72 



Collections for a History of Seagry. 



of Brokenborougb to the Abbey of Malmesbury, the boundary is 

 described as running past " Segmead/' which most likely represents 

 what is now called Seagry Meadow. 



In another grant by King Ethelrcd, A.D. 982, 1 to the same 

 abbey, several names are given in describing the boundaries of 

 Rodbourne, which may still be identified at Seagry, as " Sceorte- 

 leye/' now Startley ; and " Fegeran- thorn " (white-thorn), now 

 corrupted into " Five- thorns Lane"; and " le Hethen buryels," 

 whicb will be alluded to presently. 



The village o£ Seagry was originally comprised in the ancient 

 hundred of Sterkele. At various times this name was spelt Sterkel, 

 Sterkele, Stercklei, and Steorch-leah, this latter being the oldest 

 mode, and was in use in Anglo-Saxon time, its signification being 

 the "young beasts' run." This hundred, together with two others, 

 was merged into that of Malmesbury, somewhere between the years 

 1540 and 1690. 



Seagry is mentioned twice in Domesday Book, A.D. 1087. One 

 portion is thus described : — 



"Durandus de Gloucester [he was Sheriff of Gloucester] himself holds Segbete. 

 Two Thanes held it in the time of King Edward [the Confessor] ; and they paid 

 geld for five hides. The land is four carucates. Of this there are in demesne 

 two hides, and there is one carucate : and there are three villans, and two 

 borders with three carucates. There are forty acres of meadow. It was worth 

 forty shillings, it is now worth fifty shillings. 



" Two milites hold the manor of Durand. They who held it in the time of 

 King Edward could go whither they wished." * 



The other is thus : — 



" Drogo Fitz Ponz holds Segrie of the King. Wiflet held it in the time of 

 King Edward, and paid geld for five hides. The land is four carucates. Of this 

 there are in demesne two hides and there is one carucate : and there are five 

 villans and six bordars, and five coscets, with one carucate. There are two mills 

 paying twenty-two shillings and four pence ; and thirty acres of meadow. A 

 house in Malmesbury pays nine pence. It was worth sixty shillings ; it is now 

 worth seventy shillings." f 



1 See Mr. J. Y. Akerman's paper on the possessions of Malmesbury Abbey, 

 in u Archseologia, vol. xxxvii., p. 268. 



•Jones's Wilts Domesday, p. 97. The meaning of •« going whither they wished " is, that under 

 the Feudal s}'stem manors of a certain class were held under some chief lord. Some were hound 

 to a particular chief lord: Others might transfer their allegiance to any superior lord they 

 pleased, (See ditto, Introduction, p. xxvi.) 



t Ditto, p. 119. 



