POLITICAL HISTORY 



875 Alfred, putting out most probably from Wareham, 'fought against the 

 crews of seven ships and took one of them and put the rest to flight.' ^ The 

 land resistance was as thorough and better organized. The alderman ' and the 

 bishop are generally found leading the fyrd of the county. Somerset and 

 Dorset frequently, and Wiltshire sometimes, join forces — an anticipation 

 of their shrieval ties at a later period. In 845 the men of Somerset and 

 Dorset, with their respective aldermen, Eanulf and Osric, and with the 

 bishop of Sherborne, Ealhstan,' defeated the Danes at the mouth of the Parret. 

 But such pitched battles, however successful, did not stem the tide of invasion. 

 Occupations of Wareham, and spoliation of the country thence, were only too 

 frequent.* But the victories of Merton (871) and Ethandun (876), in both 

 of which the men of Dorset took their share, marked the end of Danish 

 attacks for the time being. 



The interval between the two series of descents was marked by con- 

 structive measures, constitutional and military. The military reorganization 

 comes first in point of time, since it is associated with the name of Edward the 

 Elder. But it cannot in reality be dissociated from the constitutional remodel- 

 ling which went on, perhaps on a large scale, under Edwy and Edgar, to be 

 continued and finally shaped by Cnut. To this period of peace and recon- 

 struction belongs the development of the systems of boroughs and of earldoms. 

 So far as Wessex is concerned, Dorset holds a position somewhat apart. 

 While it was no part of the nucleus of the West Saxon kingdom, and thus 

 included only a moderate portion of royal demesne,'' yet, being not only 

 peculiarly open to attack by sea, but also the gate of the state, special pre- 

 cautions were taken for its defence. From this period probably dates the 

 Burghal Hidage,^ representing a scheme of West Saxon defence, in which 

 figure the Dorset boroughs of Shaftesbury, Wareham, and ' Brydian.' ^ The 

 names of thirty-one burhs (twenty-seven assessments only) are given. They 

 are divided among thirteen counties. Dorset is thus more than ordinarily 

 well provided for. But more important than the number of burhs to a 

 county is the number of supporting hides assessed to each. Of these Shaftes- 

 bury has 700, Wareham 1,600,^ and 'Brydian' 1,760, the latter being only 

 exceeded by Bath and three joint assessments. Of these fortified places, 

 where trade was already no doubt beginning,' the importance of Shaftesbury 

 and Wareham is obvious. A mint was one of the privileges of a borough. 

 The Laws of Athelstan record two moneyers at Shaftesbury and two at Ware- 

 ham.^" But it is to be noticed that the ' monetarii ' of Domesday occur not 

 only at these two places, but also at Dorchester and Bridport, the two latter 

 having, in the interval, attained to borough rank. But ' Brydian ' has been 

 identified with Bredy, rather than with Bridport, on the ground, apparently, 



' Jngl.-Sax. Chron. (Rolls Ser.), i, 120, 144. 



' H. M. Chadwick, Studies on Angl.-^ax. Institutions, 161, 169. 



' Angl.-5ax. Chron. i, 132. Heahmund 8th bishop, and Waerstan 14th bishop (see Napier and Steven- 

 son, Anecdota Oxoniensia, 108, note 14) also died in action against the Danes. Heahmund, bishop, was 

 killed at the battle of Merton (871). Angl.-Sax. Chron. i, 140-141. 



* Angl.-Sax. Chron. i, 146, 145 (bis). ' Maitland, Dom. Bk. and Beyond, 367, 498. 



* Ibid. 504. 



' The document is printed in Maitland, Dom. Bk. and Beyond, 502 ; Birch, Cart. Sax. iii, 671 ; Lie- 

 bermann. Leges Anghrum, 9, 10. See also ?«<:. Soc. Antiq. xxxiv, 267, 268, for the further distinction between 

 castles, forts, and burhs. 



* Wareham was fortified at any rate by 876. Asset's Life of Alfred (ed. W. H. Stevenson), 36, 37. 

 ' Maitland, op. cit. 212, sqq. '° Thorpe, Laws and Institutes, 514. 



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