218 



On an Anglo-Saxon Charter 



inheritance.] But there was certainly no Bishop who held the see 

 of Winchester of that name during the reign of Edward the Elder, 

 and hence the natural inference is, that the person referred to as 

 the grantee was the same as is described in the earlier part of the 

 Charter as ^thelwulf, and afterwards, in the gift to Deorswith, as 

 -Slthulf, or Athulf. This variation of spelling is often to be 

 observed in these Charters. The one before us is of course a tran- 

 script, made in the twelfth century, and by a scribe who was 

 probably altogether ignorant of the Anglo-Saxon language. This 

 last fact alone is sufficient to account for the eccentric way in which 

 words are spelt, and for the many corruptions which we find in 

 the documents contained in the old Chartularies. 



The land-limits of Stockton are thus described in the charter: — 



.^rest on Codanford ; "Sonne First at Codford ; then adown 



andune andlang Wilig on Hyssa along the Wyly to Hyssa-pool ; 



pol; "Sa2t on ■Saere gebyge; 'Sset 

 be eastan Cynelmingham ofer 

 ■Sa maede on Hafocwylle ; ■Sonne 

 andlang mserfyr on greatan 

 ]7orn ; ^onne andlang weges on 

 landscorehlinc ; ^ 'Sonne andlang 

 scorehlinces on Alercum : Sonne 

 ofer Radune sweoran ofer Na- 

 cum on Trindlea ; ^aet swa on 

 Wilafes treow ; "Saet ofer ^one 

 h^Sfeld on dlcgeat ; ^et west 

 andlang die on Wylle-weg ; ^tet 

 andlang Wylle-weges on Wi- 

 dan-cum ; •Sonne andlang waeges 

 seft on Odenford ; of Odanforda 

 on Codanford. 



then to the bight (=bending) ; 

 then by the east of Kynelming- 

 ham over the mead to Hawk well ; 

 then along the mere-furrow to 

 the great thorn ; then along the 

 way to the land-share-linch ; 

 then along the share-linch to 

 Alercomb ; then over the neck 

 of Rawdown over Nacomb to 

 Trindley ; then so to Wilaf 's 

 tree ; then over the heathfield 

 to the dike-gate ; then west 

 along the dyke to the Welsh- 

 way ; then along the Welsh-way 

 to Widcomb ; then along the 

 way again to Odford ; from Od- 

 ford to Codford. 



1 Land-score-hlinc, — that is, I believe, literally, the " linch" that '' divides " 

 («cera«:=to share, or divide) the " land." By the term Mine (:=linch) is meant 

 a ridge or rising ground, either natural or artificial, used as a means of marking 

 points of boundary. Junius in his Etymologicon defines it, — " agger limitaneus 

 parsechias, &c., dividens," 



