The Production and Use of English Manuscripts 1060 to 1220

Takako Kato

London, British Library, Cotton Tiberius A. ii + Claudius A. iii, fols 2-7, 9* + Faustina B. vi, vol. 1, fols 95, 98-100

Writ of Edward the Confessor

Date: s. xi2

Added with other English and Latin records of Christ Church, Canterbury, of s. xi1-xi2, to the blank spaces and margins of a s. ix continental gospel-book which Æthelstan donated to Christ Church. Old English written at Christ Church, probably between the gospels of Luke and John.

All the documents in Old English and most of those in Latin were cut out by Cotton from Tiberius. The Old English texts are now part of Claudius A. iii; the Latin texts Faustina B. vi.

Manuscript Items:

1. Item: Claudius A. iii, fols 4-6

   Title (B.15.1.48): Charters: Royal Charters: King Æthelred to Christ Church, Canterbury Sawyer 914

   Incipit: (fol. 4r) On drihtnes naman ælmihtiges godes. Ic æðelred mid Godes gyfe Angelðeode cyning, and ƿealdend eac oðra iglanda ðe her abutan licgað, cyðe Engliscum cristenum mannum hu se arƿyrða arcebisceop ælfric of his bisceoplican ƿisdome and gymenne me on Godes bebodum oft abysgud hæfð.

   Explicit: (fol. 6r) Ic Leofstan geƿitnys.

   Text Language: English (a Latin version (fols 2r-3v) precedes the Old English )

   Date: A hand of s. xi1

   Bibliography:

   Ker 1957, p. 239

   Electronic Sawyer, S914

2. Item: Claudius A. iii, fols 5-6

   Title (B.15.1.96): Charters: Royal Charters: Writ of King Edward, Christ Church, Canterbury Sawyer 1090

   Incipit: (fol. 5v) Eadƿeard cyngc gret stigande ærcebisceop 7 harold eorl

   Text Language: English

   Date: The text is datable 1051-63; a hand of s. xi2

   Bibliography:

   Ker 1957, pp. 239-40

3. Item: Claudius A. iii, fol. 6r

   Title (B.15.2.17): Charters: Lay Charters: Lady Ælfgifu to Christ Church Sawyer 1229

   Addition: (fol. 6r) Ic Ælfgyfu seo hlæfdige Eadƿeardes cyninges modor geærndede æt Cnute cyninge minum hlaforde þæt land æt Niƿantune 7 þæt þærto hyrð into Cristes cyrcean þa Ælfric se þegen hit hæfde forƿorht þan cyninge to handan . 7 se cyning hit geaf þa into Cristes cyrcean þan hirede to fosterlande for uncre beigra saƿle.

   Text Language: English

   Date: A hand of s. ximed

   Bibliography:

   Ker 1957, p. 240

   Electronic Sawyer, S1229

4. Item: Claudius A. iii, fol. 6r

   Title (B.15.3.50): Charters: Bishops' Charters: Archbishop Æthelnoth to Christ Church Sawyer 1389

   Addition: (fol. 6r) Ic æþelnoð cristes cyrcean arcebisceop gebohte þæt land æt godmæresham æt rirede eorle mid tƿam 7 hundseofontigan marcan hƿites seolfres be geƿihte . 7 geaf hit on minon halan life into Cristes cyrcean þan hirede to bigleofan into heora beodderne for mine saƿle . 7 se þe þis ƿille aƿendan . aƿende hine Crist fram heofenan rices myrhðe into helle ƿite

   Text Language: English

   Date: A hand of s. ximed

   Bibliography:

   Ker 1957, p. 240

   Electronic Sawyer, S1389

5. Item: Claudius A. iii, fol. 6r

   Title (B.15.2.14): Charters: Lay Charters: Thored to Christ Church Sawyer 1222

   Addition: (fol. 6r) Ic þored geann þæt land æt horslege þam horede æt cristes cyrcean for mine saƿle sƿa full 7 sƿa forð sƿa ic sylf hit ahte

   Text Language: English

   Date: A hand of s. ximed

   Bibliography:

   Ker 1957, p. 240

   Electronic Sawyer, S1222

6. Item: Claudius A. iii, fol. 6v

   Title (B.15.1.66): Charters: Royal Charters: King Edward to Christ Church, Canterbury Sawyer 1047

   Incipit: (fol. 6v) Ic eadƿerd cyng 7 englalandes ƿealdend under Criste þan heofenlican cyninge geann þæs landes æt Certham into Cristes cyrcean for mine saƿle þan hirede to fosterlande þe þærinne Gode þeoƿað

   Explicit: (fol. 6v) (ends with a witness list) Brutuƿylle

   Text Language: English

   Date: s. ximed and s. xi2 hands

   Bibliography:

   Ker 1957, p. 240

   Electronic Sawyer, S1047

Administration Information:

Manuscript described by Takako Kato with the assistance of Owen Roberson and Sanne van der Schee, with reference to published scholarship (2013).

Bibliography:

Ker, N. R., Catalogue of Manuscripts Containing Anglo-Saxon (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1957; repr. 1990), item 185

Sawyer, Peter, The Electronic Sawyer (London: CCH, King's College London, http://www.esawyer.org.uk/, 2012; accessed in 2009)