The Evidence of the District. 29 



Sucli facts must be stronger than any mere history compiled 

 by writers who were not only not near the spot, but the majority 

 of whom lived a long time after the events they venture so 

 minutely to describe. 



But we have not yet exhausted the valuable evidence of 

 Domesday. The land in the Forest district is rented at much 

 less than in other parts of Hampshire, showing that it was 

 therefore poorer, and not only the land, but the mills. Further 

 — and this is of great importance, as so thoroughly overthrowing 

 the common account — we find in that portion of the survey 

 which comes under the title, " In Nova Foresta et circa earn," 

 only two churches mentioned, one at Milford, and another at 

 Brockenhurst, in the very heart of the Forest. Both stand 

 to this hour, and prove plainly by their Norman work that 

 William allowed them to remain. 



Such is the evidence which The Chronicle and the short 

 examination of Domesday yield. The country itself, how- 

 ever, still more plainly proves the bias of the Chroniclers. 

 The slightest acquaintance with geology Avill show that the 

 Forest was never fertile, as it must have been to have main- 

 tained the population which filled so many churches.* Nearly 



p. xxix. a, as holding land in the hundred of Egheiete. Not to take up 

 further space, let me here only notice some few out of the many Old- 

 English names of persons in Domesdai/ holding lands in places which had 

 been more or less afforested, such as (Jodric (probably Godric Malf) at 

 Wootton, ^^'illac in the hundred of J^gheiete, Uluric at Godshill, in the 

 actual Forest, and Wislac at Oxley. See Domesday under the words 

 Odetune, Godes-manes-camp, and Oxelei, p. xxix. b. See, also, imdor 

 Totintone, p. xxvii. a, where Agemund and Alric hold lands which the 

 former, and the latter's father, had held of Edward. 



* Passing over the later and more highly-coloured accounts, we will 

 content ourselves with Florence of Worcester, as more trustworthy, whose 



