7
S 20

Wihtred, king of Kent, grants privileges to the churches and monasteries of Kent. A.D. 699 (8 April)

Archive: Canterbury, Christ Church

Maidstone, Centre for Kentish Studies, MS U 140: single-sheet copy, s. ix¹
Endorsement by the scribe of the charter: + Lib<er> Uuihtredi regis <...>rum in Cantia [endorsement now partly illegible]

In nomine Domini Dei saluatoris nostri Iesu Christi. Ego Uuihtredus rex Cantie, consulens anime meae in posterum, hanc prouidentiam pro diuersis calamitatibus imminentibus ecclesiis Dei atque monasteriis que in hac Cantia consistunt, una cum consensu principum meorum quorum nomina subterscribenda sunt, facere curaui ut ab omni exactione publici tributi atque dispendio uel lesione a presenti die et tempore liberae sint, mihique et posteris meis talem honorem uel oboedientiam exhibeant qualem exhibuerunt antecessoribus meis regibus sub quibus eis iustitia et libertas seruabatur, et ut tam ego quam posteri mei in hac pia definitione permaneant decerno, nec per quamlibet tergiuersationem que a nobis et a <predecessoribus> nostris recte indulta sunt concutiantur, sed ita ut iam iamque dictum est inperpetuum abhinc et deinceps Domino gubernante custodiantur, ad cuius cumulum firmitatis manu propria signum sancte crucis expressi et tam reuerentissimum Berhtualdum archiepiscopum atque Gemmundum sanctissimum episcopum quam etiam uenerabiles presbyteros et religiosos abbates, presentibus itidem clarissimis abbatissis, hoc est Hirminhilda, Irminburga, Aeaba et Nerienda, ut subscriberent rogaui. Actum die .vi. idus Aprilis, anno regni mei .viii., indictione .xii., in loco qui appellatur Cilling.
+ Ego Uuihtredus rex Cantie ad omnia suprascripta et confirmata atque a me dictata propria manu signum sancte crucis pro ignorantia litterarum expressi.
+ Ego Berhtuualdus archiepiscopus ad omnia suprascripta rogatus a Uuihtredo rege testis subscripsi.
+ Ego Gemmundus episcopus rogatus testis subscripsi.
+ Ego Tobias presbyter rogatus testis subscripsi.
+ Ego Aeana presbyter rogatus testis subscripsi.
+ Ego Vinigeld presbyter rogatus testis subscripsi.
+ Ego Hadrianus indignus monachus rogatus testis subscripsi.
+ Ego Aedilmer abbas rogatus subscripsi.

+ Signum manus Uihtgari.
+ Signum manus Cyniadi.
+ Signum manus Ecca.
+ Signum manus Ueba.
+ Signum manus Headda.
+ Signum manus Headda.

+ Signum manus Suithbaldi.
+ Signum manus Scirieardi.
+ Signum manus Aedilfridi.
+ Signum manus Hagana.
+ Signum manus Beornheardi.

Edition: Charters of Christ Church, Canterbury, ed. N. P. Brooks and S. E. Kelly, Anglo-Saxon Charters (The British Academy, forthcoming), no. 7. For apparatus criticus and a detailed commentary see this edition.

Endorsement by the scribe of the charter: Charter of Wihtred, king � in Kent.

In the name of the Lord God, our Saviour Jesus Christ. I, Wihtred, king of Kent, taking thought for the future of my soul, have seen to the making of this provision on account of the various disasters threatening the churches of God and the monasteries that are located here in Kent, together with the agreement of my principes whose names are written below, that they should be free from all demand for public tribute and payment or injury from the present day and time; and may they show to me and my descendants such respect and obedience as they have shown the kings, my predecessors, under whom justice and freedom was preserved for them. And in order that both I and my successors should remain within this pious definition, I decree that those things that have rightly been granted by us and by our predecessors should not be disturbed through any kind of subterfuge, but may they be guarded under the governance of the Lord in perpetuity from now and in the future, just as has now been stated. As the crowning point of this steadfastness of purpose, I have imprinted the mark of the holy cross with my own hand and have asked the very reverent archbishop, Beorhtwald, and Gebmund, the most holy bishop, and also the venerable priests and religious abbots to subscribe; likewise the most famous abbesses being present, that is Eormenhild, Eormenburg, Æbba and Nerienda. Executed on the 8^th day of April, in year 8 of my reign, in indiction 12, in the place that is called Cilling.
+ I, Wihtred, king of Kent, have imprinted with my own hand the mark of the holy cross on account of my ignorance of writing on all the things written above and confirmed and dictated by me.
+ I, Beorhtwald, archbishop [of Canterbury], having been asked by King Wihtred subscribed as a witness to all the things written above.
+ I, Gebmund, bishop [of Rochester], having been asked subscribed as a witness.
+ I, Tobias, priest, having been asked, subscribed as a witness.
+ Ænna, priest, having been asked, subscribed as a witness.
+ I, Winegeld, priest, having been asked, subscribed as a witness.
+ I, Hadrian, an unworthy monk [of St Augustine's, Canterbury], having been asked, subscribed as a witness.
I, Æthelmær, abbot, having been asked, subscribed.

+ Mark of the hand of Wihtgar.
+ Mark of the hand of Cyniad.
+ Mark of the hand of Ecca.
+ Mark of the hand of Wæba.
+ Mark of the hand of Headda.
+ Mark of the hand of Headda.

+ Mark of the hand of Swithbald.
+ Mark of the hand of Scirheard.
+ Mark of the hand of Æthelfrith.
+ Mark of the hand of Hagana.
+ Mark of the hand of Beornheard.

Translation: David A. E. Pelteret.