A HISTORY OF ESSEX meadow P). 1 It was then worth 10 shillings ; now 2O. HUNDRET OF WlTBRICTESHERNA [DENGIE] NORTUNA [(Cold) Norton], which was held by Ulfric, a free man, as a manor and as 8 hides in King Edward's time, is held by R[alf] in demesne. Then as now (semper) 5 villeins, and 1 1 bordars. Then 2 serfs ; now none. Then 2 ploughs on the demesne ; now 3. Then 4 ploughs belonging to the men ; now 3. Of these hides 2 are of woodland (silva).* (There is) pasture for 40 sheep, (and) now i mill. Then 4 rounceys (runcini), and 15 beasts (animatia), 2O swine, and 150 sheep; now 6 rounceys, 8 beasts, 20 swine, and 60 sheep. It was then worth 6 pounds ; now 7. Robert has also as a manor 3 hides and 45 acres which 6 free men hold now as then (semper) ; then 5 ploughs (were there) ; now 3 ; (this) was then worth 40 shillings ; now 30. This was delivered (to Ralf) in exchange (liberatum est pro escangio). Of this manor Walicher[ius] holds half a hide, and (this) is worth 10 shillings in the above valuation (in eodem pretio). WDEHAM [Woodham (Walter)], which was held by Leveva as a manor and as 7 hides, is held of R[alf] by Pointel. 8 Then 12 villeins ; now 6. Then as now (semper) 4 bordars. Then 6 serfs ; now 4. Then as now (semper) 3 ploughs on the demesne. Then 4 ploughs belonging to the men ; now I. (There are) 24 acres of meadow, (with) wood(land) for 500 swine. Then I mill ; now 2. Then 2 beasts (animaUa) and 7 swine, (and) 37 sheep ; now 8 beasts, 21 swine, 6 asses, 130 sheep, (and) 13 hives of bees. It was then worth 8 pounds ; and when received, 40 shillings;* it is now worth 7 pounds. CURLAI [Purleigh ? 5 ], which was held by 1 *et I bor[darius] iii. ac.' The sense is doubtful. 8 The reason for inserting this clause here was that the woodland is regularly entered just before the pasture for sheep. On the ' hides ' of wood- land see pp. 376-7 above. 3 This was doubtless the Thierri (Tedricui) Pointel who held North Fambridge, in this Hun- dred, as a tenant-in-chief, and who also, held at Cricksea as an under-tenant and claimed land at Steeple.
- This is an unusually sharp drop in value for
the intermediate period in Essex. 6 This is one of the mysterious manors of the most difficult Domesday Hundred in the county (see p. 391 above). Morant assumed that it lay Grim as a manor and as I hide in King Edward's time, is held of the same (Ralf) by the same (Pointel). Then 2 villeins ; now 4. Then as now (semper) 9 bordars. Then 4 serfs ; now none. Then as now (semper) 2 ploughs on the demesne, and i plough be- longing to the men. (There are) 22 acres of meadow, (with) wood(land) for 40 swine. (There was) then i mill ; now none. Then and afterwards it was worth 40 shillings ; now 4 pounds. Godric also holds (habet) of R[alf] half a hide, which (Ralf) has, he says, by exchange (pro escangio) ; but the Hundret (court) knows nothing of this (nescii). Then as now (semper) half a plough was there ; it is worth 10 shillings. HUNDRET OF DOMMAWA [DUNMOW] DOMMAWA [(Little) Dunmow 6 ], which was held freely (liberte) by a certain woman, Ailid, as a manor and as 4^ hides, is held by R[alf] in demesne. Then as now (semper) 3 ploughs on the demesne. Then 7 ploughs belonging to the men ; now 6. Then as now (semper) 15 villeins, and I priest. Then 12 bordars ; now 16. Then as now (semper) fo. 6gb 10 serfs. (There is) wood(land) for 150 swine, 50 acres of meadow, (and) now I mill. Then 3 rounceys (ruvcint), 1 1 beasts (anima/ia), 40 swine, 15 sheep, (and) 23 goats ; now 1 1 rounceys, 2 1 beasts, 30 swine, 104 sheep, 53 goats, (and) 8 hives of bees. Then and afterwards it was worth 8 pounds ; now 10. To this estate (terrts) has been added i hide which was held by I free man in King Edward's time. Then as in Purleigh (the ' Purlai ' of Domesday), but could not identify there a manor held of this fief. Its amount of meadow is significantly large, especially as none of the entries undoubtedly relating to Purleigh (a parish away from any river) mention an acre of meadow. It is clear from the extent of its meadow that ' Curlai ' must have been on a river, and this river can only have been the Chel- mer. As the manors of Woodham Walter and ' Curlai ' were held together by ' Pointel,' it ap- pears to me that ' Curlai ' was probably in Wood- ham Walter and became absorbed in the main manor owing to their having the same lord. Woodham Walter, with a frontage of some three miles to the Chelmer and a brook of its own as well would of course be rich in meadow. This suggestion is supported by the fact that ' Woodham,' which had but i mill before the Conquest, had now 2, while ' Curlai,' which then had I, had now none. This probably implies that one of the mills had been annexed since the Conquest to the main manor. 6 This was afterwards the eaput of the barony. 522
