The use of charter evidence must be tempered by the concern that some of those in existence were forgeries produced at a later time to substantiate claims to particular properties. Lawson also noted the symmetry of the witness lists, but that could just reflect attempts to limit the number of witnesses on any given charter and still be an indication of the most important people present.¹ The following tables identify the churchmen that witnessed charters from the last years of Æthelred and the first years of Cnut's reign. The asterisk after the document numbers 715, 718 and 723 indicate charters whose authenticity Kemble found reason to question. In some cases, the deviations which could have caused that doubt are indicated in signature list by bold type. Questionable spellings, or signatures of people that are perhaps a year off and are, thus, questionable are indicated by italic type.

The archbishops and bishops dates and sees for tables 2 through 7 were taken from Anglo-Saxon Bishops, Kings and Nobles, unless otherwise noted.² The dates and monastery identification of the abbots in tables 8 through 10 were taken from , The Heads of Religious Houses: England and Wales.³

TABLE 2

CHARTER SIGNATURES OF ROYALTY AND ARCHBISHOPS, 1005 to 1016

Doc No	714	715*	718*	719	723*
Date	1005	1006	1006-1012	1012	1016
Signatures
King	Æthelredus	Æthelredus	Æthelredus	Æthelredus	Æthelredus
Queen	Ælgifu.a			Ælfgyfu
Archbishops
Canterbury	Ælfricus	Ælfricus	Ælphegus		Dunstan.b
York	Wulfstanus			Wulfstan

^a Queen Emma is usually called Ælfgifu or some other form of that name in English documents. Both names were used to identify her when she first appeared in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, s.a. 1002. RETURN

^bDunstan died in 988 and Lyfing was Archbishop in 1016, the date of this document. RETURN

TABLE 3

CHARTER SIGNATURES OF ROYALTY AND ARCHBISHOPS, 1018 to c.1024

Doc No.	728	729	730	734	736	739	740
Date	1018	1019	1019	1022	1021-23	1023	1021-24
Signatures
King	Cnut	Cnhut	Knut	Cnut	Cnut	Cnut	Knuth
Queen	Ælfgyfa		Ælfgiue	Ælfgifu	Ælfgiuu	Ælfgyuu	Ælgifu
Archbishops
Canterbury	Liuingus	Lyuing	Leuing	Æthlnothus	Æthelnoth	Æthelnoth	Æthlnothus
York	Wlfstan	Wulfstnus		Wlfstanus	Wulfstan		Wlstanus
Rothskild				Gerbrandus

TABLE 4

CHARTER SIGNATURES OF ROYALTY AND ARCHBISHOPS, 1024-1033

Doc No.	741	743	744	746	749	751	752
Date	1024	1026	1031	1032	1033	1033	1033
Signatures
King	Cnut	Cnut	Cnut	Cnut	Cnut	Cnut	Cnut
Queen		Elfgyfo	Ælfgifo	Ælfgyfa	Æluguia	Ælfgyfa	Ælfgyfu
Archbishops
Canterbury	Ethelnoth	Ethelnoth	Æthelnoth	Æthelnoth	Æthelnoth	Æthelnoth	Æthelnothus
York				Ælfric	Ælfric	Ælfric	Ælfricus

TABLE 5

CHARTER SIGNATURES OF BISHOPS, 1005-1016

Doc No	714	715*	718*	719	723*
Date	1005	1006	1006-1012	1012	1016
Winchester	Ælfheah	Ælfheah		Æthelwoldus	Ælfsinus
Hereford	Athulf	Æthulfus		Athulf	Æthelstanus
Selsey	Ordbriht	Ordberht		Ælmar
Rochester	Godwine	Godwinus		Godwinus
Wells	Lifing			Leuing	Lifingus.a
Dorchester (Leicester)	Ælfhelm			Eadnoth	Eadnothus
Elham	Ælfgar			Ælfgar
Litchfield	Godwine
Crediton	Ælfwold
London	Ælfun	Wulfstanus.b		Ælfhun
Wiltshire	Brihtwold			Brihtwoldus
Cornwall					Buruthwoldus
Sherborne	Æthelric	Æthelric		Æthelsie
Doc No	714	715*	718*	719	723*

^a Lyfing was bishop of Wells until 1013 when he was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury. Lyfing of Crediton was not consecrated bishop until 1027, thus in 1016 there was no bishop named Lyfing. RETURN

^b Wulfstan was bishop of London from 996 until 1002 when he was made Archbishop of York. Ælfhun was bishop of London when this charter was signed. RETURN

TABLE 6

CHARTER SIGNATURES OF BISHOPS, 1018-c.1024

Doc No.	728	729	730	734	736	739	740
Date	1018	1019	1019	1022	1021-23	1023	1021-24
Winchester	Ælfsinus	Ælfsige	Ælfsige	Ælfsinus	Ælfsige	Ælfsinus	Ælfsinus
Hereford					Æthelstanus
Selsey				Ælmerus	Ælmær	Ælmær
Rochester		Godwyne		Godwinus	Godwine		Godwinus
Wells	Æthelwine	Æthelwine	Æthelwine	Æthelwinus	Æthelwine
Dorchester				Eadricusa	Æthericus	Æthelrica	Æthelricus
Elham		Æfwine		Æfwinus	Æfwine		Æfwinus
Crediton	Eadnoth	Eadnoth	Wineb
London		Ælfsigec		Æfwig			Æfwius
Wiltshire	Brihtwold	Brichtwulf	Brihtwold	Brihtwoldus	Bryhtwold	Bryhtwold	Brihtwldus
Cornwall	Burhwold		Buruhwold
Sherborne	Brihtwined		Brihtwined	Bryhtwinusd		Byrhtwinee
Worcester		Leofsige		Leofsinus	Leofsige
Doc No.	728	729	730	734	736	739	740

^a. Æthelric and Eadric are probably alternate spellings of Ætheric who was bishop of Leicester from 1016 to 1034. RETURN

^b. William of Malmesbury stated that Eadnoth of Crediton was also known as Wine.⁴ RETURN

^c. Ælfsige is most likely an alternate spelling of Ælfwig who was bishop of London in 1019. RETURN

^d. Brihtwine was most likely bishop of Sherborne in the period from 1014 to 1045, however the dates of Bishop Ælmar who served between Brihtwine's expulsion and restoration are not clear.⁵ RETURN

^e. There may also have been a Brihtwine, Bishop of Wells at this time. RETURN

TABLE 7

CHARTER SIGNATURES OF BISHOPS, 1024-1033

Doc No.	741	743	744	746	749	751	752
Date	1024	1026	1031	1032	1033	1033	1033
Winchester	Alfsie	Elfsige	Elfsige	Æthelsie	Ælfwine	Ælfuuine	Ælfwinus
Hereford					Æthelstan		Æthelstanus
Selsey	Ælfmaer	Ælmer	Ælmaer	Æthelric		Æthelric
Wells		Bhrihtwig	Byrhtwig	Byrhtwig			Byrhtwigus
Dorchester			Æthelric a	Ætheric			Æthericus
Litchfield					Brihtmer	Bryhtmer
Crediton		Lyfing.b	Lyfinc	Lyfing			Leouingus
London							Ælfwigus
Wiltshire	Byrhtwold	Brychtwold	Byrhtwold	Byrhtuuold		Brihtuuold	Byrhtwoldus
Sherborne	Byrtwi.c		Byrtwine
Worcester						Brytheh

^a Æthelric is probably and alternate spelling of Ætheric. RETURN

^b Lyfing was not consecrated bishop of Crediton until 1027.⁶ RETURN

^c Byrtwi is lilely an alternate spelling of Brihtwine and could be either bishop of Sherborne, or Wells. Wells was questionable at this time. RETURN

TABLE 8

CHARTER SIGNATURES OF ABBOTS, 1005-1016

Doc No	714	715*	718*	719	723*
Date	1005	1006	1006-1012	1012	1016
Abingdon	Wulfgar	Wulfgar		Wulfgar	Wlfgarus
Bath	Ælfere
Cerne	Ælfric
Chertsey		Ælfsinus
Crowland				Oscytel
Ely		Ælfsinus		Ælfsie	Ælfsinus
Eynsham	Ælfric				Ælfricus
Glastonbury	Ælfweard	Ælfward
Hyde	Byrhtwold			Brihtmær	Brihtmerus
Malmsbury				Eadric
Milton					Eadredus
Muchelney	Leofric
Peterborough	Kenulf			Ælfsi
Ramsey	Eadnoth
St Albans	Leofric	Leofricus		Eadmær
St Augustine	Wulfric	Wulfricus
Tavistock	Ælfmer
Thorney	Godeman
Westminster	Ælfwig
Winchcomb	Germanus				Germanus
Doc No	714	715*	718*	719	723*

TABLE 9

CHARTER SIGNATURES OF ABBOTS, 1018-c.1024

Doc No.	728	729	730	734	736	739	740
Date	1018	1019	1019	1022	1021-23	1023	1021-24
Abingdon	Æthelsige
Athelney		Æthelwine		Æthelwinus	Æthelwine	Æthelwinæ
Bath		Ælfhere		Ælfuere
Crowland			Brihtmer			Byrhtmer
Ely				Leofwinus	Leofwine
Evesham				Ælfweardus	Ælfward	Æthelweard.a
Exeter	Æthelwold	Æthelwold	Æthelwold
Glastonbry	Brihtrig.b	Brihtrig.b	Brihwig	Bryhtwig	Bryhtwig	Bryhtwy	Bryhtwig
Hyde	Brihtmær	Ælfnoth.c	Ælfnoth.c
Malmsbury		Ætheric.d			Eadric
Peterborough	Ælfsige	Ælfsige		Ælfsige	Ælfsige	Ælfsige
Ramsey		Ælfstan.e	Ælfstan.e	Æthelstnus
St Albans		Leofric
St Augustine	Æluere		Æluere	Ælmerus		Æluere
Thorney					Leofsige
Winchcomb		Germanus
Doc No.	728	729	730	734	736	739	740

^a Æthelweard is probably an alternate spelling for Ælfweard of Evesham. RETURN

^b Brihtrig is probably a misspelling of Brihtwig.⁷ RETURN

^c Ælfnoth may not have become abbot of Hyde (New Minster at Winchester) until 1020. RETURN

^d Ætheric may be an alternate spelling for Eadric of Malmesbury. RETURN

^e Ælfstan could be an alternate spelling for Æthelstan of Ramsey, but Knowles has him in the unidentified list.⁸ Abbot Ælfstan did not become the leader of St Augustine in Canterbury until at least 1023 so these charters are too early to have been signed by him. RETURN

TABLE 10

CHARTER SIGNATURES OF ABBOTS, 1024-1033

Doc No.	741	743	744	746	749	751	752
Date	1024	1026	1031	1032	1033	1033	1033
Abingdon				Siuueard
Athelney			Æthelwine
Bath		Ælfhere	Alfere
Crowland	Byrhtmaer	Byrhtmer	Brihtmaer
Evesham	Aethelwerd.a					Ælfuuard
Exeter	Athelwold.b
Glastonbury		Æthewerd	Æthewerd	Ætheluueard		Ætheluuard
Hyde		Æthelnoth		Ælfuuine		Ælfuuine
Peterborough	Alfwic	Æthelsigec
Tavistock	Lyfing
Doc No.	741	743	744	746	749	751	752

^a Aethelwerd could be an alternate spelling for Ælfweard of Evesham. Æthelward of Glastonbury did not become abbot until 1027, so this charter is too early to have been him. RETURN

^b Athelwold may be Æthelwold of Exeter, or could be an alternate spelling for Æthelweard of Glastonbury. RETURN

^c Both Alfwi and Æthelsige are probably alternate spellings for Ælfsige of Peterborough. However, in this period, he can not be distinguished from Ælfsige of St Bennet at Hulme.⁹ RETURN

TABLE 11

CHARTER SIGNATURES OF UNIDENTIFIED ABBOTS, 1005-1016a

Doc No	714	715*	718*	719	723*
Date	1005	1006	1006-1012	1012	1016
	Æthelnoth	Wighardus		Brihstan

TABLE 12

CHARTER SIGNATURES OF UNIDENTIFIED ABBOTS, 1018- c.1024^a

Doc No.	728	729	730	734	736	739	740
Date	1018	1019	1019	1022	1021-23	1023	1021-24
		Aua	Brichtnoth		Eadnoth
		Luxihs
		Filnoth

^a. All of the above are on the unidentified abbots list The Heads of Religious Houses.¹⁰ RETURN

NOTES

1. Lawson, Cnut, pp. 66-7. RETURN

2. Searle, Anglo-Saxon Bishops, passim. RETURN

3. Knowles, Heads of Religious Houses, passim. RETURN

4. Searle, Anglo-Saxon Bishops, p. 98. RETURN

5. Lawson, Cnut, p. 150. RETURN

6. Searle, Anglo-Saxon Bishops, p. 98. RETURN

7. Knowles, The Heads of Religious Houses, p. 225. RETURN

8. Ibid. RETURN

9. Ibid., p. 60. RETURN

10. Ibid., pp. 225-6. RETURN

Copyright 1998	William Bakken	Last Update: Dec 29, 1998

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