THE FACE OF THE COUNTRY. 169 



and used as a reading-room — two villeins and 

 one bordier ; at Porlock a manor-house — where 

 Court Place stands now — six villeins, three bordiers, 

 and six serfs ; making the usual allowance for 

 families this would give a total population of about a 

 hundred, very much less than at present. At Oare 

 there was the manor held by Ralph de Pomerie 

 (ancestor of a good Devonshire family still existing), 

 seven villeins, five bordiers, and four serfs, or a total 

 of eighty-five, which is about the number of present 

 inhabitants. 



At Winemersham, now called Wilmersham, there 

 was land for five plough teams, and there were also 

 200 acres of pasture, five villeins, three bordiers, and 

 three serfs, or a population of sixty ; Wilmersham 

 now contains one farm and a small cottage. Wilmer- 

 sham was of sufficient importance to be fined as a 

 "township" in 1280, for not being represented at the 

 inquest on Andrew the Fuller of Porlock, who was 

 struck on the head by Henry the Chaplain "with a 

 certain stick in that tithing who forthwith died." 

 This is the second murder in the district in that 

 turbulent year, the other victim, as mentioned above, 

 being one of the foresters. 



Bagelie is now only the name of the combe at the 

 head of Sweet Tree, but in Doomsday there was a 

 manor there granted by the Conqueror to his favourite, 

 Roger de Courcelle ; one Caflo held it of Roger ; he 

 was the old Saxon who held it in the time of King 

 Edward, and he had two bordiers and some villeins. 



