OF SELBORNE 283 



of Selborne, Achangre, Norton, Brompden, Bassinges, 

 Basingstoke, and Natele ; and the prior challenged the 

 right of Pillory, Thurcet, and Furcas, and every manerial 

 privilege. 



I find next a grant from Jo. de Venur, or Venuz, to the 

 prior of Selborne — "de tota mora [a moor or bog] ubi 

 Berne oritur usque ad campum vivarii, et de prato voc. 

 Sydenmeade cum abutt: et de cursu aque molendini." 

 And also a grant in reversion, "unius virgate terre" [a 

 yard land], in Achangre at the death of Richard Actedene 

 his sister's husband, who had no child. He was to present 

 a pair of gloves of one penny value to the prior and 

 canons, to be given annually by the said Richard ; and to 

 quit all claim to the said lands in reversion, provided the 

 prior and canons would engage annually to pay to the 

 king, through the hands of his bailiffs of Aulton, ten 

 shillings at four quarterly payments, "pro omnibus serviciis, 

 consuetudinibus, exactionibus, et demandis." 



This Jo. de Venur was a man of property at Oakhanger, 

 and lived probably at the spot now called Chapel-farm. 

 The grant bears date the 17 th year of the reign of Henry 

 III. [viz. 1233]. 



It would be tedious to enumerate every little grant for 

 lands or tenements that might be produced from my 

 vouchers. I shall therefore pass over all such for the 

 present, and conclude this letter with a remark that must 

 strike every thinking person with some degree of wonder. 

 No sooner had a monastic institution got a footing, but 

 the neighbourhood began to be touched with a secret and 

 religious awe. Every person round was desirous to pro- 

 mote so good a work ; and either by sale, by grant, or by 

 gift in reversion, was ambitious of appearing a benefactor. 

 They who had not lands to spare gave roads to accommo- 

 date the infant foundation. The religious were not 

 backward in keeping up this pious propensity, which they 

 observed so readily influenced the breasts of men. Thus 

 did the more opulent monasteries add house to house, and 

 field to field ; and by degrees manor to manor : till at last 

 "there was no place left"; but every district around 



