19
S 785

King Edgar grants ten hides (mansiunculae) at Corston, Somerset, to God and St Peter. A.D. 972

Archive: Bath

Anno ab incarnatione Domini nostri Iesu Christi .dcccclxxii. Ego Eadgar, rex et primicerius totius Albionis, ruris quandam particulam, denis ab accolis =stimatam mansiunculis, in loco qui dicitur Corsantun, liberam preter arcem, pontem expeditionemque, sub instinctu diuini amoris et timoris, Deo omnipotenti et sancto Petro humillima deuotione in ciuitate Aquimania offero et commendo, ea interposita rationatione ut nullius ordinis homo hoc nostrum donatiuum decretum, quamdiu Christianitas in Anglorum uigeat partibus, sine ira et uindicta omnipotentis Dei audeat irrumpere uel temptauerit infringere. Et his limitibus h=c telluris pars sic cingi uidetur.
Ærest on Corsan stream, up on þone ealdan stan weall, suð oð ða hyrnan, þanon west rihte oþ cilda stan, of cilda stane on Merces burh norðwearde, þon' west on þa burh oð ða west hyrnan, þan' norð on herepað oð þone ænlipigan ðorn, west þan' on þone hrycg þæt on þone ænlipian stan, þan' norþ rihte on Mere mæde westewearde, þan' rihte on þone herepað oþ wifeles cumbes heafod, þon' of þære suð ecge on æscwylle oð þæt nehste slæd, þan' on stan wylles broc of dune on Afene, up on Afene oð Corsan.
H=c sunt nomina testium hoc donum confirmantium regisque priuilegium rite consentientium.
Ego Eadgar rex concessi et subscripsi. +
Ego Dunstan archiepiscopus consensi et subscripsi. +
Ego Aþelwold episcopus consensi. +
Ego Ælfstan episcopus consensi et subscripsi. +
Ego Ælfhere dux consensi et subscripsi. +
Ego Æþelwine dux consensi et subscripsi. +

Edition: Charters of Bath, ed. S. E. Kelly, Anglo-Saxon Charters 13 (The British Academy, forthcoming), no. 19. For apparatus criticus and a detailed commentary see this edition.

In the year 972 from the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. I, Edgar, king and chief officer of the whole of Albion, offer and grant a certain parcel of land, appraised by its inhabitants at ten hides, in a place that is called Corston, free except for fortress [and] bridge [work] and military service, under the impulse of divine love and fear, with most humble devotion, to Almighty God and St Peter in the city of Bath, with this condition being agreed on, that no man of any rank should dare violate or attempt to infringe upon this donative decision of ours as long as Christianity should flourish in the lands of the English, without the anger and vengeance of Almighty God. And this portion of land is seen to be surrounded as follows by these boundaries.
These are the boundaries of the ten hides at Corston. First from the Avon up along Corston Brook to the south of ecles coomb; then west along the wall; again <south> along the wall, then up over the cleared land to the straight boundary; along the sidelong way to the wood; from the wood along the edge to the (junction of) three boundaries; then north to the way straight to Wimund's stone; from the stone north along the way; then east from the way straight to the south of Bryni's coomb; north along the edge; from the edge east to stone spring brook; along the brook back to the Avon.
These are the names of the witnesses confirming this gift and rightly agreeing to the charter of the king.
I, Edgar, king, granted and subscribed. +
I, Dunstan, archbishop [of Canterbury], agreed and subscribed. +
I, Athelwold, bishop [of Winchester], agreed. +
I, Ælfstan, bishop [of Rochester or London], agreed and subscribed. +
I, Ælfhere, dux, agreed and subscribed. +
I, Æthelwine, dux, agreed and subscribed. +

Translation: David A. E. Pelteret, with the translation of the bounds adapted from Charters of Bath, ed. S. E. Kelly, Anglo-Saxon Charters 13 (The British Academy, forthcoming), no. 19.