In the City of CANTERBURY King Edward had 51 burgesses who paid tribute and
another 212 over whom he had full jurisdiction; and 3 mills at 40s. Now there
are 19 burgesses who pay tribute. The houses of 32 others who were there have
been destroyed, 11 in the city ditch, the Archbishop of Canterbury has 7 of
them, the Abbot of St Augustine's another 14 in exchange for the castle. There
are still 212 burgesses over whom the King has full jurisdiction; and the 3
mills pay 108s. The toll pays 68s; 8 acres of meadow which used to be the King's
messengers' now pay 15s in tribute; 1000 acres of unproductive woodland which
produce 24s.
In total, value before 1066, £51; as much when Haimo the sheriff acquired it;
now valued at £50. However the present holder pays £30 assayed and weighed, and
£24 at face value. Over and above all this the sheriff has 110s.
A monk of Canterbury Church took away two houses of two burgesses, one outside,
the other inside, the City. These were situated on the King's road.
The burgesses had 45 messuages outside the City, from which they had tribute and
customary dues; the King however had full jurisdiction. These burgesses also had
from the King 33 acres of land for their tax. Ranulf of Colombières holds these
houses and this land. He also has 80 acres of land over and above these, which
the burgesses held in freehold from the King. He also holds 5 acres of land
which rightly belong to a church. For all these Ranulf appeals to the Bishop of
Bayeux as his protector.
Ralph of Courbépine has 4 messuages in the City, which Earl Harold's concubine
held; of which the full jurisdiction is the King's, but up to the present he has
not had it.
Ralph of Courbépine also holds another 11 messuages from the Bishop of Bayeux in
the City itself; they belonged to Esbiorn Bicga, and paid 11s 2 1/2d.
The King has full jurisdiction throughout the whole City of Canterbury, apart
from the land of Holy Trinity Church, of St Augustine's, of Queen Edith, of
Alnoth the noble of Kent, of Esbiorn Bicga and of Sired of Chilham. It was
agreed about the straight roads which have entry and exit through the City, that
whoever does wrong on them shall pay the fine to the King; likewise regarding
the straight roads outside the City as far as 1 league, 3 perches and 3 feet. If
anyone digs or fixes a post within these public roads within the City or outside
it, the King's reeve follows him wherever he has gone, and receives the fine for
the King's works.
The Archbishop of Canterbury claims the fine on roads outside the City on both
sides where the land is his.
A reeve, named Brunmann, took the customs from foreign merchants before 1066 in
the land of Holy Trinity and of St Augustine's; after 1066 he acknowledged
before Archbishop Lanfranc and the Bishop of Bayeux that he had received them
wrongfully; he swore on the sacrament that these Churches had their customs
exempt before 1066. From then on both Churches had their customs in their land,
by the judgement of the King's barons, who tried the case.
The City of ROCHESTER was valued at 100s before 1066; when the Bishop acquired
it, the same; value now £20; however the holder pays £40.
Likewise the possessions of St Martin's
Three Canons of the community of St Martin's together have 1 sulung and 16
acres, that is Sired the canon, Godric and Sewen. In this land are 4 villagers
and 9 smallholders with 1 plough. They pay 22s.
Of the Lathe of Limen, 1 sulung in Blackbourne Hundred. 9 villagers with 2
ploughs. They pay 16s 8d.
In Street Hundred lies 1 sulung of STANSTED. 7 villagers have 2 1/2 ploughs and
7 smallholders. A meadow which pays 16s 8d.
In Bircholt Hundred 1 sulung of STANSTED. 7 villagers and 7 smallholders have 4
ploughs. They pay 20s less 2d. To these 3 sulungs belong 5 pig pastures, and 6
villagers and 5 smallholders. They pay 9s less 3d. They have 3 1/2 ploughs.
In BRENZETT a small piece of land. 2 villagers and 3 smallholders have 1/2
plough. They pay 50d. The Canons of St Martin's have those 4 said sulungs in
common, wood and open land. Value before 1066, £10; now the same.
The land of NORWOOD, the land of RIPE and the land of BRENZETT pay 20s 6d to St
Martin's in alms.
In the inland of St Martin's live 7 smallholders with 1/2 plough; they pay 60s
for the Canons' footwear.
St Margaret's at Cliffe pays £8. 1 countryman there.
Value of the tolls from Dover before 1066, £8; now £22.
Three churches at Dover pay 36s 8d.
From the pasture at MEDERCLIVE and from the gardens in Dover come 9s 4d.
A pasture in SIBERTSWOLD pays 16d.
St Martin's has 10 1/2 mills; they pay £7; before 1066 they paid as much; now
they are valued at £12, but not for the Canons' profit. Under those mills 8 men
live.
At SCORTEBROC a pasture pays 2s.
From this community the Archbishop of Canterbury has every year 55s. 6 men with
1 1/2 ploughs.
In the community of St Martin's are 400 1/2 acres, which make 2 1/2 sulungs.
This land never paid any customary due or levy because 24 sulungs meet the tax
for the whole.
At RIPE are 100 acres which meet their tax where they did before 1066.
At NORWOOD are 50 acres and 100 at BRENZETT which meet their tax as the above
do. In this land are 3 villagers and 9 smallholders. They have 1 1/2 ploughs. If
the Canons had all these as rightly they should, the value would be £60 each
year; now they have only £47 6s 4d.
Ranulf of Colombières takes away from them a meadow and Robert of Romney takes
away from them each year 20d, a salt-house and a fishery. Herbert son of Ivo
gave the Bishop of Bayeux a mark of gold for 1 of their mills, against their
will; Lambert 1 mill, Wadard of Cogges 1 mill, and Ralph of Courbépine 1 mill.
Alnoth the noble of Kent, through Earl Harold's violence took away from St
Martin's MERCLESHAM and HAWKHURST, for which he granted the Canons an unfair
exchange. Now Robert of Romney holds them; the Canons continue to claim it from
him.
List of landholders in Kent
- King William
- The Archbishop of Canterbury
- His monks and his men
- The
Bishop of Rochester
5 The Bishop of Bayeux
6 Battle Abbey
7 St Augustine's Abbey
8 Ghent Abbey
9 Hugh de Montfort
10 Count Eustace
11 Richard of Tonbridge
12 Haimo the sheriff
13 Albert the chaplain
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