Edward the Confessor's Grant of privileges to the Abbey
(Refers to boundary crosses)
The reference number S 1045 refers to P. H. Sawyer's catalogue of Anglo-Saxon charters dated 1968. It is reference 102 in C R Hart's Charters of the Eastern Counties.
S 1045
A.D. 1042 x 1065. King Edward to St Edmunds Abbey; confirmation and grant of privileges. English and Latin versions.
Archive: Bury St Edmunds
MSS: English
1. Cambridge, U.L., Ee. 3. 60, 126v (s. xiv)
2. Cambridge, U.L., Ff. 2. 33, 22r (s. xiii2)
3. Cambridge, U.L., Gg. 4. 4, 102rv (s. xv)
4. Cambridge, U.L., Gg. 4. 4, 270v-271r (s. xv)
5. BL Add. 14847, 30r (s. xiv)
6. BL Harley 638, 25v-26r (s. xiv)
7. BL Harley 743, 59v (s. xiv)
8. PRO Ch.R. 8 Edw. II, no. 11
9. PRO Ch.R. 4 Edw. III, no. 58
10. PRO Ch.R. 7-8 Ric. II, no. 11
11. PRO Ch.R. 1 Hen. IV, pt 2, no. 2
12. PRO Ch.R. 1 Hen. V, pt 2, no. 6
13. PRO Pat. R. 2 Hen. VI, pt 2, m. 38
14. PRO Cart. Ant. R. 15, no. 1 (s. xiii)
15. PRO Conf. R. 2 Ric. III, pt 3, no. 9
16. PRO Conf. R. 3 Hen. VII, pt 1, no. 10
17. PRO Conf. R. 8 Hen. VIII, no. 5
18. Bodleian, Gough Cambridge 22, 13rv (s. xiv)Latin
19. Cambridge, U.L., Ff. 2. 33, 22r (s. xiii2)
20. Cambridge, U.L., Ff. 4. 35, 3v (s. xv)
21. Cambridge, U.L., Gg. 4. 4, 97r (s. xv)
22. BL Add. 5846, 18r (s. xviii)
23. BL Lansdowne 416, 86v (s. xv)
Printed: English
K 895 ex MSS 2, 7; Thorpe, pp. 347-9, ex MSS 2, 7, with translation; Hervey 1907, p. 602, with translation, p. 603; Conway Davies 1957, p. 87 ex MS 14.Latin
Mon. Angl., i. 287-8; K 910 ex MS 22; Mon. Angl. (rev. edn), iii. 138 (no. 6); Thorpe, pp. 419-20; Hervey 1907, p. 604; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 6, no. 63.
Comments: Davis 1909, p. 418; Lobel 1935, p. 5 n. 8; Harmer, Writs, p. 141 n. 2, authenticity more than dubious; Hart, ECEE, no. 102, spurious; Keynes 1980, p. 113 n. 92, spurious; Hart 1992, p. 59, may contain spurious elements; Dumville 1993, p. 37 n. 140, p. 38, spurious.
+ Ego Eadwardus rex Anglorum notifico in his literis omnibus dei fidelibus quod consiliatus sum cum meis archiepiscopis et episcopis et abbatibus et comitibus, et cum omnibus meis baronibus, uidelicet, uolo et praecipio quod monasterium cognati mei sancti Eadmundi et uilla in qua situm est illud monasterium sit perpetualiter in eadem libertate quam Cnut rex et Hardecnut rex meus frater ei concesserunt, et quod ille locus nunquam sit locatus cum aliis personis quam cum monachis; nec aliquis episcopus qui est, uel unquam erit, in Norfolc uel Suffolc, habeat unquam potestatem aliquam in eodem monasterio nec infra fines eiusdem uillae crucibus designatos. Et monachi qui ibi degunt eligant sibi abbatem de seipsis sicuti eidem monasterio et eaedem uillae concessi. Permaneat in perpetuum, ubicunque habent monachi terras siue homines, seu in futurum acquirent per dei auxilium et bonorum hominum. Nunc igitur rogo omnes dei amicos qui nunc uiuunt seu futuri sunt, quod pro timore dei nunquam sint in loco seu in concilio ubi praedicta libertas sit mutata uel adnichillata, quam antecessores nostri et nos sancto Eadmundo et monasterio suo concessimus. Quod si aliquis fuerit ita uesanus per incitamenta diaboli quod uelit hanc libertatem mutare siue in aliquo adnichillare uel deprauare sit ille anathematizatus et in gehennam ignis demersus nisi in uita sua resipuerit.
Ic Eadward king kiðe on ðise write alle lefful manne ðat ic red habbe wið mine erchebiscopes and biscopes and earles and wið alle mine þeynes. þat is ðat ic wille ðat seynt Eadmundes minster mine meyes, and se tun ðe ðat minster inne is, be ekelike on ðat ilke fredome ðat Cnut king and Hardcnut kyng mine broðer ðiderin uðen. ne neuer se stede ne wrðe loged mid oðere hodes manne ðanne mid moneke, ne non ðere biscop ðe euermor schal ben on Norðfolc oðer on Suffolc ne habbe neuere non onsting on ðat minstere ne so wyd so ða tunes merkes goð ðe ðat minster inne stond. And ðo monekes chesen hem alder of hem seluen so so riht is. And ic wille ðat se socne and se sake ðat ic hem unnen habbe stonde unawend euer so wer so he nu habben lond oðer men oðer iget bigeten schalen þurg Godes fultume and godere manne. Nu bid ic alle Godes frend eiðer ðe ðat nu libben ore ðe ðat after hus schulen comen ðat he for Godes eye neuere ne ben on stede ne on stalle ðer euere undon wrðe ðat ure fordgengles uðen and ðat we unnen habben into ðat heli minster. And igif ðan euere ani man so drsti wrðe þurgh ðese defles lore ðat he ðis wiðquenchen wille and aweygen, si he amansumod and on helle susle bischemt bute he er his liues ende ðe deppere bete.