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

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

A.D. 604 (28 April). Æthelberht, king, to St Andrew and his church at Rochester; grant of land at Rochester. Latin with English bounds.

A.D. 605 (Canterbury). Æthelberht, king of Kent, to St Peter; grant of land to the east of Canterbury for the foundation of a minster. Latin with English bounds.

A.D. 605 (Canterbury). Æthelberht, king of the English, to St Augustine for the minster of SS Peter and Paul (St Augustine's), Canterbury; grant of land to the east of Canterbury. Latin with bounds.

A.D. 697 or 712 (July). Wihtred, king of Kent, to St Mary's Church, Lyminge; grant of 4 sulungs (aratra) at Pleghelmestun, Kent. Latin.

A.D. 700 or 715. Wihtred, king of Kent, to St Mary's Church, Lyminge; grant of 4 sulungs (aratra) at Pleghelmestun and pasture in Romney Marsh. Latin.

A.D. 732 (Canterbury, 20 Feb.). Æthelberht II, king of Kent, to Dunn, priest and abbot, and the church of St Mary (Lyminge); grant of land by the river Limen and at Sandtun (Sampton, lost, in West Hythe), Kent. Latin with bounds.

A.D. 778 (Canterbury). Ecgberht, king of Kent, to Deora, bishop of Rochester; grant of a half sulung (aratrum) a Bromhey in Frindsbury, Kent, and a marsh called Scaga. Latin, with bounds of appurtenant meadows in Hreodham (? Redham in Cliffe, Kent).

A.D. 765 x 785. Ecgberht, king of Kent, to Deora, bishop of Rochester, and the church of St Andrew; grant of 10 sulungs (aratra) at Halling, Kent, with appurtenant swine-pastures at Bixle, Speldhurst, Mæreden, Rusthall and Teppanhyse, Kent. Latin with bounds.

A.D. 775 for c. 705 x c. 717. Nunna, king of Sussex, to Eadberht, bishop; grant of 20 hides (tributarii) at Hugabeorgum and Dene (probably East and West Dean near Chichester). Latin with English bounds.

Ealdwulf, king, to Hunlaf, his comes: grant, in order to found a minster, of 16 hides (casata) at Stanmer, Lindfield and Burleigh, Sussex, with confirmation by Offa, king of the Mercians. Latin with English bounds.

Æthelweard, subregulus, with the consent of Cenred, king of Mercia, to Ecgwine, bishop, for St Mary's Church, Cronuchomme (Evesham); grant of 12 hides (cassati) at Ombersley, Worcs., with later confirmations by Ceolred, Æthelbald and Offa, kings of Mercia. Latin with English bounds.

Eanberht, Uhtred and Ealdred, under-kings of the Hwicce, to Milred, bishop, and St Peter's, Worcester; grant of 30 hides (cassati) at Tredington, Warwicks. (formerly Worcs.), previously held by Tyrdda, comes. Latin with English bounds.

A.D. 759 (February). Eanberht, Uhtred and Ealdred, brothers and under-kings of the Hwicce, with the permission of Offa, king of Mercia, to Headda, abbot; grant of 10 hides (cassati) at Andoversford, Gloucs. Latin with English bounds.

A.D. 756 for 777 x 779. Uhtred, ruler of the Hwicce, with the permission of Offa, king of Mercia, to Ceolmund, minister; grant of 8 hides (mansiones) at Kemerton, Worcs. Latin with bounds.

Uhtred, regulus of the Hwicce, with the permission of Offa, king of Mercia, to Æthelmund, his faithful minister; grant, for three lives, of 5 hides (tributarii) at (Aston in Stoke Prior, Worcs.), with reversion to the church of Worcester. Latin with brief English bounds.

Uhtred, regulus of the Hwicce, with the permision of Offa, king of Mercia, to St Mary's Minster, Worcester; grant of 10 hides (tributarii) at Stoke Prior, Worcs. Latin with English bounds.

A.D. 699 x 709. Offa, king of Mercia (? recte of Essex), also termed subregulus, to the church of Worcester; grant of 33 hides (cassati) at Shottery, 3 at Nuthurst, Warwicks.; and 3 at Hellerelege (lost, in Kings Norton), Worcs. Latin with English bounds.

A.D. 704 (13 June). Swæfred, king of Essex, and Pæogthath, comes, with the consent of Æthelred, king of Mercia, to Waldhere, bishop; grant of 30 hides (cassati) at Twickenham, Middx, with confirmation by Cenred and Ceolred, kings of Mercia. Ceolred's confirmation took place at Arcencale. Latin with bounds.

Cenred, king of Mercia, to Ecgwine, bishop of the Hwicce, for his church at Cronuchomme (Evesham); grant of 5 hides (cassati) at Abbots Morton, Worcs. Latin with English bounds.

Cenred, king of Mercia, to Ecgwine, bishop; grant, for life, of 12 agri at Oldberrow, Warwicks., with reversion to St Mary's Minster at Evesham. Latin with English bounds prefixed by a statement that Berhtwulf, king (of Mercia), gave the land to Evesham (A.D. 840 x 852).

Cenred, king of Mercia, and Offa, ruler of the East Angles, to the monastery at Evesham; confirmation of 67 hides (mansae) at Evesham, Lenchwick, Norton, Offenham, Littleton, Aldington, Badsey, Bretforton, Church Honeybourne, Willersey, Wickhamford, Bengeworth, Hampton, and at Abbots Morton, all in Worcs. except Willersey, Gloucs. Latin with bounds.

A.D. 718 (? for 727). Æthelbald, king of Mercia, to Bægia, servant of God; grant of 6 hides (cassati) at Daylesford, Gloucs., for the founding of a minster. Latin with English bounds.

A.D. 743 for 737 x 740 (Bearuwe). Æthelbald, king of Mercia, to Osred, his faithful minister; grant of 20 hides (cassati) at Aston Blank and Notgrove, Gloucs., with note that the land was later granted to St Mary's, Worcester. Latin with English bounds.

A.D. 716 x 757. Æthelbald, king of Mercia, to Wihtred, his comes, and to Ansith, Wihtred's wife; grant of 7 hides (manentes) in the regio called Geddinges (cf. Yeading), Middx. Latin with bounds.

A.D. 727 x 736. Æthelbald, king of the South Angles, to Wilfrid, bishop (of Worcester); grant of 8 hides (manentes) at Batsford, Gloucs. Latin with bounds.

A.D. 716 x 745. Æthelbald, king of the South Angles, to the church of St Peter, Worcester; grant of 3 hides (cassati) of woodland at Woodchester, Gloucs. Latin with bounds.

A.D. 759 for 777 x c. 781. Offa, king of the English, to the church of St Peter, Worcester; grant of 40 hides (cassati) at Readanoran (Pyrton, Oxon.). Latin with English bounds.

A.D. 772 (15 August). Offa, king of the English, to Oswald, bishop; grant, for the foundation of a minster, of 8 hides (cassati) at Bexhill, Sussex, with reversion to the bishopric of Selsey. Latin with English bounds and a list of gavel-land appurtenant to Bexhill, namely, Barnhorne, Worsham, on Ibbanhyrste, Crowhurst, on Hricge, on Gyllingan, Foxham (lost, in Crowhurst), on Blacanbrocan (? Black Brooks in Westfield), and Icklesham, all in Sussex.

A.D. 772 ? for 775 or 777 (Gumley, Leics.). Offa, king of the English, to Ridda, minister; lease, for the lives of himself, his wife, Bucga, and their daughter, Heaburg, of 8 hides (manentes) at Evenlode, Gloucs., with reversion to the minster at Bredon, Worcs. Latin with bounds.

Offa, king of the English, to Jænberht, archbishop; grant of 5 sulungs (aratra) at Higham Upshire, Kent. Latin with bounds.