302
THE SAXONS IN ENGLAND.
[book i.
versions of folcland into bocland were made at first,
was the erection and endowment of a religious house
upon the land, by the grantee ; and we also learn
that sometimes the conversion was made, the thane
presented with the estate, but the church or mo-
nastery not constructed. Soon after the introduc-
tion ofChristianityintoNorthupaberland,it appears
indeed to have been customary to grant much
greater privileges and immunities to church-lands
than were found advisable at a later period, or than
seem to have been permitted in the provinces south
of the Humber. It stands to reason that there
could be no reversion in lands granted to a corpo-
ration: hence folcland which had been presented to
a church assumed what may be called a hereditary
character1, and could only lapse by total destruc-
tion of the particular body,—a circumstance which
could obviously never be contemplated, but which
did actually occur during the civil wars, internal
dissensions and foreign invasions, which gradually
changed the face of the whole country2. But the
lands which the Northumbrian princes devoted to
pious purposes, were most likely relieved from all
burthens whatsoever : we have conclusive evidence
that even military service was excused in that dis-
trict before the time of Beda. In all probability,
1 Land is sometimes called Bishop-land, which I imagine to be the
legal designation of this particular estate.
2 This was the case with Peterborough, Ely and other ancient foun-
dations restored in the time of Eadgar. HehimselfsaysofEly: “Nd
wæs se haiga stede yfele forlreten mid læssan J>eowdome ^δonue us ge-
Iicode mi on drum timan, and eac wæs gehwyrfed tɪam cyninge to
handa, ic cwe,δe be me silfum.” Cod. Dip. No. S63.
c⅛. xi.]
Folcland and bo’Cland.
303
it was not suspected how much the defences of
the country might become impaired by grants of
the kind. The passages already cited from Beda’s
epistle to Ecgberht may be adduced in corrobo-
ration of these assertions, but we have more direct
evidence in his history ɪ. Oswiu on his conver-
sion placed his daughter Eanflaed in the convent
presided over by Hild, and with her he gave
twelve estates, “ possessiunculae terrarum,” most
likely folcland, each estate comprising ten hides ;
in which, Beda continues, “ Ablato studio militiae
terrestris, ad exercendam militiam coelestem locus
facultasque suppeteret,”—or as the Saxon trans-
lator expresses it, “ Those twelve boclands he freed
from earthly warfare and earthly service, to be em-
ployed in heavenly warfare.” It is very clear that
the duties of military service were removed in this
case, and that religious warfare was to be the des-
tination of those that held the lands. Similarly
when Benedict Biscop decided upon devoting him-
self to a monastic life, he surrendered his lands to
the king2. These must obviously have been folc-
land, the retaining of which he considered impos-
sible, under the circumstances ; and which, not
being his own, he could not take with him into a
monastery : “ despexit militiam cum Corruptibili
donative terrestrem, ut vero regi militaret ; ” and
these words of Beda clearly show how we are
to understand what he says of Oswius grant to
Whitby.
‘ Hist. Eccl. iii. 24.
2 Bed. Vit. Sei. Bened. § 1. (Op. Minor, ii. 140.)