DOMESDAY SURVEY 



in Dorset. He was the steward of William of Eu, and the land in question may be the 

 I hide at Blandford (no. 261) which did not pay geld, and which was held by William 

 of William of Eu. It is true that the Geld Rolls mention 3 virgates, while the amount in 

 Domesday is J hide, but it is difficult to see what other piece of land could be meant. 



After the land of Hugh de Boscherbert is entered the land of nine men described in 

 the index as Hugo de Luri et aliifranci. Hugh de Lure held a manor of 5 hides (no. 362) 

 in an unspecified locality (or rather localities, since it is called terra in tribus locis) which 

 was held of him by a man called Ralph. Hugh de Lure was a tenant-in-chief in 

 Northamptonshire where he held Weldon.*"* Hugh silvestris held \ hide in Stourton 

 Caundle (no. 363), but is otherwise unknown. Fulcred who held Waia and Moorbath 

 (nos. 364, 365) had held all but two of the manors which had belonged to Earl Harold, 

 and which in 1086 were held by King William. Richard de Rivers, who held Mosterton 

 (no. 366), rose to prominence in the reign of Henry I, from whom he obtained Loders, 

 which he gave to the abbey of Montebourg.^s His son, Baldwin de Rivers, was made 

 Earl of Devon by the Empress Maud, probably about 1 141.^^ Schelin held the manor of 

 Shilling Okeford, or Shillingstone (no. 367), to which he gave his name. It was the 

 largest manor held by afrancus, being assessed at 16 hides, and had belonged to Earl 

 Harold. Schelin had held the manors of Edmondsham and Witchampton of the queen, ^^ 

 and had received from her also part of Hampreston (no. 443), which in 1086 was held 

 by Torchil as a king's thegn.^^ In Somerset Schelin held Foddington, which according 

 to Exon. he held at farm of the king.^^ Another protege of Queen Maud was Anschitil 

 fitz Ameline, who held Tyneham (no. 369) which he claimed to hold of the queen sed 

 post mortem eius regem non requisivit. He seems to be identical with the man called 

 Anschitil de Carisburgo in the Geld Roll for Hasilor hundred. David the interpreter 

 [mterpres] who held Poorton (no. 368) is not otherwise known, unless he is identical 

 with the David who held Ash (no. 287) of William of Briouze. Poorton was held of him 

 by Godeschal. Ralph of Cranborne held West Parley (no. 371), and may be identical 

 with Ralph who held Tarente (no. 370). A man called Ralph held one hide of Cranborne 

 Abbey at Wimborne (no. 72). Odo fitz Eurebold held four small manors, Farnham (no. 

 372), Milborne Stileham (no. 373), Rushton (no. 374), and Petersham (no. 375). Peters- 

 ham was a divided vill, the other part being held by Iseldis (no. 424). This lady held 

 only this one manor and is not known outside Dorset. 



After the little manor of Iseldis are entered the lands of the king's thegns. They were 

 Englishmen who had survived the Conquest either still in possession of some of their 

 lands, or with the lands of other pre-Conquest thegns, and were the last representatives 

 of the Saxon landowning class. The most prosperous* thegns in Dorset in 1086 were 

 Brictuin (Beorhtwine) and Swain. They may be the men addressed in a writ of William I 

 concerning the lands of Abbotsbury Abbey, which is directed to Bishop Herman, 

 Brihtwi, Scewine, and all the king's thegns of Dorset.^" They each held about 20 hides. 

 Brictuin held 1 1 small manors, totalling 19 hides and 8 acres, most of which he had also 

 held T.R.E. His predecessor at Melbury Sampford (no. 441) is not named and Little 

 Waddon (no. 460) was given to him by Hugh fitz Grip in exchange for a manor worth 

 twice as much. The Count of Mortain is said to have held this manor in 1086, but it 



'■' Dom. Bk. (Rec. Com.), i, f- 224b. rendering 15s. gif. de firma de Hamma Galfridi Eskelling' : 



's Regesta Regum Anglo-Normannonim, ii, no. 825. Pipe R. 1194 (P.R.S. N.s. v), 20. Geoffrey is not mentioned 



'' Round, Geoffrey de Alandeville, 271. again, and his connexion, if any, with Schelin is not 



*' See pp. 28-29. It is possible that he continued to hold known. The Domesday form of Hampreston was Home. 



at least Edmondsham, since, according to a charter in the '"' Dom. Bk. (Rec. Com.), i, f. 99 ; iv. 466. He can also 



Montacute cartulary, his son Robert gave the tithe of be identified with the Schelin who held 5 hides in Nate- 



Edmondsham and land in Shillingstone to Montacute: gratie (Glos.) as tenant of the church of Worcester: ibid, i, 



see p. 59. f. 165 ; see pp. 59-60. 



'* In 1 194 Geoffrey Eskelling is entered in the Pipe Roll, '" Regesta Regum Anglo-Normannorum, \, no. 108. 



51 



