310 



A Sketch of the Parish of Yateshury. 



neighbours : thus while the centre of the village is denominated 

 "The Street/'' the upper or northern portion — comprising five 

 cottages — is known as " Townsend," and the southern portion — > 

 containing eight cottages — rejoices in the aspiring name of " Little 

 London/'' Moreover there is a small cluster of three cottages near 

 the Church, which, time out of mind, has been designated " Vulpit," 

 which I take to be a corruption of " Fullpit," in allusion to an ever- 

 brimming pond hard by. Outlying parts of the parish are also 

 known to the inhabitants by strange provincial names, such as 

 "Steert Pond/' " Guilden Ash Road/' "Pack-gate/' "Lymers 

 Lane/' &c, &c. 



History. 



As to the history of our village, I have little enough to say, and 

 if happy is the place which has no history, then supremely blessed 

 must the village of Yatesbury be. Certain fragments however may 

 be gathered of local history, such as names of lords of the manor 

 from time to time, enough to show that the place had an owner, 

 and that owner sometimes a man of mark in his generation. 



Thus in A.D. 1086 Domesday Book tells us it was one of the 

 royal manors, and held of the king by a Spaniard, who was either 

 a foreign ecclesiastic or one of those who assisted William in his 

 conquest, and was made a thane for his services. The following is 

 the account as given in Domesday : — "Aluredus de Ispania tenet de 

 Rege Etesberib. Alwi tenuit tempore Regis Edwardi, et geldabat 

 pro 5 hidis. Terra est 4 earucatse. De ea sunt in dominio 3 hidae 

 et dimidium, et ibi 2 carucatse, et 2 servi ; et 7 bordarii, et unus 

 miles, cum 1 carucata. Ibi 20 acrse pasture. Valuit 3 libras ; modo 

 4 libras." 



" Alured of Spain holds Etesberie of the King. Alwi held it 

 in the time of King Edward, and it paid geld for 5 hides. The 

 land is 4 carucates. Of this there are 3J hides in demesne, and 

 there are 2 carucates, and 2 serfs : and there are 7 bordars, and one 

 c miles' with one carucate. There are 20 acres of pasture. It was 

 worth £3, it is now worth £4." 1 



1 Canon Jones' Domesday for Wiltshire, p. 112. See also p. 22, note. 



