[ '83 ] 



two large manors for the fupport ofha's church at 

 Wells. The old charter of endowment may be 

 fcen in Godwin's Bijhops, 



The earldoms or counties of England muft have 

 been fubdivided before HonoriuSy the fifth archbifhop 

 of Canterbury, divided his fee into pariflies, anno 

 62^ ; and it is a doubt with me whether King Alfred^ 

 who died in 901, did not improve, or rather com- 

 pleat, the plan of fome of his predecefTors in divi- 

 ding the kingdom of England into hundreds and 

 tithings; for I cannot conceive that the hundred of 

 Williton Free- Manor Sy which contain 31 pari flies, 

 and the hundred of Tauntoti-Deany which confifts of 

 30 pariflies, (and which was the refidence of King 

 Lia near a century and a half before Alfred's time) 

 had each fo few as one hundred houfes in it when 

 this fubdivifion took place. However this be, we 

 can, with the afTiftance of Domefday-book, old 

 Peerages, Dugdale, Tanner, Camden, Speed, and 

 fome other itineraries, trace mod of thofe manors 

 and parifhes that compofe tiiefe marfhy lands to, 

 and fome beyond, the Conquell. Amongfl thefe 

 are, M^edmorey where Alfred fometime refidedj 

 AuleTy where the Danifli King Gothrum met Alfred 

 to be baptized; Banwell and Congrejburyy which 

 King Edward the ConfelTor gave to Dudoco, the 

 fourteenth bifliop of Wells, as an addition to his 



fee. 



