238 A Sketch of the Histori/ of Rill Decerill. 



Salisbury, is not mentioned in connection with. them. Yet perhaps 

 there is a trace of the name in Kingston Deverill, for in a lease 

 granted by Henry Coker, 1732 (in the possession of the Marquis of 

 Bath) occur the words : — " three acres of arable land lying in the 

 field called Aferell's Cleeve, under ye way called ye milking-path." 

 This view, that it is a corruption of D'Evereux, is opposed to the 

 popular view which rests on Hoare and Daniell ; but supposing, 

 as it does, that the names of three places are derived from a person 

 who does not seem connected with them, it certainly requires more 

 evidence to support it. 



2.—m.stori/ of the Church. 



The earliest date we have for the Church is 1 154. No Churcli is 

 mentioned in Domesday as existing here, but Chm-ches are not often 

 mentioned in Domesday, for the precept that directed the sm'vey 

 required no retm-n to be made of Churches. Three Chiu^ches in the 

 valley are mentioned incidentally : " Eisi, qui tenuit tempore 

 Edwardi Regis, non potuit ab ecclesia separari," an entry which 

 refers to Longbridge Deverill. There is a similar entry with regard 

 to Monkton ; and land is mentioned as belonging to the Chxu'ch at 

 Ijrixton. There is another entry " Edgar, presbyter, tenet dimidiam 

 hidam in Devrel," but this cannot be identified. But inasmuch as 

 there are clear traces of inhabitants on the rising ground to the east, 

 and distinct remains of a British village to the west of the Church, 

 ill a field Avhich, until the modem road was made, joined the 

 churchyard, and in wliich sherds of rough British potter}^ may be 

 turned up mth a walking-stick ; and as there are traces of other 

 British settlements along the river to the south, we may conclude 

 that the Chiu-ch was built on what was the sacred bm-ial-ground 

 of the British settlement. About 1154, then, Elyas GrifPard 

 granted the Church at Hill Deverill, founded in the fee of 

 "Walter, son of Osmund, his knight, to the collegiate Church at 

 Heytesbmy (Hegtredsbury) . There it formed one of the four Pre- 

 bendal stalls until the Act in 1839 abolishing certain Prebendaries: 

 the house of the prebendaiy is, perhaps, that on the west side of 

 Heytesbiu-y Churchyard. 



1 



