23 



the W., was settled by the Saxons, while Sutton, the seat of Saxon royalty, 

 lay to the S. The enemy might be expected to come along the Roman road, 

 because it was the only road through a wild district. The names indicate that 

 Herefordshire was a land of woods and pools, with here and there a few huts 

 in a "thwaite" or on a dock-covered bank, while devious by-paths concealed 

 rather than led to the chief's " palace " at the head of the dingle (Pen-cwm), or 

 on some quasi -island in the marshes, known to the Britons by the ajipellation 

 "ynys," to the Saxons as an "eytun"or "marestun.''* The whole district 

 which lies E. of Kisbury for some miles is still a wild and thinly peopled ti-act ; 

 and the occurrence of such words as "Woodfield and Wootton {i.e. wood town), in 

 the names of the farms, shows that it was in Saxon times a woodland, with here 

 and there a cleared spot, in which the settler excavated a ditch and threw up 

 a mound round his house. A place so defended was called by the Saxons a tun, 

 and the word still survives with an extended meaning in the words ton and toion. 



The measurements of the area of the camp are — extreme length, 365 paces ; 

 interior breadth from entrance to entrance, 157 paces. From a line connecting 

 the entrances, the N. portion of the area extends 203 paces, the S. portion 102 

 paces, the former being thus about one-fifth larger than the latter. 



Although mentioned in Domesday Book in a similar manner to the 

 adjoining places which are stUl parishes, and set down on Camden's maj) with 

 the usual mark indicating a church and a village, Risbiiry has no chuich, and 

 is not a parish, but is included in the parish of Stoke Prior. 



The allusion in Domesday Book is as follows : — 

 ■Wills, de Scobies tent. Riseberie Robt de eo. Eduuin tenuit ibi ii hidje in 

 ii car. i viU. ui bord. dnio sunt iiii servi. moUri de iiii soL Vills. redd, x 

 dens. valv. xx sol. modo Ix. soUd. 



Which I thus render : 



William de Scobies holds Riseberie. Robert holds from the same. Edwin held 

 here 2 hides. In dominion there are 2 carucates of land, 1 villein, 3 

 bordars, 4 slaves. William receives 10 jience from 4 sliilUngs' worth of 

 com to be ground. The value was 20 shillings the quarter ; it is now 

 60 shillings. 

 The name, like those of all the neighbouring parishes, is purely Saxon. 



It occurs in Domesday Book as "Riseberie," and in a charter given in Dugdale's 



"Monasticon" it assumes the mediaeval Latin disguise of "Risebiria." The 



etjrmology is obvious : Rise, a hill, as in Highgate Rise, Clapham Rise, etc. ; 



and bur I/, from hurli, a fortification. The 43. worth of com mentioned was 



probably a quarter. 



The notice of Risbury in Domesday Book is curious, and has a special 

 interest to those of us who assisted at the formation of this club. Our 



* Eyton and Marston. 



