THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 
201 
this evidence is not deemed conclusive, there is yet another argu- 
ment. The King's Sutton of Domesday is described as having land 
for six ploughs. It occupies therefore the fullest limits we can 
fairly assign to the original Plymouth manor. The enumerated 
population is just over half-a-dozen — one serf, four villeins, and two 
bordars. There were upon it fifteen sheep, and it paid twenty 
shillings a year by weight. 1 
Next in age of the Three Towns comes Stonehouse. Here there 
is no uncertainty. Stanehvs — the name is evidently derived from 
its peculiar and proud possession of a building of " stane and lime " 
— which had belonged in the days of King Eadward to Alwin the 
Saxon, was held by Robert the Bastard. There was only land for 
one plough, and it was occupied by one villein, who paid five 
shillings annually. Eobert had also two villeins in the land of St. 
Peter of Plympton, which Alwin had held, and these paid another 
five shillings. If any part of Plymouth land belonged to the 
Priory before the Conquest, it would in all likelihood be this ; but 
there is not the slightest evidence in support of the suggestion. 
Indeed the evidence is all the other way. 
There are many Stokes or Stoches in the Devon Domesday ; but 
there is no difficulty in identifying Stoke Damerel, which still 
bears as a distinctive title the name of its Norman lord — Robert of 
Albemarle. It was a somewhat important centre, and had been 
much improved since the time of Brismar, who held it under the 
Confessor, the value having increased from forty shillings to 
seventy. It had land for twelve ploughs, a population of five serfs, 
sixteen villeins, and four bordars, and was the most important 
manor of the whole immediate district. If, as I have hinted, we 
may regard the " stocks " as the earlier Saxon settlements, this may 
be the place whence Sutton took its name of South-town, and 
Weston that of West-town, if the cause in each case was identical ; 
but I speak very doubtfully, and really despair of being able to 
give a satisfactory solution of this problem. It may be, as I have 
elsewhere suggested, that the Old Town of Sutton Vawter, which 
undoubtedly preceded Sutton Prior, had an existence and a name 
earlier even than Domesday ; but no continuing town or site seems 
capable of answering our requirements. 
1 The other Sutton, if association may be trusted, was somewhere on or near 
the shores of Torbay. 
