Dispute over the estate at Snodland, 995-1005
The dispute between bishop Godwine and Leofwine over the estate of Snodland, 995–10051. Textus Roffensis, ff. 155r–156v. Translated from Old English by Dr Christopher Monk.
Transcription
155r (select folio number to open facsimile)
xP2Her cyð on ðysum gewrite, hu Godwine biscop
on Hrofeceastre, ⁊ Leofwine Ælfeages
sunu ( )3 wurðon gesybsumode ymbe þæt land
æt Snoddinglande, on Cantwarabyrig.
Þa4 ða se biscop Godwine com to ðam biscopstole
þurh hæse his cynehlafordes Æðelredes cynges
æfter Ælfstanes forðsiþe biscopes, þa gemetæ he on
ðam mynstre þa ylcan swutelunga þe his fore-
genga hæfde, ⁊ þærmid on þæt land spæc, ongan
ða to specenne on ðæt land, ⁊ elles for Godes
ege ne dorste, oððæt seo spræc wearð þam
cynge cuð. Þa ða him seo talu cuð wæs, þa sende
he gewrit ⁊ his insegl5 to þam arcebisceope Æl-
frice, ⁊ bead him þæt he ⁊ hys þegenas on East6
Cent, ⁊ on West Cent,7 hy onriht gesemdon,
be ontale, ⁊ be oftale. Þa þæt wæs þæt se bisceop Godwi-
ne com to Cantwarabyrig to ðam arcebiscope, þa
com ðider se scyresman8 Leofric, ⁊ mid him Ælfun
abbod, ⁊ þegenas ægþer ge of9 East Cent ge of
West Cent,10 eal seo duguð, ⁊ hy ðær þa spæce swa
lange handledon, syððon se bisceop his swute-
lunge ge(e)owod hæfde, oþ hy ealle bædon þone
biscop eaðmodlice, þæt he geunnan scolde þæt he
moste mid bletsunga þæs landes brucan æt
Snoddinglande his dæg, ⁊ se biscop þa þæs
getiðode on ealra þæra witena ( )11 þanc
þe þær gesomnode wæran, ⁊ he ( ) behet
þæs truwan þæt land æfter his dæge unbesacen
eode eft into þære stowe þe hit ut alæned
wæs, ⁊ ageaf þa swutelunga þe he to þam lande
hæfde þe ær of þære stowe geutod wæs, ⁊ þa ha-
gan ealle þe he bewestan þære cyrcan hæfde
into þære halgan stowe, ⁊ þises loces æren-
dracan wæran, Ælfun abbod ⁊ Wulfric abbod,
⁊ Leofric sciresman, ⁊ Siweard, ⁊ Wulfstan æt
Sealtwuda, ⁊ Ælfelm Ordelmes sunu. Þonne
is her seo gewitnes þe æt þisum loce wæs, þæt is
ærest se arcebiscop Ælfric, ⁊ se biscop God-
uuine, ⁊ Wulfric abbod, ⁊ Ælfun abbod, ⁊ Ælfnoð
æt Orpedingtune, ⁊ se hired æt Cristes Cyr-
can, ⁊ se hired æt Sancte Augustine, ⁊ s[e]o burh-
waru on Cantwarebyrig, ⁊ Leofric sciresman,
⁊ Lifing æt Meallingan, ⁊ Siweard, ⁊ Sired his
broðor, ⁊ Leo[f]stan12 æt Mærseham, ⁊ Godwine
Wulfeages sunu, ⁊ Wul[f]stan13 æt Sealtwuda, ⁊
Wul[f]stan14 iunga, ⁊ Leo[f]wine15 æt Dictune, ⁊ Leo-
fric Ealdredes sunu, ⁊ Goda Wulfsiges sunu,
⁊ Ælfelm Ordelmes sunu, ⁊ Sidewine æt Peal-
leswyrðe, ⁊ Wærelm, ⁊ Æþelred portgerefa
on byrig,16 ⁊ Guðwold. Gif hwa þis ðence to awen-
denne, ⁊ þas foreword to abrecenne, awende
him God fram his ansyne on þam miclan dome,
swa þæt he si ascyred fram heofena rices myrhðe,
156v
⁊ sy eallum deoflum betæht into helle. AMEN.
Translation
It is made known here in this document how Godwine,17 Bishop of Rochester, and Leofwine, son of Ælfheah, became reconciled at Canterbury in regard to the land at Snodland.18
When bishop Godwine came to the episcopal see at the behest of his sovereign lord, King Æthelred,19 after the death of bishop Ælfstan,20 then he discovered in the cathedral the very same written testimony which his predecessor had,21 and who had therewith made a claim on that land.22 Then [Godwine] attempted to lay claim to that land – for the fear of God he durst not do otherwise – until the suit became known to the king. When the claim was known to him, then [the king] sent a letter and his seal to the archbishop, Ælfric, and commanded him that he and his thegns, in both East and West Kent, should settle matters justly, be the verdict for or against the claim.
Then it was that bishop Godwine came to Canterbury to the archbishop; then thither came Leofric the sheriff,23 and with him abbot Ælfun and the thegns of both East and West Kent, the entire body of noblemen. And there they deliberated over the claim, after the bishop had revealed his written testimony, until finally they all respectfully bade the bishop that he should grant that [Leofwine] might, with his blessing, have use of the land at Snodland during his lifetime. And the bishop then permitted this to the satisfaction of all the witan, which was gathered there.24 And [Leofwine] pledged his troth that after his lifetime the land should thereafter revert to the place from which it was leased out.25 And he gave up the written testimony he had related to the land, which previously had been alienated from that place,26 and all the hagas which he had west of the church to the holy place.27 And the mediators of this agreement were abbot Ælfun, abbot Wulfric, sheriff Leofric, Siweard, Wulfstan of Saltwood, and Ælfhelm son of Ordhelm.28 And here is the list of witnesses to this agreement: namely, first, the archbishop Ælfric,29 then the bishop Godwine, abbot Wulfric, abbot Ælfun, Ælfnoth of Orpington, the brethren at Christ Church,30 the brethren at St Augustine’s,31 the citizens of Canterbury, sheriff Leofric, Lifing of Malling, Siweard and Sired his brother, Leofstan of Mersham,32 Godwine son of Wulfheah,33 Wulfstan of Saltwood,34 Wulfstan the Young,35 Leofwine of Ditton,36 Leofric son of Ealdred, Goda son of Wulfsige, Ælfhelm son of Ordhelm, Sidewine of Paddlesworth, Wærhelm,37 Æthelred the town port-reeve,38 and Guthwold.
If anyone attempts to turn from or break these terms, God will turn his face from him at the great judgement, so that he be cut off from the joy of the kingdom of heaven and be handed over to all the devils in Hell. Amen.
Footnotes
1 The date range corresponds to the reign of the first witness listed in the document: Ælfric, archbishop of Canterbury; see online here [accessed 15.03.18]. See also A. Campbell, Charters of Rochester (Oxford University Press, 1973), p. xxvii. The original document was copied into Textus Roffensis by the principal scribe about 1123.
2 A Chi-Rho symbol marks the beginning of the text. I’ve represented it with the Greek letters separated.
3 There is a hole in the manuscript at this point.
4 ‘Þa…’
5 ‘insegl’ (‘seal’), underlined by a later hand.
6 ‘on East’ (‘in East’), underlined by a later hand.
7 ‘on West Cent’ (‘in West Kent’), underlined by a later hand.
8 ‘scyresman’ (‘sheriff’), underlined by a later hand.
9 ‘oft’ in the document.
10 ‘East Cent ge of West Cent’ (‘East Kent and of West Kent’), underlined by a later hand.
11 There is a hole in the manuscript at this point, also affecting the line below.
12 ‘f’ omitted by mistake.
13 ‘f’ omitted by mistake.
14 ‘f’ omitted by mistake.
15 ‘s’ for ‘f’ by mistake.
16 ‘⁊ Æþelred portgerefa on byrig’ (‘and Æthelred the port-reeve in the town’), underlined by a later hand.
17 Godwine, bishop of Rochester, r. 994/5–c.1013.
18 Snodland lies along the river Medway between Rochester and Maidstone.
19 King Æthelred (Ethelred) the ‘Unready’, r. 978–1016.
20 Ælfstan, bishop of Rochester, r. before 964–994/5.
21 ‘written testimony’, translating swutelunga, a rather vague term, most likely alluding to the written land grant, i.e. the charter, or land-book, for Snodland.
22 i.e. Snodland.
23 Sheriff of Kent, presumably.
24 Witan, ‘wise men’, the king’s council in Anglo-Saxon England.
25 That is, to Rochester Cathedral.
26 This seems to be alluding to the land being alienated from Rochester Cathedral.
27 Haga, either a plot of land or a piece of enclosed land (possibly with a house and other buildings) within a town; in this case the land was within the city walls of Rochester. It seems that Leofwine gave up land he owned near the cathedral in exchange for the estate in Snodland.
28 Spelt ‘Ælfelm’ and ‘Ordelm’ in the document. The ‘-helm’ element of Old English names signifies ‘protector’.
29 Ælfric of Abingdon, archbishop of Canterbury 995–1005.
30 Christ Church, the monastery at Canterbury Cathedral.
31 St Augustine’s Abbey, Canterbury.
32 Misspelt as ‘Leostan’ in the document. The ‘Leof-’ element in Old English names means ‘friend’ or ‘beloved’.
33 Spelt ‘Wulfeag’ in the document.
34 Misspelt as ‘Wulstan’ in the document. The Wulf- element in Old English names means ‘wolf’.
35 Misspelt as ‘Wulstan’ in the document. See n. 19 above.
36 Misspelt as ‘Leoswine’ in the document. See n. 17 above.
37 Spelt ‘Wærelm’ in the document. See n. 13 above.
38 Reeve of Canterbury.