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| Screenshot of Cotton MS Tiberius B IV manuscript. |
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| From Thorpes, 1861 |
The above manuscript contains extracts of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and dates from as early as the Mid 11th century. Along with many other entries, it includes the entry of the witan held at Calne in 978.
The image to the left is a printed version of the manuscript text and below is a translation of the Old English text. "A. 978. In this year all the chief 'witan' of the English nation fell at Calne from an upper chamber, except the holy archbishop Dunstan, who supported himself upon a beam; and there some were grievouly maimed, and some did not escape with life."
The entry doesn't say that the building is the Royal palace, so the meeting may have taken place elsewhere.
The traditional location of the witan was the original home of St. Dunstan house,
now located on Lickhill Road, which was previously on New Road and moved
by C. & T. Harris to make space for their new factory, also called
St. Dunstan. These days the site is home to Carnegie Mews.
References:
Giles, J., 1914. The Anglo-Saxon chronicle. 1st ed. London: G. Bell and sons, ltd.
Screenshot of section of Cotton MS Tiberius B IV: British Library. 2018. British Library [online] Available at: http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/Viewer.aspx?ref=cotton_ms_tiberius_b_iv_f003r# [Accessed 31 July 2018].
Thorpe, B., 1861. The Anglo-Saxon chronicle, according to the several original authorities. 1st ed. London: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts.
The image to the left is a printed version of the manuscript text and below is a translation of the Old English text. "A. 978. In this year all the chief 'witan' of the English nation fell at Calne from an upper chamber, except the holy archbishop Dunstan, who supported himself upon a beam; and there some were grievouly maimed, and some did not escape with life."
The entry doesn't say that the building is the Royal palace, so the meeting may have taken place elsewhere.
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| Translation from Giles, 1914. |
References:
Giles, J., 1914. The Anglo-Saxon chronicle. 1st ed. London: G. Bell and sons, ltd.
Screenshot of section of Cotton MS Tiberius B IV: British Library. 2018. British Library [online] Available at: http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/Viewer.aspx?ref=cotton_ms_tiberius_b_iv_f003r# [Accessed 31 July 2018].
Thorpe, B., 1861. The Anglo-Saxon chronicle, according to the several original authorities. 1st ed. London: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts.
