Page:English Historical Review Volume 37.djvu/436

 428 REVIEWS OF BOOKS July others. For instance, Mr. Massingberd modestly observed, in his brief preface : I have done my utmost to identify all place-names, but have failed in too many cases, and may have fallen into mistakes in others, notwithstanding every endeavour to ensure accuracy. This candid admission has led Canon Foster to supplement, in this field, his predecessor's work ; ' especially ', we read in his introduction, ' it is hoped that the attempt to identify the places mentioned in that volume, and their inclusion in the present index, will be found convenient.' This is, perhaps, the portion of his work in which he has been least successful. For instance, in a lengthy and important fine of 1234 (pp. 263-4) there is mention of land in ' Dukeswith ', which Mr. Massingberd indexed as with, co. Essex ' (pp. 366, 429), which merely increases the error ; for the place is Duxford in Cambridgeshire. A converse case is that of ' Ram- mesden ', a place mentioned in a fine of 1229 which affords a valuable clue. Mr. Massingberd did not even attempt to identify its locality ; but his successor definitely makes it ' Rammesden (in Edenham par.) co. Line.' (pp. 401, 431). As I have no knowledge of the district, I cannot say whether there is such a place in Edenham ; but Canon Foster will find, I think, that the fine's ' Rammesden ' is Ramsden Belhouse in the south of Essex. Again, is it certain that ' Strauda ', as the editor reads it, where three fines were levied in the first week of July 1249 (pp. 49-51) was Stroud (Glos.) ? If the name were read ' Stranda ', one might suggest that the place was the stone cross in the Strand, where pleas were held. But this is only a conjecture. A close investigation fails to reveal any but trifling slips, in spite of a somewhat long list of errata (pp. 343-4). One detects, it is true, such forms as ' Maid ' (p. 308) and ' Otho' (for ' Othone') on p. 330, but the latter is taken from a transcript. ' Condicio ' seems a strange word by which to describe (p. 334) a ' finalis concordia ' between two ' town ships ' (villatae) concerning the upkeep of a causeway and a ditch, 1197-8 ; but this also is taken from a secondary source, for the editor's industry has added several fines from outside the Record Office. An admirable index of persons and places is supplemented by one of subjects, which is no less excellent. One can but express the hope that the Lincoln Record Society may be able to produce many volumes of no less scholarly character. J. H. ROUND. Court Rolls of the Borough of Colchester, Vol. i, 1310-52. Translated and epitomized by I. H. JEAYES. With introduction, &c., by W. G. BENHAM. (Colchester : published for the Town Council, 1921.) THE town council of Colchester and the chairman of its muniments com- mittee, who has previously edited three volumes of the borough records, have rendered good service to students of municipal life by the publica- tion of this first instalment of the 250 rolls, each covering a year, which Colchester has been fortunate enough to preserve. It could be wished, of course, that they began earlier and that more than nine had survived from the period comprised in this volume, but court rolls contain so much
 * Dukeswrth [in Cambridgeshire] '. The canon corrects this to ' Dukes-