OF SELBORNE 295 



all the county of Southampton, viz. Godesfield, founded by 

 Henry de Blois, bishop of Winchester, and South Badeisley, 

 a preceptory of the Knights Templars, and afterwards of 

 St. John of Jerusalem, valued at one hundred and eighteen 

 pounds sixteen shillings and seven pence per annum. Here 

 then was a preceptory unnoticed by antiquaries, between 

 the village and Temple. Whatever the edifice of the 

 preceptory might have been, it has long since been dilapi- 

 dated ; and the whole hamlet contains now only one mean 

 farm-house, though there were two in the memory of man. 

 It has been usual for the religious of different orders to 

 fall into great dissensions, and especially when they were 

 near neighbours. Instances of this sort we have heard of 

 between the monks of Canterbury ; and again between the 

 old abbey of St. Swythun, and the comparatively new 

 minster of Hyde in the city of Winchester.^ These feuds 



It is observable that the very statute for the dissolution of the 

 Hospitalars holds the same language; for there, in the enumeration of 

 particulars, occur "commandries, preceptories." Codex, p. 1 190. Now 

 this intercommunity of names, and that in an act of parliament too, 

 made some of our ablest antiquaries look upon a preceptory and com- 

 mandry as strictly synonymous; accordingly we find Camden, in his 

 Britannia, explaining praeceptoria in the text by a commandry in the 

 margin, p. 356, 510.— J. L. 



Commandry, a manor or chief messuage with lands, etc. belonging to 

 the priory of St. John of Jerusalem; and he who had the government of 

 such house was called the commander, who could not dispose of it but 

 to the use of the priory, only taking thence his own sustenance, according 

 to his degree, who was usually a brother of the same priory. Cowell. 

 He adds (confounding these with preceptories) they are in many places 

 termed Temples, as Temple Bruere in Lincolnshire, etc. Preceptories 

 were possessed by the more eminent sort of Templars, whom the chief 

 master created and called Praeceptores Templi. Cowell, who refers to 

 Stephens de Jurisd. lib. 4, c. 10, num. 27. 



Placita de juratis et assis coram Salom. de RofF et sociis suis justic. 

 Itiner. apuJ Wynton. etc. anno regni R. Edwardi fil. Reg. Hen. octavo. 

 — "et Magr. Milicie Templi in Angl. ht emendasse panis, & suis [cere- 

 visiae] in Sodington, & nescint q°. war. et — et magist. Milicie Templi 

 non ven io distr." — Chapter-house, Westminster. 



Notitia Monastica, p. 155. 

 ^ " Winchester, Newminster. King Alfred founded here first only a 

 house and chapel for the learned monk Grimbald, whom he had brought 

 out of Flanders : but afterwards projected, and by his will ordered, a 



