ANTIQUITIES OP SELBORNE. 221 
assign so spacious a spot for the sports and amusements of its young 
people.* 
VILLAGE PLSYSTOW. 
As soon as the prior became possessed of this piece of ground, he 
procured a charter for a market f from King Henry IIL_, and began to 
erect houses and stalls, " seldas,'' around it. From this period Selborne 
became a market town ; but how long it enjoyed that privilege does 
not appear. At the same time, Gurdon reserved to himself, and his 
heirs, a way through the said Plestor to a tenement and some crofts at 
the upper end, abutting on the south corner of the church-yard. This 
was in old days the manerial house of the street manor, though now 
a poor cottage, and is known at present by the modern name of Elliot's. 
Sir Adam also did, for the health of his own soul and that of his wife 
* For more circumstances respecting the Plestor, see Letter II. to Mr. Pennant. 
t Bishop Tanner, in his " Notitia Monastica," has made a mistake respecting 
the market and fair at Selborne ; for in his references to Do^V>worth, cart. 
54 Hen. III., m. 3., he says, "Be mercatu, etferia de Seleburn." But tiiis reference 
is wrong ; for, instead of Seleburn, it proves that the place tliere meant was 
Lekeborne, or Legeborne, in the county of Lincoln. This error was copied from 
the index of the Cat. MSS. Angl. It does not appear that there ever was a 
chartered fair at Selborne. For several particulars respecting the present fair at 
Selborne, see Letter XXVI. of these Antiquities. 
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