342 
A N T I a.U I T I E S, 
LETTER IX. 
It has been hinted in a former letter that Sir Adam Gurdon had 
availed himfelf by marrying women of property. By my evi- 
dences it appears that he had three wives, and probably in the 
following order : Conftdntia, Ameria, and Agnes. The firft of thefe 
ladies, who was the companion of his middle hfe, feems to have 
been a perfon of confiderable fortune, which fhe inherited from 
"thomas Makerel, a gentleman of Sell;ome, who was either her father 
or uncle. The fecond, Ameria, calls herfelf the quondam wife of 
Sir Adam, " qua fui uxor," &c. and talks of her fons under age. 
Now Giirdon had no fon: and befide Agnes in another document 
fays, " Ego Agnes quondam uxor Domini Ad^e Gurdon in pura et 
ligca viduitate mea:" but Gurdon could not leave two widows; 
and therefore it feems probable that he had been divorced from 
Ameria, who afterwards married, and had fons. By Agnes Sir 
Adam had a daughter Johanna, who was his heirefs, to whom Agnes 
in her life-time furrendered part of her jointure : — he had alfo a 
baftard fon. 
Sir Adam feems to have inhabited the houfe now called Temple, 
lying about two miles eaft of the church, which had been the 
property of 'Thomas MakereL 
In the year 1262 he petitioned the prior oi .Sclborne in his own 
name, and that of his wife Conjlantia only, for leave to build him 
an oratory in his manor-houfe, " in curia fua." Licenfes of this 
fort were frequently obiained by men of fortune and rank from the 
bifnop of the dlocefcj the archbifliop, and fometimes, as I have 
feen 
