A.D. 676 (= 675, 6 Nov.). Osric, king, to Bertana, abbess; grant of 100 hides (manentes) at Bath, Somerset, for the foundation of a nunnery. Latin

Archive:

Bath

MSS:

1. Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, 111, pp. 55-131, pp. 59-60 (s. xii 2)

Printed:

K, 12; Mon. Angl. (rev. edn), ii. 264 (no. 2); B, 43, ex K; Earle, pp. 6-7; Hunt, Bath Carts., p. 6; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 1, no. 12

Comments:

HS, p. 129, doubtful, the indiction is wrong and there are two bishops of the West Saxons; Finberg, ECW, no. 355, authentic basis; Finberg, ECWM, pp. 172-4, perhaps amplified from a shorter authentic charter; Harrison 1973a, pp. 553-4, 556, authentic basis, discusses dating-clause; Brooks 1974, p. 225, cited with reference to Harrison's discussion of date; Sims-Williams 1975, especially pp. 1-6, sanction and witness-list at least derive for genuine earlier charter, other details (e.g. abbess's name) depend on early records; Harrison 1976, pp. 67-9, some very early features; Scharer 1982, p. 76 n. 32, spurious; Cunliffe 1984, pp. 347-8, on Bath; Wormald 1985, p. 25, broadly trustworthy; Edwards 1988, pp. 218-23, authentic basis but substantially interpolated and rewritten, may not originally have referred to a minster in Bath; Sims-Williams 1988, pp. 165-74, entire charter may belong to 675, literary proem may show Aldhelm's influence; Sims-Williams 1990, pp. 56-7, 104, 111-13, 120, may have genuine basis.