OF SELBORNE. 301 



The first person with whom the founder treated about the 

 purchase of land was Jacobus de Achangre^ or Ochangre, a 

 gentleman of property who resided at 'that hamlet ; and, as 

 appears, at the house now called Oakhanger-lwuse. With him 

 he agreed for a croft, or little close of land, known by the 

 name of La liega, or La lyge> which was to be the immediate 

 site of the Priory. 



De Achangre also accommodated the bishop at the same in- 

 stant with three more adjoining crofts, which for a time was 

 all the footing that this institution obtained in the parish. 

 The seller in the conveyance says " Warantizabimus, defen- 

 " demus, et asquietabimus contra amnes gentes;" viz. "We 

 " will warrant the thing sold against all claims from any 

 u quarter." In modern conveyancing this would be termed 

 a covenant for further assurance. Afterwards is added 

 " Pro hac autem donacione, &c. dedit mihi pred. Episcopus 

 " sexdecem marcas argenti in Gersumam : " i. e. " the bishop 

 "gave me sixteen silver marks as a consideration for the 

 " thing purchased." 



As the grant from Jac. de Achangre was without date, 2 and 

 the next is circumstanced in the same manner, we cannot say 

 exactly what interval there was between the two purchases ; 

 but we find that Jacobus de Nortun, a neighbouring gentle- 

 man, also soon sold to the bishop of Winchester some adjoin- 

 ing grounds, through which our stream passes, that the priory 

 might be accommodated with a mill, which was a common 



and dormitory, and were bound by vows to observe the rules and statutes 

 of their order : in fine, they were a kind of religious, whose discipline was 

 less rigid than the monks. The chief rule of these canons was that of St. 

 AiKjnstine, who was constituted bishop of Hippo, A. D. 395: but they 

 were not brought into England till after the conquest; and seem not to 

 have obtained the appellation of Augustine canons till some years after. 

 Their habit was a long black cassock, with a white rocJtet over it ; and 

 over that a black cloak and hood. The monks were always shaved ; but 

 these canons wore their hair and beards, and caps on their heads. There 

 were of these canons, and women of the same order called Canonesses, 

 about 175 houses. 



f The custom of affixing dates to deeds was not become general in the 

 reign of Henry III. 



