THE LOST MANOR OF MESTESFORDE. 01 



3. (Dethick and) Lede, 



as parts of Ashover, the former undistinguished by 

 the present title, but the latter identified as the 

 Lea of to-day. 



4. Crumforde, 



A berewick of Wirksworth. 



5. Bunteshale (Bonsall), 



a berewick of Mestesforde (ii.) 



6. Sinitretone, Wodnesleie. 

 Berevvicks of Mestesforde (iii. and iv.) 



7. Farleie, 



now, as then, part of Darley. 



8. Dereleie (Darley Dale). 



The boundaries of Matlock at the present day and of 

 Mestesforde (with Meslach) at the time of Domesday, have 

 thus been traced and shown to be synonymous. But only four 

 of the six berewicks have been accounted for. The fifth 

 berewick was Ibeholon, easily identified as Ible, beyond Bonsall 

 on the west ; and the sixth, most important of all, was Meslach ; 

 most important of all because it seems beyond question that it 

 was this sixth berewick that provided the foundation of the 

 name under which the manor and parish have, since, at least, 

 the thirteenth century, been known. 



My hypothesis as to the change of name is this : The 

 boundaries of parishes, as is well known, were, wherever possible, 

 marked by watercourses. It might, therefore, well have been 

 the case that the berewick of Meslach (which seems to have 

 disappeared at the time of tlie adoption of the name Matlock 

 for the manor and parish) was bounded by the watercourse 

 known as Bentley Brook, which comes down from Tansley, by 

 the corn mill, across the Green, past Knowlestone Place, below 

 the rock on the north side of the church, and into the Derwent. 

 As the name of Mestesforde, as I assume, was local to the cross- 

 ing about Matlock Bridge, the berewick of Meslach might have 

 comprised the whole of the present parish to tlie east of the 



