THE CHURCH 193 



Paul's, dated 1114, is a reservation that when either of the 

 lessees died he should give his body and 2os. to St. Paul's ; 

 and the Burton Chartulary shows that in many of its leases 

 the abbey stipulated that the lessee should be buried at 

 Burton, and that a heavy payment should be made to the 

 abbey at the same time. 1 



" Church-shot " is more frequently mentioned in Domesday 

 Book than " sepulture ; " and from a letter of Cnut, dated 1031, 

 and quoted by Kemble, 2 it would appear to be a gift of first- 

 fruits to the church. Sixteen estates paid their church-shot to 

 Taunton ; 3 the church of Abbotsbury had three church-shot 

 by custom from Wadone; 4 the Bishop of Worcester had %d. 

 a year for church-shot, and recognition from Lapworth 5 (re- 

 cognition was a payment to a lord in acknowledgment of a 

 tenancy) ; and Vitalis the priest, who had the church of 

 Hurstbourne, received a church-shot of 14^. The Abbey of 

 Pershore was entitled to church-shot from three of the 

 hundreds of Worcestershire, and in respect of this due re- 

 ceived at Martinmas a seam of corn from every freeman 

 (" francus homo ") who occupied a hide or more ; if it were not 

 paid on the appointed day, the defaulter paid twelve loads. 

 The Abbot of Pershore received an additional forfeiture from 

 his hundred ; from the other two hundreds he received 

 the multifold payment, but the Abbots of Westminster and 

 Evesham and the other owners had the forfeiture which accrued 

 from their lands. 7 The Bishop of Worcester was entitled to 

 a seam of corn at Martinmas, from every hide, free or villan, 

 which belonged to the church of Worcester. 8 A similar 

 payment, which, however, was not called church-shot, was 

 made to the church of Aylesbury by the sokemen of the 

 " eight hundreds in the circuit of Aylesbury ; " and previous 



1 E. ff. R., 1905, p. 279. 2 Saxons in England, II. App. D. 



3 D. B., I. 87 b I. 4 Id., I. 79 a I. 5 Id., I, 174 a i, 



8 Id., I. 39 a 2. 7 Id., I. 175 b I. See D. B. and B., 290. 



8 Id., I. 1 74 a I. 

 O 



