24 
A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND 
Ely long continued to be famous for its grapes. From 
time to time, when the manors were in the King’s hands, during 
some interregnum caused by the death of the Bishop, the 
papers relative to the administration of the lands give evidence 
of the vineyards as well as of the orchards and gardens belong¬ 
ing to the See, from which a profit was derived. 1 The chief 
entries refer to the “ herbage of the garden,” “ apples,” 
" pears,” and nuts sold, also hemp and reeds. The farm of the 
" rosery ” often occurs, but the word is disappointing ; and it 
stands for “ roseria,” “ rosar,” or bed for reeds or rushes, at 
places in the Fens. 2 
In the “ Bailiwick of Cambridge, except the island,” and 
at Somersham Manor, there were vineyards which yielded 
grapes, but the principal one was at Ely itself. In 1298 as 
much as twenty-seven gallons of verjuice, “ viridi succo,” 
from the grapes, were sold ; and the next year, twenty-one 
gallons. 
The entry runs thus : 
" And of 109s. 8d. of pasture and herbage sold in the vine¬ 
yard and elsewhere in divers places in the summer. And of 
25s. 3d. of fruit in two gardens and the vineyard, besides 
the grapes, with 21 gallons of verjuice sold. And of £10 for 
9! butts of wine sold, of the remainder of the preceding 
year.” 
From another passage in 1302 it appears that cherries were 
the other fruit, besides the grapes, which grew in the vineyard, 3 
and also we find in the same year the charges for the livery 
1 Exchequer Q. R., Bishops’ Temporalities, |T; and Ministers’ 
Accounts, - 3 - L AiL (Record Office). 
2 “ Litilport 40s. of yearly rent of the ‘ Roseria ’ at the Annuncia¬ 
tion,” a.d. 1302. Du Cange Glossarium “ Roseria ” =French Roseau = 
Arundo, Juncus. The old French word was rosiere —“ lieu rempli de 
roseaux.” The following are examples of the entries of most of the 
manors : 
1286. Downham. 9s. of apples and nuts sold there. 
1286. Littlelburi. 7s. 2d. of apples and pears sold there during the 
same time. 
1286. Derham. 15s. of apples sold there. 
1298. Feltevelle. 55s. 9d. of herbage and fruit of the garden and 
pasture sold. 
3 “ Of 2od. from cherries in the vineyard sold.” 
