A probably authentic Anglo-Saxon charter records a grant by Oswine, king of the people of Kent (south-east Britain), of land on which iron is mined, to the monastery outside Canterbury dedicated to *Peter (the Apostle, S00036). Written in Latin, probably in Kent, July 689.
E05866
Documentary texts - Donation document
Documentary texts - Charter or diploma
Charter of King Oswine (Sawyer 12, excerpted)
In nomine Domini Dei et saluatoris Iesu Christi. Ego Oswynus rex Cantie pro absolutione meorum peccatorum de terra iuris mei [...] unum aratrum in quo mina ferri haberi cognoscitur [...] a presenti die et tempore monasterio beati Petri apostoli, in quo preesse Adrianus dinoscitur qui a Romana urbe directus est, inperpetuum contuli possidendum [...] Actum in mense Iulio, indictione secunda [...]
'In the name of the Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ. I, Oswine, king of Kent, for the absolution of my sins, have granted to be possessed forever one sulung from my land, which is known to have an iron mine, from the present time and day to the monastery of blessed Peter the apostle, in which Hadrian (who was sent from the city of Rome) is known to preside ... Enacted in the month of July, in the second indiction ...'
Text: Kelly 1995, no. 8, 33-4.
Translation: B. Savill.
Cult building - monastic
Places Named after SaintMonastery
Non Liturgical ActivityBequests, donations, gifts and offerings
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - abbots
Monarchs and their family
Source
This charter survives only in much later copies, in manuscripts of the 13th century onwards. Its most recent editor argues for its essential authenticity (Kelly 1995, 34-6).For further details, see this charter's entry on the Electronic Sawyer: http://www.esawyer.org.uk/charter/12.html
Discussion
This monastery at Canterbury would later become known as St Augustine's, after its founder Augustine, first bishop of Canterbury (597-?609). Although the house was apparently established as a monastery dedicated to both Peter and Paul (cf. Bede, Ecclesiastical History 1.33), this early charter only records a dedication to Peter.Bibliography
Edition:Kelly, S.E., Charters of St Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury, and Minster-in-Thanet (Oxford, 1995).
Further reading:
Sawyer, P.H., Anglo-Saxon Charters: an Annotated List and Bibliography (London, 1968); revd. S.E. Kelly and R. Rushforth et al. online at http://www.esawyer.org.uk
Benjamin Savill
22/06/2018
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00036 | Peter, the Apostle | Petrus | Certain |
|---|
Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Benjamin Savill, Cult of Saints, E05866 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E05866