THERE is in the Cotton Manuscripts at the British Museum a grant of five ploughlands at Hehham by Offa, King of Mercia, to Jaenberht, Archbishop of Canterbury.¹  Although the grant is dated A.D. 774 it is written in a hand that is obviously later than the eighth century, and on good authority it has been dated as much as two centuries later; nevertheless the fact that it is a copy of an original does not in the least detract from its topographical interest. It has been well published by the usual authorities,² and Birch's reading has been checked with a photostat copy of the original. The topographical particulars have been discussed in some detail by Wallenberg,³ who correctly identifies several of the places named.
   The following is an extract and translation of that portion of the text which deals with land boundaries:

"aliquam partem terrae in loco qui dicitur hehham et huius terrae estimatio, v. aratrorum esse uidetur his notissimis confiniis circum cincta. a circio maed ham. hinc per confinia ac leage, et sic iuxta waeterlea. dehinc ad colling. sic per uiam quae ducit ad eohinga burh in terram sancti andreae. et sic per confinia mersc tunes hinc tenditur ad bulan ham. et sic in merc fleot.
" .................... which parcel of land is situated at the place called Hehham and the assessment of the land (for taxation) seems to be V

aratra, by these most well known boundaries enclosed about: from the neighbourhood of Maedham along the boundary of Ac leage, and so next to Waeterlea, from there to Colling, then along the road which leads to Eohinga burgh in the land of St. Andrew, and then along the boundary of Mersc tunes to Bulan ham, and so into Merc fleot."

   A study of the 6-inch map (Kent, sheets XI, N.W., and S.W.) will enable some of these boundaries to be identified at once, and we may unhesitatingly follow Wallenberg when on very satisfactory evidence he recognizes Ac leage as the present Oakleigh, and Mersc tunes as the long-vanished parish of Murston, the site of which was close to Green Farm.⁴ We have then to start with two known points, the one on the eastern boundary of the piece of land and the other on the west.
   The first place to be mentioned is Maedham, and we may assume
   ¹  Ms. Cott., Augustus, II, 99.
    ²  E. A. Bond, Facsimiles of Ancient Charters in the British Museum, iv, 4.
       W. de G. Birch, Cart. Saxonicum, I, 300, no. 213.
       Kemble, Codex Diplomaticus, no. CXXI.
   ³  Wallenberg, Kentish Place-Names (Uppsala, 1931), 53-5.
   ⁴  Hasted, History of Kent (8vo ed.), III (1797), 477-81.