Ten sulungs at Bromley to Rochester Cathedral in return for money, 955

Eadgar of Wessex grants ten sulungs at Bromley to St Andrew’s in return for money paid by Bishop Ælfstan of Rochester to himself and his præfectus Wulfstan (955).

Campbell, no. 29. This is a copy of the extant, tenth-century document, British Library, Cotton Charters, viii. 33.

A description of the places to which the charter relates is written in Old English, beginning on 151r, fourth line before the rubric; and the boundaries are also written in Old English following the rubric, ‘Istis terminibus circumgirata est terra suprascripta & multis nota’, starting with the last word on 151r (‘Þis’, with a red Þ) over to 151v, line 9.

This charter, the Edgar charter, is one of several relating to the estate of Bromley, which was granted, according to another Rochester charter (not actually copied into the TR cartulary), by Æthelberht III to his servant Dryhtwald in 862. The monks of Rochester challenged this in a lawsuit. This Edgar charter aims to record the success of the suit, to ‘strengthen the claim of the priory to Bromley and the other estates involved’ (Campbell, p. xxiv).

Campbell (p. xxv) describes the original compiler (not the TR scribe-copyist) of this retrospective record as incompetent. The document is dated 955 even though Edgar did not become king until 959. The list of signatures points to 973. Campbell further suggests that the original Edgar charter dates to 980-987.

Transcription

150r (select folio number to open facsimile)

De bromleage;

150v

+ In nomine regnantis in perpetuum domini nostri iesu
christi. Ego Eadgar rex anglorum cęterarumque gen-
tium, considerans et recolens quod etiam uas
electionis ueracissimis innotuit uerbis, quod
in nouissimis temporibus instarent tempora peri-
culosa. Iccirco unus quisque de semetipso plenius
poterit agnoscere quod quanto quis in hoc terreno
habitaculo longiorem protraxerit uitam,
tanto ueraciora esse omnia quę olim antiqui
uates diuinitus edocti, implenda esse predixe-
runt. Quod cernens ego necessarium duxi,
ut per intercessionem plurimorum pro uenia delictorum
meorum et requie ęterna adipiscenda animae
meę aliquid ex eis quę michi largitor bonorum christus
dominus donare dignatus est, hoc est decem man-
sas, quod cantigene dicunt x. sulunga, in
illo loco ubi iam dudum solicole illius regionis
nomen imposuerunt, æt bromleage, tibi uenerabili
apostolo christi, sancto andreę, et pro placabili
pecunia ælfstani antistitis ęclesię hrofensi
concedo, cum omnibus utensilibus quę deus cęlorum
in ipso telluris gramine creauit, tam in no-
tis causis et ignotis, in modicis et in ma-
gnis, campis, pascuis, pratis, siluis, siluarumque

151r

densitatibus, donans donabo libertatem, pręter ex-
peditione, et pontis, arcisue instructione,
quia tanti pretii emptum est suprascripta terra,
octuaginta mancusis auri purissimi, et sex
pondus electi argenti. Et insuper dona meo
prefecto uulfstano donando auxit xxx. man-
cusas auri, ut fixa et immobilis permaneat
sempiternaliter nostra donatio. Ita adiuro in no-
mine domini dei nostri iesu christi qui est omnium iu-
dex iustus ut nec michi nec alicui successorum
meorum regum seu cuiuslibet dignitatis, aliquid
fraudare uel minuere, sed absque aliqua re-
tractione inlesa iugiter permaneat sine fine.
Si quis autem propria temeritate uiolenter inuade-
re presumpserit, sciat se proculdubio ante tri-
bunal districti iudicis titubantem treme-
bundumque rationem redditurum, nisi prius
digna satisfactione emendare maluerit.
Hęc utilitas siluarum ad eandem terram pertinet
in andredre, billanoran, belindhyrste, ⁊ on
glæppanfelda, scearndæn, ⁊ þar rihte wið
þornden, ⁊ broccesham be eastan ea, ⁊ tannera
hole, ⁊ trindhyrst. Istis terminibus circum-
girata est terra suprascripta et multis nota. Þis

151v

synt þara tyn sulunga land gemæro to bromleage.
Ærest on eastan cysel hyrstes gemæro,
þonne on croptunes gemæro, þonne þanon
on ruge beorges gemæro, þonne on suð healfe,
cysse stanes gemæro forð be weard setlan, þonne
be westan wichammes gemæru, ⁊ beohha hammes
gemæru, þonne be norðan beringa hammes
gemæru, ⁊ modingahammes gemæro, ⁊ þonon
eft east on cinges gemæro, þæt on cysel hyrst.
Acta est hęc prefata donatio, anno ab incarnati-
one domini nostri iesu christi dcccc.mo l.mo v.to indictione
uero nouem. + Ego eadgar rex anglorum sub si-
gillo sanctę >+< crucis corroboraui. + Ego dunstan
dorobernensis ęcclesię archiepiscopus >+< crucis christi
conclusi. + Ego ælfþryþ mater regis predictum
donum confirmaui. + Ego oswald archiepiscopus e-
borace ciuitatis >+< crucis christi impressi. + Ego
aþelwold wintaniensis ęcclesię episcopus subscripsi
et confirmaui. + Ego ælfstan lundoniensis
ęcclesię episcopus corroboraui. + Ego ælfstan episcopus con-
signaui.+ Ego eadelm episcopus consensi et subscri-
psi. + Ego sydemann episcopus conclusi. + Ego alfold
episcopus corroboraui. + Ego bryhtelm episcopus roboraui.
+ Ego byrhtferð minister. + Ego æþelweard

152r

minister. + Ego ælfwerd minister. + Ego æþel-
mær minister. + Ego ælfsige the minister. + Ego
wulfstan minister. + Ego ælfric minister.
+ Ego ælfheah minister. + Ego ealdred mini-
ster. + Ego leofstan minister. + Ego ælfhere
dux. + Ego æþelstan dux. + Ego æþelwine dux.
+ Ego byrhtnoð dux. + Ego ordgar dux. + Ego
ælfric minister. + Ego alfwold minister. + Ego
wulfsige minister. + Ego sigred minister. + Ego
eadelm minister.

Translation

Concerning Bromley:

+ In the forever-reigning name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I, Eadgar, king of the English and other nations, considering and recalling that even in the most sincere words of his choice, he informed us, that in the most recent times perilous times would arise. In this way each one of himself will be able to recognize more fully that the longer he has lived in this earthly abode, the more true will be the fulfilment of all that was once taught by the ancient sages of the gods. Seeing that I thought it necessary, that through the intercession of many, for the atonement of my offenses and the eternal rest of my soul, I might obtain some of those things which Christ the Lord, the benefactor of good things, has deigned to bestow on me, this is ten mansas, which cantigenes say 10 sulungs, in that place where they have long ago imposed the name of that region, at Bromley, I grant to you the venerable apostle of Christ, Saint Andrew, and for the pacifying money of Ælfstan the antistite of the church of Rochester, with all the utilities which the god of the heavens created in the very grass of the earth, as well as in the known for causes and unknown, in small and great, fields, pastures, meadows, forests, and thickets of thickets, I will give freedom, besides the expedition, and the bridge, and the instruction of the castle, because the above-mentioned land was bought for such a price, eighty mancuses of the purest gold, and six weight chosen silver And besides, by giving gifts to my prefect, Uulfstan, he increased by 30 gold bars, so that our gift may continue forever fixed and immovable. Thus I adjure in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the just judge of all, that neither I nor any of my successors, kings, or of any rank, shall cheat or diminish anything, but without any retraction it shall continue unharmed forever and without end.

But if any one, through his own rashness, presumes to encroach violently, let him know that he will doubtless give a trembling account before the tribunal of the district judge, unless he first prefers to make amends with a worthy satisfaction. This utility of forests belongs to the same land in andredre, billanoran, belindhyrste glæppanfelda, scearndæn, ⁊ þar rihte wið þornden, ⁊ broccesham be eastan ea, ⁊ tannera hole, ⁊ trindhyrst.

The above-mentioned land is surrounded by these borders and is known to many:

This synt þara tyn sulunga land gemæro to bromleage. Ærest on eastan cysel hyrstes gemæro, þonne on croptunes gemæro, þonne þanon on ruge beorges gemæro, þonne on suð healfe, cysse stanes gemæro forð be weard setlan, þonne be westan wichammes gemæru, ⁊ beohha hammes gemæru, þonne be norðan beringa hammes gemæru, ⁊ modingahammes gemæro, ⁊ þonon eft east on cinges gemæro, þæt on cysel hyrst. This aforesaid donation took place, in the year from the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ 900, in the first, fifth indiction in the new[?].

+ I, Eadgar, king of the English, strengthened under the seal of the holy >+< cross.

+ I, Dunstan, Archbishop of the Church of Canterbury >+< confirmed with the cross of Christ.

+ I, Ælfþryþ, mother of the king, confirmed the aforesaid gift.

+ I, Oswald the archbishop of the city of York >+< impressed with the cross of Christ.

+ I, Aþelwold, Bishop of the Church of Wintani, subscribed and confirmed it.

+ I, Ælfstan, Bishop of the Church of London, confirmed.

+ I, Bishop Ælfstan, subscribed.

+ I, Bishop Eadelm, agreed and subscribed.

+ I, Bishop Sydemann, confirmed.

+ I, Bishop Alfold, confirmed.

+ I, Bishop Bryhtelm, confirmed.

+ I, Byrhtferð the minister

+ I, Æþelweard the minister.

+ I, Ælfwerd the minister.

+ I, Æþelmær minister

+ I, Ælfsige the minister.

+ I, Wulfstan the minister.

+ I, Ælfric the minister.

I, Ælfheah the minister.

+ I, Ealdred the minister.

+ I, Leofstan minister.

+ I, Duke Ælfhere.

+ I, Duke Æþelstan.

+ I, Duke Eþelwine,

+ I, Duke Byrhtnoð.

+ I, Duke Ordgar.

+ I, Ælfric the minister.

+ I, Alfwold the minister

+ I, Wulfsige the minister

+ I, Sigred the minister

+ I, Eadelm the minister.