THE HUNDRED OF BLACKHEATH 



CONTAINING THE PARISHES OF 



ALBURY DUNSFOLD SHALFORD 



ALFOLD EWHURST SHERE 



BRAMLEY HASCOMBE WONERSH l 



CRANLEIGH ST. MARTHA'S OP CHILWORTH 



The hundred of Blackheath (Blackfelde, x cent. ; Blacheatfeld, xi cent. ; 

 Blakehethfeld, xiii and xiv cent.) is bounded on the north by Woking, on 

 the west by Godalming, on the east by Wotton, and on the south by the 

 county of Sussex. 



Tyting, in St. Martha's parish, was in Woking Hundred in 1086 and 

 subsequently, 3 but is now counted as in Blackheath. In 1086 three virgates 

 (rated) of Gomshall were in Wotton Hundred, not in Blackheath, but as 

 Gomshall was ancient demesne, and the tenants were quit of all sheriffs' 

 courts, it made little difference. 



Blackheath is a high, heathy common, chiefly in the parishes of Albury 

 and Wonersh ; but much of the adjacent country, which is partly inclosed and 

 partly open heath or planted with conifers, equally deserves the name. The 

 population must always have been chiefly round about this country, and the 

 place of meeting of the hundred court might have been expected to be upon 

 it, as at Farnham ; but in 1377* it was held at La Perie, which is also referred 

 to in the Godalming Rolls as the place of holding. This would seem to 

 be near Perry Bridge in Shalford parish, over the Wey, on the road from 

 Godalming to Bramley, on the extreme verge of the hundred. 



The jurisdiction of the sheriffs court was practically much curtailed by 

 private rights. In Domesday Odo of Bayeux held Bramley, which included 

 a great deal of the then inhabited part of the hundred. This no doubt 

 explains the low assessment at 6J hides, against 97 under Edward the Con- 

 fessor, and was perhaps the origin of the separate court leet of Bramley. 

 The lords of Shalford, Wintershull, and Gomshall, and the rectors of Shalford 

 and Cranleigh also had courts leet, and the lord of Albury view of frank- 

 pledge, but the latter gave the profits to the Crown. 4 The lord of Shere 

 claimed view of frankpledge previous to 1238," the lord of Albury claimed the 

 same, and it was granted to Bramley by charter of Henry III. 8 But all these 

 townships paid an annual fine to the sheriff. In 1671 Shere paid 2os., 

 Gomshall i2s., Albury 13^. 8*/., Shalford 6j. SdJ The royal rights, such as 



1 The extent of the hundred at the time of the Population Returns of 1831. 



* Close, 23 Chas. II, pt. ix, no. 24. ' Manning and Bray, Hist. ofSurr. ii, 99. 



4 Assize R. 895. Viz. 1226-7 and 1236-8 ; Plat, de Quo Warr. (Rec. Com.), 742. 



* Ibid. 743. ' Pat. 23 Chas. II. pt. is, m. 23. 



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