Page:White - The natural history of Selborne, and the naturalist's calendar, 1879.djvu/393

Rh foundations having been destroyed before the memory of man. In the farmyard at Oakhanger we remember a large hollow stone, of a close substance, which had been used as a hog-trough, but was then broken. This stone, tradition said, had been the baptismal font of Whaddon chapel. The chapel had been in a very ruinous state in old days; but was new-built at the instance of Bishop Wainfleet, about the year 1463, during the first priorship of Berne, in consequence of a sequestration issued forth by that visitor against the priory on account of notorious and shameful dilapidations.*

The Selborne rivulet becomes of some breadth at Oakhanger, and, in very wet seasons, swells to a large flood. There is a bridge over the stream at this hamlet of considerable antiquity and peculiar shape, known by the name of Tunbridge: it consists of one single blunt Gothic arch, so high and sharp as to render the passage not very convenient or safe. Here was also, we find, a bridge in very early times; for Jacobus de Hochangre, the first benefactor to the priory of Selborne, held his estate at Hochangre by the service of providing the king one foot-soldier for forty days, and by building this bridge. “Jacobus de Hochangre tenet Hochangre in com. Southampton, per Serjantiam,† inveniendi unum valectum in exercitu Domini regis [scil. Henrici IIIlll.] per 40 dies; et ad faciendum pontem de Hochangre: et valet per ann. C. s.”—"Blount’s Ancient Tenures,” p. 84.

A dove-house was a constant appendant to a manerial dwelling: of this convenience more will be said hereafter.

A corn-mill was also esteemed a necessary appendage of every manor; and therefore was to be expected of course at the priory of Selborne.

The prior had secta molendini, or ad mokndinum;‡ a power of