A HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE 



and (there are) 33 villeins and 34 bordars with 

 22 ploughs. There are 9 serfs and 5 mills 

 worth (de) 60 shillings and 2 churches and 40 

 acres of meadow. There is woodland to render 

 (de) 20 swine. T.R.E. as afterwards and now 

 it was worth 27 pounds. 



Of the land of this manor Reinbold holds 

 LECANESTEDE [Leckhampstead *], 10 hides; 

 and William 4 hides in WESTUN [Weston 1 ] 

 and Berner 2 hides in BOVSORE [Boxford *]. 

 These Bricstuin and Alfric and a certain reeve 

 held of the abbot. They could not go to 

 another lord (nee potuerunt recedere). There is 

 land for 1 1 ploughs. There are 3 ploughs 

 (on the demesne) ; and (there are) 12 villeins 

 and 24 bordars with 6 ploughs and 6 serfs. 

 There are 2 acres of meadow and a church. 

 It is and was worth 10 pounds. 



Walter de Rivere holds, of the abbot, 

 BEDENE [Beedon *]. Norman held it of the 

 abbot and could not go to what lord he 

 wished (with it) (non potult ire quo voluit). It 

 was then assessed at 10 hides; now (it is 

 assessed) at 8 hides. Yet it had stood at 15 

 hides (tamen fuit pro xv hid '), but King Edward 

 allowed them (to pass) as 1 1 (condonavit pro */), 

 so they assert. There is land for 1 1 ploughs ; 

 on the demesne are 2 ; and there are 1 1 

 villeins and i o bordars with 6 ploughs ; and 

 3 serfs are there. Of this same land a cer- 

 tain knight (miles) holds 2 hides and he has 

 there i plough with 3 bordars. T.R.E. it 

 was worth 1 1 pounds and afterwards 6 ; now 

 8 pounds. 



The same Walter holds 2 hides in BENE- 

 HAM [Benham l ]* Eddid held them T.R.E. 

 and they were assessed for so much, then as 

 now. Eddid herself could go (with them) to 

 what lord she wished (ire quo vellei). There 

 is land for i plough. There are 5 bordars and 

 20 acres of meadow nothing else. It is and 

 was worth 30 shillings. This land did not 

 belong to the abbey (non fuit in abbatia) T.R.E. 

 but it is discharged from payment to the 

 king (sed est quieta regi). 



1 Now in the Hundred of Faircross. 



> In Feudal Aids, 1316, p. 49, Welford, with 

 the hamlets of Weston, Eston, Benham and 

 Boxford (all in ' Roubergh ' Hundred), is given as 

 belonging to Abingdon. The part of Benham 

 thus specified is given in Testa de Nevill (p. 124) 

 as Holebenham [Hoe Benham]. This part of 

 Benham is in the right Hundred, but the Abbey's 

 possession could not have been the whole of Hoe 

 Benham, since half a knight's fee is set down 

 (Testa, p. 122) as belonging to the fief of the 

 Earl of Hereford (F.W.R.). 



IN MERCEHAM [MARCHAM] HUNDRET 



The abbey itself holds MERCEHAM [Mar- 

 cham 3 ]. It has held it T.R.E. and since 

 (semper). T.R.E. it was assessed at 2O hides ; 

 now (it is assessed) at 10 hides. There is land 

 for i o ploughs. On the demesne are 3 ploughs; 

 and (there are) 18 villeins and 10 bordars with 

 10 ploughs. A church is there and 6 serfs and 

 a mill worth (de) 15 shillings and 100 acres of 

 meadow. Of this land Anschil holds I hide ; 

 Alwin held it of the abbot, and there is on 

 the demesne I plough. The whole T.R.E. 

 was worth 12 pounds and 10 shillings, and 

 now the same. 



The abbey itself holds FRIELIFORD [Fril- 

 ford 3 ]. It has held it T.R.E. and since 

 (semper). T.R.E. it was assessed at (se defende- 

 bat pro) IO hides as it is now (et modo facit). 

 In the demesne are 4 hides. There is land 

 for 4 ploughs. There are 8 villeins with 2 

 ploughs and 40 acres of meadow. It is and 

 was worth 40 shillings. Of the land of this 

 manor Rainald holds 4 hides and Renbald i 

 hide and Salwi i hide. Five thegns held 

 this of the abbot and could not change their 

 lord (nee potuerunt recedere). There is land 

 for 6 ploughs. There are 2^ ploughs (on 

 the demesne); and (there are) 6 villeins and 10 

 bordars with 2 ploughs and 2 serfs, and there 

 are 60 acres of meadow. The whole, T.R.E., 

 was worth 70 shillings ; and afterwards the 

 same sum, now 6 pounds. 



Rainbald holds of the abbot I hide in 

 TOBENIE [Tubney ']. Norman and Alvric 

 held it. T.R.E. as now it was assessed at I 

 hide. There is land for 6 ploughs. On the 

 demesne is nothing. There are 2 villeins and 

 1 6 bordars with 6 ploughs. There are 2 

 serfs and 1 5 acres of meadow. T.R.E. and 

 afterwards it was worth 40 shillings ; now 

 4 pounds. 



William holds LEIE [Bessels Leigh 4 J S of the 

 abbot, and Norman held it of the abbot 

 T.R.E. Then as now it was assessed at I 

 hide. There is land for 5 ploughs. On the 

 demesne are 2 ploughs; and there are 12 

 bordars with 3 ploughs. It was (formerly) 

 worth 40 shillings ; now 4 pounds. 



3 Now in the Hundred of Ock. 



Now in the Hundred of Hormer. 



In Feudal Aids, 1401-02, p. 59, it is stated 

 that William Warbeltone holds two parts (f) of 

 a knight's fee in ' Leghe' and ' Rokeleghe,' which 

 Peter Besyles lately held. A Thomas Basseley 

 also is given (p. 60) as holding \ of a knight's 

 fee in ' Leghe.' All this seems now to have been 

 merged in Bessels Leigh (F.W.R.). 



338 



