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THE SAXON BOUNDARIES OF DOWNTON, WILTS. 



By The Rev. A. Du Boulay Hill, Rector of East Bridgford, Notts, 

 formerly Vicar of Downton. 



[Read at the Salisbury Meeting, 1908.] 



A folio volume in the British Museum, probably the oldest bound 

 volume among its treasures, is known as " Codex Wintonicnsis " 

 (No. 15350 Addit. MSS.). It is a twelfth century cartulary, made 

 by the monks of S. Swithun's Priory, at Winchester. It belonged 

 to the library of the Cathedral, where it was accidentally discovered 

 propping up the seat of a small chorister, and purchased for the 

 Museum in 1841. This discovery caused Kemble to write his 

 Vol. V., and a great part of the book has been transcribed by 

 Mr. W. de G-. Birch, F.S.A., in his Cartularium Saxonicum. 



Five of these collected charters refer to land in Downton granted 

 by King Cynewalc (Kenwalch) to the Cathedral Church of 

 Winchester, hallowed in 648, carrying out the promise made by 

 his father Cynegils to Bishop Birinus. 



They are as follows, all being placed together in Codex Wintoni- 

 ensis, fol. 13 — 16 : — 



(1) Grant by King Cynewalc of land in Downton, before 672 



(Birch, Cart. Sax., No. 27). 



(2) A " Restitution " of King Ecgberht in 826 (Birch, Cart. 



Sax., No. 391). 



(3) A confirmation of the grant, made at a Witena-gemot of 



King ^Ethelstan in 932 (Birch, Cart. Sax., No. 690). 



(4) A restitution of King Eadred in 948 (Birch, Cart. Sax. y 



No. 863). 



(5) A charter of King iEthelred. 



These all refer to the same land, the charters being in Latin, and 

 the same boundaries being described in Anglo-Saxon, with some 

 variations and omissions. 



