portion of this property, we find that sir Philip Hoby, or persons claiming under him, disposed of it to different individuals. Among these was one of the Courtene family, who seem to have resided at Sir Philip's former seat in Aldington; as in 1622, Peter Courtene of that place was created a baronet. Mr. William Courtene, an eminent merchant in the reign of Charles II., in consideration of the sum of £8000, conveyed in 1664 to Edward Rudge, esq. of London, merchant, so much of the property as now admeasures nearly 260 acres, together with the Crown Inn, garden, and wharf adjoining; the gardens next the churchyard; and certain tenements and royalties specified in the conveyance. Of this original purchase the present Mr. Rudge is now seised; to which has since been added by purchases, made chiefly by himself, upwards of 326 acres of the original abbey demesne. The total quantity of arable, garden, and meadow land, distinct from building sites, in the parishes of St. Lawrence and All-saints-the whole of which was included in the same demesne-is by modern admeasurement 792 acres, 3 roods, and 7 perches. Of this, 361A. 1R. 18P. are in the parish of Allsaints; and 431A. 1R. 29P. are in the parish of St. Lawrence.

In addition to the abbey property already noticed as alienated to sir Philip Hoby by the crown, several estates in the vicinity, also pertaining to it, were granted him in like manner. Among these were the entire manors of Norton and Lenchwick, Great and Little Hampton, Badsey and Aldington, Abbot's Salford, Hudlecot and Bartram, and Evenload: also the abbey lands at Bourton, Abbot's Morton, Upper Slaughter, Eyford and Broadwell, with all or great part of that at Church Honeybourne, and the park called Shrevell or Thornhill, in Bengeworth. The advowson of Elmley Castle-not belonging to Evesham-and the endowment of a chantry there, with that of another chantry at Tredington, were in like manner alienated to Sir Philip.346 But these vast possessions continued in the family only for a few years. The greater part was sold to different persons by sir Thomas Hoby, nephew of the original grantee; and in 1776 the family became extinct, in default of heirs male.

346 Nash's Worcestershire; Dugdale's Warwickshire; Rudder's Gloucestershire; and Sir Philip Hoby's "Particular," copied in Monasticon.

CHAPTER VII.

EVESHAM IN ITS INFANCY

CONDITION AT THE CONQUEST SUBSEQUENT IMPORTANCEAPPEARANCE AT THE PRESENT DAY.

THE earliest information we possess respecting the actual condition of the town of Evesham, is that presented in the survey made by order of William the Conqueror, begun in the year 1080 and finished in the year 1086. The record is entitled "Liber Censualis Angliæ," but is usually termed Domesday Book; and is the most ancient, valuable, and curious record, of which this country has to boast. The venerable original, comprised in two volumes upon vellum, is carefully preserved in the chapter-room of Westminster Abbey; where its time-hallowed pages, still fair and legible, may be consulted or transcribed upon payment of the appointed fees. Its usual name is supposed by some to have originated from the domus Dei, or treasury, at Winchester, where it was originally kept: though it appears to us more probable that this confessedly popular appellation was compounded of the native words dom and dag, signifying a period of account. From this important survey, judgment was to be given upon the value, tenure, and service, of lands throughout the kingdom by which means the Norman conqueror acquired an exact knowledge of the possessions of the crown; the names of the landholders; the military strength of his newly-acquired kingdom; and the possibility of increasing the revenue in some cases, or of lowering the assessment in others. In addition to which, it afterward furnished a register of appeal, when titles to property were disputed.

U

The care with which, in consequence, it was effected, appears in the method employed. Commissioners, styled the king's justiciaries, were appointed to adjust it. These officers inquired, upon oath, from juries, composed of the sheriff of every county, the lord of every manor, the presbyter of every church, the reve of every hundred, the bailiffs and six villani of every village-the following particulars. The name of the place; who held it in the time of Edward the Confessor; who was the present possessor; how many hides were in the manor; how many carucates in demesne; how many homagers; how many villani; how many cotarii; how many servi; what free-men; how many tenants in socage; what quantity of wood; how much meadow and pasture; what mills and fishponds; how much added or taken away; what the gross value in king Edward's time; what the present value; and how much each free-man or soc-man hath or had. The value of every estate was thus thrice estimated. First, was given its value in the time of the Confessor; then, as bestowed by king William; and, thirdly, as it stood at the formation of the record.

The survey of Evesham, which we now proceed to copy, as nearly as moveable types will admit, from the national fac-simile edition, presents a tolerable instance of reply to these several queries.

Terra Ecclæ De evesham

F. In Evesham uilla ubi ledet abbatia funt 7 fuer lep. iii hidæ liberæ Ebi lunt in dnio. iij. car. 7 xxvij. borð. leruientes curiæ,

7 hut. iiij. car. Ebi molin de. xxx. folid. 7 xx. ac. p‘tí,

De censu hominū ibi manentiū. xx. lolíð.

T. R. E. ualb. lx, folid, 7 post: iiij, lib, Modo; cx, folid,

This brief, but pithy information, may, we conceive, be literally rendered thus:

"LAND OF THE CHURCH OF EVESHAM : "In Evesham vill, 347 where the abbey stands, are and always have been, three hides 348 free.349 There are, in demesne,3 350 three caru

347 Villa-was another term for a lordship or estate.-Introd. to Nichol's Leicestersh, 348 Hida.-The hide was a Saxon measurement; it varied in different counties, but may in general be averaged at one hundred acres.

349 Libera." By a custom whose origin is lost in its antiquity, all their [the Anglosaxons] lands, unless specially exempted, were liable to three great burdens - the

cates; 351 and twenty-seven bordarii, 352 doing service to the [abbot's] court, hold four carucates. The mill 353 here is [worth] thirty solidi; 354 and [there are] twenty acres pasture. The tax from inhabitants stationary there [is] twenty solidi. In the time of king Edward it was worth sixty solidi; and after, four libræ ;355 now, one hundred and ten solidi."

By this valuable register we are here admitted to a view of Evesham, in its infancy. Three hundred and seventy years had now elapsed, since first its silent glades resounded with the crash of falling trees-hewn for its Saxon monastery. That earliest erection tenanted, its church complete, its founder numbered with the dead, his sainted relics solemnly enshrined,-legends of the sanctity of Holme and wonders wrought at Ecgwin's tomb, had gradually induced, we may presume, the settlement of families upon this privileged and fertile spot. But at that period the monastery of Evesham had not yet attained its afterward important station. It had, up to this era, struggled for existence through centuries of strife; contending against a host of enemies-laical and priestly, Saxons and Danes-all hungering for its possessions or control. The rightful occupants of St. Ecgwin's monastery, thus scarcely able to main

building and reparation of bridges and fortifications, and to military expeditions.”— Turner's Anglo-saxon History, vol. i.

350 Dominia.-The lord divided his estate into two parts; the one, retained for his own support and cultivated by his villeins, was termed his demesne: the other, he parcelled out among his dependants, who gave him their services in return.

851 Carucata.-The carucate was a Norman measurement, applied only to arable land; being as much as could be managed with one plough and the beasts belonging thereto, in a year. In the text, the number of hides is first given as in king Edward's time; and then its measure in carucates.

352 Bordarii.-These were superior to the servi and villani: and, from the mode in which they are here noticed, we conclude them to have been tenants upon the abbey estate, holding by performance of agricultural service only.

353 The mill.- "In Domesday Book, wherever a mill is specified, we generally find it still subsisting.”—[Ellis.] Such is the case in this instance; the mill above Evesham bridge occupies the site of that which belonged to the monastery and which was used by the town.

354 The solidus, or shilling, was worth twelve denarii; which last was the only coin known in England till long after the period of Domesday.

355 The libra, or pound of ready money, was made up, not of shillings, but of oræ, valued at twenty denarii each.