Introduction 1
1. Anglo-Saxon written wills: the nature of the evidence 11
2. The process of will-making 56
3. Politics, power and the bequest of land 80
4. Lay bequest of land: pious gifts and family strategy 140
5. The bequest of movable wealth 180
6. Wills, commemoration and lay piety 228
Conclusion: Why make a written will in Anglo-Saxon England? 279
Appendices 285
1 The corpus of Anglo-Saxon wills 285
2 The evidence for wills and will-making in the Liber Eliensis and Chronicon Abbati?e Rameseiensis 289
3 The bequest of movable wealth 295
4 Local churches mentioned in wills 299
5 Note on unpublished material by Patrick Wormald 302
Bibliography 305
Index 321