320
THE SAXOXS IN ENGLAND.
[book i.
hedging1. At Easter they were further to pay two
ewes and lambs, two young sheep being held equiva-
lent to one old one : these they were to wash and
shear out of their own time. Lastly, every week they
were to do any work which might be required of
them, except during the three weeks, at Christmas,
Easter and the Gangdays2.
The following customs and payments are re-
corded in various manors : some of the words I
cannot translate. “ In Dyddanham there are thirty
hides ; nine of these are inland (demesne), twenty-
one are let3. In Stræt are twelve hides, twenty-
seven yards of gafolland ; and on the Severn there
are thirty cytweras4. In Middleton are five hides,
fourteen yards of gafolland, fourteen cytweras on
the Severn, and two hæeweras on the Way. At
Kingston there are five hides, thirteen yards of ga-
folland, and one hide above the ditch which is now
also gafolland, and that without the ham5, is still
in part inland, in part let out on rent to the ship-
wealas6 : to Kingston belong twenty-one cytweras
on the Severn, and twelve on the Way. In Bi-
* Gnfolbaere, gafolmæd, gafolwidu, gafoltuning. The Saxons knew
well enough that all these things were rent ; and all land'put out upon
rent of any kind was gafolland, gafolcund or qaυelkind land.
2 Cod. Dipl. No. 1077.
3 Geset land I have rendered by set out or let ; as land is afterwards
said to be set out to rent, to gafole gesett.
4 The cytweras and hæeweras were weirs or places for taking fish,
but I cannot distinguish their nature. The names would induce us to
think the former were shaped like a modern eel-trap, the latter were
formed with a slat or hatch.
5 An enclosure on the water. See Cod. Dipl. iii. p. xxvii.
β Welsh navigators.
ch3xi∙]
LÆ’NLAND.
321
shopstun are three hides, and fifteen cytweras on
the Way : in Lancawet are three hides, two hæe-
weras on the Way, and two cytweras.
“Throughout that land each yardland pays twelve
pence, and four alms-pence : at every weir within the
thirty hides, every second fish belongs to the land-
lord, besides every uncommon fish worth having,
sturgeon or 'porpoise, herring or sea-fish ; and no
one may sell any fish for money when the lord is
on the land, until he have had notice of the same.
In Dyddenham the services are very heavy. The
geneat must work, on the land or off the land, as
he is commanded, and ride and carry, lead load
and drive drove, and do many things beside. The
gebur must do his rights ; he must plough half an
acre for*week-work, and himself pay the seed in
good condition into the lord’s barn for church-shot,
at all events from his own barn: towards werbold1,
forty large trees 2 or one load of rods ; or eight geocu
build3, three еЪЪап close: of field enclosure fifteen
rods, or let him ditch fifteen ; and let him ditch one
rod of burg-enclosure ; reap an acre and a half, mow
half an acre ; work at other works ever according
to their nature. Let him pay sixpence after Easter,
half a sester of honey at Lammas, six sesters of
malt at Martinmas, one clew of good net yarn. In
the same land it is customary that he who hath
seven swine shall give three, and so forth always
Werbold, the construction of the weir or place for catching fish,
a Mæra, of large wood ɪn opposition to rods ?
3 Let him build eight yokes in the weir, and close three ebban.
What these geocu and ebban are, I cannot say.
VOL. I. γ