STRAY NOTES, PREHISTORIC, SAXON, AND NORMAN. 24T 



mill was granted to his son Robert before 1181. This mill, as we 

 have seen, was afterwards in the hands of Stephen. It then 

 descended in succession to Ralph and his son John, the former of 

 whom sold a half share, whilst the remaining half was sold by his 

 son . John. In the fourteenth century the two halves were re- 

 purchased and bestowed on the Dean and Chapter by Canon, after- 

 wards Bishop, Barnet, whom I take to be the restorer and enlarger 

 of our Church. In later years the mill was occupied by Thomas 

 Shonke, and has ever since carried his name. 



We shall to-day pass Shonke's Mill, which, though doubtlessly 

 rebuilt, probably stands on the site of that occupied, if not by 

 Richard, at least by Robert de Navestock before 1181. 



Richard, son of Sabernus, bore a name which still survives in 

 Saberne's, Sabine's, or Savage Green. 



Of John Wigar we find that he was one of the Jurors on the Sur- 

 vey, that he claimed hereditary right in the forest or wood called 

 Westwood, and possessed like privileges therein as Stephen did in 

 the Defence of Navestock. He held the Serjeantry of guarding the 

 woods of the D. and C. in Navestock, with which he parted to 

 Geoffrey the Dean some few years after the Survey. 



We now come to the lands let out to the villeins and others and 

 called villenagium. Land was held in villenage, says Seebohm,-'' at 

 the will of the lord and at customary services, but, as a matter of 

 fact, the entries in the rolls prove that these holdings were hereditary.-^ 

 The common form of surrender'-'^ recited that the holding had re- 

 verted to the lord, who regranted it to new tenants as before in 

 villenage. The land in villenage was held mostly in virgates and 

 half-virgates (consisting in Navestock of 20 and 10 acres respec- 

 tively), and below these bordarii held smaller holdings, also in 

 villenage. In describing the tenants in villenage there is first a 

 statement that such an one holds a virgate (or as the case may be) 

 in villenage at such and such payments and services.-'" 



The chief services may be classed under two heads : 



1. The weekly work at ploughing, reaping, aiidcairying two dayseach week 

 and more at harvest time. 



2. The precaritc, or boon-days— sometimes called bene-works — special or extra 

 services which the lord has a right to require ; sometimes the lord providing food 

 for the day and sometimes the tenant providing for himself. 



23 p. 22. ^4 P- 3°- "^5 P- ^5- 



26 Seebohm, 33 and 34, 4' • 



