232 NAVESTOCK IN OLDEN DAYS ; 



lands there after the death of his aunt, Isabella Atte Loft. John 

 Atte Loft resided here in 1-115, ^^^ that it was still a manor in 

 1543 is evidenced from the fact of the lord being mentioned in the 

 record referred to by Morant. It would almost appear that as it 

 was then comparatively of insignificant rank, the staffe could have 

 only been carried there as a survival of its chief rank in ancient 

 days, I.e., considerably prior to the Conquest, and that possibly it 

 was one of the two referred to in Domesday as being held by 

 Howard and Ulsi, and afterwards in the St. Paul's records called 

 Nastocha Edwini and Nastocha Aldwmi. 



At what period the Christian religion first prevailed in Navestock 

 I am unable to tell you, but we have evidence from the great Survey 

 to prove that a presbiter or priest was located here in Saxon times, 

 and that he then held some 90 acres of land, presumably as an 

 endowment, which brought him in an income of los. per annum. 



The Records of St. Paul's Cathedral include a charter of King 

 Edgar (whether authentic or not I leave others to judge) wherein he 

 bestows the manor or manors of Navestock upon the Dean and 

 Chapter of St. Paul's, the date of which is about 958 ; and again in 

 this and other records he is spoken of, if not as the founder of the 

 Church, at least as the contributor of a sum of 60 mancas of gold, 

 possibly if not probably for Church purposes. 



But even should the authenticity of this charter be disputed we 

 have another (the authenticity of which I believe to be admitted on 

 all hands) to prove the fact that the Dean and Chapter possessed 

 the manor or manors of Navestock in Saxon times. Thus among 

 the Cathedral records we find a charter of King William the Con- 

 queror, granted as from the very day of his consecration, wherein he 

 restored their property to the Dean and Chapter, adding that it had 

 been taken away and unjustly retained by others during the time of 

 his predecessors. It is of considerable interest to note that he 

 mentions the then existence of a like number of holdings (presum- 

 ably of free tenants) as are mentioned in the charter of Edgar, viz., 

 fifteen. It is true he gives to these a different name — Cassata, whilst 

 Edgar's charter describes them as Mansiones. Some may call the 

 words synonymous, as probably they were in this case, but it is 

 obvious that the word cassata at least, if not the mansiones, refers to 

 houses with land around them sufficient to maintain a family of some 

 little position. 



