A HISTORY OF DORSET 



Bredy, Winterborne Abbas, Long Bredy, Nettlecombe, Milton, Kimmeridge, 

 Rentscombe, and Symondsbury ; " Milton at Sydling, Milton, Compton 

 Abbas, Cattistock, Puddle, Clyffe, Osmington, Whitcombe, Lyscombe, Wool- 

 land, Winterborne Hillfield, Ower, Stockland, Piddletrenthide, and Cerne ; 

 Abbotsbury, the manors of Abbotsbury, Tolpuddle, Hilton, Portisham, 5 

 virgates of land at Shilvinghampton, 2^ hides at Wootton Abbas, half a hide 

 in Bourton, and the manor of Stoke Atrum. To the abbey of Horton, besides 

 estates in Devonshire, belonged the manor of Horton, the two best hides of 

 which had been retained by the king in his forest of Wimborne, the little 

 church (ecclesiold) in Wimborne, with the site of two houses, a church in 

 Wareham with five houses paying a rent of 65^'., and a house in Dorchester.'* 

 The abbess of Shaftesbury, the largest monastic landowner in the county, 

 besides extensive estates outside Dorset, held here the manors of Handley, 

 Hinton St. Mary, Stour, Fontmell, Compton Abbas, Melbury, Iwerne 

 Minster, Tarrant Hinton, Fifehead, Stoke, and Cheselbourne, with a hide of 

 land at Farnham." The chapter of Coutances in Normandy held the manor 

 of Winterborne Stickland, which they retained in their possession down to 

 the fourteenth century. 



As the object of the Survey was purely fiscal and it did not include 

 within its scope the return of parish churches no clue is afforded as 

 to the number of churches then in existence ; even in those instances 

 where a reference to a church occurs, it is almost invariably in connexion 

 with the endowment or lands belonging to it. The names of those actually 

 given are as follows : — the four churches belonging to the Norman abbey of 

 St. Wandragesil, viz. Burton Bradstock, Bridport, Whitchurch Canonicorum 

 and St. Mary Wareham ; *" the six entered under the heading terra elemosi- 

 narioritm Regis : Holy Trinity Dorchester, Bere Regis, Winfrith Newburgh, 

 Puddletown, East Chaldown, and Fleet. *^ Under the estates of the abbey of 

 Shaftesbury it is recorded that the king gave to the abbess the advowson of 

 the church of Gillingham in exchange for one of the i 6 hides of the manor 

 of Kingston, on which he built the castle of Wareham or Corfe.^" Besides 

 the brief reference to the collegiate church of Wimborne Minster,*' the little 

 church ieccksiola) belonging to the abbey of Horton in Wimborne" must not 

 be forgotten, which, with the church in Wareham," completes the list. 



" Dcm. Bk. (Rec. Com.), -j-b, 78. 



'* As regards superiors outside this county holding land in Dorset, the abbot of Glastonbury held then, 

 and in the time of Edward the Confessor, the manors of Sturminster Newton, Okeford Fitzpaine, Buckland 

 Newton, East Woodyates, Pentridge, and three hides of land in Lyme Regis (ibid. ~~b) ; the abbot of 

 St. Peter, Winchester, had only the manor of Piddletrenthide (ibid.) ; the abbot of Athelney (Somerset) 

 the manor of Caundle Purse (ibid. 78^), still in the possession of the abbey when the Taxatio of Pope 

 Nicholas was taken if ope Nick. Tax. (Rec. Com.), 185) ; the abbot of Tavistock the manors of Askenwell 

 and Poorton (ibid.) ; the Norman abbey of St. Stephen of Caen held the manors of Frampton and Bin- 

 combe (ibid.) : and the abbey of St. Wandragesil the churches of Burton Bradstock, Bridport, and Whit- 

 church Canonicorum, with four hides of land appurtenant thereto, the church of St. Man-, Wareham, with 

 one hide of land (ibid). 



'* Ibid 78. The abbess of Wilton had the manor of Didlington and 3^ hides of land in the parish of 

 Wimborne St. Giles (ibid. 79) ; the abbess of Holy Trinity, Caen, the manor of Tarrant Launceston (ibid.); 

 the abbess of St. Mary of Montevillers the manor of Friar Waddon (ibid.). 



*° Ibid. 78^. *• Ibid. 79. ^ Ibid. 78^. ^ Ibid. 75. " Ibid. 783. 



" Said to be that of St. Martin ; R. D. Eyton, op. cit. 44. Various references to priests imply at least 

 the existence of churches elsewhere ; thus under the survey of the manor of Hinton, which had devolved to the 

 crown through the death of Hugh Fitz Grip, besides a mention of two priests who had parcels of land in the 

 time of Edward the Confessor, there is incidentallv a reference to the priest of the manor, who was probably 

 the incumbent of Hinton (ibid. 75) ; while the further entry 'of this land' (the fourteen hides and one virgate 



