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 �thelfl�d and her husband �thelred, ealdorman of Mercia, record their creation of the borough of Worcester.
��m �lmihtigan Gode, ��re so�an annesse 7 ��re halgan �rynesse on heofonum, sie lof 7 wuldor 7 d�da �oncung ealra ��ra goda �e he us forgifen iscopes bene heora freondas, hehtan bewyrcean �a burh �t Sancte Petres 7 ��re cyricean �t Weogernaceastre 7 eac for W�rfer�es 22Weogernaceastre eallum ��m folce to gebeorge 7 eac ��ron Godes lof to ar�renne. 7 heo nu cy�a� on Godes gewitnesse, on �isse bec, ��t heo willa� on �lcum ��ra gerihta �e to heora hlaforddome gebyra�, o��e on ceapstowe o��e on str�te, ge binnan byrg ge butan, geunnan healfes Gode 7 Sancte Petre 7 ��re cyrcean hlaforde, ��t �y arlicor on ��re stowe beon m�ge, 7 eac �y ea�r be summum d�le ��s heoredes helpon, 7 ��t heora gemynde on ecnesse �y f�stlicor on ��re stowe seo �a hwile �e Godes hearsumnes on �am mynstre beo. On[d] W�rfer� biscop 7 se heored habba� gesetted ��s godcundnesse beforan ��re �e him mon d�ghwamlice de�, ge be heora life ge �fter heora life: ��t �onne �t eolcum uhtsonge 7 �t �lcum �fensonge 7 �t eolcum undernsonge De profundis �one sealme, �a hwile �e heo lifgeon, 7 �fter heora life Laudate Dominum; 7 �lce S�ternesd�ge on Sancte Petres cyrcean �rittig sealma 7 heora m�ssan, �g�er ge for heo lifgende ge eac for�geleorde. Ond �onne cy�e� ��elr�d 7 ��elfl�d ��t he willa� mid estfullan mode �isses unnan Gode 7 Sancte Petre on �lfredes cyninges gewitnesse 7 ealra ��ra witena �e on Myrcna land syndon; butan ��t se w�gnscilling 7 se seampending gonge to ��s cyninges handa swa he ealning dyde �t Saltwic. Ah elles, ge landfeoh, ge fihtewite, ge stale, ge wohceapung, ge burhwealles sceatinge, ge �lc ��ra wonessa �e to �nigre bote gebyrie, ��t hit age healf ��re cyrcean hlaford, Godes �ances 7 Sancte Petres, swa swa hit mon to ceapstowe gesette 7 on str�tum. Ond wi�utan �a ceapstowe, seo se biscop his landes 7 ealra his gerihta wyr�e, swa hit �r ure foregengan gesetton 7 gefreodan. 7 ��elr�d 7 ��elfl�d �is dydon on �lfredes cyninges gewitnesse 7 on Myrcna witena ��ra naman her be �ftan awritene standa�. 7 on Godes ealmihtiges naman halsia� ealle heora �fterfylgendan ��t n�nig mon ��s �lm�ssan ne wanige �e heo for Godes lufan 7 Sancte Petres to ��re cyricean geseald habba�.
Abstract
Ealdorman �thelred and �thelfl�d 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.