Page:VCH Essex 1.djvu/463

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THE DOMESDAY SURVEY place-names entered as distinct in Domesday. For I have identified its ' Culverts ' with the ' Richeham ' of the Survey, 1 while the ' Walfara ' of Domesday preserved its name as a manor in Boreham of which even the identity appears to be now lost. It is of some importance to keep in view this type of Essex parish composed of several distinct ' vills,' because the more salient Essex type is one which will have to be dis- cussed below, namely that in which several parishes represent a single ancient name. It is obvious that the marked contrast between these op- posite types a contrast which the Domesday map brings into strong relief may have an important bearing on the early settlement of the county. For the present I will only cite two more instances of parishes representing an aggregate of Domesday ' vills.' Finchingfield includes Boyton (' Boituna ') and Ashwell (' Assewella ') ; and Arkesden com- prised the ' vills ' of Eynesworth (' Eineswrda ') and ' Wiggepet,' of which the very names are now lost, 2 while their identity was ' not to be distinguished' when Morant wrote (ii. 588). I have succeeded however in tracing them by the help of the (Saffron) Walden cartulary.* We will now turn to what is, perhaps, for the task of identification the most difficult Hundred in the county, namely that of Dengie (the ' Witbrictesherna ' of the text). Of the twenty-one parishes in the Hundred, the names of no fewer than seven * are not to be found in Domesday. On the other hand, there are several manors named in the great Survey of which the identity is difficult, if not impossible to de- termine ; and wild guesses have naturally led to almost hopeless con- fusion. Althorne is not represented by the ' Eltenai ' (or ' Altenai ') of Domesday,' which is proved by the St. John's Cartulary to have been Iltney in Mundon. The ' Acleta ' of Eudo Dapifer cannot represent Asheldam, 8 which must, from the evidence of records, have been held by Suain of Essex. ' Eistanes ' is Little Easton and not Stow Maries. 7 The ' Lachentuna ' of Hugh de Montfort is Latchingdon itself (as the very records cited by Morant prove), and not a manor in Purleigh ; and it is nothing but a guess that ' Ulwinescherham ' was Steeple (which was ' Stepla ' in Domesday) or that ' Weneswic ' was Westwick in Burnham, an identity which the records cited by Morant himself put out of the question. It is easier, in the case of this Hundred, to demolish than to recon- struct. But in one case at least an important identity can be proved. The great parish of Bradwell-by-the-Sea contains rather over 5,000 acres ; and in it, as we might expect, were several distinct manors. Morant believed that Bradwell Hall, which formed its south-western portion, was the ' Effecestre ' of Domesday, and that Down Hall, to the north, was its ' Duna ' ; Battails he could not identify in Domesday, and of East Hall he began the history in 1627. But I have identified the two 1 See p. 387 above, p. 519 below.

  • It would seem possible that the former name is preserved in the surname Ainsworth ; for the

' Eilcsford ' and ' Eilesberia ' of Domesday are now Aylesford and Aylesbury. * See pp. 476, 568 below.

  • Althorne, Asheldam, Bradwell, Mayland, St. Lawrence, Snoreham and Stow Maries.

Morant, i. 361. ' Ibid. i. 367, and p. 393 below. 7 See p. 3Q3 below. 391