By the Rev. E. A. Fuller. 



221 



part of the town. In a deed in Register B., two acres in the East- 

 field of Cirencester are described as lying one next the Fosse, the 

 other along the Fosse. The Eastfield would have been between the 

 Golden Farm and the Bibury Road. Then there are a series of 

 deeds dealing with a meadow called Dittenham, and a tenement and 

 meadow adjoining it. This is said to have belonged to Richard de 

 Lewes about Hen. III. (there were others of the same family, Adam 

 de Lewes for instance) , then it passes as my meadow, " le Lewes," 

 and in 1320 is described as lying in the street which is called Fosse, 

 in a certain place called the Lewes, and there was free access through 

 the gate of Lewes to Dittenham. In 1540, under the head of The 

 Fosse, it is said that " the rents of Martyr's Close, and Sumerbarowe 

 Close, are not returned, because they are included along with the 

 Close called Lewes, and are leased to Roger Basinge." I conclude 

 that as the highway outside the town, on the East, is nearly in a 

 line with Lewes Lane, the name of the Fosse was continued inside 

 the town. It is quite evident that Leuse Lane, as printed in 

 Rudder's map is a phonetic corruption, as is also the Leauses, with 

 all the speculations upon that corruption concerning the Leas, 

 Leasues, or Leasowes, the constant orthography being Lewes. In 

 all probability Richard's ancestor came from Lewes, whether the 

 town in Sussex or some other place bearing the same name, a common 

 way of designating ordinary persons in those days being by their 

 birthplace or usual residence, as Stephen of Harnhill, John of Uley, 

 Thomas of Baudynton, Nicholas of Leicester, Robert of Stratton, 

 Walter of Cheltenham, &c, to give instances from local deeds, such 

 a designation sometimes becoming hereditary, and then land also 

 coming sometimes to bear the name of the last possessor who trans- 

 ferred it to a fresh owner. It is possible, of course, that that land 

 may have always borne the name of Lewes, and that Richard de 

 Lewes and his ancestors were so designated from that land, though 

 the language of the deeds seems to contradict this idea, and iu that 

 case I must leave others to determine the origin of the name. The 

 New Mills are the former St. Mary's Mills, and the old house by the 

 footpath from these mills along the back of the Crescent into 

 Watermoor road was, before the course of the stream was changed 



