By the Rev. W. H. Jones. 



55 



Burbage, n These three are mentioned tog-ether because estates 

 Cowlesfied, > at Burbage (Buberge) , Cowleseield (Cuvlestone) and 

 GrRAPTON, J Grafton (Grastone) , belonged at the time of Domes- 

 day to Richard Sturmid, as one of the " Ministri Regis/'' or 

 King's Officers (W. Domesd. 144, 127, 145). The second 

 of them was called Cowlesfield Esturmy, in memory of its 

 Norman owner. The other two are in, or close by, Saver- 

 nake Forest, and were held in the time of the Confessor by 

 one Aluric the Huntsman ( Venator) . The common 

 badge of such a tenure was a horn, as may be seen at 

 Great and Little Langford, where there are sculptured 

 stones with this emblem ; memorials there, it may be, of 

 some of the descendants of Waleran, the Huntsman (See 

 W. Domesd. 105, 106). In like manner, the Esturmy 

 Horn, now in the possession of the Marquis of Ailesbury, 

 is the traditional memorial of the original tenure of por- 

 tions of Savernake Forest, which, in the time of the 

 Conqueror, were held by Richard Sturmid (or Esturmy) } 

 See Wilts Arch. Mag., vi., 265. 



Elston ; — this is a tithing in the parish of Orcheston St. George 

 and accounted for in Domesday under Orchestone (p. 

 117). It belonged then to Osbern Gifard. In the 

 thirteenth century (Test de Nev. 142) it was held by 

 Elias GifFard, one, no doubt, of the same family. Hence, 

 most probably, the name, which is sometimes spelt Elys- 

 ton, i.e. the town or village, of Elias (GifFard). 



Fonthill "I This estate accounted for under the name of Fontfj, 

 Gifford j (W. Domesd. 115) belonged, at the Conquest, to 



Berenger Gifard, and still preserves the memory of its 



Norman owner. 



Guston ; — this is an estate in tbe western part of tlie present parish 

 of Broad Chalk. It seems to be accounted for in Domesday 



1 In an Esturmy seal described by Canon Jackson in Wilts Arch. Mag. ii., 

 388, there is, in a roundel at the top, a bugle horn, in allusion to their oflice as 

 Rangers of Savernake Forest. 



