By the Rev. F. H. Manley. 



285 



Somerford were called Downfield, Broadfield, and Westfield, and 

 the principal common pastures New Leaze, South Mead, the Moor, 

 in Horsham on the right ; Rodmead, Broadmead, and the Wythe 

 on the left side of the river, and at Startley, the Breaches and the 

 Marshes. At the time of the enclosure, in' 1809, these open fields 

 are said to have contained some 900 acres, while the enclosed lands 

 and grounds contained some 700 acres. The original arrangement 

 seems to have heen large arable common lands, Downfield to the 

 east, Broadfield to the south, and Westfield to the west, close round 

 the village, and beyond these, to the west and east and, on the 

 north, on the other side of the river, large open pastures. But by 

 1809, through private agreements, almost half of the land in the 

 parish had become enclosed, and the Enclosure Act of that day 

 was only the last stage in a process which had been going on for 

 centuries. 



In Domesday, " Sumreford" is mentioned six times, and as no 

 distinction is made between the parishes of Great and Little 

 Somerford and Somerford Keynes, there is some difficulty in 

 deciding which sections refer to the different parishes. Canon 

 Jones has gone fully into the matter and concludes that the 

 following refer to our present parish : — 



(a) The Land of Humphry De L'Isle. 



Robert holds Sumreford of Humphrey. Edwin held it 

 in the time of King Edward, and it paid geld for 3 hides 

 and 24 acres. The land is 3 carucates. Of this there are 

 in demesne 2 hides. There are 7 bordars, and 16 coscets, 

 having 2 carucates ; and the third part of a mill paying 8 

 shillings; and 10 acres of meadow. The pasture is 3 

 furlongs long, and 1 furlong broad. In Malmesbury 1 

 burgess pays 12 pence. It was, and is, worth 60 shillings. 



(b) Land of Alured of Marlborough. 



Siward holds Sumreford of Alured. Alnod held it in 

 the time of King Edward, and it paid geld for 3 hides, and 

 24 acres of land. The land is 3 carucates. Of this 

 there are in demesne 2 hides, and there is 1 carucate, 

 and 2 serfs ; and there are 3 villans, and 2 bordars, and 



