493:
299:
283:
52:
616:("wise word", possibly meaning "witness" or "agreement", or else denoting a plausible claim to a property), indicating respect for pre-existing legal custom in "Danish" England. Neff noted that "the fines and payments are in all cases stated in Scandinavian terms", including "hundreds (of silver ores), ores and marks".
483:
Historian
Charlotte Neff pointed out that the same group of thegns appear to function like a modern judge or jury elsewhere, with another provision (13 §2) stating that "a verdict in which the thegns are unanimous shall be held valid" and adding that "if they disagree, the verdict of eight of them
99:
Strood, Medway
Archive and Local Studies Centre, MS DRc/R1 (Textus Roffensis); London, British Library, MS Additional 49366; Manchester, John Rylands University Library, MS Lat. 420; London, British Library, MS Royal 11 B.II; London, British Library, MS Cotton Titus A.XXVII, fos.
442:, the Wantage Code seems to be designed to be more 'aggressive', with provisions accompanied by heavier fines and stronger punishments. Historian Jake Stattel has argued that incentives of the code were designed to encourage private
583:. The name is thought to derive from the practice of "taking weapons" from those gathered at local assemblies, with a view to limiting violence and the escalation of conflict among the participants.
259:, the region of eastern England heavily settled by migrant Scandinavians in the later ninth and early tenth centuries. Both texts make reference to an earlier, but otherwise undocumented, assembly at
228:, Berkshire, the location named in the opening line of the text, "these are the constitutions which King Æthelred and his councillors have enacted at Wantage for the promotion of public security (
238:
has pointed out "there could have been other unrecorded meetings at the same place". Theoretically it could date any time in the king's reign, but since it lacks any trace of the influence of
1047:, University of St Andrews (formerly Early English Laws (AHRC Project) by Institute of Historical Research, University of London; and Department of Digital Humanities, King's College London)
274:. The act of promulgation of the code may have been part of a broader attempt by Æthelred to restore the standing of his kingship in light of his "sins" back in the 980s.
169:
The enactments of the code are devoted primarily to the management of disputes and clarifying legal procedure, in particular the regulation of fines relating to the
1031:, Early English Laws (AHRC Project) by Institute of Historical Research, University of London; and Department of Digital Humanities, King's College London
251:
266:
Historian Levi Roach pointed out that the assembly at
Wantage "witnessed one of the king's more prominent acts of repentance", a grant of 100
504:
As a historical source, the code is particularly important for the
Danelaw. Within that area itself, the text specifically refers to the
446:. Some historians have conceived of the code as part of an effort to integrate formerly independent "Danish" areas into the emerging
234:)". The enactment may have occurred in 997, the year that a royal assembly in Wantage is otherwise documented, though as historian
1207:
1138:
1070:
460:-funded research project in the United Kingdom noted that the code contains what is "perhaps the earliest description of a
457:
1092:, The Survey of English Place-Names : English Place-Name Society Volume One, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
1270:
1249:
1228:
1314:
1309:
1304:
1299:
17:
1294:
559:. These units are found in the area covered by the rural hinterland of the Five Boroughs, what would become
1324:
1319:
505:
174:
480:
which are given into their hands, that they will not accuse any innocent man or shield any guilty one".
539:
Within the
Wantage Code there are provisions concerning the jurisdiction of the wapentake (Old English:
286:
Opening clauses of the
Wantage Code printed in the edition of Felix Liebermann, with the Old English of
516:
establishes in the court of the Five
Boroughs". It is generally agreed that the five in question were
556:
1263:
The Making of
English Law: King Alfred to the Twelfth Century / Volume I: Legislation and its Limits
255:, and some historians have suggested that the former was an adaptation of the latter for use in the
1289:
1237:
1147:
235:
1058:
443:
271:
155:
68:
521:
536:, and the code appears to be the earliest reference to the 'Five Boroughs' as an institution.
551:), an area of local administration unique to Anglo-Scandinavian Britain that by the time of
1126:
218:
200:
249:
There are close similarities between the
Wantage Code and the so-called "Woodstock Code",
8:
461:
1159:
Stattel, Jake A. (2022), "Legal
Culture in the Danelaw : A Study of III Æthelred",
484:
shall be valid, and those who are outvoted in such a case shall each pay 6 half-marks".
1184:
1087:
447:
243:
1266:
1245:
1224:
1216:
1203:
1188:
1176:
1134:
1066:
1097:
Neff, Charlotte (1989), "Scandinavian Elements in the Wantage code of Æthelred II",
1168:
1106:
576:
517:
214:
195:
108:
1258:
564:
513:
473:
210:
1026:
818:
592:, "law", one of the earliest authentic Old English borrowings of the Norse word
246:, it is likely to date before 1008 when the latter began drafting legal codes.
205:
1172:
1110:
1283:
1195:
1180:
1083:
1042:
839:
552:
508:, with clause 1 §1 naming specific fines for "breach of the peace which the
1089:
Introduction to the survey of English place-names / Volume 1, Parts 1 and 2
560:
492:
1079:
267:
239:
199:, originating in the early twelfth century and preserved by the medieval
190:
170:
163:
151:
144:
79:
580:
568:
529:
496:
Map of England showing the English realms and Danish districts – from
572:
525:
509:
465:
1152:
Anglo-Saxon Lincolnshire : A History of Lincolnshire Volume III
173:. In the case of one provision, the text specifically mentions the
147:
119:
464:" A provision (3 §1) declared that " court shall be held in every
209:, another compilation work of similar date. It has been edited by
298:
256:
225:
178:
159:
587:
540:
282:
229:
177:, and the code is of particular historical significance for the
477:
158:(died 1016) and his councillors enacted at the royal manor of
533:
469:
51:
598:. It contains a number of other Scandinavian words, such as
1063:
The Oxford History of the Laws of England. Vol. 2, 871–1216
221:(d. 1959), the last of whom also provided a translation.
1131:
The Laws of the Kings of England from Edmund to Henry I
1244:, London: Continuum International Publishing Group,
352:
Transfers of property, wapentake courts and thieves
1202:(3rd ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press,
939:Introduction to the Survey of English Place-Names
1281:
1221:English Historical Documents. , c.500–1042
1012:Stattel, "Legal Culture in the Danelaw", p. 181.
759:Stattel, "Legal Culture in the Danelaw", p. 189.
716:
714:
630:
628:
611:
605:
599:
593:
586:The text itself refers to the promulgations as
546:
376:Requirement of witnesses to killing of animals
791:
789:
787:
1242:Æthelred the Unready: The Ill-counselled King
762:
672:
670:
336:Fines for breaches of various types of peace
1154:, Lincoln: History of Lincolnshire Committee
711:
625:
1006:
784:
753:
700:
698:
277:
667:
648:
646:
644:
1133:, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
688:
686:
984:
695:
555:was seen as analogous to the West Saxon
491:
328:Names king, place of issue and purpose.
297:
281:
740:
641:
14:
1282:
1121:, New Haven, CT: Yale University Press
683:
1001:Oxford History of the Laws of England
302:Opening folio of the Wantage Code in
416:Unchallenged occupation of property
203:; and in a Latin translation within
1065:, Oxford: Oxford University Press,
781:Stattel, "Legal Culture", p. 193ff.
189:The Wantage Code survives today in
24:
871:, ed./trans. Robertson, pp. 68–69.
655:, ed./trans. Robertson, pp. 64–65.
25:
1336:
1223:, London: Eyre and Spottiswoode,
1044:Æthelred's Wantage code (III Atr)
1028:Æthelred's Wantage code (III Atr)
950:Stattel, "Legal Culture", p. 197.
841:Æthelred's Wantage code (III Atr)
820:Æthelred's Wantage code (III Atr)
453:The scholars of the 21st-century
360:Ordeals and clearing accusations
1265:, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers,
181:and Anglo-Scandinavian Britain.
50:
993:
971:
962:
953:
944:
931:
918:
909:
896:
883:
874:
862:
853:
832:
811:
802:
775:
438:Although mirroring elements of
432:Moneyers working outside towns
193:within the manuscript known as
727:
658:
487:
476:shall go out and swear on the
154:, it is a record of laws that
13:
1:
1018:
968:Neff, "Elements", pp. 289–90.
959:Neff, "Elements", pp. 287–88.
915:Neff, "Elements", pp. 286–87.
859:Neff, "Elements", pp. 293–94.
808:Neff, "Elements", pp. 285–86.
498:Cassell's History of England,
224:The text takes its name from
184:
1099:The Journal of Legal History
979:English Historical Documents
400:Actions brought by the king
175:Five Boroughs of the Danelaw
7:
131:, sometimes referred to as
10:
1341:
1173:10.1017/S0263675121000065
1111:10.1080/01440368908530969
990:Neff, "Elements", p. 285.
880:Neff, "Elements", p. 294.
692:Neff, "Elements", p. 286.
664:Neff, "Elements", p. 286.
500:with the Danelaw in pink.
468:, and the twelve leading
317:
312:
115:
104:
93:
85:
75:
64:
49:
44:
32:
619:
610:(" land purchase"), and
278:Content and significance
27:Early English legal text
1315:10th century in England
1310:11th century in England
636:Early English Documents
612:
606:
600:
594:
588:
547:
541:
272:Old Minster, Winchester
230:
105:Principal manuscript(s)
56:Opening of the code in
1305:11th-century documents
1300:10th-century documents
501:
307:
295:
735:Making of English Law
722:Making of English Law
495:
301:
285:
1295:Germanic legal codes
1119:Æthelred the Unready
1117:Roach, Levi (2006),
770:Æthelred the Unready
748:Æthelred the Unready
706:Æthelred the Unready
678:Æthelred the Unready
219:Agnes Jane Robertson
201:bishops of Rochester
156:Æthelred the Unready
69:Æthelred the Unready
1325:11th century in law
1320:10th century in law
1200:Anglo-Saxon England
1161:Anglo-Saxon England
937:Mawer and Stenton,
926:Anglo-Saxon England
797:Anglo-Saxon England
462:jury of presentment
408:Harbouring thieves
1217:Whitelock, Dorothy
604:("law purchase"),
563:, Leicestershire,
502:
455:Early English Laws
448:kingdom of England
308:
296:
244:archbishop of York
1209:978-0-19-280139-5
1196:Stenton, Frank M.
1140:978-0-521-15319-5
1084:Stenton, Frank M.
1072:978-0-19-826030-1
575:, County Durham,
436:
435:
424:Daylight robbery
290:and the Latin of
162:, Berkshire (now
125:
124:
71:, king of England
16:(Redirected from
1332:
1275:
1259:Wormald, Patrick
1254:
1233:
1212:
1191:
1155:
1143:
1127:Robertson, A. J.
1122:
1113:
1093:
1075:
1054:
1053:
1052:
1038:
1037:
1036:
1013:
1010:
1004:
997:
991:
988:
982:
981:, p. 440, fn. 6.
975:
969:
966:
960:
957:
951:
948:
942:
935:
929:
922:
916:
913:
907:
900:
894:
887:
881:
878:
872:
866:
860:
857:
851:
850:
849:
848:
836:
830:
829:
828:
827:
815:
809:
806:
800:
793:
782:
779:
773:
766:
760:
757:
751:
744:
738:
731:
725:
718:
709:
702:
693:
690:
681:
674:
665:
662:
656:
650:
639:
632:
615:
609:
603:
597:
591:
577:Northamptonshire
550:
544:
310:
309:
304:Textus Roffensis
288:Textus Roffensis
233:
215:Felix Liebermann
196:Textus Roffensis
111:, folios 48r-49v
109:Textus Roffensis
96:
58:Textus Roffensis
54:
30:
29:
21:
1340:
1339:
1335:
1334:
1333:
1331:
1330:
1329:
1290:Anglo-Saxon law
1280:
1279:
1278:
1273:
1257:
1252:
1236:
1231:
1215:
1210:
1194:
1158:
1146:
1141:
1125:
1116:
1096:
1078:
1073:
1057:
1050:
1048:
1041:
1034:
1032:
1025:
1021:
1016:
1011:
1007:
998:
994:
989:
985:
976:
972:
967:
963:
958:
954:
949:
945:
936:
932:
923:
919:
914:
910:
901:
897:
888:
884:
879:
875:
867:
863:
858:
854:
846:
844:
838:
837:
833:
825:
823:
817:
816:
812:
807:
803:
794:
785:
780:
776:
767:
763:
758:
754:
745:
741:
737:, pp. 324, 326.
732:
728:
719:
712:
703:
696:
691:
684:
675:
668:
663:
659:
651:
642:
633:
626:
622:
579:, Cheshire and
565:Nottinghamshire
490:
472:along with the
368:False moneyers
280:
211:Benjamin Thorpe
187:
94:
60:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1338:
1328:
1327:
1322:
1317:
1312:
1307:
1302:
1297:
1292:
1277:
1276:
1271:
1255:
1250:
1234:
1229:
1219:, ed. (1979),
1213:
1208:
1192:
1156:
1144:
1139:
1123:
1114:
1105:(3): 285–316,
1094:
1076:
1071:
1055:
1039:
1022:
1020:
1017:
1015:
1014:
1005:
992:
983:
970:
961:
952:
943:
930:
917:
908:
895:
882:
873:
861:
852:
831:
810:
801:
783:
774:
761:
752:
739:
726:
710:
694:
682:
666:
657:
640:
623:
621:
618:
571:, but also in
512:or the king's
489:
486:
434:
433:
430:
426:
425:
422:
418:
417:
414:
410:
409:
406:
402:
401:
398:
394:
393:
392:King's thegns
390:
386:
385:
382:
378:
377:
374:
370:
369:
366:
362:
361:
358:
354:
353:
350:
346:
345:
342:
338:
337:
334:
330:
329:
326:
322:
321:
316:
292:Quadripartitus
279:
276:
231:to friðes bóte
217:(d. 1925) and
206:Quadripartitus
186:
183:
150:. Recorded in
123:
122:
117:
113:
112:
106:
102:
101:
97:
91:
90:
87:
83:
82:
77:
73:
72:
66:
62:
61:
55:
47:
46:
45:"Wantage Code"
42:
41:
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1337:
1326:
1323:
1321:
1318:
1316:
1313:
1311:
1308:
1306:
1303:
1301:
1298:
1296:
1293:
1291:
1288:
1287:
1285:
1274:
1272:0-631-22740-7
1268:
1264:
1260:
1256:
1253:
1251:1-85285-382-4
1247:
1243:
1239:
1238:Williams, Ann
1235:
1232:
1230:0-19-520101-9
1226:
1222:
1218:
1214:
1211:
1205:
1201:
1197:
1193:
1190:
1186:
1182:
1178:
1174:
1170:
1166:
1162:
1157:
1153:
1149:
1148:Sawyer, Peter
1145:
1142:
1136:
1132:
1128:
1124:
1120:
1115:
1112:
1108:
1104:
1100:
1095:
1091:
1090:
1085:
1081:
1077:
1074:
1068:
1064:
1060:
1056:
1046:
1045:
1040:
1030:
1029:
1024:
1023:
1009:
1002:
996:
987:
980:
974:
965:
956:
947:
940:
934:
927:
921:
912:
905:
899:
892:
886:
877:
870:
865:
856:
843:
842:
835:
822:
821:
814:
805:
798:
792:
790:
788:
778:
771:
765:
756:
749:
743:
736:
730:
724:, pp. 328–29.
723:
717:
715:
707:
701:
699:
689:
687:
679:
673:
671:
661:
654:
649:
647:
645:
637:
631:
629:
624:
617:
614:
608:
602:
596:
590:
584:
582:
578:
574:
570:
566:
562:
558:
554:
553:Domesday Book
549:
545:; Old Norse:
543:
537:
535:
531:
527:
523:
519:
515:
511:
507:
506:Five Boroughs
499:
494:
485:
481:
479:
475:
471:
467:
463:
459:
456:
451:
449:
445:
441:
431:
428:
427:
423:
420:
419:
415:
412:
411:
407:
404:
403:
399:
396:
395:
391:
388:
387:
383:
380:
379:
375:
372:
371:
367:
364:
363:
359:
356:
355:
351:
348:
347:
343:
340:
339:
335:
332:
331:
327:
324:
323:
320:
315:
311:
305:
300:
294:side by side.
293:
289:
284:
275:
273:
269:
264:
262:
258:
254:
253:
247:
245:
241:
237:
232:
227:
222:
220:
216:
212:
208:
207:
202:
198:
197:
192:
182:
180:
176:
172:
167:
165:
161:
157:
153:
149:
146:
145:early English
142:
141:
137:(abbreviated
136:
135:
130:
121:
118:
114:
110:
107:
103:
98:
95:Manuscript(s)
92:
88:
86:Date of issue
84:
81:
78:
74:
70:
67:
63:
59:
53:
48:
43:
39:
35:
31:
19:
1262:
1241:
1220:
1199:
1164:
1160:
1151:
1130:
1118:
1102:
1098:
1088:
1080:Mawer, Allen
1062:
1059:Hudson, John
1049:, retrieved
1043:
1033:, retrieved
1027:
1008:
1000:
995:
986:
978:
973:
964:
955:
946:
938:
933:
928:, pp. 504–5.
925:
920:
911:
904:Lincolnshire
903:
898:
891:Lincolnshire
890:
885:
876:
869:III Æthelred
868:
864:
855:
845:, retrieved
840:
834:
824:, retrieved
819:
813:
804:
796:
777:
769:
764:
755:
747:
742:
734:
729:
721:
705:
677:
660:
653:III Æthelred
652:
635:
585:
561:Lincolnshire
542:wǣpen(ge)tæc
538:
503:
497:
482:
454:
452:
439:
437:
318:
313:
303:
291:
287:
265:
260:
250:
248:
236:Ann Williams
223:
204:
194:
188:
168:
139:
138:
134:III Æthelred
133:
132:
129:Wantage Code
128:
126:
57:
37:
34:III Æthelred
33:
18:III Æthelred
1167:: 163–203,
977:Whitelock,
772:, pp. 58–9.
634:Whitelock,
488:The Danelaw
444:settlements
349:3 –5
319:Description
240:Wulfstan II
213:(d. 1870),
191:Old English
164:Oxfordshire
152:Old English
80:Old English
65:Ascribed to
1284:Categories
1051:2023-09-07
1035:2023-09-07
1019:References
847:2023-10-30
826:2023-09-07
768:Williams,
676:Williams,
581:Cumberland
569:Derbyshire
530:Nottingham
440:I Æthelred
357:6–7
344:Witnesses
314:Provisions
252:I Æthelred
185:Provenance
148:legal text
1189:252995659
1181:0263-6751
1086:(1969) ,
924:Stenton,
906:, p. 129.
893:, p. 128.
799:, p. 508.
795:Stenton,
750:. p. 184.
733:Wormald,
720:Wormald,
708:. p. 183.
638:, p. 439.
573:Yorkshire
526:Leicester
510:ealdorman
466:wapentake
384:Outlawry
325:Prologue
143:), is an
100:140r-141r
1261:(2001),
1240:(2003),
1198:(1971),
1150:(1998),
1129:(1925),
1061:(2012),
1003:, p. 66.
999:Hudson,
941:, p. 86.
902:Sawyer,
889:Sawyer,
680:, p. 56.
548:vápnatak
522:Stamford
261:Bromdune
120:law code
76:Language
746:Roach,
704:Roach,
613:witword
607:landcop
557:hundred
518:Lincoln
257:Danelaw
226:Wantage
179:Danelaw
160:Wantage
140:III Atr
38:III Atr
1269:
1248:
1227:
1206:
1187:
1179:
1137:
1069:
601:lahcop
478:relics
470:thegns
89:c. 997
1185:S2CID
620:Notes
534:Derby
514:reeve
474:reeve
268:hides
171:peace
166:).
127:The
116:Genre
1267:ISBN
1246:ISBN
1225:ISBN
1204:ISBN
1177:ISSN
1135:ISBN
1067:ISBN
589:lagu
567:and
532:and
458:AHRC
450:.
1169:doi
1107:doi
595:lǫg
429:16
421:15
413:14
405:13
397:12
389:11
381:10
270:to
263:.
1286::
1183:,
1175:,
1165:48
1163:,
1103:10
1101:,
1082:;
786:^
713:^
697:^
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669:^
643:^
627:^
528:,
524:,
520:,
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365:8
341:2
333:1
242:,
1171::
1109::
306:.
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36:(
20:)
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