Earliest References to “Ipswich”

These are the earliest written references to the city of Ipswich:

942 A.D.: Will of Theodred, Bishop of London. Sawyer 1529. See: Charta Anglosaxonicae, p. 293 line 9.

BISHOP ÐEODRED

In nomine domini nostri Ihusu Christi!

…

And ic an ðat lond at Waldringfeld Osgote mine sustres sune and min hage ðat ic binnin Gypeswich bouhte.

☩

975 A.D.: Coins minted in Ipswich bearing the image of Eadgar and the location of the mint.¹

front: ☩ EADGAR . REX . ANGLOR . (Eadgar, king of the English)
back: ☩ LIFINGE . MO . GIPSǷIC . (Lifinge, moneyer at Gipswic)

¹ Golding, C. The Coinage of Suffolk. 1868. p. 8.

☩

991 A.D.: The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Peterborough Manuscript (E).

Her wæs Gypeswic gehergod, ⁊ æfter þam swiðe raðe wæs Brihtnoð ealdorman ofslægen æt Mældune. ⁊ on þam geare man gerædde þet man geald ærest gafol Deniscan mannum for þam mycclan brogan þe hi worhtan be þam særiman; þet wæs ærest .x. þusend punda. Þæne ræd gerædde Siric arcebiscop.

Here Ipswich was raided, and very soon after that Ealdorman Byrhtnoth was killed at Maldon; and in that year it was first decided tax be paid to the Danish men because of the great terror which they wrought along the sea coast. That was at first 10 thousand pounds. Archbishop Sigeric decided on the decision.