149
S 1461

Marriage agreement between Godwine and Byrhtric, whereby Godwine grants a pound of gold, land at Street and Burmarsh, Kent, and oxen, cows, horses and slaves to Byrhtric's daughter. [A.D. 1016 x 1020, probably 1018 x 1020]

Archive: Canterbury, Christ Church

Her swutelaþ on þysan gewrite þa foreward þe Godwine worhte wið Byrhtric þa he his dohter awogode, þæt is ærest þæt he gæf hire anes pundes gewihta goldes wið þonne þe heo his spæce underfenge, 7 he geuþe hire þæs landes æt Stræte mid eallan þon þe þærto herð, 7 on Burwaramersce oðor healf hund æcera, 7 þærto þrittig oxna, 7 twentig cuna, 7 tyn hors, 7 tyn ðeowmen.
Ðis wæs gespecen æt Cincgestune beforan Cnute cincge on Lyfinges arcebiscopes gewitnesse, 7 on þæs hiredes æt Cristescircan, 7 Ælfmeres abbodes, 7 þæs hiredes æt S. Augustine, 7 Æþelwines sciregerefan, 7 Siredes ealdan, 7 Godwines Wulfeages sunu, 7 Ælfsige cild, 7 Eadmer æt Burham, 7 Godwine Wulfstanes sunu, 7 Kar þæs cincges cniht. 7 þa man þæt mædan fette æt Byrhtlingan, þa eode þyses ealles on borh Ælfgar Syredes sunu, 7 Frerþ preost on Folcestane 7 of Doferan Leofwine preost, 7 Wulfsige preost, 7 Eadræd Eadelmes sunu, 7 Leofwine Wærelmes sunu, 7 Cenwold rust, 7 Leofwine Godwines sunu æt Hortune, 7 Leofwine se reade, 7 Godwine Eadgeofe sunu, 7 Leofsunu his broðer :
7 swa hwæðer heora læng libbe fo to eallan ætan ge on ðam lande þe ic heom gæf ge o ælcon þingan . Ðyssa þinga is gecnæwe ælc dohtig man on Kænt, 7 on Suþsexan on ðegenan 7 on ceorlan, 7 þyssa gewrita synd ðreo . an is æt Cristescyrcan . oðer æt S. Augustine, þæt þridde hæfþ Byrhtric self.

Edition: Charters of Christ Church, Canterbury, ed. N. P. Brooks and S. E. Kelly, Anglo-Saxon Charters (The British Academy, forthcoming), no. 149. For apparatus criticus and a detailed commentary see this edition.

Here is declared in this document the contract which Godwine made with Byrhtric when he wooed his daughter. That is first that he gave her a pound's weight of gold, so that she might accept his suit, and he granted her the land at Street with everything that belongs to it, and 150 acres at Burmarsh and thereto 30 oxen and 20 cows and 10 horses and 10 slaves.
This was agreed at Kingston [Surrey] before King Cnut, in the witness of Archbishop Lyfing [Canterbury] and the community at Christ Church and Abbot Ælfmær [St Augustine's] and the community at St Augustine's and Æthelwine the sheriff and Sired the Old and Godwine son of Wulfheah and Ælfsige cild and Eadmer of Burham and Godwine son of Wulfstan and Karl the king's retainer. And when the maiden was fetched from Brightling [Sussex] there stood surety for all of this: Ælfgar son of Sired, and Frerth the priest of Folkestone, and from Dover Leofwine the priest and Wulfsige the priest, and Eadred son of Eadhelm, and Leofwine son of Wærhelm, and Cenwold Rust and Leofwine son of Godwine of Horton, and Leofwine the Red, and Godwine son of Eadgifu, and Leofsunu his brother.
And whichever of them may live longer is to succeed to all the property, both to the land which I have given them and to everything else. Everyone of standing in Kent and Sussex, both thegn and ceorl, is aware of this agreement. And there are three of these documents: one is at Christ Church; the second at St Augustine's; the third Brihtric has himself.

Translation: Charters of Christ Church, Canterbury, ed. N. P. Brooks and S. E. Kelly, Anglo-Saxon Charters (The British Academy, forthcoming), no. 149.