128 DORSET AND KING JOHN. 



in each case was of a noble family, Hugh, son of Eve, and Peter 

 Ham, son of Baldwyn, if the statement made by a writer in the 

 Archaeological Journal (vol. 1, p. 242) is correct ; he says, " In 

 documents whenever a Norman describes himself as ' fihu.*,' i.e., 

 ' Fitz ' so and so, his father is always a noble." 



The Castle of Corfe was also repaired at the cost of 118s. 4d. 

 Robert de Wells, Alfred le Franceis, and Asa de Muleshani were 

 the viewers there. 



The stock on the Manor of Congresbury was deficient again this 

 year as last, and the same payments were made on account of the 

 deficiency, and the stock was made good this year, but in a very 

 extraordinary manner. In the place of the 16 cows wanting, 15 

 cows and one " affrus " were supplied, the " affrus " being a 

 draught ox employed in farm work, the 16 sows were replaced and 

 one " ure." What creature this was I do not know ; possibly it 

 was a boar. Cut in the place of 150 sheep 100 "lions" were 

 placed upon the manor, and these " lions " have given me a 

 considerable amount of trouble. A reader who has had a large 

 experience in deciphering ancient records, told me tliat chetahs 

 were formerly used in England for taking game, and that " lions " 

 may have included with them all wild beasts of the chace. I have 

 found no confirmation of this surmise, but Maigne D'arnis gives 

 " Leo, ajDer ut videtur, Decimam silvestrium bestiarum sive 

 leonum. A.D. 1035." Possibly the King wished to convert Con- 

 gresbury into a game preserve, and so in the place of 150 sheep he 

 turned into il 100 wild boars. The passage in the Pipe Rolls is az 

 follows : — " Et i' iustaur' p'd'car' dcfaltar' p' c lyonib' ap' Cang'sb' 

 liii.s' et p' XV. vacc' xlv.s' Et p' xvi. scoph' e' j.ure xvii.s'. P^t p' j 

 affr' iii.s'." From which it will be seen that the lions cost about 6d. 

 a-piece, the cows, the ox, and the sows 3s. each, in the money of the 

 time. Congresbury is in Somerset, but the entry affords an excellent 

 example of liow the manors in the King's hands in Dorset were 

 charged for default, and how such defaults in stock were made good. 



I think it was pointed out in the last paper how first the 

 ecclesiastical bavons to avoid personal service with the King in 



