KENT
DOVER before 1066 paid £18, of which pence King Edward had two parts and Earl
Godwin the third. Against this, the Canons of St Martin's had the other half.
The burgesses gave 20 ships to the King once a year for 15 days. In each ship
were 21 men. They did this because he had given over to them full jurisdiction.
When the King's messengers came there, they gave 3d in winter and 2d in summer
for horse passage. The burgesses found a steersman and 1 other assistant. If
there was more labour, it was hired with his own money.
From the Feast of St Michael until the Feast of St Andrew the King's truce, that
is peace, was in the town. If anyone broke it, the King's reeve received the
common fine for it.
Whoever lived permanently in the town and paid customary dues to the King was
exempt from toll throughout the whole of England.
All these customs were there when King William came to England.
After King William's first arrival in England the town was burnt. Its
valuation could not therefore be reckoned, what its value was when the Bishop of
Bayeux acquired it. Now it is valued at £40; however, the reeve pays £54, that
is £24 of pence, which are 20 to the ora, to the King and £30 at face value to
the Earl.
In DOVER are 29 messuages whose customary dues the King has lost. Of these,
Robert of Romney has 2, Ralph of Courbépine 3, William son of Theodwald 1,
William son of Oger 1, William son of Theodwald and Robert Blaec 6, William son
of Geoffrey 3, including the burgesses' guild-hall, Hugh de Montfort 1 house,
Durand 1, Ranulf of Colombières 1, Wadard of Cogges 6, and Geoffrey son of
Modbert 1. For these houses they all cite the Bishop of Bayeux as protector and
deliverer, that is donor.
For the messuage which Ranulf of Colombières holds, which was an exile's, that
is an outlaw's, they agree that half the land is the King's; Ranulf has both
[halves] himself. Humphrey Strapfoot holds 1 messuage, half of which was forfeit
to the King. Roger of Westerham made a house on the King's waterway, and has
hitherto kept the King's customary dues. The house was not there before 1066.
At the entrance to DOVER harbour is a mill, which wrecks almost all ships,
through its great disturbance of the sea; it does very great harm to the King
and his men; it was not there before 1066. Of this, Hugh, Herbert's nephew says
that the Bishop of Bayeux gave permission for it to be made by his uncle,
Herbert son of Ivo.
The men of four Lathes, that is The Borough Lathe, Eastry Lathe, Limen Lathe
and Wye Lathe, agree upon the following royal laws.
If anyone has made a fence or ditch whereby the King's public road is narrowed,
or has felled into the road a tree that stood outside the road, and has carried
off branch or foliage from it; for each of these offences he shall pay 100s to
the King.
If he has gone away from home without being apprehended or attached,
nevertheless the King's officer should follow him and he shall be fined 100s.
On breach of the peace, if anyone commits it and is charged on the road or
attached he shall pay a fine of £8 to the King. But if he is exempt towards the
King he shall not be so for the Lord whose man he is.
For other offences it is as for breach of the peace, but he shall pay a fine of
100s.
The King has the fines for these penalties over all freeholders of the whole of
the County of Kent.
When a freeholder dies then the King has the death-duty on the land, apart from
the land of Holy Trinity of Canterbury, of St Augustine's of Canterbury and of
St Martin's of Dover, and with these exceptions: Godric of Bishopsbourne, Godric
Karlson, Alnoth the noble of Kent, Esbiorn Bicga, Sired of Chilham, Thorgisl,
Northmann of Mereworth and Azur. Over these the King has only the capital
penalty even now, and he has the death-duty on the lands of those who have full
jurisdiction.
And over these lands, namely Goslaches, Buckland, the other Buckland, the third
Buckland, Hurst, 1 yoke of Oare, 1 yoke of Harty, Schildricheham, Macknade,
Arnolton, Oslachintone, Perry Court, the other Perry Wood, Throwley, Ospringe
and Horton the King has these penalties: house-breaking, breach of the peace,
highway robbery.
On adultery, over the whole of Kent the King has the fine from the man and the
Archbishop of Canterbury from the woman, apart from the land of Holy Trinity of
Canterbury, of St Augustine's of Canterbury and of St Martin's of Dover, from
which the King has nothing.
On theft, the King has half the goods of whoever is condemned to death.
Whoever receives an exile without the King's permission, the King has the fine
from him.
From the aforenamed lands of Alnoth the noble of Kent and others like him, the
King has a bodyguard for 6 days at Canterbury or at Sandwich. They have food and
drink from the King; if they have not had it they withdraw without penalty.
If they are summoned to meet at the Shire they go as far as Penenden, not
further. If they do not come, the King has 100s for this offence and for all
others, with the exception of breach of the peace for which the fine is £8; and
from the roads, as written above.
In Limen Lathe, in Briseuuei the King has a customary due, namely 2 carts and
2 sticks of eels, for one Escort; and in the land of Sophis he has 12d for one
Escort; and from 1 yoke of `Northborough' 12d for one Escort; and from Dean
Court 18d, and from Gara one Escort. These lands lie in Wye. Men from these
lands guard the King at Canterbury or at Sandwich for 3 days if the King comes
there.
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