England. All the groundless assertions by which Thomas and his abettors strove to humble the church of Worcester, and reduce her to subjection and servitude to the church of York, were, by God's just judgement, entirely refuted and negatived by written documents, so that Wulfstan not only recovered the possessions he claimed, but, by God's goodness, and the king's assent, regained for his see all the immunities and privileges freely granted to it by its first founders, the holy king Ethered, Oshere, sub-king of the Hwiccas, and the other kings of Mercia, Cenred, Ethelbald, Offa, Kenulf, [his father] Edward the Elder, [his half-brother] Athelstan, [his brother] Edmund, Edred, and Edgar.