Eadwine v. Eanwene (date before 1038)

 

       HER swutelađ on đissum gewrite đaet an scirgemot saet aet Aegelnođes stane be Cnutes daege inges.  Đaer saeton Aeđelstan biscop, and Ranig ealdorman, and Eadwine đaes ealddormannes [sunu], and Leofwine Wulfsiges sunu, and Đurcil Hwita, and Tofig Pruda com đaer on đaes cinges aerende; and đaer waes Bryning scirgerefa, and Aegelweard aet Frome, and Leofwine aet Frome, and Godri aet Stoce, and ealle đa đegnas on Herefordscire.  Đa com đaer farende to đam gemote Eadwine Eanwene sunu, and space đaer on his agene modor aefter summon daele landes, đaet waes Weolintun and Cyrdes leah.  Đa acsode đe bisceop hwa sceolde andswerian for his modor; đa andsweorode Đurcil Hwita and saede đaet he sceolde gif he đa talu cuđe.  Đa he đa talu na ne cuđe, đa sceawode man đreo đegnas of đam gemote [đa sceoldan ridan] đaer heo waes, and đaet waes aet Faeliglaeh, đaet waes Leofwine aet Frome, and Aegelsig đe reada, and Winsig scaegđman.  And đa đa heo to hire common, đa acsodon heo hwyle talu heo haefde ymbe đa land đe hire sunu aefter space.  Đa saede heo đaet heo nan land haefde đe he him aht to gebyrede, and gebealh heo swiđe eorlice wiđ hire suna and gecleopade đa Leoflaede hire magan to hire, Đurcilles wif, and beforan heom to hire đus cwaeđ: Her sit Leoflaed min maege, đe ic geann aegđer ge mines landes, ge mines goldes, ge hraeglaes, ge reafes, ge ealles đe ic ah, aefter minon daege.  And heo syđđan to đam đegnon cwaeđ: Dođ đegnlice and wel!  Abeodađ mine aerende to đam gemote beforan eallum đam godan mannum, and cyđađ heom hwaem ic mines landes geunnan haebbe, and ealre minre aehte; and minan agenan suna naefre nan đing; and biddađ heom beon đisses to gewitnesse.  And heo đa dwae dydon; ridon to đam gemote and cyđdon eallon đam godan amannum hwaet heo on heom geled haefde.  Đa astond Đurcil Hwita up on đa gemote and baed ealle đa đaegnas syllan his wife đa landes claene đe hire maege hire geuđe, and heo dwa dydon; and Đurcil rad đa sancta Aeđelberhtes mynstre, be ealles đaes folces leafe and gewitnesse, and let settan on ane Cristes boc.

 

Translation: 

         HERE is made known in this writing that a shire-gemot sat at Aylton in King Cnut’s day.  There sat Bishop Æthelstan, and Ealdorman Ranig, and Eadwine, [son] of the ealdorman, and Lefowine, son of Wulfsig, and Thirkil White; and Tofig Proud came there on the king’s errand; and there was sheriff ryning, and Ægelweard of Frome, and Leofwine of Frome, and Godric of Stoke, and all the thanes of Herefordshire.  Then came there Eadwine, son of Eanwene, faring to the gemot, and made claim against his own mother for a piece of land; namely, Wellington and Cradley.  Then asked the bishop who was to answer for his mother; then answered Thurkil White and said that it was his part [to do so], if he knew the case.  And as he did not know the case, they appointed three thanes from the gemot, who should ride where she was, namely, at Fawley: these were Leofwine of Frome, and Ægelsie the Red, and Winsie Shipman.  And when the came to her, then asked they what tale she had about the lands which her son sued for.  Then said she that she had no land that belonged to him in any way, and she was vehemently angry with her son, and called her kinswoman Leofled, Thrukil’s wife, to her, and said to her before them thus: Here sits Leofled, my kinswoman, whom I grant both my land and my gold, both raiment and garment, and all that I own, after my day.  And she afterwards said to the thanes: Do thanelike and well!  Declare my errand to the gemot before all the good men, and make known to them whom I have granted my land to, and all my property; and to my own son nothing whatever; and ask them to be witness to this.  And they then did so, rode to the gemot, and make known to all the good men what she had laid on them.  Then Thurkil White stood up in the gemot and asked all the thanes to give his wife clear the lands that her kinswoman granted her, and they did so.  And Thurkil rode then to Saint Æthelbert’s minster, by leave and witness of the whole people, and caused [this] to be recorded in a church book.

 

[source: Essays in Anglo-Saxon Law 365-367 (1905)]