Ecgberht of Wessex makes a general grant of privileges to Rochester Cathedral

Ecgberht of Wessex makes a general grant of privileges to St Andrew’s, Rochester (823). Translation from Latin of Textus Roffensis, folios 137r-138v by Jacob Scott (pending review).

Campbell, no. 18. Fraudulent charter. Campbell: ‘This is a highly suspicious document. The title rex Anglorum [‘king of the English’] is not used by Ecgberht elsewhere, and the year and indiction do not agree. A vague, general grant of priviliges would be [of] most use in the post-Conquest disputes, and the document may be a forgery of that time.’ Scribal note: On 137v certain words are underlined in brown ink (later hand).

Transcription

137r (select folio number to open facsimile)

De libertate aecclesię
sancti andreę apostoli; + IN nomine domini nostri iesu christi, ego ecgberhtus gratia dei
rex anglorum, cum consensu episcoporum ac principum
meorum hanc libertatem donabi ęcclesiae quę
sita est in ciuitate hrobi et omnibus agellis quę

137v

ad ęcclesiam sancti andreę apostoli pertinent, pro remedio
animę meę et filii nostri aetheluulfi quem regem
constituimus in cantia, ut omnes >agros< sint libera ab
omni regali seruitio, a pastu regum et principum,
ducum et prefectum exactorumque, ab equorum et fal-
conum accipitrumque et canum acceptione, et illorum
hominum refectione quod nos festing menn
nominamus a parafrithis, et ab omnibus difficul-
tatibus regalis uel secularis seruitutis notis
et ignotis, cum furis comprehensione intus et
foris maioris minorisue, preter pontis constru-
ctione et expeditione, ęternaliter liberata per-
maneat. Hanc libertatem predicte ęcclesię donabi,
pro humili oboedientia uenerabilis episcopi beorn-
modi, et pro amore apostoli sancti andreę, et beati
paulini archiepiscopi cuius corpus in predicta ęcclesia
requiescit. Sic etiam >omnibus< successoribus uel heredibus
meis, necnon cuicunque gradu regibus seu princi-
pibus in nomine sanctę trinitatis et per tremendum
dei iudicium precipio ut hęc donatio mea fir-
ma et inlibata inconcussaque permaneat. Si quis
uero hoc beniuola mente obseruare uoluerit,
seruetur ei benedictio sempiterna, hic et in ęter-
num. Si autem quod absit aliquis insurrexerit

138r

tyrannica potestate fretus seu diabolica te-
meritate instigatus qui hanc libertatem infrin-
gere aut minuere uel maluit conuertere
temptauerit quam a nobis constitutum est, sci-
at se separatum a communione sanctę dei ęcclesiae et
a participatione omnium sanctorum dei et ęternis
ignibus esse nodatum nisi prius digne et perfe-
cte hic in seculo emendare uoluerit. Scripta
est hęc cartula anno dominicę incarnationis
dccc. xx. iii. indictione vi. his testibus con-
sentientibus et signo sanctę crucis christi confir-
mantibus, quorum nomina infra tenentur ascri-
pta. + Ego ecgberhtus rex anglorum hanc
donationem meam huius libertatis signo sanctę cru-
cis christi confirmaui et subscripsi. + Ego ae-
theluulf rex consensi et subscripsi. + Ego uul-
fręd archiepiscopus consensi et subscripsi. + Ego wig-
ðegn episcopus consensi et subscripsi. + Ego ealhstan
episcopus consensi et subscripsi. + Ego beornmod episcopus
consensi et subscripsi. + Ego wulfhard dux consen-
si et subscripsi. + Ego monnędę dux consensi et
subscripsi. + Ego osmod dux consensi et subscri-
psi. + Ego dudda dux consensi et subscripsi. + al-
dred. + Oshere. + ætheluulf. + duduc. + boba.

138v

+ Ealhhere. + Sigaesteb. + æðelhard.

Translation

Concerning the freedom of the Church of Saint Andrew the Apostle:

+ In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I, blessed by the grace of God, King of the English, with the consent of my bishops and princes, I grant this freedom to the church which is located in the city of Rochester and to all the flocks that belong to the Church of Saint Andrew the Apostle, for the remedy of my soul and that of our son Aethelulf which king we set in song, that all the fields should be free from all royal servitude, from the pasture of kings and princes, dukes and prefects and executors, from the reception of horses and falcons and hawks and dogs, and from the refreshment of those men whom we call feasting men from Parafriths, and from all the difficulties of royal or secular servitude, known and unknown, with the arrest of thieves within and without, greater or less, beyond the construction of the bridge and the expedition, may he remain eternally freed. I will grant this liberty to the aforesaid church, for humble obedience to the venerable Bishop Bernard, and for the love of the apostle St. Andrew, and the blessed Archbishop Paulinus, whose body rests in the aforesaid church. So also to all my successors or heirs, as well as to kings or princes of any degree, in the name of the holy trinity and by the terrible judgment of God, I command that this gift of mine continue firm and unbroken and unshaken. If any one is willing to observe this with a kind heart, he will receive an everlasting blessing, here and forever. But if any one who is absent, relying on tyrannical power, or instigated by diabolical recklessness, who has attempted to infringe or diminish this liberty, or who prefers to turn away from what has been established by us, let him know that he is separated from the communion of the holy church of God, and from the participation of all the saints of God, and that he is bound to the eternal fires only before He wills to make amends with dignity and perfection here in the world. This letter was written in the year of the Lord's incarnation 823, 4th indiction. These witnesses agreeing and confirming with the sign of the holy cross of Christ, whose names are written below.

+ I, Ecgberhtus, king of the English, have confirmed and subscribed my grant of this liberty with the sign of the holy cross of Christ.

I, King Aetheluulf, agreed and subscribed.

I, Archbishop Uulfraed, consented and subscribed.

+ I, Bishop Wigðegn agreed and subscribed.

+ I, Bishop Ealhstan, agreed and subscribed. + I, Bishop Beornmod, agreed and subscribed. + I, Duke Wulfhard, agreed and subscribed. + I, Duke Monnędę agreed and subscribed. + I, Duke Osmod agreed and subscribed

+ I, Duke Dudda agreed and subscribed.

+ Aldred.

+ Oshere.

+ ætheluulf.

+ Duduc.

+ Boba.

+ Ealhhere.

+ Sigaesteb.

+ æðelhard.