326 WHITE 



It has been observed already that Bishop Tanner was mis- 

 taken when he refers to an evidence of Dodsworth, " De mer- 

 cante feria de Seleburne." Selborne never had a chartered 

 fair; the present fair was set up since the year 1681, by a set 

 of jovial fellows who had found in an old almanac that there 

 had been a fair here in former days on the ist August and 

 were desirous to revive so joyous a festival. Against this 

 innovation the vicar set his face, and persisted in crying it 

 down, as the probable occasion of much intemperance. How- 

 ever, the fair prevailed, but was altered to the 2Qth May, 

 because the former day often interfered with wheat-harvest. 

 On that day it still continues to be held, and is become a 

 useful mart for cows and calves. Most of the lower house- 

 keepers brew beer against this holiday, which is dutied by 

 the exciseman, and their becoming victuallers for the day 

 without a license is overlooked. 



Monasteries enjoyed all sorts of conveniences within them- 

 selves. Thus, at the Priory, a low and moist situation, there 

 were ponds and stews for their fish ; at the same place also, 

 and at the Grange in Culver 4 Croft, there were dove-houses ; 

 and on the hill opposite to the Grange the prior had a warren, 

 as the names of the Coneycrofts and Coneycroft Hanger 

 plainly testify. 6 



Nothing has been said, as yet, respecting the tenure or hold- 

 ing of the Selborne estates. Temple and Norton are manor 

 farms and freeholds; as is the manor of Chapel, near Oak- 

 hanger, and also the estate at Oakhanger House and Black- 

 moor. The Priory and Grange are leasehold under Magdalen 

 College, for twenty-one years, renewable every seven ; all the 

 smaller estates in and round the village are copyhold of inheri- 

 tance under the college, except the little remains of the Gur- 

 don Manor, which had been of old leased out upon lives, but 

 have been freed of late by their present lord, as fast as those 

 lives have dropped. 



Selborne seems to have, derived much of its prosperity from 

 the near neighborhood of the Priory. For monasteries were 

 of considerable advantage to places where they had their sites 

 and estates, by causing great resort, by procuring markets and 

 fairs, by freeing them from the cruel oppression of forest laws, 



