The first person with whom the founder treated about the purchase of land was Jacobus de Achangre, or Ochangre, a gentleman of property who resided at that hamlet; and, as appears, at the house now called Oakhanger House. With him he agreed for a croft, or little close of land, known by the name of La Liega, or La Lyge, which was to be the immediate site of the Priory.

De Achangre also accommodated the bishop at the same instant with three more adjoining crofts, which for a time was all the footing that this institution obtained in the parish. The seller in the conveyance says, "Warantizabimus, defendemus, et acquietabimus contra omnes gentes;" viz. "We will warrant the thing sold against all claims from any quarter." In modern conveyancing this would be termed a covenant for further assurance. Afterwards is added—“Pro hac autem donacione, &c. dedit mihi pred. Episcopus sexdecem marcas argenti in Gersumam:" i. e. "the bishop gave me sixteen silver marks as a consideration for the thing purchased."

As the grant from Jac. de Achangre was without date,' and the next is circumstanced in the same manner, we cannot say exactly what interval there was between the two purchases; but we find that Jacobus de Nortun, a neighbouring gentleman, also soon sold to the Bishop of Winchester some adjoining grounds, through which our stream passes, that the priory might be accommodated with a mill, which was a common necessary appendage to every manor: he also allowed access to these lands by a road for carts and waggons." Jacobus de Nortun concedit Petro Winton episcopo totum cursum aque que descendit de Molendino

till after the conquest; and seem not to have obtained the appellation of Augustine Canons till some years after. Their habit was a long black cassock, with a white rocket over it; and over that a black cloak and hood. The monks were always shaved: but these canons wore their hair and beards, and caps on their heads. There were of these canons, and women of the same order called Canonesses, about one hundred and seventy-five houses.—G. W.

1 The custom of affixing dates to deeds was not become general in the reign of Henry III.-G. W.

de Durton, usq; ad boscum Will. Mauduit, et croftam terre vocat: Edriche croft, cum extensione ejusdem et abuttamentis; ad fundandam domum religiosam de ordine Sti. Augustini. Concedit etiam viam ad carros, et caretas," &c. This vale, down which runs the brook, is now called the Long Lithe, or Lythe. Bating the following particular expression, this grant runs much in the style of the former; "Dedit mihi episcopus predictus triginta quinque marcas argenti ad me acquietandum versus Judæos."-That is, "the bishop advanced me thirty-five marks of silver to pay debts to the Jews," who were then the only lenders of money.

my

Finding himself still straitened for room, the founder applied to his royal master, Henry, who was graciously pleased to bestow certain lands in the manor at Selborne on the new priory of his favourite minister. These grounds had been the property of Stephen de Lucy; and, abutting upon the narrow limits of the convent, became a very commodious and agreeable acquisition. This grant, I find, was made on March the 9th, in the eighteenth year of Henry, viz., 1234, being two years after the foundation of the monastery. The royal donor bestowed his favour with a good grace, by adding to it almost every immunity and privilege that could have been specified in the law language of the times."Quare volumus prior, &c., habeant totam terram, &c., cum omnibus libertatibus in bosco et plano, in viis et semitis, pratis et pascuis; aquis et piscariis; intra burgum, et extra burgum, cum soka et saca, Thol et Them, Infangenethef et Utfangenethef, et hamsocne et blodwite, et pecunia que dari solet pro murdro et forstal, et flemenestrick, et cum quietancia de omni scotto et geldo, et de omnibus auxiliis regum, vicecomitum, et omn: ministralium suorum; et hidagio et exercitibus, et scutagiis, et tallagiis, et shiris et hundredis, et placitis et querelis, et warda et wardpeny, et opibus castellorum et pontium, et clausuris parcorum, et omni carcio et sumagio, et domor: regal: edificatione, et omnimoda reparatione, et cum omnibus aliis libertatibus." This grant was made out by Richard, Bishop of Chichester, then chancellor, at the town of Northampton,

before the lord chief justiciary, who was the founder him self.

The charter of foundation of the Priory, dated 1233, comes next in order to be considered; but being of some length, I shall not interrupt my narrative by placing it here. My copy, taken from the original, I have compared

1 Carta Petri et conventus ecclesie Winton. pro fundatione prioratus de Seleburne, &c. dat. 1233.

Omnibus Christi fidelibus ad quos presens scriptum pervenerit. P. divina miseracione Wintōn ecclesie minister humilis salutem in Domino: Ex officio pastorali tenemur viros religiosos, qui pauperes spiritu esse pro Christo neglectis lucris temporalibus elegerunt; spirituali affectu diligere, fovere pariter et creare, eorumq; quieti sollicite providere; ut tanto uberiores fructus de continua in lege Dei meditatione percipiant, quanto a conturbationibus malignorum amplius fuerint ex patroni provisione et ecclesiastica defensione securi. Hinc est quod universitati vestre notificamus, nos divine caritatis instinctu, de assensu conventus ecclesie nostre Wintōn, fundasse domum religiosam, ordinis magni patris Augustini, in honore Dei et gloriose semper virginis ejusdem Dei genetricis Marie, apud Seleburne; ibidemque canonicos regulares instituisse: ad quorum sustentationem et hospitum et pauperum susceptionem, dedimus, concessimus, et presenti carta nostra confirmavimus eisdem canonicis, totam terram quam habuimus de dono Jacobi de Acangre: et totam terram, cursum aque, boscum et pratum que habuimus de dono Jacobi de Nortone; et totam terram boscum et redditum que habuimus de dono domini Henrici regis Anglie; cum omnibus predictarum possessionum pertinentiis. Dedimus etiam et concessimus in proprios usus eisdem canonicis ecclesiam predicte ville de Seleburne, et ecclesias de Basing, et de Basingestok, cum omnibus earundem ecclesiarum capellis, libertatibus, et aliis pertinenciis; salva honesta et sufficienti sustentatione vicariorum in predictis ecclesiis ministrantium; quorum presentatio ad priorem predicte domus religiose de Seleburne et canonicos ejusdem loci in perpetuum pertinebit. Preterea possessiones et redditus, ecclesias sive decimas, quas in episcopatu nostro adempti sunt, vel in posterum, Deo dante, justis modis poterunt adipisci, sub nostra et Wintōn ecclesie protectione suscepimus, et episcopalis auctoritate officii confirmavimus; eadem auctoritate firmiter inhibentes, ne quis locum, in quo divino sunt officio mancipati, seu alias eorum possessiones, invadere vi vel fraude vel ingenio malo occupare audeat, vel etiam retinere, aut fratres conversos, servientes, vel homines eorum aliqua violentia perturbare, sive fugientes ad eos causa salutis sue conservande a septis domus sue violenter presumat extraere. Precipimus autem ut in eadem domo religiosa de Seleburne ordo canonicus, et regularis conversatio, secundum regulam magni patris Augustini, quam primi inhabitatores professi sunt, in perpetuum observetur; et ipsa domus religiosa a cujuslibet

with Dugdale's copy, and find that they perfectly agree; except that in the latter the preamble and the names of the witnesses are omitted. Yet I think it proper to quote a passage from this charter-"Et ipsa domus religiosa a cujuslibet alterius domus religiosa subjectione libera permaneat, et in omnibus absoluta"-to show how much Dugdale was mistaken when he inserted Selborne among the alien priories; forgetting that this disposition of the convent contradicted the grant that he had published. In the Monasticon Anglicanum, in English, p. 119, is part of his catalogue of alien priories, suppressed 2 Henry V. viz. 1414, where may be seen as follows:

S.

Sele, Sussex.

SELEBURN.
Shirburn.

This appeared to me from the first to have been an oversight, before I had seen my authentic evidences. For priories alien, a few conventual ones excepted, were little better than granges to foreign abbeys; and their priors little more than bailiffs, removable at will: whereas the priory of Selborne possessed the valuable estates and manors of Selborne, Achangre, Norton, Brompden, Bassinges, Basingstoke, and Natele; and the prior challenged

alterius domus religiose subjectione libera permaneat, et in omnibus absoluta; salva in omnibus episcopali auctoritate, et Wintōn ecclesie dignitate. Quod ut in posterum ratum permaneat et inconcussum, presenti scripto et sigilli nostri patrocinis duximus confirmandum. His testibus domino Waltero abbate de Hyda. Domino Walters Priore de sancto Swithuno, domino Stephano priore de Motesfonte, magistro Alano de Stoke; magistro Willo de sancte Marie ecclesia, tunc officiali nostro; Luca archidiacon' de surr'. magistro Humfrido de Millers, Henrico & Hugone capellanis, Roberto de Clinchamp, et Petro Rossinol clericis, et multis aliis. Datum apud Wines* per manum P. de cancellis. In die sanctorum martirum Fabiani et Sebastiani. Anno Domi milesimo ducentesimo tricesimo tercio.

Seal, two saints and a bishop praying:

Legend: SVI. M. SITE. BONI. PĒTR' PAVL' E PATRONI.

* Probably Wolvesey-house near Winchester.-G. W.

FF

the right of Pillory, Thurcet, and Furcas, and every manorial privilege.

I find next a grant from Jo. de Venur, or Venuz, to the prior of Selborne-"de tota mora [a moor or bog] ubi Bene oritur, usque ad campum vivarii, et de prato voc. Sydenmeade cum abutt: et de cursu aque molendini." And also a grant in reversion "unius virgate terre" [a yard land] in Achangre at the death of Richard Actedene his sister's husband, who had no child. He was to present a pair of gloves of one penny value to the prior and canons, to be given annually by the said Richard; and to quit all claim to the said lands in reversion, provided the prior and canons would engage annually to pay to the king, through the hands of his bailiffs of Aulton, ten shillings at four quarterly payments, "pro omnibus serviciis, consuetudinibus, exactionibus, et demandis."

This Jo. de Venur was a man of property at Oakhanger, and lived probably at the spot now called Chapel Farm. The grant bears date the seventeenth year of the reign of Henry III. [viz. 1233].

It would be tedious to enumerate every little grant for lands or tenements that might be produced from my vouchers. I shall, therefore, pass over all such for the present, and conclude this letter with a remark that must strike every thinking person with some degree of wonder. No sooner had a monastic institution got a footing, but the neighbourhood began to be touched with a secret and religious awe. Every person round was desirous to promote so good a work; and either by sale, by grant, or by gift in reversion, was ambitious of appearing a benefactor. They who had not lands to spare gave roads to accommodate the infant foundation. The religious were not backward in keeping up this pious propensity, which they observed so readily influenced the breasts of men. Thus did the more opulent monasteries add house to house, and field to field; and, by degrees, manor to manor, till at last "there was no place left;" but every district around became appropriated to the purposes of their founders, and every precinct was drawn into the vortex.