THE HUNDRED OF GODLEY 



CONTAINING THE PARISHES OF 



BISLEY CHOBHAM PYRFORD 



BYFLEET EGHAM THORPE' 



CHERTSEY HORSELL 



The hundred or half-hundred of Godley is made up of lands which, with 

 the exception of 'Pyrford and Horsell, formed part of the early grants to the 

 monastery of Chertsey. 2 The town of Chertsey, which formed the nucleus 

 of the hundred, has occasionally lent its name to the latter. Bisley, which 

 , was parcel of the manor of Byfleet, and Horsell, which was and is 

 included in the manor of Pyrford, are apparently not mentioned as separate 

 townships in the hundred until about the i6th century. 3 Otherwise the hun- 

 dred seems to have remained unchanged from its earliest formation until the 

 present day. A detailed and somewhat lengthy account of the boundaries of 

 Godley Hundred in 1446 is found in a cartulary of Chertsey Abbey * ; they 

 appear to coincide very generally with those of the present time. 



The hundred of Godley was granted to the Abbot and convent of 

 Chertsey by Edward the Confessor, to be held free of all dues and exactions 

 and with full jurisdiction, with privileges of soc, sac, tol, team, infangthef, 

 &c. s Pyrford is the only manor in the hundred named in Domesday which 

 was not held by Chertsey Abbey. The grant was confirmed by succeeding 

 kings. 6 Later on however the abbot ceased to exercise jurisdiction throughout 

 the entire hundred as the king had certain rights in his manor of Byfleet. A 

 rental of 1319 states that before the manor of Byfleet came to the king, the 

 lord of it did suit at the abbot's hundred court of Godley, and the free tenants 

 of Byfleet, Bisley, &c., and fifteen customary tenants came to view of frank 

 pledge at Godley. 7 The Abbot of Westminster had also full jurisdiction in his 

 manor of Pyrford ; and all his men, for the tenements which they held of 

 the abbot and his cells, were declared to be ' free from all scot and geld and 

 from all aids of the sheriffs and their ministers, &c., quit of shire and hundred 

 courts, swainmotes, pleas and suits, assizes, views, &c.' 8 



The hundred of Godley was free from all interference by the sheriffs 

 or other king's officers provided that the king's mandates when brought to 

 the abbot were executed by the latter's bailiff. 9 In 12801 the privilege 

 of return of writs having been refused an inquiry was held concerning the 

 matter and resulted in the abbot's favour. 10 



1 Pop. Ret. 1831. The chapelry of Frimley, which, although included in this hundred, was in the parish 

 of Ash, Woking Hundred, until 1866 (when it was made a separate parish), is given under Ash, q.v. 



Birch, Cart. Sax. i, 55, 64. * Lay Subs. R. SUIT. 17 Hen. VIII, bdle. 184, no. 162. 



Exch. K. R. Misc. Bks. xxv, fol. 74. 5 Cart. Antiq. D 7, 8 ; Cott. MS. Vitell. A. xiii, fol. 501. 



y.C.H. Surr. ii, 56 ; Cal. Chart. 1257-1300, p. 306 ; Cott. MS. Vitell. A. xiii, fol. 53-69. 



Rentals and Surv. (P.R.O.), bdle. 623. 



Cott. MS. Faust. A. iii, fol. 83 et passim ; Plac. de Qua Warr. (Rec. Com.), 745. 



Cal. Chart. 1257-1300, p. 306. 10 Chan. Inq. p.m. 9 Edw. I, no. 40. 



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