64 



as lie ordered the Prior of Bath to repair his houses there, at a cost 

 of sixty shillings, and to account for the same to the exchequer.* 

 He appears to have been there, however, in 1235, as a patent was 

 dated therefrom in that year.t There seems no other record of 

 the visit, except an entry on the Pipe Roll of the following year 

 be taken as a result of personal inspection. By this the Prior of 

 Bath rendered his account for £13 lis. — a considerable sum at 

 that time, — spent by order of the king in repairing the king's 

 houses and the wall around the King's bath (in domibus Regis in 

 villa Bathonie que reparatione indigent, et muro circa balneum Regis 

 ibidem rcparandis. J This is so far the first known mention of the 

 King's bath under that name, and it shows the origin of the name 

 as being not from usage as generally supposed, but from owner- 

 ship, distinguishing it from the Priors bath so named from the 

 same cause. 



Henry IH. died abroad, having been absent from England for 

 some years. Edward I. on succeeding, in 1273 made inquiry in 

 every Hundred concerning the rights or dues of the Crown, and 

 to discover the neglect in payment or performance during the late 

 king's absence. Relating to Bath there are three returns ; two 

 for the city and one for the Hundred "Fmnsecum " or outside the 

 •city. The last is sometimes written as the Hundred Forinsecum 

 de Berton Bathonie ; or, the Hundred Fiyrinsecum BatJwnie de la 

 Berton. In some documents it is noticed as the Barton Regis extra 

 ■civitate. By adopting the early mode of contracting, and taking 

 the first and last syllables of "Fonnsecum " we get Forum ; and 

 thus Bath Forum is simply Bath outside the city and has nothing 

 to do with a forum, as has been stated. 



As to Bath City, the juries found that King John had given 

 the city and the Hundred " Forinsectim " to the Prior of Bath ; 

 and then we get a return well showing the utter neglect into 



* Close, 7 H. III., m. 5. + Pat. Eoll, 19 H., ITI., m. 5. 

 t Pipe Eoll, 20 H. III., dors. 



