Anglo-Saxon Charters (pre-A.D. 900)

Browse the complete digital corpus of early English diplomas catalogued by Sawyer number and archive

Berhtwulf, king of Mercia, to St Mary's church, Worcester; grant of 3 hides (cassati) at Grimley, Worcs. Latin with English bounds.

A.D. 840 x 848. Berhtwulf, king of Mercia, to Heahberht, bishop, and his familia at Worcester; grant of 5 hides (manentes) at Crowle, Worcs. Latin.

A.D. 855 (Oswaldesdun). Burgred, king of Mercia, to Alhhun, bishop, and his familia at Worcester; grant of privileges for 10 hides (manentes) at Ablington by the River Coln, Gloucs.; for 8 hides (cassati) at Poulton, Wilts.; for 6 hides (cassati) at Barnsley, Gloucs.; for 5 hides (manentes) at Eisey, Wilts.; and for 3 hides (manentes) at Bentley, Worcs.; in return for two bradiolae weighing 45 (or 48) mancuses. Latin.

A.D. 855 (Tamworth, Staffs.). Burgred, king of Mercia, to Alhhun (or Alhwine), bishop of Worcester; grant of privileges for the minster at Blockley, Gloucs., in return for 300 silver shillings. Latin.

A.D. 857 (Tamworth, Staffs., Easter). Burgred, king of Mercia, to Alhhun, bishop (of Worcester); grant of land at Ceolmundingchaga in London. Latin.

A.D. 864 (Bath, Somerset, 25 July). Burgred, king of Mercia, and Æthelswith, his queen, to Alhhun, bishop; grant of 5 hides (cassati) at (Water) Eaton, Oxon., in return for precious objects worth 400 shillings and 100 sicli, with provision for an annual render of 30 shillings to be paid to the church at Eynsham, Oxon. Latin.

Burgred, king of Mercia, to Wulferd; grant of 2 hides (manentes) at Seckley in Upper Arley, belonging to Wolverley, Worcs., in return for 5 hides on a single-lifetime lease, 400 silver sicli and various other items. Latin with English bounds.

Ceolwulf (II), king of Mercia, to Wærferth, bishop of Worcester; grant to the diocese of exemption from the burden of feeding the king's horses and their servants, in return for liturgical services. The bishop grants to the king a four-life lease of 6 hides (manentes) at Daylesford, Gloucs., with reversion to Worcester, in return for 60 mancuses of gold. Latin.

Ceolwulf (II), king of Mercia, to St Mary's minster, Worcester; grant of 6 hides (cassati) at Overbury, Worcs., with villulae at Conderton and Pendock, Worcs. Latin with English bounds of Overbury.

A.D. 880 for 887. Æthelred, dux et patricius of Mercia, to the bishopric of Worcester; grant of 6 hides (mansiones) at Brightwell Baldwin and 8 at Watlington, Oxon., to pertain to the church at Readanoran (i.e. Pyrton, Oxon). Latin with English bounds and a list, in English, of six serfs formerly belonging to the royal vill at Bensington, Oxon.

(a) Æthelred, ealdorman of Mercia, with the consent of King Alfred and the whole Mercian witan, to Berkeley Abbey; grant of privileges in exchange for 12 hides at Stoke Bishop, Gloucs., and 30 gold mancuses. (b) Æthelred, ealdorman, to Cynulf, son of Ceoluht; lease, for three lives, of the land at Stoke Bishop, with reversion to the bishopric of Worcester. Latin and English with English bounds.

A.D. 884 (Hrisbyri, ? Princes Risborough, Bucks.). Æthelred, lord of the Mercians, to Æthelwulf; grant of 5 hides (manentes) at Himbleton, Worcs., with appurtenant salt-workings etc. Latin with English bounds.

A.D. 883 x 911. Æthelred, dux Merciorum, to Cuthulf, minister; renewal of the grant by King Burgred of 10 hides (manentes) at Marlcliff in Cleeve Prior, Worcs., the ancient landbook having been carried off by 'pagans' (Vikings); with a note that the beneficiary later granted the land to the church of Worcester. Latin with English bounds.

A.D. 884 x 901. Æthelred, ealdorman, and Æthelflæd, to the church of St Peter, Worcester; grant of rights at Worcester. English.

Alfred, king of the English and the Saxons, and Æthelred, subregulus et patricius Merciorum, to Wærferth, bishop of Worcester; grant of land æt Hwætmundes stane in London, with commercial privileges. Latin.

A.D. 704 x 709. Æthelheard and Æthelweard (rulers of the Hwicce) to Cuthswith; grant of 5 hides (manentes) at Ingon, Warwicks., in return for 600 shillings. Latin.

? A.D. 781 x 796. Wiferd and Alta, his wife, to the church of St Peter, Worcester; grant of 15 hides (cassati) at Knighton-on-Teme, Newnham and Eardiston in Lindridge, Worcs. Latin with English bounds.

Æthelric, son of Æthelmund, declares his intention to bequeath land at Todenham, Gloucs.; Sture; Shrawley, Worcs.; and at Cohhanlea to Deerhurst; at Bromsgrove and Feckenham, Worcs., to Wærferth for life with reversion to Worcester; and land under Over, Gloucs., at Westmynster (Westbury-on-Trym) and at Stoce (Stoke Bishop, Gloucs. or Stoke Prior, Worcs.), to Ceolburh, his mother, for life, with reversion to the church at Worcester. Latin.

A.D. 699 x 717. Ecgwine, bishop, to Æthelheard; grant for life of Fladbury minster and its endowment of 44 hides (manentes), with reversion to the church of Worcester, in exchange for 20 hides at Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwicks. Latin.

A.D. 718 x 745. Wilfred, bishop of the Hwicce, to Leppa, comes, and his daughter, Beage; lease, for two lives, of 5 hides (cassati) by the river Colne (at Bibury, Gloucs.), with reversion to the see of Worcester. Latin with English bounds.

Milred, bishop of Worcester, to Æthelburh, abbess; lease, for life, of 21 hides (manentia) at Withington, Gloucs., with reversion to the church of St Peter, Worcester. The land had previously been granted by Oshere, subregulus of the Hwicce, to Dunne, famula Dei, and by Dunne to her grand-daughter Hrothwaru (cf. S 1429). Latin.

A.D. 781 (Brentford, Middx). Hathored, bishop of the Hwicce, with the consent of his familia at Worcester, to Offa, king of Mercia; surrender of 90 hides (manentes) with the minster at Bath and also 30 hides (cassati) by the river Avon, in exchange for the confirmation of 30 hides at Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwicks., 38 at Sture (? Kidderminster Worcs., or Alderminster, Warwicks.), 14 (manentes) at Stour in Ismere and 12 at Bredon, Worcs., and 17 (cassati) at Hampton Lucy, Warwicks. Latin.

A.D. 803 (Clofesho, 6 Oct.). Deneberht, bishop, and his familia at Worcester, to Wulfheard; confirmation of his life interest in land at Inkberrow and Bradley, Worcs. Latin.

Deneberht, bishop, and his familia at Worcester, to Eanswith; lease, for life, of 2 hides (cassati) at Harvington, Worcs., with reversion to the church of Worcester. Latin.

A.D. 798 x 822. Deneberht, with the consent of the familia at Worcester, to Balthun, priest; lease, for two lives, of 6 hides (manentes) at Barnsley, Gloucs., and for three lives, of 8 hides at Colesborne, Gloucs., with reversion in each case to the church of Worcester. Latin.

A.D. 849 (Glen, Leics.). Alhhun, bishop, with his familia at Worcester, to King Berhtwulf; lease, for five lives, of 5 hides (manentes) at Wearset felda, 5 (cassati) at Cofton Hackett, 5 (manentes) at Rednal in King's Norton, 2 at Wast Hill and Hopwood in Alvechurch, Worcs., and 3 at Witlafesfeld, with reversion to the church of Worcester. Latin with English bounds of Cofton Hackett.

A.D. 855 (Worcester). Alhwine (Alhhun), bishop of Worcester, to Æthelwulf, dux, and Wulfthryth, his wife; lease, for their lives, of 11 hides (cassati) at Cutsdean, Gloucs., and at Sture (? Alderminster, Worcs.), with reversion to the church of Worcester. Latin.

Wærferth, bishop of Worcester, and the Worcester familia, to Eanwulf, minister; lease, for four lives, of 2 hides (mansae or mansiones) at Nuthurst, Warwicks., in return for 20 mancuses of gold, with reversion to the monastery of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwicks. Latin.

Wærferth, bishop of Worcester, to Werwulf, presbiter; lease, for two lives, of 5 hides (manentes) at Ablington on the river Coln, Gloucs., the holder to pay chuch-scot and soul-scot to (the minster at) Bibury, Gloucs. Latin.

A.D. 757 x 774. Ceolfrith, abbot, to the church of St Peter, Worcester, and the bishopric of Worcester; grant of 20 hides (manentes) at Henbury, Gloucs., and 14 (cassati) at Sture in the province of Ismere, Worcs. Latin.