Page:VCH Essex 1.djvu/556

 A HISTORY OF ESSEX with (de) 1 5 acres ; and he has half a plough and 2 bordars and i acre of meadow. It was then worth 100 shillings, ; now 7 pounds. PHINCINGHEFELDA [Finchingfield] was held, in King Edward's time, by 2 sokemen as 48 acres. Now Elinant holds it of R[ichardj. Then as now (semper) i^ ploughs. Then and afterwards 4 bordars ; now 7. (There is) wood(land) for 6 swine, and 6 acres of meadow. Then i rouncey; now none. Then 10 beasts (animalia) ; now 8. Then 20 swine; now 26. Then 100 sheep ; now 127. It was then worth 10 shillings; now 30. l PENFELDA [Panfield *], which was held, in King Edward's time, by Wisgar as i manor and as i^ hides and 30 acres, is held of R[ichard] by Robert. Then 4 ploughs on the demesne ; afterwards and now 2. Then as now (semper) 5 ploughs belonging to the men. Then and afterwards 10 villeins ; now 8. Then and afterwards 8 bordars; now 15. Then and afterwards 8 serfs ; now 7. (There is) wood(land) for 1 20 swine (and) 1 3 acres of meadow. And the stock could be increased by 2 ploughs (2 carruce possunt restaurari). 3 Then and afterwards it was worth 8 pounds ; now 10. In GELDHAM [(Great) Yeldham] Goismer holds (of Richard) i hide and 5 acres, which were held, in King Edward's time, by 8 sokemen under Wisgar. 4 Then as now (semper) 3^ ploughs on the demesne, and half a plough belonging to the men. Then and afterwards 5 bordars ; now 8. Then and afterwards 5 serfs ; now 2. (There is) wood(land) for 20 swine, (and) 23 acres of meadow. (There was) then i mill. Then and afterwards it was worth 60 shillings ; now 100 shillings. In WICAM [Wickham (St. Paul's) ?] Ernald holds of R[ichard] half a hide and 1 Here again is a great and inexplicable increase of value. 8 The manor of Panfield. 3 i.e. on the demesne. See p. 477, note 4, for this formula. 4 Goismer will be found again on p. 571 below holding of Richard an estate of about half this size, apparently in the same part of the county, which had been similarly held by four small tenants in the time of Edward the Confessor. This manor and several others among those which follow illustrate the small holdings of the ' sokemen ' in the north of the county. 10 acres, which was held, in King Edward's time, by 2 sokemen under Wisgar. Then as now (semper) 2 ploughs on the demesne. Then and afterwards 5 bordars ; now 10. Then and afterwards i serf ; now none. Then wood(land) for 40 swine ; now for 20. (There are) 10 acres of meadow. Then fo. 3gb and afterwards it was worth 30 shillings ; now 40. In FINCINGHEFELDA [Finching- field] the same Ernald holds 38 acres, which were held, in King Edward's time, by 2 sokemen under Wisgar. Then as now (semper) I plough ; now 3 bordars, and I serf ; and (there are) 4^ acres of meadow ; it is worth 10 shillings. In BINESLEA [ 6 ] Wielard holds (of Richard) i hide, which was held by I sokeman under Wisgar ; then as now (semper) i plough on the demesne, and half a plough belonging to the men ; and there are 2 vil- leins. Then and afterwards 1 6 bordars; now 7. Then 2 serfs ; now none. (There is) wood- (land) for 20 swine, (and) 4 acres of meadow. It was then worth 20 shillings ; afterwards and now 40. In ALREFORDA [Alderford ? 6 ] 2 knights hold 36 acres which were held by 3 sokemen under Wisgar. Then as now 2 ploughs and 4 bordars. (There is) wood(land) for 12 (swine), and 9 acres of meadow. (There are) 30 sheep. It was then worth 40 shil- lings ; afterwards and now 60. At (Ad) ASCE [Ashen 7 ] Richard holds in de- mesne half a hide and 40 acres, which were held, in King Edward's time, by 2 sokemen 6 See Introduction, p. 406, for the locality of this place, of which the name appears to be now lost. 6 This name appears to be now lost ; but, as ' Alretuna ' in Suffolk became Alderton, ' Alra- forda' in Horsham (Norfolk) Alderford, ' Alre- sawe' in Staffordshire Aldershaw, and ' Alrelie' in Gloucestershire Alderley, it is probable that an ' Alderford ' is indicated. In any case the place cannot be, as has been supposed, Alresford, which was in another Hundred, and of which the right Domesday form was Elesford or Eilesford. 7 This is another instance of Morant's curious blindness to his own evidence. He duly men- tions that the church of Ashen (as that of ' Esse ') was given by Gilbert de Clare to his priory at Clare only four years after Domesday ; he knew that the place was originally called ' Esche,' ' Ash,' etc. ; and yet he expressly states that it is not named in Domesday Book (compare Introduction, PP- 389 39'. 393 above). 478