Anglo-Saxon Charter of Worcester
Written between 884 and 901, this important charter reveals the workings of the boroughs which were being planted in this period. In part they were defences against Danish attack. King Alfred created a chain of them around Wessex. Here his daughter Æthelflæd and her husband Æthelred, ealdorman of Mercia, record their creation of the borough of Worcester.
Ðæm ælmihtigan Gode, þære soðan annesse 7 ðære halgan ðrynesse on heofonum, sie lof 7 wuldor 7 dæda þoncung ealra þæra goda þe he us forgifen iscopes bene heora freondas, hehtan bewyrcean þa burh æt Sancte Petres 7 ðære cyricean æt Weogernaceastre 7 eac for Wærferðes 22Weogernaceastre eallum þæm folce to gebeorge 7 eac þæron Godes lof to arærenne. 7 heo nu cyðað on Godes gewitnesse, on þisse bec, þæt heo willað on ælcum þæra gerihta þe to heora hlaforddome gebyrað, oððe on ceapstowe oððe on stræte, ge binnan byrg ge butan, geunnan healfes Gode 7 Sancte Petre 7 þære cyrcean hlaforde, þæt þy arlicor on þære stowe beon mæge, 7 eac þy eaðr be summum dæle þæs heoredes helpon, 7 þæt heora gemynde on ecnesse ðy fæstlicor on ðære stowe seo ða hwile ðe Godes hearsumnes on ðam mynstre beo. On[d] Wærferð biscop 7 se heored habbað gesetted þæs godcundnesse beforan ðære þe him mon dæghwamlice deð, ge be heora life ge æfter heora life: þæt ðonne æt eolcum uhtsonge 7 æt ælcum æfensonge 7 æt eolcum undernsonge De profundis ðone sealme, ða hwile þe heo lifgeon, 7 æfter heora life Laudate Dominum; 7 ælce Sæternesdæge on Sancte Petres cyrcean ðrittig sealma 7 heora mæssan, ægðer ge for heo lifgende ge eac forðgeleorde. Ond þonne cyðeð Æþelræd 7 Æþelflæd þæt he willað mid estfullan mode ðisses unnan Gode 7 Sancte Petre on Ælfredes cyninges gewitnesse 7 ealra ðæra witena ðe on Myrcna land syndon; butan þæt se wægnscilling 7 se seampending gonge to ðæs cyninges handa swa he ealning dyde æt Saltwic. Ah elles, ge landfeoh, ge fihtewite, ge stale, ge wohceapung, ge burhwealles sceatinge, ge ælc þæra wonessa ðe to ænigre bote gebyrie, þæt hit age healf ðære cyrcean hlaford, Godes þances 7 Sancte Petres, swa swa hit mon to ceapstowe gesette 7 on strætum. Ond wiðutan ða ceapstowe, seo se biscop his landes 7 ealra his gerihta wyrðe, swa hit ær ure foregengan gesetton 7 gefreodan. 7 Æðelræd 7 Æðelflæd ðis dydon on Ælfredes cyninges gewitnesse 7 on Myrcna witena ðæra naman her be æftan awritene standað. 7 on Godes ealmihtiges naman halsiað ealle heora æfterfylgendan þæt nænig mon ðæs ælmæssan ne wanige þe heo for Godes lufan 7 Sancte Petres to ðære cyricean geseald habbað.
Abstract
Ealdorman Æthelred and Æthelflæd ordered the borough of Worcester to be built for the protection of all the people and they now make it known in this charter that they will grant to God and [The Church of] St. Peter, and to the lord of that church, half of all the rights which belong to their lordship whether in the market or the street, both within the fortifications and outside, except that the wagon-shilling and load-penny at Droitwich go to the king as they have always done. Otherwise, land-rent, the fine for fighting, or theft, or dishonest trading, and the contribution to the borough wall and all the (fines for) offences which admit compensation, are to belong half to the lord of the church.
Sources
Two manuscript copies of the charter are in the British Library. The text has been published in various collections of charters including W. de. Gray Birch, Cartularium Saxonium, 3 vols. (1885-1899), no. 579. The version above is from Sean Miller, Anglo-Saxons.net. Several translations are in print, including D. Whitelock (ed.), English Historical Documents vol. 1 : c.500-1042 (1955), no. 99 (pp. 540-1) and R. Allen Brown, The Norman Conquest, Documents of Medieval History vol. 5 (1984) no. 155 (pp. 127-8 ). A fuller bibliography of the charter is given in P.H. Sawyer, Anglo-Saxon Charters: An Annotated List and Bibliography (1968), no. 223 , updated in the Electronic Sawyer.