oaf,
or first bread made by the bride. This was the forerunner of the
wedding cake. They drank special ale, the "bride ale" (from hence
the work "bridal"), to the health of the couple.
Women could own land, houses, and furniture and other property.
They could even make wills that disinherited their sons. This
marriage agreement with an Archbishop's sister provides her with
land, money, and horsemen:
"Here in this document is stated the agreement which Wulfric and
the archbishop made when he obtained the archbishop's sister as
his wife, namely he promised her the estates at Orleton and
Ribbesford for her lifetime, and promised her that he would obtain
the estate at Knightwick for her for three lives from the
community at Winchcombe, and gave her the estate at Alton to grant
and bestow upon whomsoever she pleased during her lifetime or at
her death, as she preferred, and promised her 50 mancuses of gold
and 30 men and 30 horses.
The witnesses that this agreement was made as stated were
Archbishop Wulfstan and Earl Leofwine and Bishop AEthelstan and
Abbot AElfweard and the monk Brihtheah and many good men in
addition to them, both ecclesiastics and laymen. There are two
copies of this agreement, one in the possession of the archbishop
at Worcester and the other in the possession of Bishop AEthelstan
at Hereford."
This marriage agreement provided the wife with money, land, farm
animals and farm laborers; it also names sureties, the survivor of
whom would receive all this property:
"Here is declared in this document the agreement which Godwine
made with Brihtric when he wooed his daughter. In the first place
he gave her a pound's weight of gold, to induce her to accept his
suit, and he granted her the estate at Street with all that
belongs to it, and 150 acres at Burmarsh and in addition 30 oxen
and 20 cows and 10 horses and 10 slaves.
This agreement was made at Kingston before King Cnut, with the
cognizance of Archbishop Lyfing and the community at Christchurch,
and Abbot AElfmaer and the community at St. Augustine's, and the
sheriff AEthelwine and Sired the old and Godwine, Wulfheah's son,
and AElfsige cild and Eadmaer of Burham and Godwine, Wulfstan's
son, and Carl, the King's cniht. And when the maiden was brought
from Brightling AElfgar, Sired's son, and Frerth, the priest of
Forlstone, and the priests Leofwine and Wulfsige from Dover, and
Edred, Eadhelm's son, and Leofwine, Waerhelm's son, and Cenwold
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