On an Anglo-Saxon Charter 



217 



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

 was given to one JEthelwulf, 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 cy3 Deormodes This writing makes known the 

 foresprece and iESulfes ymb agreement of Deormod and 

 ftaet land set Wilig ; fet is 'Sset iEthulf concerning that land at 

 ASulf hit gesealde DeorswiSe Wily ; that is, that .ZEthulf 

 on agene aeht to ateonne swa gave it to Deorswith as her own 

 hire leofost wsere, seg^Ser ge on possession, to dispose of as to 

 hire lyfe ge eefter hyre lyfe, and her was most desirable, either 

 ageaf hire $a bsec "by ilcan deg during her life or after her life, 

 fte hi man him geaf, on 3issa 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 1 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) 

 by Wyly." 



There is a rubric subjoined to the Charter which seems at 

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

 boc to bi Wilig $33 Eadweard cing gebocade iESelwulf bisceope 

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

 King Edward granted to Bishop iEthelwulf as a perpetual 



tones' Domesday for Wilts, p. 21. 



