Our Legal Heritage: King AEthelbert - King George III, 600 A.D. - 1776: June 2011 (Sixth) EditionReilly, S. A.
History
Our Legal Heritage: King AEthelbert - King George III, 600 A.D. - 1776: June 2011 (Sixth) Edition
Reilly, S. A.
Law -- England -- History
In 886, a treaty between Alfred and the Vikings divided the country
along the war front and made the wergeld of every free farmer, whether
English or Viking, 200s. Men of higher rank were given a wergeld of 4
1/2 marks of pure gold. A mark was probably a Viking denomination and a
mark of gold was equal to nine marks of silver in later times and
probably in this time. The word "earl" replaced the word "eorldormen"
and the word "thegn" replaced the word "aetheling" after the Danish
settlement. The ironed pleats of Viking clothing indicated a high status
of the wearer. The Vikings brought combs and the practice of regular
hair-combing to England.
King Alfred gave land with jurisdictional powers within its boundaries
such as the following: "This is the bequest which King Alfred make
unequivocally to Shaftesbury, to the praise of God and St. Mary and all
the saints of God, for the benefit of my soul, namely a hundred hides as
they stand with their produce and their men, and my daughter AEthelgifu
to the convent along with the inheritance, since she took the veil on
account of bad health; and the jurisdiction to the convent, which I
myself possessed, namely obstruction and attacks on a man's house and
breach of protection. And the estates which I have granted to the
foundation are 40 hides at Donhead and Compton, 20 hides at Handley and
Gussage 10 hides at Tarrant, 15 hides at Iwerve and 15 hides at
Fontmell.
The witnesses of this are Edward my son and Archbishop AEthelred and
Bishop Ealhferth and Bishop AEthelhead and Earl Wulfhere and Earl
Eadwulf and Earl Cuthred and Abbot Tunberht and Milred my thegn and
AEthelwulf and Osric and Brihtulf and Cyma. If anyone alters this, he
shall have the curse of God and St. Mary and all the saints of God
forever to all eternity. Amen."
Sons usually succeeded their fathers on the same land as shown by this
lifetime lease: "Bishop Denewulf and the community at Winchester lease
to Alfred for his lifetime 40 hides of land at Alresford, in accordance
with the lease which Bishop Tunbriht had granted to his parents and
which had run out, on condition that he renders every year at the
autumnal equinox three pounds as rent, and church dues, and the work
connected with church dues; and when the need arises, his men shall be
ready both for harvesting and hunting; and after his death the property
shall pass undisputed to St. Peter's.
These are the signatures of the councilors and of the members of the
community who gave their consent, namely ..."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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