Notes on a Saxon Charter of Higham

( 12 ) NOTES ON A SAXON CHARTER OF HIG-HAM. BY R. F. JESSUP, F.S.A. THERE is in the Cotton Manuscripts at the British Museum a grant of five ploughlands at Hehham by Offa, King of Mercia, to Jaenberht, Archbishop of Canterbury.1 Although the grant is dated A.D. 774 it is written in a hand that is obviously later than the eighth century, and on good authority it has been dated as much as two centuries later ; nevertheless the fact that it is a copy of an original does not in the least detract from its topographical interest. It has been weU published by the usual authorities,2 and Birch's reading has been checked with a photostat copy of the original. The topographical particulars have been discussed in some detail by WaUenberg,3 who correctly identifies several of the places named. The foUowing is an extract and translation of that portion of the text which deals with land boundaries : 41 aliquam partem terrae in loco qui dicitur hehham et huius terrae estimatio. v. aratrorum esse uidetur his notissimis confiniis oircum cincta. a circio maed ham. hinc per confinia ao leage, et sic iuxta waoterlea. dehino ad colling, sic per mam quae ducit ad eohinga burh in terram sancti androae. et sic per confinia mersc tunes hino tenditur ad bulan ham. et sio in moro fleot. " . . . which parcel of land is situated at the place called Hehham and the assessment of the land (for taxation) seems to be V aratra, by these most well kno\m boundaries enclosed about: from the neighbourhood of Maedham along the boundary of Ac leage, and so next to Waeterlea, from there to Colling, then along the road which leads to Eohinga burgh in the land of St. Andrew, and then along the boundary of Mersc tunes to Bulan ham, and so into Merc fleot." A study of the 6-inch map (Kent, sheets XI, N.W., and S.W.) will enable some of these boundaries to be identified at once, and we may unhesitatingly foUow WaUenberg when on very satisfactory evidence he recognizes Ao leage as the present Oakleigh, and Merso tunes as the long-vanished parish of Murston, the site of which was olose to Green Farm.4 We have then to start with two known points, the one on the eastern boundary of the piece of land and"the other on the west. The first place to be mentioned is Maedham, and wo may asHiimo 1 Me. Oott., Augustus, II, 90. * E. A. Bond, Facsimiles of Ancient Oliarlora in the, British Museum, iv, 4. W. do G. Birch, Oart. tiaxonieum, I, 300, no. 1213. Komblo, Oodeto Diplomatics, no. OXXI, 3 Wallenberg, Kentish Place-Namm (Uppsala, 1931), G3.C. * Hasted, History of Kent (8vo ed.), I l l (1707), 477-81. H I C H A M SALTINGS WEST COURT n Weedha.m H I C H A M MARSHES Merc- Fleot. BARROW SAXON CEMETERY 4° S HORNE M A R S H E S ST. MARYS BCCKLEY HTLL + bulaaham SAXO.N CtMCTARY ... OAKLEIGH n Ac Lea-gs LITTLE OAKLEICH FOUND 1880 '.. / .• 4^ n FOUND I9p6 Per -. Coafln.V..a." Mersc tunes + MURSTON CHURCH F-hyCHILTON LAM8S HOOD !! y/ CORE •