Half a sulung and a marsh at Bromhey, Kent, 778
King Ecgberht II of Kent grants to Bishop Deora of Rochester half a sulung and a marsh at Bromhey, Kent (778).
Campbell, no. 9. This was probably copied from the tenth-century, single sheet document, British Library, Cotton Charters, viii. 34. Campbell: ‘This charter seems genuine, although the extant single sheet may be later than the time of grant, and in any event the boundaries are a subsequent addition.’ The text begins with a green initial ‘I’ and is marked by a large, black cross in the left margin. The boundaries are written in Old English, beginning line 2, folio 130r: ‘on eastan’ (‘in the east’).
Transcription
129r (select folio number to open facsimile)
De bromgehege; + IN nomine domini nostri iesu christi. Pietatis bene-
ficium quod quisque fidelium pro christi reuerentia
seruo dei fideliter domino seruienti misericorditer
contulerit, christo hoc conferre dinoscitur. Nam ipse in fine mundi ad electos suos loquens
dicturus est . Cum uni ex minimis meis feci-
stis, michi fecistis. Iccirco ego egcberhtus rex
cantiae, hanc dominicam sententiam memoriter re-
tinens, et piis operibus deo instigante adimple-
re curabo, tibi dioran hrofensis ęcclesię an-
tistiti aliquam partem terrę iuris mei liben-
ter concedo, id est dimidiam unius aratri par-
tem ubi nominatur bromgeheg, simul et ma-
riscem uocabulo scaga, et ut per omne ab hac die
et deinceps subsequens tempus cum notissimis
terminis omnibusque utilitatibus ad eam rite pertinen-
tibus tuo proprio iuri ęternaliter habendam possiden-
dam tradendamque cuicumque hominum uolueris
hilari concedo animo. Huius autem marisci ter-
minus, est aqua pene undique circumperfusa. Si quis
ergo heredum successorumque meorum contra hanc piam
donationem meam uenire fuerit ausus et teme-
rare eam inuido maliuoloque temptauerit animo,
sit anathema maranatha. Manente hac car-
tula in sua nichilominus stabilitate, quam robora-
re propria manu curaui, et alios idoneos religio-
sosque testes ut id ipsum agerent adhibui, quorum
nomina infra caraxata continentur. Actum anno
dominicę incarnationis dcclxxviii. in ciuitate do-
rouerni. + Ego egcberhtus rex cantię, hanc
donationem meam signo crucis Christi roboraui.
+ Ego iaenberhtus archiepiscopus testis consentiens
subscripsi. + Signum manus escuualdi presbiteri.
+ Signum manus uban. + Signum manus boban.
+ Signum manus uualhard. + Signum manus ubban.
+ Signum manus aldhun. + Signum manus sigired.
+ Signum manus esni. + Signum eaniardi.
Huic uero terrę adiacent pratę ubi dicitur hreodham,
in iiii.or locis. In uno loco xvii. agros, on eastan
clifwara gemære, ⁊ on suðan tucincgnæs,
⁊ on wæstan culinga gemære, ⁊ on norðan.
Et in alio loco xii. agros, on eastan is culinga
gemære, ⁊ on suðan clifwara gemære, ⁊ on
westan, ⁊ on norðan. Et in tertio loco vii.
agros, be eastan is mearcfleot, ⁊ be suðan,
⁊ be westan ⁊ be norðan is clifwara gemære.
Et in quarto loco vi. agros, be eastan is clif-
wara gemære, ⁊ be suðan is culinga gemære,
⁊ be westan is ⁊ be norðan clifwara gemære.
Translation
Concerning Bromhey:
+ In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The benefit of piety, that each one of the faithful has a reverence for Christ as the merciful servant of God, is determined to confer this on Christ.
For he himself will say at the end of the world, speaking to his chosen ones, "When you did it for one of the least of mine, you did it to me." For this reason I, Egbert, King of Kent, remembering this Sunday sentence, and will take care to fulfill it at the instigation of God's pious works, will willingly grant to you Dioran, bishop of the church of Rochester, some part of the land of my right; so that, from this day forward, one-half of the plow in the part named Bromhey, the same time as the marsh, by the name of Scaga, and as from this day and the following period, with the best known terms and all the interests duly pertaining to it, to your own right, I will for ever permit you to possess and deliver it to whatever people you want with a cheerful mind. But the boundary of this marsh is surrounded by water almost everywhere. If, therefore, any one of my heirs and successors has dared to come against this pious gift, and attempt to violate it with an envious and malevolent spirit, let him be accursed. While this document was nevertheless in its own stability, which I had taken care to strengthen by my own hand, I also summoned other competent and religious witnesses to do the same, whose names are contained in the letter below. Act in the year of our Lord's Incarnation 778 in the city of Canterbury.
+ I, Egbert, King of Kent, have validated my gift with the sign of the cross of Christ.
+ I, Archbishop Jaenbert, a consenting witness, signed.
+ Sign of the hand of Escuwald the priest.
+ Sign of the hand of Uban.
+ Sign of the hand of Boban.
+ Sign of the hand of Walhard.
+ Sign of the hand Ubban.
+ Sign of the hand of Aldhun.
+ Sign by the hand of Sigired.
+ Sign of the hand of Esni.
+ Sign of the hand of Eaniard.
But adjacent to this land, where it is called Hreodham, in four places. In one place 17 fields, on eastan Clifwara gemære, and on south Tucincgnæs, and on West Cooling gemære, and on the north.
And in another place 12 fields, on the east is Cooling gemære, and on the south Clifwara gemære, and on the west, and on the north. And in the third place of 12 fields, by east is Mearcfleot, and by south, and by west, and by north is Clifwara gemære. And in the fourth place fields, by east is Clifwara gemære, and by South is Cooling gemære, and by west and by North is Clifwara gemære.
