| And freoge man Wulfware, folgige ðám ðe hyre leófo[st sý,] ... ealswá, and freoge man Wulflǽde on ðæt gerád ðæt heó folgige Æðelflǽde ⁊ Eádgyfe: and heó becwæð Eádgyfe áne crencestran ⁊ áne sémestran, óðer hátte Eádgyfu, óðer hátte Æðelgyfu; ⁊ freoge man Gerburg ⁊ Miscin, ⁊ his ... el, ⁊ Burhulfes dóhtur æt Cinnuc, ⁊ Ælfsige ⁊ his wíf ⁊ his yldran dohter, ⁊ Ceólstánes wíf; ⁊ æt Ceorlatúne freoge man Pifus ⁊ Eádwine, ⁊ ... e ... an wífe; ⁊ æt Faccancumbe freoge man Æðelm ⁊ Man ⁊ Iohannan, ⁊ Sprow ⁊ his wíf, ⁊ Ene fætte, ⁊ Gersande ⁊ Suel; ⁊ æt Colleshylle freoge man Æðelgýðe ⁊ Biccan wíf, ⁊ Æffan ⁊ Bedan, ⁊ Gurhannes wíf, ⁊ freoge man Wulfware swystor Bryhsiges wíf, ⁊ ... ðisne wyrhtan, ⁊ Wulfgýðe Ælfswýðe dóhtor: ⁊ gif ðǽr hwylc wíteþeówman sý búton ðyson, ðe heó geþeówede, heó gelýfð tó hyre bearnon ðæt hí hine wyllon lihtan for hyre sáulle.... | And let Wulfwaru be free, and follow whom she best pleases, and also ... , and let Wulflǽd be freed on condition that she follow Æðelflǽd and Edith: and she bequeathed to Edith one weaving woman and one sempstress, the one called Edith, the other Æðelgifu; and let them free Gerburg, and Miscin, and his ... and Burhwulf’s daughter at Cinnuc, and Ælfsige and his wife and elder daughter, and Ceólstán’s wife; and at Charlton let them free Pifus and Eádwyn, and ... wife; and at Faccombe let them free Æðelm, and Man, and Johanna, and Sprow and his wife, and Ene the fat, and Gersand and Suel; and at Coleshill let them free Æðelgýð and Bicca’s wife, Æffe and Bede, and Gurhan’s wife, and let them free Wulfware’s sister Byrhsiges wife and ... this wright, and Wulfgýð Ælfswýð's daughter: and if there be any other convicts besides these, whom she reduced to slavery, she trusts that her children will give them this alleviation for her soul’s sake. |
| Ðenne an hió ðán hiwum ðára gebúra ðe on ðám gafollande sittað, ⁊ ðéra þeówra manna hió an hyre syna déhter Eádgyfe ⁊ ðæs yrfes, bútan ðám sáulsceatte ðe man tó Gifle syllan sceal; ⁊ hió wylle ðæt man læte on ðám lande standan vi oxan ⁊ iiii cý mid iiii cealfum; ⁊ of ðám þeówan mannan æt Cinnuc heó becwið Eádwolde, Céolstán Eástánes sunu, ⁊ Æffan sunu; ⁊ Burhwynne, Martin ⁊ his wíf; ⁊ hió becwið Eádgyfe ðǽr angean Ælfsige ðene cóc ⁊ Tefl Wareburgan dóhtor, ⁊ Herestán ⁊ his wíf, ⁊ Ecelm ⁊ his wíf, ⁊ heora cild, ⁊ Cynestán ⁊ Wynsige, ⁊ Bryhtríces sunu, ⁊ Eádwynne, ⁊ Buneles sunu ⁊ Ælfweres dóhtor; and hió becwið Æðelflǽde Elhhelmes déhter ða geóngran.—Wynflæd, about 995. | Then she grants the convent the boors who sit on rent-paying land, and the serfs she gives to her son’s daughter Edith, and also the chattels, except the soul-shot which they are to pay to Gifle. And it is her will that they shall leave on the land six oxen and four cows with four calves; and of the serfs at Cinnuc she bequeaths to Eádwold, Céolstán Eástán’s son, and Æffe’s son; and to Burhwyn she gives Martin and his wife; and she bequeaths again, to Edith, Ælfsige the cook, and Tefl, Wærburge’s daughter, and Herestán and his wife, Eghelm and his wife and their child, Cynestán and Wynsige and Brihtric’s son, and Eádwyn, and Bunel’s son, and Ælfweres daughter; and she bequeaths to Æðelflǽd Ealhhelms younger daughter.—Cod. Dipl. No. 1290. |
The next passage which I have to cite is unhappily very corrupt, but as the sense is obvious I have given such corrections as were required: the readings of the MS. may be seen in the copy printed Cod. Dipl. No. 1339.
| And ic wille ðæt míne men beón ealle freo.... And ic wille ðæt ealle ða men ða ic an freo, ðæt hí hæbben ealle þing ða hý under hande habbað, bútan ðæt lond æt Herelingum Stigande arcebisceope mínum hláforde, swá hit stent, bútan ða men beón ealle freo.—Cytel, about 1055. | And I will that my serfs shall all be free.... And I will that all the men to whom I grant freedom shall have everything which is under their hand, except the land at Harling which I give to archbishop Stigand my lord, as it stands, only that the serfs are all to be free.—Cod. Dipl. No. 1342. |
The following manumissions are recorded by the Convent in Bath. They will be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, No. 1351.
| Hér swutelað on ðissere Cristes béc ðæt Eádríc æt Fordan hæfð goboht Sægýfu his dóhtor æt Ælfsige abbod and æt ðám hirede on Baðan tó écum freóte, and eall hire ofspring. | Here witnesseth on this book of Gospels that Eádríc at Ford hath bought Sǽgyfu his daughter from Ælfsige the abbot and the convent at Bath, that she may be free for ever, and all her offspring. |
| Hér swutelað on ðisse Cristes béc ðæt Ælfríc Scot and Ægelríc Scot synd gefreód for Ælfsiges abbodes sáwle tó écan freóte. Ðis is gedón on ealles hiredes gewitnesse. | Here witnesseth on this book of gospels, that Ælfric the Scot and Æðelríc the Scot are made free, for the soul of Abbot Ælfsige, that they may be free for ever. This is done by witness of all the convent. |
| Her swutelað on ðissere Cristes béc, ðæt Ælfwig se réd hæfð geboht hine selfne út æt Ælfsige abbot and eallon hirede mid ánon punde. Ðár is tó gewitnes eall se hired on Baðan. Crist hine áblende ðe ðis gewrit áwende. | Here witnesseth on this book of gospels, that Ælfwig the red hath bought himself out from Ælfsige the abbot and all the convent for one pound. To this is witness all the convent in Bath. Christ blind him who setteth this writ aside! |
| Her swutelað in ðisre Cristes béc, ðæt Iohann hæfð geboht Gunnilde, Þurkilles dóhter, æt Góde, Leofenáðes láfe, tó healfan punde, on ealles hiredes gewitnysse. Crist hine áblende, ðe ðis gewrit áwende. And he hæfð hí betéht Criste ⁊ sancte Petre for his móder sáwle. | Here witnesseth on this book of gospels, that John hath bought Gunhild, Thurkill’s daughter, from Góde Leofenáð's widow, for half a pound, by witness of all the convent. Christ blind him who setteth this writ aside! And he hath given her to Christ and St. Peter for his mother’s soul. |
| Her swutelað on ðissere Cristes béc, ðæt Sǽwi Hagg æt Wídecumbe hæfð gedón út his twegen suna æt Ælfsige abbude, on ealles hiredes gewitnesse. | Here witnesseth on this book of gospels, that Sǽwig Hagg of Widcomb hath done out his two sons from Ælfsige the abbot, by witness of all the convent. |
| Her swutelað on ðissere Cristes béc, ðæt Ægylmǽr bohte Sǽðrýðe æt Sǽwolde abbude, mid .III. maxan on ealles hiredes gewitnysse; and ofer his dæg and his wífes dæg beó se man freoh. Crist hine áblende, ðe ðis gewrit áwende. | Here witnesseth on this book of gospels, that Æðelmǽr bought Sǽðrýð from Sǽwold the abbot for two mancuses, by witness of all the convent; and after his and his wife’s life let the serf be free. Christ blind him who setteth this writ aside! |
| Her swutelað on ðissere Cristes béc, ðæt Wulfwine Háreberd bohte æt Ælfsige abbude, Ælfgýðe mid healfan punde on ealles hiredes gewitnysse: and Crist hine áblende ðe ðis gewrit áwende. | Here witnesseth on this book of gospels, that Wulfwine Hoarbeard bought Ælfgýð from abbot Ælfsige for half a pound, by witness of all the convent: and Christ blind him who setteth this writ aside! |
| Her swutelað on ðissere Cristes béc, ðæt Ægylsige bohte Wynríc æt Ælfsige abbude mid ánon yre goldes. Ðysses ys tó gewitnysse Ælfryd portgeréua and eal se hired on Baðon. Crist hine ablende ðe ðis gewrit awende. | Here witnesseth on this book of gospels, that Æðelsige bought Wynríc from abbot Ælfsige for an ore of gold. The witnesses of this are Ælfred the portreeve and all the convent at Bath. Christ blind him who setteth this writ aside! |
| Her swutelað on ðissere Cristes béc, ðæt Siwine Leófwies sunu æt Lincumbe hafað geboht Sydeflǽde út mid fíf scyllingam and ... penegam æt Iohanne biscope and æt eallon ðám hirede on Baðon tó écum freóte: and her tó is gewitnesse Godríc Ladda and Sǽwold and his twegen sunan Scírewold and Brihtwold. | Here witnesseth on this book of gospels, that Sigewine Leófwige’s son of Lincomb hath bought Sydeflǽd out with five shillings and ... pence from bishop John and all the convent at Bath to be free for ever: and witness thereof are Godríc Ladda, and Sǽwold and his two sons Scírewold and Brihtwold. |
| Her swutelað on ðisse Cristes béc, ðæt Lifgíð æt Forda is gefreód, and hire twá cild, for ðone biscop Johanne and for ealne ðone hired on Baðon, on Ælfredes gewitnesse Aspania. | Here witnesseth on this book of gospels, that Lifgið at Ford is freed, with her two children, for bishop John and all the convent at Bath, by witness of Ælfred Aspania. |
| Her cyð on ðisse béc ðæt H[un]fl[ǽd] gebohte Wulfgýðe æt Ælfríce Æðelstánes su[na] Æðelminges, on Winemines gewitnisse eald-portgeréfan, and on Godríces his suna, and on Ælfwines Mannan suna, and on Leófríces cildes æt Hymed, and on Ælfríces Ælfhelmes sunu geóngan: and Brún bydel nam ðæt toll on Ælfstánes gewitnisse mæssepreóstes and on Leófríces Winemines suna, and on má l[ǽweda ⁊ gehádodra.] | Here witnesseth in this book that Hunflǽd bought Wulfgýð from Ælfríc the son of Æðelstán the son of Æðelm, by witness of Winemine the old portreeve, and of Godríc his son, and Ælfwine Manna’s son, and Leófríc the child at Hymed, and Ælfríc Ælfhelm’s son, the young: and Brún the beadle took the toll by witness of Ælfstán the masspriest, of Leófríc Winemine’s son and more persons both lay and ordained.—Cod. Dipl. No. 1353. |
These examples, so numerous and varied, supply a very clear view of the mode of emancipation, and its objects, in the Anglosaxon time. It is to be regretted that we have not more of them, and from other places: but still, as it is probable that the system adopted by the clergy prevailed throughout England, these may serve as a very satisfactory specimen of the usual course on these occasions,—both as to the form of manumission and the method of providing for the emancipated serf.