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The Fonthill Letter is a letter sent by Ordlaf, ealdorman of Wiltshire, to King Edward the Elder (r. 899-924) detailing a property dispute between Ordlaf and Aethelhelm Higa, a rival claimant. While Ordlaf is never explicitly identified as the author it is apparent due to tenses and position of the speaker throughout the letter. The property in question was five hides of the Fonthill Estate in Ordlaf's county, which Ordlaf had given to the Bishop of Winchester. While the letter is not exactly dated it is suggested that the dispute took place from approximately 897-899/901. This means it starts within the final years of Alfred's reign and the formative period of King Edward the Elder. The letter, which survives in the original or a contemporary copy, largely believed to be an elaborate copy, traces the intricate history of the estate's ownership, telling of its former owner Helmstan, Ordlaf's Godson and a twice convicted thief, of King Alfred's intervention, and of how the land subsequently passed into Ordlaf's sole ownership after Helmstan's second conviction, for stealing a neighbour's oxen. The letter was intended to be used as evidence in the ongoing lawsuit between Ordlaf and Higa over ownership of the land. Eventually, the letter served its purpose when Higa withdrew from the suit. The letter is clearly not the work of a professional scribe or experienced writer due to numerous edits and corrections. == Figures == Ealdorman Ordlaf, a grandson of a West Saxon ealdorman, he was probably appointed in the latter years of King Alfred's reign. He is regularly relied upon by Helmstan to support him and pardon him from the crimes he commits. Helmstan's crimes take the form of first stealing a belt from Aethelred which initially leads to the dispute as Aethelhelm Higa can then claim the land should be forfeited to him. King Alfred at this point intervenes and grants Helmstan the right to maintain ownership. This did however damage Helmstan's standing and his consequent conviction for cattle-stealing was therefore magnified and his previous ill repute was raised during the second stage of the dispute. Aethelhelm Higa is throughout the letter seen as the rival claimant. Very little is known about him although it is possible he was a descendent of either Aethelwulf and Aethelthryth or heir of Oswulf. In either case it seems he believed he should inherit the land by right and thus following Helmstan's conviction attempts to claim the estate. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Fonthill Letter」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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