Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 11.djvu/136

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [ii s. XL FEB. is, wis.

This indicates that wandales and warlots were appurtenant to, but not part of, the geldable land in the vill. To the same nuns two landowners in Killiiigholm, co. Line., respectively gave the third part of 8|- acres, the third part of 7| acres, and one acre of meadow " de warloto suo " (Rot. Chart- arum, 143 b ). In the same vill another donor gave the third part of 8| acres " ex orientali parte ville de cultura que vocatur Wervel- mare," and the third part of 7^ acres

Dinge et Snoudbee versus campum deHaburc, et j acram prati de warloto suo de Bradwate." Ib.
 * ' ex parte 'occidental! in culturis que vocantur

In these instances one cultura containing 8 acres, and two others containing together 1\ acres, were given to the nuns by the three persons who together owned these cultural, with three individual acres in one warlot (or enclosure) of meadow.

The editors of the Calendars of the Public Records usually render cultura as " tillage." This is a safe and useful translation of the word, seeing that it represented a variety of terms in the vernacular. W. F.

THE EARLY LORDS OF ALE^ON. The pedigree of the first Lords of Alenon and Perche given in ' L'Art de Verifier les Dates' (2nd ed., 1770) involves a difficulty in dates. The founder of the house of Belleme or Belesme, Yves de Belleme, appears as Lord of Belleme and Alencon "vers 1'an 940," and was evidently of full age in 941 (probably at an earlier date) :

"Plusieurs Modernes placent sa mort en 980; mais il est certain qu'il yivoit encore sous le regne

,.l Kobert, comme il paroit par une donation qu il fit, au Mont S. Michel le 12 Octobre, Regnante Xpberto Rege. II mourut, par consequent, au plutot, vers la fin de 997."

After chronicling his marriage and two daughters, the editors continue :

"Bry lui donne ne"anmoins 3 fils, Guillaume Avesgaud, EvSque du Mans, & Yves. Les 2 premiers 6toient surement ses freres, le dernier n'est autre que hn-meme" (pp. 680-81).

The longevity assigned to Yves seems unusual for the tenth century ; but let us consider the dates of the deaths of his alleged brothers. William I. died in 1028 or 1029 (p. 682), and on turning to the history of the Counts of Maine we find (sub Herbert I ) that Avesgaud died in 1036 (p. 683), ie nearly a century after his brother appears as Lord of Alencon. This verges on the incredible.

I suggest that the Yves (I.) living in 940 was probably father of the Yves (II ) living 997, as well as of William and Avesgaud, t.e., two generations have been run into one.

The editors also state that Yves was nephew and not brother, "comme Bry 1'avance" of Sigenfroi, Bishop of Le Mans (p. 680). As Sigenfroi or Sainfred was the immediate predecessor of Avesgaud in the bishopric ( ' England under the Angevin Kings,' i. 204), he would, no doubt, be brother of Yves I., and uncle of Yves II. and Avesgaud, assuming that my suggestion is correct. I see that Miss Norgate cites another authority that would make Aves- gaud die in October, 1035 (ibid., p. 205).

Yves I. is described as son of Fulcoin and " Rotais." Is Rotais a misprint for Rohais?

If any reader is able to refer to a later edition of 4 L'Art de Verifier les Dates,' it would be interesting to know if the editors discovered the chronological difficulty, and how they dealt with it. G. H. WHITE. St. Cross, Harleston, Norfolk.

THE " HERMIT'S CAVE," CRATCLIFFE. About three miles from Haddon Hall, on the road from there to Winster, are the Cratcliffe Rocks, in which is a cave locally known as the " Hermit's Cave," on the solid stone walls of which is rudely carved a crucifix 4 ft. 4 J in. high, and the arms 4 ft. 7|- in. wide.

Mr. Thomas Bateman had a cast of this made, which he describes thus in his ' Cata- logue of Antiquities ' :

" Cast in plaster of Paris of the very early Crucifix carved in alto relievo upon one side of the cell or hermitage hewn in the sandstone rock of Cratcliffe, near Birchover, Derbyshire. Taken by W. Bowman, November, 1850." This cast is now in the Weston Park Museum, Sheffield, amongst the Bateman Collection.

Nothing further appears to be known of bhis hermitage or its occupant, but in a small book by the late Mr. W. A. Carrington, entitled ' Selections from the Stewards' Accounts preserved at Haddon Hall, from 1549 to 1671,' is the following item :

3rd of Edward VI. (1549)." Delyuered y xxiiij th Decembre by y e Comandmet of my M r vnto y e harmytt (Hermit) for y 6 brengynge of V Coppull of Counys (Coneys) from bradley to laddon viij d ."

[t is quite possible that this entry may allude t might possibly afford some clue by which to discover the date of the crucifix.
 * o the hermit of Cratcliffe, and should it do so

The name Bradley may be intended for Bradford, which is very near to Cratcliffe, or it may be the village of Bradley near Ashbourne.

I give the above information for what it s worth. CHARLES DRURY.

12, Ramnoor Cliffe Road, Sheffield.