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 VALUES AND RENDERS 223 



But it was not only for rents in money that lands were 

 leased : rents in kind were very numerous. We have noticed 

 the provisions which were included in the renders of the 

 Worcestershire sokes, and the " gwestva," or food rent paid by 

 the Welsh tribesmen to their chief. Food rents of a similar 

 nature were not unknown in England, and were to be found 

 in all parts of the country. In the counties of Hants., Wilts., 

 Dorset, Somerset, and Gloucester, we find frequent notices of 

 the " firma unius noctis," the provision of board and lodging 

 for the King and his court for a single night. Before the Con- 

 quest two of such firmae were provided by the royal manors 

 of Hampshire, six in Wilts., four in Dorset, five in Somerset, 

 and two and a half in Gloucestershire. Each of the royal 

 manors of Calne, Bedwin, Warminster, Chippenham, Tilshead, 

 and Amesbury, in Wiltshire, provided one night's farm, which, 

 in the case of Chippenham, was valued at 110 by tale; 

 Barton Stacey and Eling, in Hampshire, co-operated in pro- 

 viding one night's farm ; and Basingstoke, King's Clere, and 

 Hurstbourne Tarrant joined in providing the other. The 

 Dorset farms provided by a number of associated manors, 

 of which the heads were Bridetone, Wimbourne, Dorchester, 

 Pimperne, and Winford ; the two latter (with their associates) 

 found only half a farm each. The five Somerset farms were 

 divided between two or more manors, and that they were no 

 light burden is shown by the fact that they were commuted 

 for over 105 each. 1 Barton and Westbury, in Gloucester- 

 shire, provided one farm each, and Oure found half a farm ; 

 25 out of 30 hides were taken away from Westbury in 1070, 

 " and yet from the remainder the sheriff provides the whole 

 farm." 2 A well-known charter of Offa (c. 790) grants to 

 Worcester Abbey the land of sixty manentes at Westbury 

 and twenty at Henbury, reserving to the King the gafol due 

 from Westbury as follows : " 2 tuns full of clear ale, I comb 

 of mild ale, I comb of Welsh ale, 7 oxen, 6 wethers, 40 



1 F. ., in. 2 D. 13., I. 163 a I. 



