A HISTORY OF WORCESTERSHIRE priest and 3 villeins and 2 bordars and 4 ox- men {hovarii) and I Frenchman {francigena) ; between (them) all they have 3 ploughs. It was and is worth 30 shillings. In the city of Wirecestre [Worcester] the church of Evesham has 28 dwellings [masuras). Of these, 5 are waste, and the others render 20 shillings. fol. 176. THE LAND OF THE BISHOP OF BAYEUX In Dodintret Hund[ret] The bishop of Bayeux held ^ Actune [Acton Beauchamp], and Urse (held it) of him. It belonged to {fuit de) the church of St. Mary of Evesham T.R.E., and Urse received it afterwards from the Abbot in exchange for (some) other land.* He holds it now of the bishop of Bayeux's fee. There are 6 hides. Of these, 3 (pay) geld, (and) the other 3 do not (pay) geld. In (the) demesne are 6 ploughs, and (there are) i villein and 9 bordars with 4 ploughs. There are 12 serfs. It was worth 70 shillings T.R.E. ; now 4 pounds. In Esch Hund[ret] The same Bishop held {ten') Lenche [SheriSs Lench] ^ and Urse (held it) of him. There are 4 hides that (pay) geld. Two of these were held by 2 thegns, and the other 2 by a certain woman named jElfgifu (Mlvevd). These (holders) could betake themselves ijre) where they would, and held (the lands) as 3 ^ The use of the past tense should be observed.
- The title to Acton was much disputed.
According to the monks of Worcester (Hem- ing's Cartulary, p. 250), it was an old posses- sion of their monastery, which had been in the hands of a certain Ordwig, who had restored it before his death to St. Wulfstan, then prior. But it had subsequently been taken from them violently by jEthelwig, abbot of Evesham, only to be taken in turn from him by the rapacious Urse, who settled it on his daughter (the ancestress of the Beauchamps). The Evesham monks, on the other hand, asserted (Chron. Evesham, p. 95) that it was the patrimony of abbot jEthelwig, who gave it to Urse in exchange for the land which he had wrongfully seized at Bengeworth. The bishop of Bayeux must have owed his tenure to his placing himself in the shoes of the Abbot (so far as his personal possessions were concerned) on the latter's death. ' See p. 290 above, note 3. manors. In (the) demesne are 2 ploughs ; and (there are) 6 villeins and 2 bordars and 4 serfs with 2 ploughs ; and 8 ploughs more can be (employed) there. There is wood- (land) which renders 2 shillings. It was worth no shillings T.R.E., and 30 shillings afterwards ; now 42 shillings. Of this land, 2 hides were given by Gilbert Fitz Turold to the church of Evesham for the soul of earl William * by permission of king William, and i monk was placed in (that) church from the proceeds {proinde). For the other 2 hides abbot .iEthelwig [Elwi) gave I mark of gold * to king William, and the King granted [concessit) the said land to the abbey {acclesics) for his soul, Gilbert Fitz Turold, who received the gold for the King's use, being witness. This same church was possessed (seisita) of these 4 hides many years, until the bishop of Bayeux took them away from the church and gave them to Urse. THE LAND OF ST. GUTHLAC" In Clent Hund[ret] XII. Of St. Gullac {sic) Nigel the physician holds I hide in Wich [Droitwich]. There are 9 burgesses, who render 30 shil- lings from the saltpans and for everything. In Cresselau Hund[ret] The same Nigel holds Dunclent [Dun- clent] and Urse (holds it) of him. There are 3 hides. In (the) demesne there is i plough ; and (there are) 2 bordars and 2 ox- men {hovarii) ; and 5 ploughs can be (em- ployed) there. It was worth 25 shillings ; now 10 shillings. Odo held it of St. Guthlac. XIII. The priests of Wrehantune [Wolverhampton] hold Ludeleia [Lutley].* There are 2 hides. They themselves held it T.R.E. They have there 2 villeins and 2 serfs and I bordar with 4 ploughs. It is worth 15 shillings. THE LAND OF EARL ROGERS In Clent Hund[ret] Earl Roger holds of the King one manor (called) Hala [Halesowen]. There are 10
- William Fitz Osbern, earl of Hereford.
- Six pounds.
- St. Guthlac's Priory, Hereford.
' The whole of this entry is added at the foot of the column.
- A township of Halesowen.
^ Roger de Montgomeri, earl of Shrewsbury. 30S
