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 A HISTORY OF ESSEX the king's woods (siha). 1 And i hide was given by Harold to a certain priest of his ; but the Hundret (court) knows not whether he gave (it to be held) freely (liber<e) or in almoine. It is now held by R[obert] Bishop of Hereford. And (there is) half a hide which was held freely by I sokeman who rendered ' soke ' in the manor, but (et tamen) could betake himself (posset ire) with his land whither he would. 8 Count Eustace added (adjunxit) him to his land. In this manor are still included (semper jacent) 2 sokemen with (de) half a hide and 10 acres, who have now as then (semper) half a plough ; there are 4 acres of meadow ; (this is) included (apprecia- tum) in the above 100 pounds. In WIRITELA [Writtle] the same bishop holds 2 hides and 20 acres, of which i hide belonged to (fuit in) the church in the time of King Edward and the other (was) of (in) the king's fee (sic). Then as now (semper) 3 villeins and I priest. Then 2 bordars ; now 8. Then 2 serfs ; (now none). Then as now (semper) I plough on the demesne and 2 ploughs belonging to the men. (There is) wood(land) for 100 swine, (with) 8 acres of meadow ; and it is worth 50 shillings. 3 HALF HUNDRET OF MELDUNA [MALDON] In MALDUNA [Maldon] the king has i house and pasture for 100 sheep. And (there is) i sokeman with (de) 49 acres who has i bordar ; (there was) i plough in the time of King Edward, (and) now a half ; it was then worth 10 shillings, (and) now 5. In the same (Maldon) the king has 180 houses held by burgesses and 1 8 messuages (mansuras) that are waste ;* of which (burgesses) 15 hold half a hide and 21 acres, while (et) the other men fo. 6 hold no more than their houses in the borough. And among them they have 12 rounceys (runcinos) and 140 beasts (animalia) and 103 swine and 336 sheep. From the king's hall (balla) there are always received (exeunt) 6 shillings and 8 pence, and from Suen's land 4 shillings, 6 and from (the) 2 houses of Eudo dapifer 16 pence which the 1 This is an interesting allusion to Robert's own office of king's forester. 2 i.e. could choose his lord. 3 This entry of the bishop's land in Writtle is repeated below under his own fief (p. 460). burgenses ' merely means ' inhabited ' as opposed to ' vastatas ' uninhabited. 6 This is duly entered under Suain's fief below (p. 491) as a ' customary due ' received by the king. king has not received (non habuit) since he came into this land. From the aforesaid sokeman Ranulf Peverel has received (habuit) yearly a customary due of (consuetudinem per) 3 shillings ; but in King Edward's time his pre- decessor had only (the man's) commendation. And in King Edward's time the whole to- gether rendered 13 pounds and 2 shillings; and when Peter 6 received it 24 pounds ; now 1 6 pounds by weight. HUNDRET OF TENDERING [TENDRING] AND. . . 7 BRICTRICESEIA [Brightlingsea] was held by Harold as a manor and as 10 hides. Now King William (holds it). Then as now (semper) 24 villeins. Then I o bordars ; after- wards 1 1 ; now 1 6 bordars ; and i o bordars who hold no land. 8 Then 4 serfs; new 5. Then 3 ploughs on the demesne ; afterwards and now 2. Then the men had 16 ploughs ; afterwards and now 1 1. (There is) wood- (land) for 100 swine. (There is) now i mill. Pasture for 600 sheep. Then as now (there were) 16 beasts (animalia) and 5 roun- ceys (runcini) and 1 66 sheep and 62 swine. Then Brictriceseia [Brightlingsea] and Her- chesteda [Harkstead] 9 between them rendered 2 nights' ferm (nodes de firma) ; 10 and when Pfeter] 11 received them 25 pounds ; now 22 pounds. But that outlying estate (berewita) lies in Suffolk. 12 In the demesne are 4 beasts (animalia) and 5 swine. LALEFORDA [Lawford] was held by Harold as i manor and as 10 hides, and is now so (pro totidem) held by King William. Then as now (semper) there were 1 5 villeins and 24 bordars. Then 7 serfs ; now 6. Then as now (semper) 4 ploughs on the demesne. Then the men had 20 ploughs between them ; and 16 when Baignard held (it) ; 18 but when P[eter] 14 received it, 9 ; and 9 (similiter) 6 Peter de Valognes, the sheriff. 7 So read by the Record Commission's edition, but probably ' Tenderinge ' only was intended. 8 It is just possible, judging from the entry of Leigh on the Thames below, that these represent a maritime element. 9 In Suffolk, on the north shore of the Stour estuary. 10 See Introduction, p. 336. 11 Peter de Valognes, the sheriff. 12 The meaning of this passage seems to be that the diminution in the value of Brightlingsea is due to the fact that at the time of the survey Harkstead was farmed separately by Peter as a part of Suffolk, where we find it separately valued in 1086 (ii. 13 i.e. as sheriff. 14 Peter de Valognes, the sheriff. 434
 * This passage seems to imply that ' quas tenent