A HISTORY OF ESSEX 



to prove the right of the Norman ' invader,' it was taken by the 

 Domesday Commissioners into the king's hands; 1 at Lawford the soke- 

 men's land seized by Richard Fitz Gilbert was forfeited for the same 

 reason. 2 At Hatfield Broadoak they appear to take credit to them- 

 selves for having similarly recovered half a hide of which the 

 king had been wrongfully deprived. 3 In the case of Peldon at 

 least their language is free from doubt ; after reciting the seizure 

 by the same offender of certain land they expressly state .that they 

 have taken it into the king's hands. 4 Returning to the ' dedit vadem ' 

 phrase, we have several examples of its use in the Essex Domesday. 

 In the Rodings (fo. 3) a sokeman of the king has failed to render 

 either service or customary due and has therefore given gage (ideo dedit 

 vadem) ; at Horndon-on-the-Hill Godwine Cudhen has been guilty of 

 two ' invasions ' and has ' given gage ' in both cases (fo. 99) ; Hugh 

 de Berners had denied that he was holding land of the king, but the 

 land has been proved to have been held for the king's use (derationata 

 ad opus regis), and so he has 'given gage' (fo. ioo^). 8 Two small 

 holdings have been ' concealed,' but now they are brought to light, and 

 so the holders have 'given gage' (fo. 101). At Halstead a king's reeve 

 has been receiving (and pocketing) a small freeman's rent (fo. 103), but 

 he too has given gage (inde dedit vadem), as has a reeve of Richard 

 de Clare who was in trouble for his doings at Chawreth (fo. 103). In 

 Colchester Ralf Pinel, whose estate was at Bromley, 6 has failed to pay 

 the customary due for his ' four houses within the walls,' but he has had 

 to 'give gage' therefor 7 (fo. 106). While on the subject of legal 

 antiquities we may note that ' vouching to warranty ' occurs at Chaw- 

 reth, where a ' man ' of Richard de Clare unsuccessfully vouches Ilbodo 

 (whose connection with the matter is unexplained), and a reeve of 

 Richard, with no more success, vouches Richard himself (fo. 103). 

 We have already seen Richard failing to warrant his reeve's aggressive 

 action at Braintree. 8 It is the king himself whom the burgesses of 

 Colchester and Maldon vouch to warranty for a remission of the rent 



' Et hundret nescit quomodo habet hanc terram, et quia neque legatus neque alius homo venit ex 

 parte sua qui derationasset hanc terram, ideo est in manu regis cum alia.' Compare the Goldhanger 

 entry (fo. 54b) : ' non habuit liberatorem, sicut hundret testatur, et ita est in manu regis.' 



'dimidiam hidam et xv. acras, que modo sunt in manu regis ideo quod nullus fuit ex parte ejus 

 qui dixisset quomodo eos habuerit ' (fo. 6^). This would seem to refer to the proceedings before the 

 commissioners. 



3 'Postea recuperavimus (sic) dimidiam hidam quam tenuit socfemannus] Haroldi T.R.E.' (fo. ^V). 

 But the entry somewhat mysteriously proceeds: 'modo earn tenet Radulfus de Marcei ad feudum 

 Hamonis.' The land referred to is the subject, as ' Siriceslea,' of an entry under Hamo's fief (fo. 5 5), 

 where there is no hint that it was claimed as belonging to the king. This raises a curious question as 

 to the ' Postea ' clause, which may have been entered after the ' Siriceslea ' entry had brought the fact 

 to their notice. 



4 ' Tulit Hamo dapifer Ixxx acras . . . sicut hundret testatur, et hanc occupationem percepimus 

 (sic) in manu regis ' (fo. 94). 



6 Compare p. 386 above. 6 See p. 563 below. 



' Indedit vadem ' for ' inde dedit vadem,' a corruption characteristic of the survey of Colchester. 

 On the waging of law by this ' contract with the vadlum, wed, or gage ' see Prof. Maitland's The 

 Court Baron (Selden Society), p. 17, and compare my Commune of London, p. 153. 



8 See pp. 355, 411 above. 



412 



