ANTIQUITIES OF SELBORNE. 
353 
he was the king's bailifF, with others, for the town of Alton. 
Now, from 1232 to 1295 is a space of sixty-three years; a long 
period for one man to be employed in active life ! Should any 
one doubt whether all these particulars can relate to one and the 
same person, I should wish him to attend to the following reasons 
why they might. In the first place, the documents from the 
priory mention but one Sir Adam Gurdon, who had no son 
lawfully begotten : and in the next, we are to recollect that he 
must have probably been a man of uncommon vigour both of 
mind and body ; since no one, unsupported by such accomplish- 
ments, could have engaged in such adventures, or could have 
borne up against the difficulties which he sometimes must have 
encountered : and, moreover, we have modern instances of per- 
sons that have maintained their abilities for near that period. 
Were we to suppose Gurdon to be only twenty y^ars of age in 
1232, in 1295 he would be eighty-three; after which advanced 
period it could not be expected that he should live long. From 
the silence, therefore, of my evidences it seems probable that this 
extraordinary person finished his life in peace, not long after, at 
his mansion of Temple. Gurdon's seal had for its device — a man, 
with a helmet on his head, drawing a cross-bow; the legend, 
" Sigillum Ade de Gurdon ;'^ his arms were, " Goulis, iii floures 
argent issant de testes de leopards."* 
If the stout and unsubmitting spirit of Gurdon could be so 
much influenced by the belief and superstition of the times, much 
more might the hearts of his ladies and daughter. And accord- 
ingly we find that Ameria, by the consent and advice of her sons, 
though said to be all under age, makes a grant for ever of some 
lands down by the stream at Durton ; and also c£ her right of 
the common of Durton itself.f Johanna, the daughter and heiress 
of Sir Adam, was married, I find, to Richard Achard ; she also 
grants to the prior and convent lands and tenements in the village 
of Selborne, which her father obtained from Thomas Makerel ; 
and also all her goods and chattels in Selborne for the considera- 
tion of two Imndred pounds sterling. This last business was 
transacted in the first year of Edward II. viz. 1307. It has been 
observed before that Gurdon had a natural son : this person was 
called by the name of John Dastard, alias Wastard, but more 
probably Bastard ; since bastardy in those days was not deemed 
• From the collection of Thomas Martin, Esq. in the Antiquarian Repertory, p. 109, No. XXXI. 
t Durton, now called Dorton, is still a common for th« copyholders of Selborne manor. 
2A. 
