252 Collections for a History of West Lean. 



West Dean All Saints/' belonging, as they did, to a formerly- 

 existing independent parish in that county, about which more will 

 be found under the heading of " Ecclesiastical History." 



There was another small property at " Dene " possessed by 

 Waleran, of which it is remarked, " non adjacet ulli suo manerio." 

 This I suppose to have been a farm in the neighbouring tything of 

 East Dean, in the parish of Mottisfont, between which and his 

 manor of West Dean another holding intervened — that, perhaps, 

 described as held by Walter, son of Roger. 



Yet another notice of " Dene " occurs in Domesday, under the 

 head of " Broughton/' to which parish still belongs a portion of 

 East Dean, known as " Frenchmoor no doubt " Frank-mere/' 

 et the common border ground." 



The history o£ East Grimstead has always been interwoven with 

 that of West Dean. The former is said to have been the " head " 1 

 of the barony of Waleran, by which I suppose to be meant his place 

 of residence. Nevertheless the survey shows it to have been sub-let, 

 and not held in hand, as Dean was, by its lord. The entry referring 

 to it is as follows 



" Herbertus tenet de Waleran Gremestede. Agemundus tenuit T. R. E. et 

 geldabat pro 3 hidis. Terra est 3 carucatse : de ea est in dominio 1 hida et 

 dimidium, et ibi 1 carucata et 2 servi, et 5 villani, et 7 coscez cum 3 carucatis. 

 Ibi 10 acree prati, silva 5 quarantenae longa et 2 lata. Yaluit et valet 60 solidi." 



« Herbert holds Gremestede of Waleran. Agenmnd held it in the time of 

 King Edward, and it was assessed at three hides. Here are three plough-lands ; 

 one hide and a half is in demesne, where is one plough-land ; and two servants, 

 five villagers, and seven cottagers occupy three plough-lands. Here are ten acres 

 of meadow : the wood is five furlongs in length and two in breadth. It was and 

 is worth sixty shillings." 



So it would seem that this now insignificant hamlet was of greater 

 comparative importance and value at that time than it has since 

 been. In population and in land under the plough it equalled the 

 Wilts portion of West Dean, while its woodland was more extensive, 

 and its assessment the same. 



The subsequent history of the manors of West Dean and East 



1 Hoare's " Wilts " Hundred of Cawden, p. 25 ; Addenda, p. 73. 



