THE HOLDERS OF LANDS time, as i hide and 30 acres, is held of S[uen] by Turold. Then as now (semper) I plough on the demesne. Then 2 bordars ; now 3. Then 2 serfs ; now none. (There are) 6 acres of meadow. Then 10 sheep ; now 13, and 5 swine. It is worth 20 shillings. BELESDUNA [Basildon *], which the same Leffstan held, in King Edward's time, as I hide and as a manor and 15 acres, 8 is held of Suen by the same Turold. Then as now (simper} I plough. Then 3 bordars; now i. Then as now (semper) 2 serfs. (There is) pasture for i oo sheep. Then 2 rounceys (runcini) and 7 swine, and 1 5 sheep ; now I rouncey, and I cow, and i pig, and 95 sheep. It was then worth 2O shillings ; now 25. BERLESDUNA [Basildon *], which was held, in King Edward's time, by Godet, a certain free man, 4 as a manor and as 3 hides, is held (of Suen) by W. Then 3 ploughs on the demesne ; now 2^. Then i plough belong- ing to the men ; now i^. Then 2 villeins ; now I. Then 4 bordars ; now 3. Then 4 serfs ; now none. (There is) wood(land) for 40 swine, (and) pasture for 100 sheep. Then i rouncey (runcinus), and 1 7 sheep ; now 5 beasts (animalia), and 16 swine, and 39 sheep. It is worth 60 shillings. WICFORT [Wickford], which was held freely (libere) by Leftan as a manor and as half a hide and 35 acres, is held (of Suen) by Turchil. Then as now (semper) I plough, and i bordar. Then i serf; now none. (There are) 30 acres of wood(land), 6 (and) 3 acres of meadow. Then 2 rounceys (runcini), and 1 6 beasts (anima/ia), and 3 swine, and 100 sheep ; now 3 rounceys, and 8 beasts, and 1 1 swine, and 60 sheep. In addition to this land Bricteva, a free woman, held half a hide and 1 5 acres, which Suen added to the said land, (and) in which was then i plough ; now none ; then as now (semper) 2 bordars (were there), and I villein ; there are 20 acres of woodland. 8 He also added 3 free 1 Morant distinguished this, as the manor of ' Belesdun or Botelers ' in Basildon, from the ' Berlesduna ' two entries lower down, which he styled the manor of Battleswick ' anciently called Bartlesdon ' there. But one cannot doubt that, as with the entries of ' Rageneia ' and ' Ragheleia,' ' Belesduna ' and ' Berlesduna ' are but forms of the same name, which has now become Basildon.
- i.e. as I hide and i 5 acres,
s See note i above.
- ' Godet ' was probably a woman's name.
6 Here the measurement of the woodland by irea begins again. men with (de) 45 acres, in which was then 1 plough ; now a half. He also added I free man with (de) 9 acres. The whole was then worth, in King Edward's time, 60 shillings ; now 50. WICFORT [Wickford], which was held by Goduin, a thegn of King Edward, as I fo. 43 manor and as 10 hides, is held by Suen in demesne. Then as now (semper) 2 ploughs on the demesne. Then 6 ploughs belonging to the men ; now 4. Then as now (semper) 7 villeins. Then 2 bordars; now 12. Then 6 serfs ; now none. Then 1 2 hides of wood- (land) ; ' now 6 acres. Then I rouncey (runcinus), and 12 sheep, and 17 goats, and 2 hives of bees ; now i cow, and 20 sheep, and 2 colts (pulli), and 3 hives of bees. It was then worth 1 6 pounds ; now g. 7 WICFORT [Wickford], which was held, in King Edward's time, by Dot, a free man, as a manor and half a hide and 45 acres, is held (of Suen) by William Fitz Odo. Then as now (semper) I plough on the demesne, and i bordar. (There is) wood(land) for 10 swine. It is worth 10 shillings. WICFORT [Wickford], which was held, in King Edward's time, by Godric as 30 acres, is held (of Suen) by Mainard. It is worth 5 shillings. 8 BENFLET [(South) Benfleet 9 ], which was held, in King Edward's time, by Alwine, a free man, as a manor and as 2 hides, is held by Suen in demesne. Then 3 ploughs on the demesne ; now I ; and i plough could be added to the stock (posset restaurari). 10 (There are) now 5 bordars and 2 serfs. (There is) pasture for 250 sheep. It is worth 40 shil- lings. 6 The amount is suspiciously large, especially when contrasted with the ' 6 acres," and with the 10 hides ' at which the whole manor is assessed. If the figures are correct, they appear to record the greatest destruction of woodland in the county. 7 Here is a heavy fall in value, unaccountable unless the destruction of timber is responsible. 8 The four Wickford entries well illustrate the practice of Domesday in speaking of a place as if the whole was meant, though only a portion of it is referred to. 9 This is said to be represented by the manors of Southall and Jervois there. Such is Morant's identification, but the history of the Benfleet manors has not yet been established. 10 It should be observed that only one plough could, it was reckoned, be added, though three in all had been employed there before. 483
