was given over to ruin and bloodshed. Upon statements of this nature the bursar of Merton's memoranda furnish a valuable if sober commentary. The document itself is as follows:

MD. quod exitus meus versus Northumbriam erat in die lune immediate precedente diem assumpcionis B. Marie viz. xiijo die Augusti, anno regni regis Edwardi IVti IVto, unde inprimis, in dicto die lune, in cena apud Bukyngham anatis iija, in pane obolus, in c[ervisia] ija, et pro capistro obolus, et pro prebend' equorum per noctem illam et matutinum diei martis vija.

In die martis viz. in Vigilia assumpcionis B. M. Virginis in prebend' equorum ja ob'. In prandio apud Bedford in roche iiijd, in pane ob', in cervisia iijd, in prebend' equorum iijd, in nocte apud Gamylgay in pane equino iiija.

In die mercurii, scilicet in die Ass. B. M. in prandio cum magistro Sci. Johannis apud Cantebr'. In cervisia cum Cokwes post nonam ijd, in cena cum Ravff Hych in pane ja, in cervisia iijd, in carne vja.

In die Jovis, in prandio cum magistro Sci. Johannis, item post' non am cum Lacy apud Graunceter in cervisia et carb' iiijd, in cena cum Ravff Hych vja, in prebendo equorum a matutino diei mercurii usque ad matutinum diei Veneris xxix, item pro pectine equino iiija.

In diei Veneris, in cervisia apud dominum (?) Cokwes ja, in prandio apud Hyntyngdon in pane ob. in cervisia ija, in piscibus iiija ob, in prebendo equorum iija, item apud Styllton in cervisia ob. in prebendo ja, in nocte apud Stavnford in pane ob. in cervisia ijd, in prebend' equorum vja, in candelis ob.

In die sabbati, in cervisia ibidem ante exitum ob. in prandio apud Grantham ob. in pane ja, in cervisia iijd, in piscibus iiija, in prebendo equorum ija, in cena apud Newark in pane ja, in cervisia iijd, in piscibus ija, in prehendo ija, in nocte apud Tuxford yn cleey in pane ob, in cervisia ija, in candelis ob, in prebendo vija. Summa x xid.

In die Dominico apud Blythe, in prandio, in pane ob, in cervisia ija, in carne iija, in prebendo ijd, in cervisia apud Dankaster ja ob. in emendacione selle ja, in prebendo ijd, in cena apud Wentbryygg in pane ob, in cervisia ija, in carne iija, in candelis ob. in prebend vja.

In die lune, in prandio apud Wethurby in pane ob. in cervisia ijd, in carne ja, in prebendo ijd. Item apud Borobryg in pane, cervisia, et carne iijd, in prebendo jd, in cena apud North Allerton in pane ob. in cena jd, in carne ija ob. in prebendo iiij".

In die martis in prandio apud Styllyngton, in nocte in cena apud Durham, in cena iiijd.

In die mercurii, in prandio vjd, in cena iija, in ferrura iiijd, in prebendo a tempore introitus in villam usque ad recessum xijd.

In die Jovis, scilicet in vigilia Sci Bartholomei, in prandio apud Novum Castrum vjd, in vino ija, in nocte apud Ponteland in avenis iiijd.

In die Veneris in prandio apud Rothysbury iiijd in prebendo ijd. Item cuidam ducenti me a Bolton ubi architi[us]? usque ad Anwyk ija, in cervisia ibidem et in prebend' iija, in nocte apud Alnewyk in cervisia ja.

In die sabbati in prandio apud Alnewyke xija, in rasura ja, in cena Alnewyke vjd. Summa ix" vijd ob.

In die dominico in prandio cum abbate de Alnewyke, in cena cum Davyson ibidem vjd. Item in prebendo a tempore introitus usque ad exitum xxa. In die lune in prandio apud Emeldon xija, in cena ibidem xvja. Item in cervisia ibidem in nocte ja.

In die martis in prandio ibidem iija. Summa iiij xa.

In die Sabbati scilicet in vigilia Sci. Michaelis in regressu apud Alnewyke in prandio et prebend' xijd. In nocte apud Moorpath, in cena iiija, in prebend viija. Summa ijs.

In die dominico scilicet in die Sci. Jeronimi in prandio cum abbate Novi Monasterii, in nocte in cena apud Novum Castrum, in pane, cervisia et carne apud Fobus iiijd, in prebendo viijd. In regarda cujusdam equitantis mecum a magistro Johanne Eland vicam apud Bedlyngton versus Novum Castrum vjd. Item cuidam equitanti ad Newbyggyng pro Dno Thoma Fyshwyk iijd. In die lune que est prima dies Octobris, in prandio apud Novum Castrum, et in cena, et in prandio in die martis, et in cena eadem die, et in nocte diei martis, et in prandio in die mercurii per totum hoc tempus in Novo Castro ijs. Item in prebend' ijs vjd. Item in ferrura trium equorum de novo ijs. Item pro equo albo in prebend' ixa. Item viiid pro medicinis, item pro artificio iiij. Item pro prebend' ejus expost (?) vd, item pro uno equo pro Roberto Mawnder equitanti mecum ad Durham per tres dies et dim'. xiiij. Summa xjs ijd. In cena apud Durham vja.

In die Jovis, in prandio nostro vja, in cena iiija.

In die Veneris, in prandio iiija, in rasura ja, fobus et candelis ja, ob. in vino ija, in cervisia cum magistro Roberto Bartram ija.

In die Sabbati in prandio viiia et pro aliis in prebend' equorum a die mercurii ad noctem usque ad diem Sabbati in matutino ad exitum iij viijd. Item pro gyfreno et croper viijd. Item ad Walterum pro Sallt ij vja. Item magistro Roberto Bartram pro feodo procuratoris iijs iiijd. Item pro duobus citationibus sibi iiija. Item sibi pro maledictione ijs vjd. Item Roberto Mavnder xvja, in cena apud Stillyngton, summa xxx vd ob. Summa hac usque lvjs xa.

In die dominico, videlicet septimo die Octobris, in prandio apud Stillington. In die lune, in prandio cum Hertylpolle apud Aolce, in prebend' ibidem iija, in cena apud Darlinton vjd, in prebend vd.

In die martis, in prandio apud North Alderton iiija ob, in prebend' ija. Item apud Newburgh, scilicet novum burgum, ubi sanctus salvator est. In minshynys ijd, in prebend' ija, et hec erat dies Sci. Dionisii, in nocte in cena apud Creek vja, in prebend' vd.

In die mercurii in prandio apud Eboracum xja, in prebend' iiijd ob. in vino iija, in cena apud Wentbrygg va, in prebend' et fobus et igne vja.

In die Jovis, in prandio apud Dankaster iijd, in prebend' ija. Item apud Dankaster ob. in cena apud Wussop vijd, in prebend' et candelis et fobus vjd. In die veneris in prebend' apud Maynesfold ijd, in prandio apud Notyngham vd, in prebend' iiija.

In die Sabbati apud Leycester, in prandio cum tenentibus de Barkby, Roberto Johnson et clerk, et aliis xd, in prebend' iiijd, in cena apud Kybworth cum Johanne clerk. Summa ix iiija.

In die dominico in prandio apud Kybworth cum clerk in nocte, in cena apud Dawyntree viijd, in prebend' vijd. in die lune in prandio apud Bakley viijd, in prebend iiija, in cena Oxon', vja. Summa.ij3 vd. Summa totalis iiijli vjs vijd

ob. Memorandum quod Walterus habuit de me in camera mea apud Oxoniam post hoc iter ix.

Item Walterus habuit pro faciacione ocrearum suarum apud Durham vel Newcastell xa.

Item deliberavi Waltero apud Durham pro salet ij. Item Walterus habuit de me ante exitum suum ab Oxonia mecum versus boream xx". Summa xiijs vja. Item ad sequestratorem episcopi dominum Ricardum, pro vicario iiijor marcas. Item pro visitacione x. Item ijs viija pro excommunicacione. Item in vino cum ipso iiija.

Memorandum quod dedi cuidam conducenti me a Bedlynton usque ad novum castrum vjd. Item eidem equitanti ad dominum Thomam Fyshwyk iiijs ijd.

Cantebr. Huntyngdon xij ml, Stavnford xx, Grantham xv, Newerk xij, Tuxford in Cleey x, Blythe viij, Dankaster viij, Wentbryg vij, Appulford x, Wetherby iiij, Borrowbrig viij, Topelyff iiij, Northallerton viij, Zaru viij, Styllington v, Durham xija, Novum Castrum xija, Ponteland vij, Rothysbury xijd, Alnewyk viij, Emeldon iiij.

Memorandum de xxa solutis ad Lacy pro plumbo, item de xiij iiija episcopo pro institucione, item de viija datis Magistro Wmo Gysburne scribe episcopi. Memorandum de vs solutis Ravf Hych pro Johanne falcatore murorum de Merton hall. Item solut' Ravf Hych pro equo meo xx". Item Magro Wmo Labovrne iij iiij". Item data ad servum ejus iiija. Item officiali vocato Dno Roberto Watson xiijs iiijd. Item Walterus habuit ad equitandum ad Durham pro sequestro etc. iijs iiijd. Summa vjli vijs iija.

THE ANCIENT FARMS OF NORTHUMBERLAND.

121

IX. THE ANCIENT FARMS OF NORTHUMBERLAND.1

A PAPER FOUNDED PRINCIPALLY UPON MANUSCRIPTS IN THE
POSSESSION OF MR. WILLIAM WOODMAN, OF MORPETH.
BY FREDERICK WALTER DENDY.

[Read on the 27th day of September, 1892.]

'Nam huc pertinet praeclara nostri poetae sententia :-
Laudato ingentia rura, exiguum colito.'

THE manor and the township are both descended from one archaic parent, the village community.2

At an early date the manor became the nucleus of agricultural and landowning rights and duties; and the parish, a later institution, has since become, for most purposes, the administrative unit of imperial and county machinery. The township has thus been bereft of much of its ancient vitality and importance, but as a landmark of past history it has more value than either the manor or the parish. For whilst grants of the Crown and transactions between landowners have influenced the extent of manors, and whilst ecclesiastical requirements have determined and varied the limits of parishes, the present boundary line of the township is still in most cases identical with the original metes and bounds of the rural colony who peopled it from pre-historic times.3

I had completed the outline of this paper and prepared the appendices to it before I knew that the bishop of Peterborough (then canon Creighton of Embleton) had written a paper founded largely upon the same materials, which paper, under the title of The Northumbrian Border' was read by him at the annual meeting of the Archaeological Institute, at Newcastle, in 1884, was published in Macmillan's Magazine for October, 1884, was also published with appendices in the Archaeological Journal, vol. xlii., and was reprinted as a pamphlet, which I am informed is now scarce.

2 Gomme's Literature of Local Institutions, p. 171.

3 A parish is a precinct within a diocese (Selden, p. 80). Several townships may be contained in the same parish (Comyn, Title, Parish) and, per contra, several parishes may exist in one township (Fleta, 4, c. 15, s. 9.) As to the institution and gradual increase of parishes and parish churches, see Kennett's Parochial Antiquities, vol. ii. p. 269. "The term manerium seems sometimes used for the whole honour, hundred, or holding of the chief lord; sometimes for a single holding, whether or not commensurate with a vill or township, held of a chief lord; sometimes for a collection of such holdings which their lord for convenience had treated as one manor, holding the courts for all in one of them, sometimes merely a dwelling or mansion house, as in 'Stanmore Abbas Johanne manerium construxit' 'Manerium de Kyverdale fuit integraliter combustum.'

VOL. XVI.

Р

The village of each country township was, up to recent times, to a large extent independent of the outer world; for it was isolated by the difficulties of inter-communication and was self-supplied with all the necessaries of life. Its fields and live stock provided food and clothing, its wastes timber for building, and turves for fuel. The women spun the yarn and wove the clothing, and the men tanned the hides of the slain cattle in the village tan vats, and made them into breeches for themselves and harness for their beasts of draught." Each township had its mill and bakehouse to which the inhabitants were bound to bring their corn to be ground and their dough to be baked, and it was a treasured and exceptional custom of the favoured burgesses of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the reign of Henry I. that each burgess might have his own oven and his own hand-mill, saving the right of the oven of the king, the lord of the manor of Newcastleupon-Tyne.7

A few years since, a theory prevailed that the communities settled in the townships of England were, at the outset of the history of the English in this island, free communities, which gradually degenerated into the serfdom of the middle ages. That theory has been shaken by the researches of Seebohm and De Coulanges,10 who have traced the existence of these village communities in a state of serfdom back to the time of the Roman occupation of this island. These writers advocate the view that the origin of the Norman manor and the Saxon township is to be found in the rules which regulated the serfs and colonists attached to the Roman villa. The fact that the two-field and three-field systems, which prevailed in England on manorial estates from the earliest times have never been at all general in the corner of the continent from which the English came, supports the

In the vill we have the township, which the bishop of Chester treats as the unit of the Anglo-Saxon polity, and which had in itself public duties in criminal administration apart from any relation to a lord. The goods of fugitives were to be delivered a la ville pour nous en respondre." Scrutton on Common

Fields, 12.

4 Prothero's Landmarks, 2. Ashley's Economic History, 35. Dr. Jessop, Nineteenth Century, June, 1892, p. 972.

An old lady I knew in Lincolnshire always made her own soap in the early days of her housekeeping, and on many farms in Norfolk the wood-ashes are still saved to scour the dairy utensils.

Acts of Parliament of Scotland, i. 33, 34. Stubbs's Select Charters, p. 112.

8 Green's The Making of England, p. 182.

Seebohm's Village Community, p. 438.

10 The Origin of Property in Land, by Fustel de Coulanges, p. 150.