The Gift of Ynys Witrin to Glastonbury
In his book
"Lucerna" H. P. R. Finberg
discusses the account given by William of Malmesbury concerning the
charter of 601 AD granting Ynys Witrin to the Abbot of Glastonbury.
This charter granted 5 Hides (cassates) of land to the old church.
William goes on to add that "Ynys Witrin ..... is the name the
British use for Glastonbury." The charter itself is almost
certainly a genuine grant of land but was most probably written circa
700 AD during the reign of Ine, King of West Sussex, ( 688 - 726).
This is the earliest known linking of the names of Glastonbury and
Ynys Witrin and while it states that Ynys Witrin is the British name
for Glastonbury it raises the question why was Glastonbury given to
Glastonbury.
Or is Ynys Witrin somewhere else?
The charter informs us that the grant of Ynys Witrin
was made by an unnamed British king of Dumnonia. The Anglo-Saxon
Chronicles for 658 AD tell us- "Cenwealh fought against the
British at Peonnan (um) and put them to flight as far as the River
Parrot (Pedridan)." It was at this time that Glastonbury passed
into West Saxon hands.
If we accept the very convincing arguments for
redating the charter by 75 to 100 years put forward by Finberg and
others, then, by this time Glastonbury was no longer part of the
British Kingdom of Dumnonia. This kingdom did, however, cover all of
Cornwall and most, if not all, of Devon.
The idea of a British King giving land to an
Anglo-Saxon monastery is supported by a charter of 710 AD when Geraint
of Dumnonia grants land at "----------------" to the Abbey
of Sherbourne. However the King of Dumnonia could only dispose of land
within his own territory; placing Ynys Witrin somewhere in Devon or
Cornwall.
In the earliest manuscript of the life of
Gildas,
written by Caradoc of Llanfern for Glastonbury Abbey (the only
biography in which Gildas is brought to Glastonbury) the text reads
"Glastonbury, means City of Glass, and was originally named in
the British tongue--------." -
"Glastonia, id est urbs
vitrea, quae nomen sumsit a vitro est urbs nomine primitus in
Britannico sermone."
The next word has been erased and the first
four words of the next sentence written over it. At the end of this
"Life" of Gildas, between an amen and a verse colophon
proclaiming the authorship of Carados, is a postscript, stating that
"Glastonbury was of old called Ynysgutrin and is still called so
by native Britons."
Whether or not this is a later insertion and
whether or not the earlier deletion gives a different name or not,
many scholars regard this whole "Life" as false.
"This utterly unhistorical "Vita" is a
part of that campaign of propaganda on behalf of the ancient renown
and the early British associations of this enterprising British house
(Glastonbury Abbey) which continued with such success through the
twelfth century." J. S. P. Tatlock.
That Glastonbury Abbey had a sizeable ownership of
lands in Devon during the 7th century is well documented. In 670 AD
King Cynewulf granted land at Culmstock in Devon to Glastonbury Abbey,
King Ine gave an estate between the Tamar and Lynher on the Devon /
Cornwall border to the abbey after his defeat of Geraint of
Cornwall,
around 729 Glastonbury was given a large estate (? hides) in the
Torridge valley (N. Devon), King Egbert gave Braunton (N. Devon) to
Glastonbury. The identification of Ynys Witrin with Lundy would
certainly not seem to be contradicted by these other grants.
and
to Glastonbury;-
1
King Cynewulf gave land at Culmstock, Devon c.670.
2
After his victory over Geraint of Cornwall, King Ine gave an estate
between the Tamar and the Lynher.
3
729 (about) a large estate in the Torridge valley.
4
King Egbert gave Braunton (Around 855)
By 1086 Braunton > crown
Culmstock > Bishop of Exeter.
Glast. abbey had Uplyme in Devon, nothing in Cornwall.
King Cenwealh granted land at Meare in 671.
lost Brent Knoll - given by Arthur.
After Ine defeated Cornwall and Devon he gave 10 hides at Brent, 1?
hide(s) at Sowy, 1 hide at Bleadon.
Ine's Charter (probable forgery)
Brent 10 hides, Sowy 10 hides, Pilton 20 hides, Dulting 20 hides,
Bleadon 1 hide, also Meare and Beakery. also Pennard 6 hides and
Poholt 60 hides. (725)
Glastonbury owned Brent Marsh c.1150.
