Page:English Historical Review Volume 37.djvu/84

76 according to the method of making up the Pipe Rolls, known from a study of those of Henry II and obviously used in this unique roll of Henry I, that it deals with a danegeld of more recent date than that referred to in the earlier entry. But by the usage of the Pipe Roll the adjective preteritus, when applied to a danegeld, commonly denotes the danegeld of the year 1128–9, immediately preceding the current year 1129–30. It is, therefore, possible to affirm that the danegeld 'from the time of Restold' must be assigned to a year or years previous to 1128–9, presumably to the year immediately preceding, namely 1127–8. There is a chance of course, though only a slight one, that the danegeld for 1127–8 had been entirely paid up; in such a case, the danegeld 'from the time of Restold' would be concerned with a yet earlier year, presumably 1126–7. Furthermore, one should not overlook the implication that Robert, in accounting for the 'old pleas and danegeld from the time of Restold', is clearing up all the items of this nature that were owed by Restold. If this be the case, then the preteritum danegeldum, to which reference has already been made, must have fallen due during Robert's tenancy of office, which would then have to be extended to include the year 1128–9. On this reading of the evidence, Robert's term of office began at least by Michaelmas 1128, while Restold's could not have lasted beyond that date.

Thus Robert's term of office probably began at Michaelmas 1128, and covered the two years 1128–30; Restold's term, on the contrary, probably came to an end at least by Michaelmas 1128. His term must have included one of the two years 1126–7, 1127–8, and probably covered them both, if indeed it did not begin earlier still.

Staffordshire

In the accounts of Staffordshire, immediately following the entries dealing with the 'new farm' and the 'old farm' as accounted for by Miles de Gloucester, occur the following entries:

"Et Idem Vicecomes reddit compotum de .liij. l. et .xix. s. blancorum pro plegio Roberti de Stanlega de veteri firma quarti anni. Et de .lxxviij. l. .xij. s. .ij. d. blancorum de veteri firma tercii anni pro plegio eiusdem Roberti. … Kobertus de Stanlega debet .xx. m. argenti pro Comitatu habendo usque ad .v. annos. Et ipse tantum tenuit. …"

From these passages it appears that Robert had leased the county for five years, that he had held it for the whole of this period, that he owed balances on the farms for two of his years