Donation to Rochester Cathedral of ten yokes of land and a village with rights in meadow, forest, and marsh near Rochester, 855
Æthelwulf of Wessex grants to his minister, Dunn, ten yokes of land and a village, together with rights in meadow, forest, and marsh near Rochester (855). Dunn’s will is added.
Campbell, no. 23. The text begins with a red display initial ‘I’ and is marked by a large, black cross in the left margin. Dunn’s will begins on 140r with a green display initial ‘I’ is marked by a large, black cross in the left margin. The will is written in Old English.
Transcription
139v (select folio number to open facsimile)
+ In nomine trino
diuino, ego oeðeluulfus rex occidentalium saxonum
necnon et cantuariorum, pro decimatione agrorum quam
deo donante cęteris ministris meis facere de-
creui, tibi dunne ministro meo dabo unam
uillam, quod nos saxonice an haga dicimus in me-
ridię castelli hrobi, et decem iugera a meridia-
no plaga uilluli illius adiacentia, necnon et duo
iugera prati, et x. carros cum siluo honestos
in monte regis, et communionem marisci quę
ad illam uillam antiquitus cum recto pertinebat, et
hoc ipsum tibi ad habendam et possidendam con-
cedendo donamus, et post dies tuos cuicunque
herede tibi placuerit derelinquendam cum ple-
na libertate habeas potestatem. Hanc predictam
donationem et libertatem ego oeðeluulf rex
deo donante perfeci anno dominicę incarnationis
dccclv. indictione iii.a hoc est diuina gratia
largiente qua>ndo< ultra mare romam perrexi, coram
his testibus qui hoc mecum consentiendo subscri-
pserunt. + Ego aeðeluulf rex hanc meam
donationem et libertatem cum signo sanctę crucis christi
roboraui et subscripsi. + Ego ceolnoð archiepiscopus
consensi et subscripsi. + Ego aeðelberht rex con-
sensi et subscripsi. + Ego lullede dux consensi et
subscripsi. + Ego aeðelmod dux consensi et subscri-
psi. + Ego ælfred filius regis consens>i< et subscripsi. + Ego eadred dux consensi et subscripsi. + Ego
æðelric dux consensi et subscripsi. + Ego cineheh
miles consensi et subscripsi. + Ego milred miles con-
sensi et subscripsi. + Ego ceolmund miles con-
sensi et subscripsi. + Ego lulla miles consensi et sub-
scripsi. + Ego æðelred miles consensi et subscri-
psi. + Ego wulflaf miles consensi et subscripsi. + Ego æðelred miles consensi et subscripsi. + Ego
wæhtgar miles consensi et subscripsi. + Ego duduc
miles consensi et subscripsi. + Ego osberht miles
consensi et subscripsi. + Ego sigenoð miles consensi
et subscripsi. + IN nomine domini. Dunn hafað þas boc gesald
his wife ⁊ ðæt land þe þær an gewriten is
an godes ęst, ðæt hio hæbbe hire dæg ⁊ his
bruce, ⁊ efter hire dæge, geselle hit on
ðæs halgan apostoles naman sancte andreas
ðam hirode >in< mid unnan godes ⁊ his ha>l
for unc buta ⁊ ealle uncre eldran butan hi
hit mit unnan hiredes of gan to rihtan gafo-
le swaswa hyt hy geðingian magan, butan ælcen
bræde, oððe beswice,⁊ hy ðonne se hired hit geearnian
mid heora godcundnæsse ofer twelf
monoð, ⁊ stande simle mid cwide seo boc on ðæs
hiredes handa.
Translation
+ In the name of the divine Trinity, I, Æthelwulf, King of the West Saxons as well as of the Kentish, for the tithe of the fields which, by God's grace, I have decreed to give to my other ministers, I will give to you, Dunne, my servant, one village, which we Saxons call "haga," situated to the south of Rochester Castle, and ten acres on the southern side of that village, as well as two acres of meadowland, and ten honorable loads of wood from the forest on the king's mountain, and the shared use of the marshland which has traditionally belonged to that village by right. This gift I grant to you for your possession and enjoyment, and after your days, you shall have the right to bequeath it to any heir of your choosing with full freedom. This donation and freedoms I, King Æthelwulf, with God's help, have completed in the year of the Lord's incarnation 855, in the third indiction. This is by the divine grace that was bestowed upon me when I journeyed beyond the sea to Rome, in the presence of these witnesses who have agreed and subscribed with me. I, King Æthelwulf, have confirmed and subscribed to this gift and freedoms with the sign of the holy cross of Christ.
+ I, Archbishop Ceolnod, agreed and subscribed.
+ I, King Æðelberht, agreed and subscribed.
+ I, Duke Lulled agreed and signed.
+ I, Duke Aeðelmod, agreed and signed.
+ I, Ælfred, son of the king, consented and subscribed.
+ I, Duke Eadred, agreed and signed.
+ I, Duke Edelric, agreed and subscribed.
+ I, Cineheh the knight, agreed and subscribed.
+ I, Milred the knight, agreed and subscribed.
+ I, Ceolmund the knight, agreed and subscribed.
+ I, Lulla the knight, agreed and subscribed.
+ I, Ædelred the knight, agreed and subscribed.
+ I, Wulflaf the knight, agreed and subscribed.
+ I, Ædelred the knight, agreed and subscribed.
+ I, Waehtgar the knight, agreed and subscribed.
+ I, Dudoc the knight, agreed and subscribed.
+ I, Osberht the knight, agreed and subscribed.
+ I, Sigenoð the knight, agreed and subscribed.
In the name of the Lord… his wife ⁊ ðæt land þe þær an gewriten is an godes ęst, ðæt hio hæbbe hire dæg ⁊ his bruce, ⁊ efter hire dæge, geselle hit on ðæs halgan apostoles naman sancte andreas ðam hirode >in< mid unnan godes ⁊ his ha>l gena for unc buta ⁊ ealle uncre eldran butan hi hit mit unnan hiredes of gan to rihtan gafo-le swaswa hyt hy geðingian magan, butan ælcen bræde, oððe beswice, ⁊ hy ðonne se hired hit geearnian mid heora godcundnæsse ofer twelf monoð, ⁊ stande simle mid cwide seo boc on ðæs hiredes handa.
