The Quarterly Journal

OF THE

Berks Archæological and Architectural Society.

LL archæologists in Berkshire will be delighted to hear that the unique collection of Roman antiquities, which have been discovered during the recent excavations at Silchester, will be deposited at Reading, on the condition that suitable accommodation will be found for them. The Corporation of Reading has not failed to realise the magnitude and value of this noble gift of the Duke of Wellington, and has devoted a sum of money for the purpose of providing a room for the reception of the collection. The question arose as to whether the old Hospitium should be devoted to this purpose, or whether accommodation should be found in connection with the present Museum. The first scheme had many advantages ; but it was finally decided to adopt the second alternative. It will be well for the Corporation to consider that the present collection, which is the result of only one summer's work, will probably form but a small portion of the antiquities which will hereafter be brought together, when the Society of Antiquaries has accomplished the whole work. It will, therefore, be necessary to find plenty of space. Reading is to be congratulated upon being the inheritor of so large, interesting, and unique a collection of Roman antiquities, and our Museum will become one of the most valuable institutions of the kind in the kingdom.

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Excursions.

It is proposed to make an excursion to Coventry and Kenilworth on July 29th. Stonleigh Abbey will also be visited. This excursion will probably be one of the most interesting which the Society has arranged for some time, and the members have often expressed a desire to visit these historic places. It is necessary that all those who desire to accompany this excursion should signify their intention not later than Saturday, July 18th.

The Newbury Excursion was unavoidably postponed.

Reviews and Notices.

NOTES ON THE CHURCH PLATE OF NORTH WILTS, BY THe Rey. E. H. GODDARD.—We have received a copy of this valuable article re-printed from the Wilts Archeological Magazine. It is the result of much diligent research, and Mr. Goddard and his coadjutors seem to have performed their work most thoroughly and systematically. They have been fortunate enough to have discovered two fine specimens of pre-Reformation chalices at Manningford Abbots and at Highworth, besides a paten at Melksham, and a pewter chalice and paten at North Bradley Church. Good illustrations of the chalices and flagons are given, and a chronological list of the Silver Church Plate of North Wilts to the end of the eighteenth century. The inventory of the Berks Church Plate is still in progress, and we are looking forward to the results of Mr. Dasent and Mr. Gardener's labours, which we hope will be as satisfactory as those of Mr. Goddard and his colleagues in Wilts.

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REPORT OF OXFORDSHIRE ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. This Society has also begun to catalogue the Church Plate of Oxfordshire, and a list of the Plate of the Deanery of Witney is given in this report. It contains also an account of the excursion to White Horse Hill which was made in conjunction with our Society, and to which we look back with much pleasant recollection.

Hurley.

By Rev. F. T. Wethered, M.A.

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OOMSDAY (commenced in 1080 and finished in 1086) tells us that Herlei was owned by Esgar, probably a Saxon or Dane (who was chief staller to King Edward the Confessor). It speaks of "Terra Goisfridi de Manneville, in Benes

Hd." and goes on "Isdem Gousfridus tenet Herlei. Esgar tenuit de

12 cotarii cum 15 carucis. servi et molinum de 20

rege Edwardo. Tunc et modo pro 14 hidis una virgata minus. Terra est 18 carucatæ. In dominio sunt 4 carucæ et 25 villani et Ibi et 12 Cotarii cum 15 carucis. Ibi 10 solidis. Ibi ecclesia et 2 piscaria de i2 solidis et 20 acræ prati. Silva de 5 porcorum. Valet et valuit 12 libras." Thus it appears clear that the Monastery had not at the completion of Doomsday been yet founded; otherwise this General Survey would surely have referred to it; so that, William the Conqueror having died on September 9th, 1087, the Monastery was established, and the church dedicated (to S. Mary), and endowed by Geoffrey de Mandeville at some date between the completion of Doomsday and the Conqueror's death. No doubt Hurley Church was originally built by the Saxons—see the north wall, -and was probably ravaged by Danes in 870, during their occupation. of Reading, or else in 894, when they traversed Herlei on their way "up by Temese" from Essex to Gloucestershire (of which march up we are informed by the Saxon Chronicle, and which is attested by an encampment called the Danes Ditches (Danesfield), in the immediate vicinity of Hurley Church); and whereas Herlei, also called Esgareston from having been held by Esgar under King Edward the Confessor, is stated in the Norman Survey to have possessed in the time of the Confessor every possible indication of wealth and prosperity-such as mills, fisheries, meadows, woods and swine-it is not surprising that this beautiful spot should have been at that time in possession of a parish church. It is noticeable that in the neighbourhood there should occur the name of Cividen, by which title the picturesque seat of the Duke of

Westminster (now known as Cliefden) was identified as late as in 1299. In "Liber Niger Quaternum" (Westminster, 12 Dugdale, No. 14), we read of a certain Prior of the (Benedictine) Monastery of Hurley beseeching the King "pro reverentiâ dominæ Edithæ sororis sancti regis Edwardi Confessoris ibidem sepulta," to appropriate to the Monastery the church of "Warefeld," of which the Prior and Convent of Hurley were the patrons, because of their being in much distress at Hurley owing to Thames floods which had destroyed the houses in the village, and had drowned many of its inhabitants—the Convent being obliged to give sanctuary to the survivors; so that we have, here, an instance of the great esteem in which the Confessor held our village (Hurstelega-place of the wood) as indicated by the burial of his sister in this parish.* In a later number of the 'Journal,' I hope to offer some notes in connection with Geoffrey de Mandeville's Charter, a translation of which will then be printed, but I think that preparatory to the appearance of this extremely interesting piece of Berkshire history, it may not be out of place to attempt a short sketch of this ancient parish in chronological order. In the Westminster series of Hurley Charters we find (? in 1090) the founder of our Monastery writing sharply to Edric, his "propositus," and men at Waltham-on account of a heavy complaint made to him by his Prior and Monks at Hurley ("prior et monachi mei de Hurleia michi graviter conquesti sunt") because their wood and "licentia" had been badly laid waste and violated; and the indignant Geoffrey commands his bailiff and the rest super feoda vestra that they are not to let in water upon the Monks' holdings, nor to take anything out of their wood by transgressing their own borders, without leave in writing from the prior and his brethren of the convent; and, that if at any time anything should be necessary for the repair of the houses (in Waltham) or for the repairs of fences they were to get written consent from the aforesaid parties. It is a stern, peremptory, and convincing document, and ends abruptly— "Valete." In (?) 1130, Geoffrey (grandson of the founder of our Monastery), in conjunction with his wife Roesia, grants tithe "Deo et ecclesiæ S. Mariæ elemosinæ suæ de Herleia," and denounces on all who might violate his gift, as follows: "and may their portion be to dwell everlastingly with those who said to the Lord God 'Depart from us, we will have none of thy ways; and, in a Charter to King Stephen (c. 1136), Hurley is again referred to by the last* The date of the document is in Richard II.'s reign, but it is supposed to refer to a much earlier date.

named Geoffrey. A Charter by Henry I. is of exceeding interest in the Westminster series of these old Hurley Deeds, inasmuch as it not only confirms the original grant made by Geoffrey at the instigation of his wife Leceline, in the Conqueror's reign-being addressed to the "justices, viscounts, barons, and all their sub ordinates and to the men of Berkshire (Berchesira) 'Francis et Anglis-greeting," but also states that he does so "pro meâ et matris meæ salute et imperatricis filiæ meæ petitione et animæ suæ redemptione,"—" eâdem Imperatrice" being one of the witnesses, and Roger, Bishop of Salisbury [1107-1139] the other. And then follows "Per Otuelum filium, . . ois apud Turrim Lundoniæ.” One interesting paragraph in this Charter in favour of the Hurley Priory is as follows: "Et terra et homines ecclesiæ ejusdemi, quocumque loco sint per Angliam, sint liberi et quieti de shiris et Hundredis, de placitis, querelis, geldis, Danegeldis, scottis, et auxeliis omnibus et de omnibus operationibus, et occasionibus et exactionibus et assisis, excepto solummodo murdro et probato latrocinio." Pope Adrian IV., in a Bull of 1157 confirmed amongst other possessions to the Abbey of Westminster "Cellum de Hurleyâ cum eâdem villâ cum omni obedientiâ et subjectione, et pertinentiis suis." The Second Henry also confirmed the Charter, and with the following difference in regard to the above paragraph. That is to say-Henry II. writes "Et terra et homines ecclesiæ illius, quo cumque sint loco per Angliam, sint liberi et quieti de siris, et hundredis, et murdro et latrocinio, et danegeldo, et omnibus assisis quæ ad 6 hidas terræ pertinent de dominio eorum, &c."; and, His Majesty concludes his charter" quoniam iste eis pro anima avi mei regis Henrici, et Willhelmi filii mei, concessi, et animæ meæ salute, et reginæ meæ Alienoræ voluntate et petitione." In the Westminster series of Hur. ley Charters is one, made probably at some date anterior to 1175 by Agnes, daughter of William, Constable of Chester, in which she confirms a gift of two hides, given by her father-one in Pyrton (?) and the other in Clewer (?) to Hurley Church; and, in addition, certain woodland which had belonged to Godwin, the Briton. This last named Charter is interesting, too, from the fact that amongst the witnesses-"ex parte Prioris " occur-Richard, the porter; Robert, the miller; and Nicholas, the cook, as holding these several offices in the Hurley Monastery.

In 1190, Richard (probably Fitz Neale), Bishop of London (1189. 1199) confirmed Hurley Charters on October 15th at Cofford. (Walden Register of Hurley Series).