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A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE lands as part of the fees in question, but that the lands which they had held had subsequently formed part of the fees named. In spite, however, of all its drawbacks and of entries which, until explained, would actually mislead the reader, this Survey has a real value. If we take, for instance, Polebrook (' Pochebroc '), a township of five hides, we find that in Domesday (2211^, 228) Eustace (the sheriff) held a hide and a quarter in capite of the Crown and three hides and three quarters as a tenant of Peterborough Abbey. Now our Survey shows us the former holding in the hands of Robert de Cauz, while the other has been broken up, two-thirds of it passing to Walter ' de Clop- ton ' and one-third to Roger Marmion. One more instance may be given. Our Survey reckons Clapton (' Cloptone ') as five and a quarter hides, of which ' Walter ' held one and a quarter in capite, having here again succeeded Eustace, whose Domesday estate at ' Dotone ' should have been entered as at ' Clotone.' On the other hand, the Polebrook evidence goes to show that the fief of Eustace the sheriff did not, as has been alleged, pass to his heirs. But perhaps the most remarkable correction afforded by the Survey below is that of an entry found in Domesday Book itself. At Wadenhoe there were, according to Domes- day (see p. 309 above), two distinct estates belonging to the bishop of Coutances, and held of him by a certain ' Albericus,' who is proved by our Survey to be no other than Aubrey de Vere himself One of these, con- sisting of 2| hides, is duly accounted for below (p. 368) ; but the other, of 2| hides, to which were appurtenant 3 virgates in Scaldwell, is not to be found there. On the other hand we find, in this Survey, Aubrey de Vere's heir holding land at Wold which cannot be accounted for in Domesday. Now, remembering that Scaldwell is adjacent to Wold and is surveyed immediately before it below, while Wadenhoe is in another part of the county, it seems impossible to resist the conclusion that the Domesday scribe confused entries belonging, one to ' Walde ' and the other to ' Wadenho,' owing to their both being held by the same tenant-in-chief and under-tenant. On this hypothesis all would be explained, and the estate of 2| hides assigned by Domesday to Wadenhoe would be really at Wold, with 3 virgates adjacent in Scaldwell. The addition of the Crown's portion of Wold would give the De Veres a substantial estate there, as recorded in this Survey, an estate which was subsequently held of them as two knight's fees. Another instance in which this Survey affords us fresh information is found in its entry on Tansor. It assigns the considerable holding of 5I hides on this manor of Crown demesne to ' Hacuil de St. James,' who is at first sight unrecognisable. But I believe him to have been no other than Hasculf de St. James (sur Beuvron) temp. Henry I. Now Stapleton has shown that this family of St. James was identical with that of St. Hilaire (du Harcouet), being found under both names.' The above Hasculf was succeeded by his son James, who is found in the

  • Rotul'i icaccati'i Normann'Uy I. Ixvi.

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