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Rotulus Antiquus Ecclesie Sancti Pauli

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 December 2009

Extract

J. 1. King Edgar allows Ethelflæd, the widow of his father Edmund, to give the vill of Hadham [Herts.] to St. Paul's, after her death [946–75].

Viduæ uxori patris sui Eadmundi quæ ab ineunte ætate Aeþelflæt nobili apellabatur vocabulo, permittit rex Eadgar ut post mortem suam donet Hædham villam cum omnibus suis supellectilibus deo agioque predicatori gentium Paulo … Et sit igitur inquit prefatum rus omni terrense servitutis iugo liberum fiscalique tributo solutum, tribus hiis exceptis, rata videlicet expeditione pontis arcisve restauratione.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Historical Society 1939

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References

page 1 note 1 Edmund died in 946 and Edgar in 975. The bequest of Hadham to St. Paul's is included in the English will of Ethelflsed, the elder daughter of Ælfgar, ealdorman of Essex: she specifies that it is to go to bisceophama after the death of Brihtnoth and her sister Ælfflæd. See Whitelock, : Anglo-Saxon Wills, pp. 34–5, 137 seq.Google Scholar

page 1 note 2 James' note: ita et rex Eadwardus confessor cuidam suo fideli ministro vocitato Frewine unam mansam apud Sciredesforde in communi tellure concesset in propriam hœreditatem et post se cuicunque sibi placuerit hœreditet amico in genealogia vel extra. Et sit inquit predictum rus liberum ab omni mundiali obsequio exceptis tribus causis etc. postea dicitur ille Frœwine preoste.

page 2 note 1 Sic; but added in margin. In a footnote James writes: Similiter in privilegio Cnuti et Edwardi. Quœre ergo quid sit beres. The form seems to be a mistaken extension of b'es (biscopes), made also in St. Paul's MS. A/69.

page 2 note 2 Edgar's name must have been substituted for that of Ethelred of Wessex; the only impossible witness for the given date is then Odo the archbishop. This charter was frequently copied by the canons of St. Paul; cf. St. Paul's MSS., Liber L, fo. 5r. Liber A, fo. 38b. Printed: Dugdale: St. Paul's, p. 186Google Scholar, from Liber B (lost MS.); K.C.D., No. 259, from Dugdale; Birch: C.S., No. 1210, from Liber A, with witness list from Kemble's text. The Liber L text given here is earlier and complete and has some variants especially in the witness list:

In nomine dei summi ipsoque inperpetuum domino nostro lesu Christo regnante ac disponante ubique omnia sceptra quoque regalia temporaliter gubernanda distri-buerit accomodauerit cui uult. Unde ego Eadgesrus rex rogatus quidem ab episcopo meo Deorwulfo 7 principe meo Ealdredo ut aliquant partem terrg liberam darem inperpetuum in monasterium sancti Pauli apostoli doctoris gentium id est XV. mansiones in loco qui uocatur Nœsingstoc 7 michi collato digno precio id est. LX. mancas in auto puro. Etnunc ego Eadgœrus rex cum consilio atque consensu episcoporum meorum 7 sapientium meorum pręcipio in dei omnipotentis nomine ut hęc supradicta terra sit liberata, ab omni tribute regali uectigali siue notis siue innotis maioris vel minoris quamdiu Christiana fides in terra seruatur. Si quis hanc benedictionem largitatis augere deo uoluerit: sua bona in cęlesti regno augeantur 7 multiplicentur. Et qui hanc donationem meam temptauerit frangere aut diminuere: anathema sit marenatha in die iudicii ante tribunal Christi nisi ante cum satisfactione emendauerit. Actum est autem anno ab incarnatione domini nostri lesu Christi. d.ccc.lxvii. indictiones xv. Ego Eadgarus rex hanc cartulam signs sanctę. crucis Christi corroboraui 7 confirmaui consentiens 7 subscripsi 7 ceteros testos idoneos ut idipsum agerent adhibui quorum nomina infra scripta sunt. Ego Odo archiepiscopus consensi 7 subscripsi. Ego Wulhœre dux. Beorhtuulf dux. Drihtwald dux. Ego Ealhferd episcopus consensi 7 subscripsi. Ego Mucel dux. Eastmund dux. Ego Heahmund episcopus consensi 7 subscripsi. Ego Æðeluulf dux. Aelfred dux. Ego Deoruulf episcopus consensi 7 subscripsi. Ego Ealdred dux. Aelfstan dux. Garuulf minister. Aegbœrht minister. Aegfred minister. Aela minister. Aðelfred minister. Ealhheard abbas. Wulfhelm minister. Acca minister. Wỳnsige minister. Aeðelward presbiter. Aeðelstan presbiter. Wulfred dux. Wœrfred abbas.

page 3 note 1 This seems to be a note on a version in Latin and English of the charter of Ethelred II, confirming the bequest of Ethelflæd to the brothers at St. Paul's, of land at Laver [Essex] and Cockhampstead [Herts.]. Dugdale and Kemble have printed this from the lost St. Paul's Liber B, see Dugdale: St. Paul's, pp. 187–8Google Scholar; K.C.D., No. 1300. Two texts are still extant at St. Paul's: Liber L, fo. 6r; Liber A, fo. 38b, the latter with the witness list omitted, but with a note added: hec eadem carta est in anglico sermone de verbo ad verbum. For the difficulties touching the witness list and the corresponding English will, see Whitelock, : op. cit., No. 225, pp. 175–6Google Scholar. The witness list in Liber L differs from that in the printed texts: Aelfwius abbas for Ælfricus; Aelffius for Æfljlfsius; Ufegeat satrapa regis added; Wulfricus for Wuluricus.

page 3 note 2 James' note: alderman, dux. satrapa.

page 3 note 3 Sigeheard was co-ruler with Suaebred. Before the death of Waldhere [at latest A.D. 706], Offa had succeeded him; see below, J. 9. Cœnred was king of the Mercians together with Ethelred, or at least both, with this title, appear as acting with Suaebred in granting land to Waldere at Twickenham in June 704; see Birch: C.S., No. III. According to Bede, however, in the same year Ethelred became a monk, ceding the kingdom to Cœnred (Bede: Hist. Eccl., I, pp. 355–6Google Scholar). Part of this extract is inaccurately quoted by Wharton from this MS. in De episcopis Londinensibus, p. 18.Google Scholar

page 4 note 1 James' note: Charta de mortmaine.

page 4 note 2 See above, No. 6.

page 4 note 3 See Robinson, J. Armitage: The Times of St. Dunstan, pp. 45–6Google Scholar; Birch: C.S., No. 606.

page 5 note 1 See above, No. J. 6.

page 5 note 2 Vithual in MS. A muddled correction has been made, hu being written over two or three other letters.

page 5 note 3 His see is unknown; see Stubbs: Registrum Sacrum Angticanum (1897), p. 26Google Scholar; Birch: C.S., Nos. 916, 933.

page 5 note 4 There seems no reason to believe that Suaebred ceased to rule over the East-Saxons c. 704, as stated by Searle: Anglo-Saxon Bishops and Kings, p. 275Google Scholar. According to William of Malmesbury, Selred, apparently Suaebred's successor, ruled for thirty-eight years; according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles he died in 746; but there is no charter evidence for his reign. (William of Malmesbury: Gesta Regum, R.S., p. 99Google Scholar. Anglo-Saxon Chronicles [ed. Earle and Plummer] s.a. 746, and note.) It is evident from this series of charters that Offa and Suaebred ruled together: cf. above, J. 7.

page 6 note 1 James' note: Gropcunt alley magis ludibunde a populo dicitur quod in registro sanctœ Frideswidœ eo nomine a vidua conceditur monachis in Oxon.

page 6 note 2 1457 in MS., but probably a misreading of DCCCCLVIIo.

page 6 note 3 James' note: vectigalia regum conferuntur monachis.

page 7 note 1 James' note: Cannes moneta. Canna is a general word for weight or measure.

page 7 note 2 The witness of Sigric king of the East-Saxons causes the first difficulty. The East-Saxon king who suffered the defeat of A.D. 828 and whose signature occurs on charters was Sigered [Sigred, Sired] [Birch: C.S., Nos. 335, 338, 340]. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, s.a. 798Google Scholar, refers to an East-Saxon king Siric [Sigric], and as the date of his death is not stated, there is a possibility that he was still ruling with Sigered after 825—the year in which Ceolbert's episcopate started. It is also possible that Sigric is an error for Sigered, either on the part of James or of the medieval scribe, for Sigric, minister of Wiglaf, does not appear on any charter or record of the time. Two charters only of Wiglaf are extant, in originals. The first, given in 831 “in the first year of his second reign,” is witnessed by Sigered dux [Birch: C.S., No. 400]. On the second, given in 836 “in the seventh year of his reign,” the name of Sigred dux is added to the signatures; this charter releases land to Hanbury Monastery, Worcester, and the endorsement records that the bishop gave Sigred the alderman six hundred shillings in gold. [Birch: C.S., No.416.] Cf. the signatures of a Sigered dux to Mercian charters of a slightly earlier date, especially Birch: C.S., when his name comes below that of Sigered subregulus.

page 8 note 1 See above, No. J. 6.