11
S 24

Æthelberht II, king of the men of Kent, grants a fishery on the river Limen, the oratorium of St Martin (? at New Romney, Kent) with the fishermen's dwellings and a quarter sulung (aratrum) in the same place, and pasture-land in the marsh called Biscopeswic, to the church of St Mary, Lyminge. A.D. 741

Archive: Canterbury, Christ Church

In nomine Domini Dei Saluatoris nostri Iesu Christi . Prouabilibus desideriis et petitionibus piis assensum semper praebere gloriosum constat esse et rectum et tum maxime cum eadem desideria et petitiones ad dilatandum et augendam uitam Christi sacerdotum eiusque seruorum respiciunt . Qua de re ego Aethilberht rex Cantuariorum pro remedio animae meae capturam piscium quod est in ostio fluminis cuius nomen est Limin aea et partem agri in qua situm est oratorium sancti Martini cum edibus piscatorum et extra eam quartam partem aratri circa eundem locum et alteram partem iuris mei ad pascendum .cl. iumentorum iuxta marisco qui dicitur Biscopes uuic usque ad silbam qui apellatur Ripp et at terminos Suthsaxoniae sicut olim habuit Romanus presbyter ad ecclesiam beatissimi birginis Mariae quod est in Limin iaeae libenter donaui atque dono . regimen habente eiusdem monasterii domno Cuthberhto archiepiscopo tunc temporis abbati . Uerum quia cauendum est ne hodiernam donationem nostram futuri temporis abnegare ualeat et in ambiguum deuocare presumptio . placuit mihi hanc paginem condere per quam non solum omnibus meis succes\s/oribus atque heredibus set etiam mihimet ipsi interdico ne aliter quam a me constitutum est ullo tempore quippiam agere audeant Quod si qui forte obseruare neglexerint et absque digna satisfactione presentis uitae inpleberint dies . sciat se omnipotentis Dei iram incurrere et a socitate sanctorum omnium segregatum . quoniam sanctissimam beatissimae uirginis Mariae locum deonestare conatus est . Qui uero haec augenda custodierint nihilque inrogarent aduersi . auribus percipiant uocem clementissimi iudicis inquientis ad pios . Uenite benedicti Patris mei percipite regnum quod uobis paratum est ab origine mundi.
Actum in loco qui dicitur Limin iaee anno dominicae incarnationis .dccxli. indictione .iii.
+ Ego Aethilberhtus rex Cantiae hanc donationem a me factam propria manu signo sanctae crucis roboraui.
+ Ego Cuthberhtus gratia Dei archiepiscopus hanc piam donationem predicti regis consensi et subscripsi.
+ Signum manus Balthhardi + Signum manus Duunuuallan
+ Signum manus Aeðelhuni + Signum manus Aldberhti prefecti
+ Signum manus Dunuualhi pincerni + Signum manus Aethelnothi

Edition: Charters of Christ Church, Canterbury, ed. N. P. Brooks and S. E. Kelly, Anglo-Saxon Charters (The British Academy, forthcoming), no. 11. For apparatus criticus and a detailed commentary see this edition.

+ In the name of the Lord God our Saviour Jesus Christ. It is agreed that it is glorious and right always to give assent to demonstrable needs and pious requests and especially when those same needs and requests are mindful of enlarging and increasing the life of the priests of Christ and His servants. Wherefore I, Æthelberht, king of the dwellers in Kent, for the salvation of my soul have freely given and give a fishery that is at the mouth of the river whose name is the River Lyminge and a portion of a field in which is located the oratory of St Martin with fish sheds and beside that a quarter of a sulung around the same place and another portion of my property for pasturing 150 head of cattle near the marsh that is called Bishopswic up to the wood that is called Ripp and to the boundaries of Surrey just as Romanus the priest once had it for the church of the blessed Virgin Mary that is in Lyminge, the lord Cuthbert, the archbishop (at that time abbot), having control of that same monastery. But because one must be on one's guard lest the audacity of a future age should have the power to negate today's gift of mine and bring it into doubt, it has pleased me to create this document through which I prohibit not only all my successors and heirs but also me myself from daring to do anything at any time other than what has been decided by me. If anyone should neglect to observe this and should complete the days of this present life without a worthy penance, let him know that he will incur the wrath of Almighty God and be separated from the company of all the saints, since he has tried to dishonour the most holy place of the very blessed Virgin Mary. He who in truth might guard these thing by enlarging them and proposes nothing against them, may he hear with his ears the voice of the most merciful Judge saying to the pious, 'Come, ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'
Executed in the place that is called Lyminge in the year of the Lord's incarnation 741, in indiction 3.
+ I, Æthelberht, king of Kent, validated this donation made by me in my own hand with the mark of the holy cross.
+ I, Cuthbert, by the Grace of God archbishop [of Canterbury], agreed to and subscribed this pious [charter] of donation.
+ Mark of the hand of Baltheard. + Mark of the hand of Dunwalh.
+ Mark of the hand of Æthelhun. + Mark of the hand of Ealdberht, prefectus.
+ Mark of the hand of Dunwalh pincerna. + Mark of the hand of Æthelnoth.

Translation: David A. E. Pelteret.

11A
S 1611

King Eadberht I, cognomento Eating, grants a fishery on the river Limen, the oratorium of St Martin (? at New Romney, Kent) with the fishermen's dwellings and a quarter sulung (aratrum), and pasture-land in the marsh called Biscopes wic, to Christ Church, Canterbury. A.D. 741

Archive: Canterbury, Christ Church

[A]nno dominice incarnationis .dcc.xli. Ego Eadbriht rex, cognomento Eating, pro salute anime mee concedo ecclesie Christi in Dorobernia capturam piscium que habetur in ostio fluminis cuius nomen est Limenea, et partem agri in qua situm est oratorium sancti Martini, cum domibus piscatorum et quartam partem aratri circa eundem locum et pascua .cl. iumentorum iuxta marascum qui dicitur Biscopesuuic, usque ad siluam que appellatur Rhip et usque ad terminos Suthsaxonie, regimen habente ecclesie beate Marie que habetur apud Limine Cuthberto archiepiscopo tunc temporis abbate. Cui uidelicet ecclesie hanc meam donationem nominatim contuli liberam ab omni seculari seruitio, exceptis istis tribus, expeditione, pontis et arcis constructione. Si quis hoc meum donum uiolare presumpserit, disperdat et distruat illum Deus, nisi celeri satisfactione malum quod fecerit emendet.

Edition: Charters of Christ Church, Canterbury, ed. N. P. Brooks and S. E. Kelly, Anglo-Saxon Charters (The British Academy, forthcoming), no. 11A. For apparatus criticus and a detailed commentary see this edition.