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Some notes of the history of the parish of Whitchurch, Oxon
Some notes of the history of the parish of Whitchurch Oxon Author:John Slatter Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: DOCUMENTARY HISTORY. DOCUMENTARY HISTORY. THE first mention of the parish seems to be in connection with the grant of it to the Abbey of Abingdon by Athelr... more »ed, by charter dated A.d. 1o12. In the chronicle of the abbey, i., p. 423, the history runs thus, slightly abridged : ' I, Athelred, King of all England, ... to a certain servant of mine who faithfully serves me—Leofric by name—freely give a certain portion of land for his support —-that is to say ten cassates to possess in his own right in a village commonly called by the country people Hwit- curke situate in the county of Oxford on the bank of the river Thames—to possess freely as long as he lives and to leave it to what heir he please.' This seems to be a citation of the original deed of gift. It proceeds without connection: . . . 'This land finally in our days belonged to one Leofric in right of his father . . . but he by his wicked life and crimes brought himself under condemnation and his land into forfeiture. . . . Therefore we will that this charter by our authority should annul all previous terriers if ever they should befound.' . . . But the charter conveying the land to the abbey is not given. It proceeds : ' The Boundaries. ' The aforesaid land is distinguished according to the testimony of the husbandmen by the following boundaries : ' First from Bleccesford on the Thames; and along the boundary on the southern bank; from the southern bank along the boundary on the jug-well's head; from the jug-well's head along the boundary on to the Beamster- mere (i.e., the boundary in the direction of the tree), and from the Beamster-mere along the boundary to the Head- stile, and from the Head-stile along the boundary to Leofrun's boundary, and from Leofrun's boundary along the boundary back to Bleccan-ford...« less