The Bradford Manor Charter of 1001
Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire
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A copy of the grant by King Æthelred II gives details of the boundary of the manor in 1001
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The letter ð in the Anglo Saxon text represents a voiced “th”, as in “this”
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“Ærest of seuen pirien on ðere here wai, ðe schet suðward wiðuten acceslege wurð ut wrindes holt and swa anlang herewines to Ælfwines hlipgate fram ðane hlipgate forð be is landschare inne Auene swa forð be streme inne byssi swa uppe bissy on wret swa onlonghes wret ðat it comet to Brisnodes landschare sc-t-n forð be is landschare inne Swinbroch forð be broke inne Pumberig ut thurch Pumberig inne Tefleforð forð mid streme ðat it cumet to Ælfwerdes landimare at Wutenham ðannes of wigewen broke forð be Leofwines imare inne Auene forð be Auene ðat it cumet to Ferseforð ðes abbotes imare innen Mitford of ðanne forde gyet be ðes abbotes imare eft into Auene swo in ðer be Auene ðat it cumet eft to ðes abbotes imare to Werleghe swa be ðes abbotes imare to Ælfgares imare to Farnleghe forð be is imare oð ðat it cumet to ðes kinges imare at Heselberi forð be ðes kinges imare ðat it cumet to Ælfgares imare at Attenwrðe forð be is imare ðat it cumet to Leofwines landimare at Coseham of ðan imare to ðes aldremannes imare at Witlege forð be ðanne imare ðat it cumet to Ælfwiges imare at Broctune to ðanne wude ðe ierað into Broctune eft at seuen pirien forð be Ælfnodes imare innen Æðelwines imarre at Chaldefelde of is imare innen Ælfwines imare ðe Horderes forð be is imare innen Ælphwines imare at Broctune eft into ðe pyrien.”
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Which translates in modern English as:
First from seven pear trees on the military road that goes southwards outside Accesleigh [Oxenleaze Farm] out of Wrindesholt [Holt] and so along the military road to Ælfwin’s leapgate; from the leapgate forth by his boundary to the [river] Avon, so forth be the stream to the [river] Biss, up the Biss on the right so along until it comes to Brisnode’s boundary [ – ], forth by his boundary to Swinbrook [Swanbrook], forth by the brook to Pomeroy, out through Pomeroy to Tellisford, forth with the stream [river Frome] until it comes to Ælfwerd’s boundary bank at Wittenham, thence from ‘wigwegen’ brook [probably the brook that runs from Midway to the Frome], forth by Leofwine’s boundary [of Westwood] to the Avon, forth by the Avon until it comes to Freshford the Abbot’s border [of Bath] to Midford, from that ford you go by the Abbot’s border back to the Avon, so there by the Avon until it comes back to the Abbot’s border to Warleigh, so by the Abbot’s border to Ælfgar’s border at [Monkton] Farleigh, forth by his border until it comes to the King’s border at Haselbury, forth by the King’s border until it comes to Ælfgar’s border at Atworth, forth by his border until it comes to Leofwine’s border at Corsham, from that border to the Alderman’s border at Witley, forth from that border until it comes to Ælfwig’s border at Broughton [Gifford] to the wood that goes into Broughton, back to the seven pear trees, forth by Ælfnode’s border to Æthelwine’s border at Chalfield, from his border to the border of Ælfwine the Hoarder [Treasurer?], forth by his border to Ælphwine’s border at Broughton, back to the pear trees.
The preamble is in Latin:
Conditore creaturarum uniuersalium, seu que in secretis celestibus ocellis hactenus latent humanis, seu que in terris uisibiliter patent, seu que in profundis gurgitibus fluctiuagis circumquaque trahuntur discursibus, in sue incommutabilitatis firmissima eternaliter regnante stabilitate, cuncta que ab ipso et per ipsum et in ipso condita, redempta, uiuificata sunt, ineffabili sue magestatis regente priuilegio. Huius erumpnose ac miserime uite instabilitas flebilibus querimoniis sue defectionis iam iamque superuenientis laboriosum prenunciat terminum, quippe cum ueritatis preconium que se, post uitam protoplasti preuaricacionem, carnem nostre mortalitatis ut eam inmortalem postmodum redderet ex intemerato semper uirginis utero pro salute tocius humani generis induere dignata est, nostra suscipiens suaque haut relinquens, inter cetera sue ammonicionis eloquia ita dicendo omnibus proclamarat, ‘Cum uideritis hec fieri, scitote quoniam prope est regnum Dei. Amen dico uobis quia non preteribit generacio hec, donec omnia fiant. Celum et terra transibunt, uerba autem mea non transibunt’. Attamen alicubi fidelium undique consulendo saluti, lucrumque requirens quas proprio liuore redemit animarum, saluberimum ut ita dixerim subministrauit antidotum, taliter uniuersos commonens, ‘Uendite que possidetis et date elemosinam’, ‘et ecce omnia munda sunt uobis’. Talibus mandatorum Christi sentenciis a meis frequencius premonitus consiliariis et ab ipso summo omnium largitore bonorum, dirissimis hostium grauiter nos depopulancium criberrime angustiatus flagellis, ego Aetheldredus rex Anglorum, ut supradicte merear particeps fore promissionis, quoddam Christo <et> sancto suo, germano scilicet meo Edwardo, quem proprio cruore perfusum per multiplicia uirtutum signa ipse Dominus nostris mirificare dignatus est temporibus, cum adiacente undique uilla humili deuocione offero cenobium quod uulgariter et Bradeforda cognominatur, hoc mecum sub sapientum meorum testimonio tacite preiudicans, ut supradictum donum sancto semper subiaceat monasterio et Sceftesbirio uocitato ac dicioni uenerabilis familie sanctimonialium inibi degencium, quatenus aduersus barbarorum insidias ipsa religiosa congregacio cum beati martiris ceterorumque sanctorum reliquiis ibidem Deo seruiendi impenetrabile optineat confugium et, adepto postmodum (si Dei misericordia ita preuiderit) pacis tempore, rursus ad pristinum reuertantur statum, ea tamen racione ut in loco quem Domino optuli pars aliquantula ex ipsa remaneat familia, que diuini operis sedula inibi iugiter expleat officia, hocque ut fieri possit sapienti consilio, prioris premeditetur industria; sin alias preuideat rectoris examinacio, unde ibidem continue exerceatur ordo psalmodie, ut autem ista nostra donacio incommutabilem capiat stabilitatem, et ut presentes quid obseruent uel quid subsequantur certius agnoscant futuri, hoc interea hac scedula annotari dignum duxi, quatinus prescripta uilla cum omnibus ad se rite pertinentibus, campis, siluis, pascuis, pratis, ita sane ut ego ipse illam in usus pussederam proprios, uenerabili supradicte familie Christo sanctoque martiri incessanter famulanti semper subiugetur liberrima, tribus tantummodo exceptis, communium laborum utilitatibus, si contingat expedicionem promoueri, arcem pontemque construi. Hocque regia precipimus auctoritate ut nullus elacio uel musitacio altioris aut inferioris persone hanc nostram donacionem euertere seu minorare presumat, hoc solummodo aduersus omnia contradicencium machinamenta nostre dapsilitatis preualente priuilegio, presertim cum ego hoc, non priuatim pro remedio anime mee, sed pro tocius nostre genealogie qui uel olim preterierunt uel in posterum forte uenturi sunt generali salute dictauerim, nec istud decretum nostris tantum temporibus perduret inmutabile, uerum eciam et successorum meorum diebus, quos, quales, qui seu quoti futuri sunt Dei prescit eterna predestinacio. Quisquis autem hanc nostram munificenciam amplificare studuerit, augeatur ei in presenti temporis quieti longeuitas et in futuro centuplicate retribucionis celeste premium. Qui uero euertere aut in aliud quis transferre satagerit, adbreuientur hic dies uite ipsius, ut cum hiis qui Christo resistere nituntur in inferiori prolongentur inferno, ni uelocius recedat a peruersa meditacione et eum quem offendere non metuit dignis penitencie lamentis placare festinauerit.
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