EARLY HISTORY TO A.D. 1300. 21 
But St. Dunstan was not the only Englishman who sought 
refuge at Ghent. Ethelred the Unready, son of Edgar, after vainly 
attempting to stem the tide of Danish invasion, was forced to flee 
with his two sons, Edward and Alured, across to Normandy, and 
Edward found a home at St. Peter’s. The Danes had meantime 
_over-run the country, murdered Alfege, Archbishop of Canterbury, 
and no doubt scattered the little community at Lewisham, some of 
whom we can imagine would have reported their losses to the 
Abbot. Edward could give but little promise of immediate restitution, 
but on the 26th December, 1006, he made a solemn vow on the 
relics of the Saints, that should he ever in the mercy of God be 
permitted to reign in his father’s kingdom in England, he would 
restore to the Abbey its possessions, viz., ‘‘ The Vill of Liefesham 
with Groneuuic and Uuluuic,” with their appenages, in houses, 
churches, lands, woods, mills, &c. The original charter is still 
preserved among the archives of East Flanders. It was not until 
A.D. 1042, that Edward came to the Throne, but he was not 
unmindful either of his word or of the kindness shown him at 
Ghent. In 1044 he gave the Abbot of Ghent a charter confirming 
the gift of ‘‘ Leuesham with all its appertenances, viz., Grenwic, 
Wulewic, Modingeham and Cumbe.” To these were added certain 
dennes in the great forest of Anderida, which then covered all the 
south of Kent. The dennes were named Aeshchore, Aeffehaga, 
Wingindene, Scarendene, Sandherste. Some of them can be 
identified in Cowden parish, and were known locally as the Manor 
of Lewisham, according to Dearne’s History of the Weald. At the 
same time land in London, called Wermanacre (near St. Dunstan’s- 
in-the-East), was also added to the Abbot’s possessions. 
The charter gave the Abbot almost regal powers, with the 
right to hold courts having jurisdiction over a large number of 
causes, and exempted the lands even from the Zrinoda necessttas. 
This might give rise to suspicion of forgery, but the charter was 
evidently esteemed to be genuine, and was subsequently in large 
part confirmed by successive kings. 
The Norman conquest would not necessarily have alarmed the 
Abbot for the safety of his possessions, Matilda, the wife of the 
Conqueror, was descended from Elfrida herself, and St. Peter’s had 
therefore a good friend at Court. But the times were turbulent, 
‘and a confirmation of possession was a wise precaution. William’s 
charter is dated A.D. 1081, and is witnessed by Queen Matilda and 
a great array of Bishops and notables. In this charter the property 
is described as the Manor of Lewisham, with all its appurtenances, 
viz., Greenwich, Woolwich, Mottingham and Coombe, with the 
places in the Weald before named and Wermennacres with Werns 
in London. The rights and privileges granted by the Confessor’s 
charter are also confirmed. 
Four years later came the celebrated inquest or survey, 
commonly called Domesday, and it is curious to find that notwith- 
standing the above confirmations, the property assigned therein to 
