A HISTORY OF ESSEX NIWETUNA [Newton (Hall) 1 ], which was held by Ulvric cawam 8 as a manor and as 2 hides and I virgate in King Edward's time, is held of G[eoffrey] by Hugh de Berners [Bernerii]. Then 2 ploughs on the demesne ; now i^. Then as now (semper) I plough be- longing to the men, and 5 villeins. Then I bordar ; now 5. Then as now (semper) 2 serfs. (There is) wood(land) for 160 swine, (and) 1 2 acres of meadow. It was then worth 60 shillings ; and when received, 40 shillings ; now 4 pounds. BERNESTUNA [Barnston 3 ], which was held by Ulwin' as a manor and as 2 hides and 30 acres in King Edward's time, is held (of Geoffrey) by the same (Hugh). Then as now (semper) 2 ploughs on the demesne, and 3 ploughs belonging to the men. Then 6 villeins ; now 7. Then 5 bordars ; now 7. Then as now (semper) 2 serfs. (There is) wood(land) for 2OO swine, (and) 20 acres of meadow. It was then worth 4 pounds ; now 100 shillings ; and when received, the same. RODINGES [(Berners) Roding], which was held by Ulvric as a manor and as 2^ hides in King Edward's time, is held (of Geoffrey) by the same (Hugh). Then as now (semper) 2 ploughs on the demesne, and i ploughs be- longing to the men. Then as now (semper) 4 villeins, and 3 bordars, and 4 serfs. (There fo.6l is) wood(land) for 100 swine, (and) 27 acres of meadow. Then as now (semper) i mill. Then and afterwards it was worth 100 shil- lings ; now 7 pounds. And the king com- manded, through Robert. d'Oilli (de Oi/leio) that Hugh should hold these 3 manors of Geof- frey de Magna villa if Geoffrey could prove that they belonged (ea deratiocinari) to his fief; and before Geoffrey proved that they belonged to his fief, Hugh held them of Geoffrey. 4 ALFERESTUNA [Bigods 8 ], which Ansgar 1 A manor in Great Dunmow.
- The form of this name is very doubtful.
3 It has naturally been suggested that the place derived its name from Hugh de Berners, its holder. But this, of course, is only possible if it had been given a fresh name since the Conquest.
- Hugh evidently claimed to hold them in capite,
but came to a compromise with Geoffrey. He held land under the Bishop of London at Stepney. 5 In Great Dunmow. This identity is clearly proved by entries in the Red Book of the Exchequer (p. 804) and the Testa de Nevill (pp. 266, 272), which show us Bartholomew le Bigod holding at held as I manor and as 4 hides and 10 acres in King Edward's time, is held of G[eoffrey] by Martell'. 6 Then as now (semper) 3 ploughs on the demesne, and 2 ploughs belonging to the men. Then 1 1 villeins ; now 7. Then 6 bordars ; now 24. Then 6 serfs ; now 4. (There was) then wood(land) for 400 swine ; now for 350. (There are) 36 acres of meadow. Then as now (semper) I mill. Then and after- wards it was worth 7 pounds; now 10 pounds. DOMMAWA [(Little) Dunmow 7 ], which was held by the same Ansgar as a manor and as i^ hides in King Edward's time, is held of G[eoffrey] by the same (Martell'). Then as now 2 ploughs on the demesne, and 2 ploughs belonging to the men. Then 13 villeins; now 5. Then 7 bordars ; now 6. Then i serf; now 3. (There is) wood(land) for 2OO swine, (and) 26 acres of meadow. It was then worth 100 shillings ; now 7 pounds. SCELGA [Shellow (Bowells)], which was held by A[nsgar] as a manor and as i^ hides in King Edward's time, is held of G[eoffrey] by Lambert. 8 Then as now (semper) 2 ploughs on the demesne. Then 2 villeins; now i. Then 5 bordars ; now 8. Then 2 serfs ; now i. (There is) wood(land) for 150 swine, (and) 10 acres of meadow. (There are) 3 beasts (animalia), 3 swine, 25 sheep, (and) now i hive (vasa) of bees. Then and afterwards it was worth 40 shillings ; now 6o. ' Alferstone,' which had belonged to the Count of St. Pol, and which is strangely pronounced by the editor of the Red Book to be Alphamstone. The Bigod family gave its present name to the estate. 6 See p. 508, note 1 1, above. 7 Morant assigned this entry to the manor of Martels in Great Dunmow, but the Testa and Red Book, as cited above, show that the manors held by ' Martell ' descended together and expressly place this one in ' Little ' Dunmow. The actual manor seems to have been South Hall (on the Little Dunmow side of Great Dunmow, near Martels and Shingle Hall), for this was associated with the Count of St. Pol. 8 This was probably Lambert ' de Buelle,' from whose family the place derived its suffix. For, eighty years later (1166), a Lambert de Buelle is found holding one knight's fee of Geoffrey's great- grandson (Red Book, p. 346). The earliest men- tion of the family known to Morant was in 39 Hen. III. (1254-5). 9 Here is an increase in value of 50 per cent with no increase in ploughs and a slight decrease in the live stock. 510
