366 ANTIQUITIES OF SELBORNE. 



The Selborne rivulet becomes of some breadth at Oakhanger, 

 and, in very wet seasons, swells to a large flood. There is a bridge 

 over the stream at this hamlet of considerable antiquity and peculiar 

 shape, known by the name of Tunbridge : it consists of one single 

 blunt Gothic arch, so high and sharp as to render the passage not 

 very convenient or safe. Here was also, we find, a bridge in very 

 early times ; for Jacobus de Hochangre, the first benefactor to the 

 priory of Selborne, held his estate at Hochangre by the service 

 of providing the king one foot-soldier for forty days, and by 

 building this bridge. "Jacobus de Hochangre tenet Hochangre 

 in com. Southampton, per Serjantiam,* inveniendi unum valectum 

 in exercitu Domini regis [scil. Henrici III 1 ".] per 40 dies ; et ad 

 faciendum pontem de Hochangre : et valet per ann. C. s." 

 " Blount's Ancient Tenures," p. 84. 



A dove-house was a constant appendant to a manorial dwelling : 

 of this convenience more will be said hereafter. 



A corn-mill was also esteemed a necessary appendage of every 

 manor ; and therefore was to be expected of course at the priory 

 of Selborne. 



The prior had secta molendini, or ad molendinumj^ a power of 

 compelling his vassals to bring their corn to be ground at his mill, 

 according to an old custom. He had also, according to Bishop 

 Tanner, secta molendini de strete ; but the purport of strete, we 

 must confess, we do not understand. Strete, in old English, 

 signifies a road or highway, as Waiting Strete, &c., therefore 

 the prior might have some mill on a high road. The priory had 

 only one mill originally at Selborne ; but, by grants of lands, it 

 came possessed of one at Durton, and one at Oakhanger, and 

 probably some on its other several manors. J The mill at the 

 priory was in use within the memory of man, and the ruins of the 

 mill-house were standing within these thirty years : the pond and 

 dam, and miller's dwelling, still remain. As the stream was apt 

 to fail in very dry summers, the tenants found their situation very 

 distressing, for want of water, and so were forced to abandon the 

 spot. This inconvenience was probably never felt in old times, 

 when the whole district was nothing but woodlands ; and yet 



* Sargentia. a sort of tenure of doing something for the king. 



t " Servitium, quo_feudat .rii grana sua ad Domini molendinum, ibi molenda perferre, 

 ex consuetidine, astringuntur. " 



I Thomas Knowles, president, &c., ann. Hen. 8vi. xxiii . [1532] demised to J. Whitelie 

 their mills. &c., for twenty years. Rent xxiii-y. iiiid. Accepted Frewen, president, &c., 

 ann Caroli xv. [viz. 1640.] demised to Jo. Hook and Elizaheth his v/ife, the said mills. 

 Rent as ab :>ve. 



