On an Anglo-Saxon Charter 217 



By King Edward the Elder, the son of Alfred the Great, the estate 

 was given to one ^thelwulf, and by him granted to Deorswith, 

 probably his wife, with full power to dispose of the same as she 

 might think fit. This appears from the following statement which 

 immediately follows the recital of the boundaries of the estate. 



Dis gewrit cy^ Deormodea This writing makes known the 



foresprece and ^Sulfes ymb agreement of Dcormod and 



•Stet land set Wilig ; ^aet is Sset J3thulf concerning that land at 



ASulf hit gesealde DeorswiSe Wily ; that is, that ^thulf 



on agene £eht to ateonne swa gave it to Deorswith as her own 



hire leofost wsere, segSer ge on possession, to dispose of as to 



hire lyfe ge softer byre lyfe, and her was most desirable, either 



dgeaf hire ^a beec ^y ilcan deg during her life or after her life, 



^e hi man him geaf, on ^issa and gave her the deeds on the 



manna gewitnesse. same day that they were given 



to him, in the witness of these 



men. 



The names of the witnesses follow, amongst which are Edweard, 

 "the King," — iEthelweard, the king's son; Deormod, Ordgar, 

 Ordlaf, and several others, each describing himself as " Dux ; " — 

 together with a considerable number, each placing the title 

 " Minister " after his name. 



It would appear probable that, in the exercise of her right, 

 Deorswith granted this estate to the Monastery of St. Swithin, 

 Winchester. It is accounted for in Domesday Book ^ as having 

 belonged in the time of Edward the Confessor to that monastery, 

 and is there called Stottune. It was still assessed at ten hides, just 

 as in the original Charter it is described as " ten cassates (chides) 



There is a rubric subjoined to the Charter which seems at 

 variance with this conjecture. It runs thus, " Dis is ^aera land 

 hoc to bi Wilig ^se Earlweard cing gebocade ^Selwulf bisceope 

 on a3ce yrfe." [This is the Charter of the land by Wily that 

 King Edward granted to Bishop ^thelwulf as a perpetual 

 1 Jones' Domesday for "Wilts, p. 21. 



