Twenty sulungs at Islingham, and the right to pasture swine in four districts, 761-764

Sigered, king of half Kent, grants to Bishop Eardwulf of Rochester twenty sulungs at Islingham, and the right to pasture swine in four districts, 761-764; confirmed by Eanmund of Kent. Translation from Latin of Textus Roffensis, folios 125r-126v by Jacob Scott (pending review).

Campbell, no. 8. Note how ‘-di regis’ is squeezed vertically into the right margin.

Transcription

125r (select folio number to open facsimile)

Item de aeslingeham.

125v

+ IN nomine domini dei saluatoris nostri iesu christi. Quan-
uis parua et exigua sint quę pro ammissis of-
ferimus, tamen pius omnipotens deus non quantitatem
muneris sed deuotionem offerentium semper in-
quirit. Qua de re ego sigeredus rex dimi-
dię partis prouincię cantuariorum, tam pro ani-
mę meę remedio quam pro amore omnipotentis
dei, terram aratrorum xx.ti quę appellatur aes-
lingaham tibi reuerentissimo episcopo earduul-
fo sanctę hrofensis ęcclesię, cum uniuersis ad se
pertinentibus, campis siluis pratis pascuis pa-
ludibus et aquis et cum omni tributo quod regibus
inde dabatur in potestatem cum consilio et con-
sensu principum meorum libenter in perpetuum perdo-
no, ut possidendi uel habendi siue uen-
dendi uel etiam tradendi cuicumque uolu-
erit liberam per omnia habeat potestatem.
Sane quia cauendum est ne hodiernam dona-
tionem nostram futuri temporis abnegare
ualeat, et in ambiguum deuocare pręsump-
tio, placuit michi hanc paginam condere,
et una cum cespite terrę praedictę tradere tibi,
per quam non solum omnibus meis successoribus re-
gum siue principum, sed etiam michi ipsi penitus

126r

interdico, ne aliter quam nunc a me constitutum est
ullo tempore de eadem terra quippiam agere
audeant. Quod si qui forte obseruare negle-
xerint, et absque digna satisfactione praesentis
uitę impleuerint infelices dies, audiunt
uocem ęterni iudicis sub fine mundi dicentis
ad impios, discedite (a me) maledicti in ignem ęter-
num qui pręparatus est diabolo et angelis eius.
Qui uero curauerint custodire, nichilque inro-
garint aduersi, audiunt uocem clementissi-
mi arbitri inquientis ad pios, Venite bene-
dicti patris mei percipite regnum quod uobis
paratum est ab origine mundi. Adiectis iiii.
dænberis in commune saltu, hoc est uueald
se uuestra, billincgden, cealcbyras, meosden,
rindigsel. + Ego sigeredus rex hanc dona-
tionem a me factam signum sanctę crucis propria
manu scribendo firmaui coram bregouuino
archiepiscopo. + Ego bregouuinus archiepiscopus ad pe-
ticionem donatoris ante praedicti consensi et
subscripsi. + Signum manus hereberhti ab-
batis. + Signum manus baere abbatis. + Signum
manus bruno abbatis. + Signum manus aescuualdi
presbiteri. + Signum manus ecghaldi comitis

126v

atque prefecti. + Signum manus ealdhuuni. + Sig-
num manus esne. + Signum manus badohardi.
+ Signum manus aethelnodi. Confirmatio eanmundi regis
+ Ego eanmundus rex hanc piam donationem
supra scriptam propria manu roborandam
hoc signaculo sanctae crucis expressi, in loco
cuius uocabulum est godgeocesham, presente
uenerabili archiepiscopo bregouuino et consen-
tiente, consilio quippe atque consensu omni-
um optimatum et principum gentis cantuari-
orum. + Ego iaenberhtus abbas consentiens
testis affui et subscripsi. + Ego huuaetred
abbas consensi et subscripsi. + Signum manus
egesnoði. + Signum manus balthhardi. + Si-
gnum manus aldhuni. + Signum manus uda.
+ Signum manus puda.

Translation

Similarly concerning Islingham:

+ In the name of the Lord God our Savior Jesus Christ. Although the things we offer for those who are lost may be small, yet the pious Almighty God always inquires not for the quantity of service but the devotion of those who offer them. For this cause I, Sigered, King of half the province of Kent, both for the relief of my soul and for the love of the Almighty God, the land of twenty plowshares, which is called Islingham, to you most reverend Bishop Earduulf, of the holy church of Rochester, with all things that pertain to them, in plains, woods, meadows, pastures, marshes, and waters, and with every tribute which was given to kings I freely pardon them forever, with the advice and consent I willingly pardon my children forever, so that to whomsoever he may have the power of possessing, or of selling, or even of handing over, to whomever he so wishes, he has liberty in all things.

Certainly, because we must take care that he may not be able to deny the present day our gift of the future, and to call its presumption into ambiguity, it has been decided for me to build this page, and to deliver it to you along with the turf of the above land, through which not only to all my successors, kings, and princes, but also to me altogether I forbid that they should at any time dare to do any thing of the same land as it has now been established by me. But if they who perchance have neglected to observe, and have filled the unhappy days of this life without worthy apology, they hear the voice of the eternal judge at the end of the world saying to the ungodly; “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels”.

But those who take care to guard and inflict nothing against us, hear the voice of the most merciful arbiter saying to the pious, “Come, you blessed of my father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world”. The addition of iii. Dænberis will be placed in the common forest, that is, your weald is yours, Billincgden, Cealcbyras, Meosden, Rindigsel.

+ I, King Sigered, signed this gift made by me with my own hand, in the presence of Archbishop Bregouinus.

+ I, Archbishop Bregounus, agreed and signed it at the petition of the donor before the aforesaid.

+ Sign of the hand of the Abbot hereberht.

+ Sign of the hand of Abbot Baere.

+ Signed by the hand of Abbot Bruno.

+ Signed by the hand of Escuwald the priest.

+ Sign of the hand of Count Ecghaldi and his prefect.

+ Sign of the hand of Ealdhuuni.

+ Sign of the hand of Esne.

Signed by the hand of badohard.

+ Signed by the hand of Ethelnodus. Confirmation by King Eanmund:

+ I, Eanmundus, the pious gift written above is to be strengthened in my own hand, reproduced with this seal of the holy cross, in the place of which the name is Godgeocesham, in the presence of the venerable Archbishop Bregouinus, with the advice and consent of all the nobles and princes of the Kentish nation.

+ I, Abbot Jaenbert, a consenting witness, was present and subscribed.

+ I, Abbot Huuaetred, agreed and subscribed.

+ Sign of the hand of Egesnodi.

Signed by the hand of Balthhardi.

Signed by the hand of Aldhuni.

Signed by the hand of Uda.

Signed by the hand of Puda.

Twenty sulungs at Islingham, Kent, 764

King Offa of Mercia grants twenty sulungs at Islingham, Kent, to Bishop Eardwuld of Rochester, 764. Translation from Latin of Textus Roffensis, folios 123v-125r by Jacob Scott (pending review).

Campbell, no. 6. The text begins with a green display initial ‘R’ and is marked by a large, black cross in the left margin.

Transcription

123v (select folio number to open facsimile)

De æslingeham,
siue freondesberiam; + Regnante in perpetuum domino nostro iesu christo,
ac cuncta mundi iura iusto modera-
mine regenti, ego offa rex merciorum
regali prosapia merciorum oriundus atque omni-

124r

potentis dei dispensatione eiusdem constitutus
in regem, considerans et recolens quod uas
electionis ueracissimis innotuit uerbis, quod
istis temporibus instarent tempora periculosa. Iccir-
co unus quisque de semetipso plenius poterit a-
gnoscere, quod quanto quis in hoc terreno ha-
bitaculo longiorem protraxerit uitam, tanto
ueraciora esse omnia quę olim antiqui ua-
tes implenda esse prędixerunt. Iccirco ne-
cessarium duxi ut pro intercessionibus plurimo-
rum pro uenia meorum delictorum et requie perpe-
tua adipiscenda animę meę, aliquid ex his
quę michi largitor bonorum omnium christus dominus do-
nare dignatus est, id est terram aratrorum
uiginti, in loco cuius uocabulum est aeslin-
gaham, quę etiam iacet ad occidentalem par-
tem fluminis meduuuaeian, contigua ipso
fluuio, cum uniuersis terminis suis ad eam
rite competentibus, cum campis siluis pratis pa-
scuis paludibus et aquis, sicut olim habue-
runt comites et principes regum cantiae, et
cum omni tributo quod regibus iure competit,
tibi uenerabili earduulfo sanctę hrofensis
ęcclesiae episcopo, libenter in perpetuum perdono.

124v

Et hoc cum consensu et licentia archiepiscopi nostri
bregouuini, atque heaberhti regis cantiae,
et principum nostrorum, ut possidendi uel uenden-
di uel etiam tradendi cuicumque uoluerit
liberam per omnia habeat potestatem. Et quia pro ip-
sius terrę recompensatione aliquam partem pe-
cunię nobis fideliter libenter optulit, ad pro-
merendam non solum specialiter michi a domino pi-
etatem, sed indulgentiam delictorum totius gentis
nostrę humiliter dominicam exorantes clementi-
am, ut liberet nos a malignis spiritibus et
importunis et malis hominibus. Terminos uero
huius terrę ideo latius non scribimus, quia
undique ab incolis absque ullo dubitationis
scrupulo certi sunt. Quicunque uero sequen-
tium regum aut principum aut aliquis seculari
fretus potestate hęc nostrę definitionis scri-
pta irrita facere quod absit nisus fuerit,
sciat se in presenti uita domini benedictione
esse priuatum, et in nouissimo maledictione
subiacere, ut a consortio sit separatus
sanctorum et cum impiis et peccatoribus flammis
ultricibus esse damnandum, excepto si digna
satisfactione emendare curauerint quod

125r

iniqua temeritate deprauarunt. Manente
hac cartula in sua nichilominus firmitate
quam propria manu sacro signaculo roborare
curaui, et testes ut subscriberent rogaui,
quorum infra nomina asscripta tenentur.
Scripta est autem haec cartula in ciuitate
dorouerni anno dominicę incarnationis dcclxiiii. indictione ii.
+ Ego offa rex merciorum supra scriptam donati-
onem atque emptionem signo sanctę crucis robora-
ui. + Ego bregouuinus archiepiscopus, iuxta pe-
ticionem clementissimi regis ante prędicti,
consensi et scripsi. + Ego heaberhtus rex
consensi et subscripsi. Coherent uero huic terrę
in commune saltu denberi iii. holanspic, et
lindhrycg, et pædanhrecg. + Ego botuuini
humilis abbas, consensi et subscripsi. + Si-
gnum manus esne. + Signum manus uhtredi. + Si-
gnum manus broerda. + Signum manus eadbaldi.
+ Signum manus berhtuualdi. + Signum manus
bobba. + Signum manus cec. + Signum manus huuit-
hyse. + Signum manus esne fratris eius. + Signum
manus badoheardi. + Signum manus egbaldi.
+ Signum manus suithhuni. + Signum manus
eangesli.

Translation

Concerning Islingham, and Frindsbury:

+ Reigning forever our lord Jesus Christ, and ruling all the rights of the world with just direction, I, Offa, king of the Mercians, sprung from the royal family of the Mercians, and appointed by the dispensation of Almighty God as their king, considering and recollecting that the vessel of election was made known by the truest words, that dangerous times were at hand in those times. For this reason each one will be able to acknowledge more fully of himself, that the longer he lived a longer life in this earthly dwelling, the more truthful are all the things which the ancient poets foretold of old would be fulfilled. For this reason I thought it necessary that for the intercessions of many to pardon my sins, and to obtain perpetual rest for my soul, some of those things which Christ the Lord, the Giver of all goods, deigned to bestow upon me, that is, the land of twenty plowmen, in the place whose name is Islingham, which also lies to the west part of the River Medway, adjoining to the river itself, with all its borders properly competent to it, with plains, woods, meadows, pastures, marshes, and waters, just as the earls and princes of the kings of Kent, and with every tribute which is available to kings rightfully, I willingly pardon you forever to the venerable Eardwulf, bishop of the church of Rochester. And this, with the consent and permission of our Archbishop Bregouini, and Heaberht, king of Kent, and our nobles, that he may by all means have the power of possessing, selling, or even handing over to whomsoever he wishes. And because he in return for his land some part of the money, willingly offered to us faithfully to merit not only the piety of our Lord, but the indulgence of our sins, we humbly beseech the Lord's clemency to deliver us from evil spirits and unreasonable and bad men. But we do not write the boundaries of this land at greater length, because they are assured on every side by the inhabitants without any scruple of doubt. But whosoever of the following kings, or princes, or any one relying on secular authority, has attempted to make these words of our definition invalid, God forbid, let him know that in the present life of the Lord he is deprived of the blessing of the Lord, and in his last curse, that he may be separated from the society of saints and with ungodly and sinners by the flames that they ought to be condemned by avengers, except if they had taken care to make amends with worthy apology, which they had slandered with unjust rashness. While this document remained in its stead, I nevertheless took care to strengthen it with a sacred seal by my own hand, and asked the witnesses to sign it, whose names are ascribed below.

This document was written in the city of Canterbury in the year of our Lord's incarnation 763. 2nd indiction.

+ I, Offa, king of the Mercians, validated the above donation and purchase with the sign of the holy cross.

+ I, Archbishop of Bregouinus, agreed and wrote it according to the request of the most merciful king before the aforesaid.

+ I, King Heabbert, agreed and signed. But they are bound together by this earth, and are bound together in a common forest, 3 Holanspic, and Lindhrecg, and Pædanhrecg.

+ I, Botuuini humble abbot, consented and subscribed.

+ Signed by the hand of Esne.

+ Signed by the hand of Uhtredi.

+ Signed by the hand of Broerda.

+ Signed by the hand of Eadbald.

+ Signed by the hand of Berhtuuald.

+ Signed by the hand of Bobba.

+ Signed by the hand of Cec.

+ Signed by the hand of Huuithyse.

+ Signed by the hand of Esne brother of Eius.

+ Signed by the hand of Badeherd.

+ Signed by the hand of Edbaldi.

+ Signed by the hand of Swithun.

+ Signed by the hand of Eangesli.