in tlie County of Wills, hi/ King Athelslan, A.D. 933. 231 



of those straight; direct, roads, for which the Romans were so 

 celebrated, and wliich they no doubt used as a military road ; and 

 the highest part of it by Newnton Bush is probably composed o£ 

 sand and clay, so that, whilst it is very sticky in wet weather, it is 

 very sandy and dusty in fine weather, just like Hilcott long-hedge. 

 From this "sandy hill" you then go down to the brook called 

 Botan-wylle, that is, no doubt, the vale of sheep, consisting of rich 

 pasture, watered by a brook. This brook, I should imagine, was- 

 that clear, beautiful little streamlet, running between the Church 

 at Newnton and Mr. G. F. Fowlers cottages, which waters all the 

 fields running up towards Bohun, which probably formerly meant 

 the same. You then go to the " black lake," which must^ have 

 been, I think, up somewhere in the " Doles " behind Maslen's 

 house, where the soil is marshy and hlacJc. Then you follow the 

 river back again to Stanton. The river Avon encloses the estate, given 

 in the deed, on three sides, and "Catsbrain" encloses it on the fourth. 



(2) It is evident from this deed that the term North Nywantune, 

 or North Newnton, is used in a much wider sense than we use it 

 now. Most probably it is mentioned alone because it had the best 

 soil in the estate. However, whatever may be the reason, it seems 

 to have the pre-eminence. I should have mentioned above that I 

 consider Teolton's ford to be the same as Alton^s ford. 



(3) With regard to the Latin, I suppose : — 



Firstly, that '' omni creantis disponente dementia" should read 

 " omni-creantis," &c. 



Secondly, that " manentium " is the old monkish Latin word for 

 " manors," that is, estates with dwellings upon them. The woi'ds 

 " mansa" and " manerium" appear to have been thus used.^ 



Thirdly, that " set" is put for " ait." 



Fourthly, that " omnia illuc," &c., ought to have been in Latin, 

 ''omnibus illuc pertinentibus — magnis, modicisque," &c. 



* Canon Jones obsei-ves that "manentium" would not be described as "manors" 

 in the technical sense, but " holdings." As a " hide " was in a general sense the 

 holding suificient for one family', so " mansae " or " manentes " came to be 

 synonymous for hide. Thus the ten manentos at Nywantune, (See Introduction 

 to Domesday for Wiltshire, p. xxsiii.) [Ed.] 



T 2 



