perty of Gurdon, till he made his grants to the convent, since which some belongs to the successors of Gurdon in the manor, and some to the college; and this is the occasion of the strange jumble of property. It is remarkable that the tenement and crofts which Sir Adam reserved at the time of granting the Plestor should still remain a part of the Gurdon Manor, though so desirable an addition to the vicarage, that is not as yet possessed of one inch of glebe at home; but of late, viz., in January, 1785, Magdalen College purchased that little estate, which is life-holding, in reversion, for the generous purpose of bestowing it, and its lands, being twelve acres (three of which abut on the churchyard and vicarage garden) as an improvement hereafter to the living, and an eligible advantage to future incumbents.
The year after Gurdon had bestowed the Plestor on the Priory, viz., in 1272, Henry III., King of England, died, and was succeeded by his son Edward. This magnanimous prince continued his regard for Sir Adam, whom he esteemed as a brave man, and made him warden, "custos" of the forest of Wolmer.*
* Since the letters respecting Wolmer-forest and Ayles-holt were printed, the author has been favoured with the following extracts:—
“In the ‘Act of Resumption, I Hen. VII.’ it was provided, that it be not prejudicial to ‘Harry at Lode,’ ranger of our forest of Wolmere, to him by oure letters patents before tyme gevyn.” Rolls of Parl., vol. vi. p. 370.
“In the II Hen. VII., 1495, ‘Warlham (Wardleham) and the office of forest (forester) of Wolmere,’ were held by Edmund, duke of Suffolk.” -Rolls, ib. 474.
“Act of general pardon, 14 Hen. VIII., 1523, not to extend to ‘Rich. Bp. of Wynton (bishop Fox) for any seizure or forfeiture of liberties, &c., within the forest of Wolmer, Alysholt, and Newe Forest; nor to any person for waste, &c., within the manor of Wardlam, or parish of Wardlam (Wardleham); nor to abusing, &c., of any office or fee, within the said forests of Wolmer or Alysholt, or the said park of Wardlam.'"—County Suth’t.—Rolls prefixt to 1st Vol. of Journals of the Lords, p. xciii. b.
To these may be added some other particulars, taken from a book lately published, entitled “An Account of all the Manors, Messuages, lands, &c., in the different Counties of England and Wales, held by Lease from the Crown, as contained in the Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the Stale and Condition of the Royal Forests, &c.” London, 1787.
“Southampton.
P. 64. “A fee-farm rent of £31 2'’s. 11'’d. out of the manors of East and
