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 A HISTORY OF ESSEX In NORTUNA [Norton l ] Mascherel holds 55 acres, which were held by Brictric, a free man, in King Edward's time. Then i plough on the demesne ; afterwards and now 2. Then as now (semper) 1 plough belonging to the men, and 5 villeins. Then and after- wards 5 bordars ; now 8. Then and after- wards 3 serfs ; now 2. (There is) wood(land) for 40 swine, (and) i o acres of meadow. It was then worth 40 shillings ; afterwards and now 60. In BEBENHERS [Pebmarsh] Levecilt, a free man, held and still holds 3 acres ; and Derolf 4 acres in ALFELMESTUNA [Alphamstone] and Holt, a free man, i acre (there) ; and Lewin' and Lemar' 5 acres in BUMESTEDA [Bump- stead] ; and Algar 20 acres in SALINGES [(Old ?) Saling 2 ~ ; and Brictolf 30 acres in OLVITUNA [Ovington 3 ]. These had in all (omnes) 3 ploughs in King Edward's time. Then and afterwards 3 bordars ; now 8. Then and afterwards 2 serfs ; now none. (There is) wood(land) for 12 swine, (and) 8 acres of meadow. Then and afterwards it was worth 30 shillings ; now 45 shillings and 2 pence. Of these abovesaid men Wisgar had only the ' commendation.' 4 fo. I02b In BENEDISC [Bendish (Hall) 6 ] Wisgar, R[ichard]'s predecessor, seized (invasit) 30 acres after the king came into this country (patriam). 6 And afterwards Ingelric had it (iilam), and the Hundret (court) testifies that 1 This Norton must have been somewhere in the neighbourhood of the places among which it is entered, and this conclusion is confirmed by the fact that its tenant was ' Mascherel,' who was Richard's under-tenant at Bulmer (p. 479). 2 Morant appears to have overlooked this entry. 3 Morant does not mention this entry under Ovington (which was usually ' Ovituna ' ) ; but one can hardly hesitate so to identify it. 4 Wisgar was the predecessor in possession of Richard de Clare, who, it is meant, claimed greater rights over these men than had been given to Wisgar by their ' commending ' themselves to him in order to secure his protection. The entry under Colne below (p. 573, note 2) should be compared on this point. It is, unfortunately, by no means clear to how many of the 'abovesaid' holdings this clause applies, but, as no details are given as to the character of any of Richard's encroachments down to this point, it is probable that they are all covered by it. 6 A manor in Radwinter. 6 This is an important note of date as proving that Wisgar (the lord of Clare) survived the Con- quest. it used to belong to Ingelric's fief ; but Richard has held it (illam) hitherto (hucusque}. In BYRDEFELDA [(Great) Bardfield] Felaga * held of Earl JElfgar (dlgaro) i hide and 30 acres. And after the king came into this country (patriam), R[ichard] seized (invasit) this land, 9 which, as the Hundret (court) testifies, was not held by his predecessor. Then as now (semper) 3 villeins. (There are) now 7 bordars. Then 3 serfs ; now I . Then i^ ploughs on the demesne ; now i. Then as now (semper) i plough belonging to the men. (There is) wood(land) for 100 swine, (and) 27 acres of meadow. Now (there is) i mill. It was then worth 4 pounds ; now 60 shillings. In HOOSENGA [ 10 ] Felaga held half a hide. Richard holds (it) now like the (land) abovesaid, and Walter (holds it) of him. Then as now (semper) 2 villeins, and i plough. (There is) wood(land) for 2 swine, (and) 4 acres of meadow. It is worth 1 2 shillings. In HASINGHAM [ u ] a free man held 2^ acres, in the Hundret of Laxedana [Lexden]. Now R[ichard] (holds them). And there is now i mill there rendering 15 shillings 18 ; and yet (the holder) was only ' commended ' to Richard's predecessor. 18 In the Hundret of Laxendena [Lexden] Luttin' held in COLUN [Colne u ] 40 acres. Now R[ichard] (holds them). And over (/') this land his predecessor had no rights (con- 7 The manor of Bendish (hall) had been held by Ingelric, whose successor, Count Eustace, was holding it in 1086 (p. 471 above). 8 He had held the adjacent manor of Ashwell (Hall) in Finchingfield, less than two miles to the east of Great Bardfield (p. 560 above). 9 Probably because it adjoined his large and valuable manor of Little Sampford. 10 This appears to be a lost name. As it had been held by Felaga, one would expect to find it in the neighbourhood of Great Bardfield and Ash- well. 11 This also appears to be a lost name. 18 So in the text ; but the value is probably that of the holding as a whole. 13 The meaning of the corrective ' yet ' (tamen) appears to be that Richard was holding the land, although its tenant's ' commendation ' to his pre- decessor gave him no such right. 14 It would hardly be safe to assert in which of the Colnes this holding and the other just below were situate. 572