A HISTORY OF ESSEX 



portions of which ' Effecestre ' was composed in 1086 as the manors of 

 Battails and of East Hall. 1 The latter was in the eastern portion of the 

 parish towards the chapel of ' St. Peter-on-the-Wall,' which marks the 

 site of 'Ithancestre.' The test of ' pasture for sheep ' applies here again ; 

 for we read that ' Effecestre ' had 'pasture for 500,' and the marshes of 

 Bradwell lie on its eastern side. Its infinitely larger manor of ' Duna ' 

 had only pasture for 150. The owners of Battails and of East Hall are 

 brought into conjunction by a fine of 9 John (1207), when the Abbot 

 of St. Valery granted to Aumari Battaile land lying in ' La Waule ' with 

 the marsh of Garemundecote and right of way thereto. 8 ' La Waule,' 

 doubtless, like the chapel of St. Peter, derived its name from the wall 

 there. 3 



We have still to account for the rest of Bradwell. Morant identi- 

 fied Down Hall with holdings of Eudo Dapifer and Ranulf Peverel in 

 ' Duna,' which amounted to a little over seven hides ; but he oddly over- 

 looked Ranulf Peverel's other holding in ' Duna,' which is entered as no 

 less than fourteen hides. Finding that part of Bardulf's fee, which is 

 known to have been Bradwell Hall, was held of the Honour of Peverel, 4 

 I strongly suspected that this also had once been part of ' Duna.' And 

 this suspicion became certainty on finding the sheriff accounting in 1 166 

 for jTio from 'Duna,' the king's brother's share. 5 For 'the king's 

 brother' was William (d. 1164), who had enfeoffed Thomas Bardulf at 

 Bradwell Hall. 6 The sheriffs of Essex continued to account for this 10 

 a year till Easter, 1 174, when Seiher le Chien, a Fleming, and Boidin 

 Ailet were given by the Crown the lands in ' Duna ' which this rent 

 represented, to hold by serjeanty in war. 7 Such was the origin of the 

 manor of Down Hall, which represents the portion of ' Duna ' remaining 

 to William, ' the king's brother,' after he had granted to Thomas Bardulf 

 what was afterwards Bradwell Hall. 



Another identity can be established with almost equal certainty. 

 Asheldham, from a very early period, descended with Little Horkesley 

 as part of the Honour of Rayleigh ; 8 its church was given by Robert 



1 For Battails was held of the Honour of Haughley, and was therefore the portion of Hugh de 

 Montfort ; and East Hall belonged to New College, which body had obtained the lands of St. Valery, 

 the Domesday owner of the other portion. 



2 Feet of Fines for Essex, p. 42 (No. 232). The Abbey's marsh of 'Gurmonds' occurs in 1308, 

 when the cattle were sometimes prevented by the tide from reaching it (Morant, i. 377). 



3 Both East Hall and Battails are entered as in ' Walle ' or ' Walla 'in 1212 (Testa de Nevill, pp. 

 268-9), so that this name had at that time replaced ' Effecestre.' 



4 Red Book of the Exchequer, p. 740. Compare Testa de Nevill, pp. 264, 278. 



5 'De Duna parte fratris Regis ' (Pipe Roll, 12 Hen. II. p. 126). 



6 Testa de Nevill, p. 268 ; Red Book of the Exchequer, p. 499. 



7 Pipe Roll, 20 Hen. II. p. 68. It is specially interesting to note that they received this land ' by 

 writ of Richard de Luci,' who was then in the thick of his struggle with the king's enemies. They 

 were doubtless alien mercenaries brought over by him for war. It is abundantly proved that Seiher re- 

 ceived 6 worth of the land and Boidin 4. (Red Book of the Exchequer, p. 507 ; Testa de Nevill, p. 268). 

 Seiher's portion passed by gift to Henry de Tibetot, and that of Boidin was subsequently leased by 

 Thomas ' de Duna.' The record from which we learn this speaks of them both as in ' La Waule ' 

 (Red Book, p. 804 ; Testa, p. 272), a place which, naturally enough, baffled the Red Book's editor 

 (see note above). Morant knew nothing of all the above story, and confused the holding of the family 

 of 'de la Dune' (4 a year) with that of Henry de Tibetot (i. 376). 



8 This is shown by the evidence cited by Morant himself under Asheldham. 



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