J Hutchins Note:- It may be matter of surprise that this place, which has no ground belonging to it but that on which it stands, should be rated at so many hides. But Mr. Webb, in his account of Danegeld, tells us that cities and towns that had no arable lands paid Danegeld in proportion to a certain number of hides ; as Exeter for five, Salisbury for fifty, &c.—Note to last edition of this work.

Under the head of Terra Regis, in the same record, is the following: " The King holds Dorecestre and Fortitone (Fordington), and Sutone (Sutton ⁽¹⁾ Poyntz ?), and Gelingeham (Gillingham), and Frome (Frome Whitwell ?). King Edward held them. It is unknown how many hides there are there, because they were not gelded in King Edward's time. There is land to fifty-six ploughs. There are seven ploughs in demesne and twenty servi, and twelve coliberti, and one hundred and fourteen villans, and eighty. nine bordars with forty-nine ploughs. There are twelve mills paying £6 -5s. and one hundred and sixty acres of meadow; pasture two leagues long and one league broad; wood four leagues long and one league broad. This manor, with its appendages, yields the entertainment of one night."⁽²⁾

In the Domesday Survey of the manor of Charminster⁽³⁾ under the head of " Terra Episcopi Sarisberiensis," is included the following notice of Dorchester: "

In Dorecestre there is one burgess with ten acres of land belonging to this manor." The abbot of Hortun ⁽⁴⁾ also held "in Dorecestre one house; "and amongst " the land of the King's almoners" ⁽⁵⁾ Bristvard the priest held the church of Dorecestre and Bere and the tithes. One hide and twenty acres of land belong to the same. They are worth £4."

6 Hen. I.⁽⁶⁾ the burgesses held the borough in fee-farm.⁽⁷⁾ In the same reign the sheriff accounted for the aid of the borough of Dorchester, and paid into the Exchequer £11; and by the King's writ in favour of the burgesses they were pardoned the payment of 40s. on account of their poverty, and had their acquittance. This was for arrears of an aid released because of their poverty, their houses being left desolate, and their trade failing them.⁽⁸⁾

2 Hen. II.⁽⁹⁾ Richard de Raddon, sheriff of Somerset and Dorset, in rendering the account of the farm of the latter county, includes amongst the lands granted (in terris datis) the payment of £60 blanch money to Earl Reginald, out of Fordington, Dorchester, and Bridport; and the following year accounts for a like payment. Warin de Lisoris, or Lisures, the next sheriff, in rendering his account, mentions a ,' similar payment.⁽¹⁰⁾

1 Richard I.⁽¹¹⁾ Hugh Bardolf, sheriff of Dorset and Somerset, on rendering account of the farm of the two counties, includes a payment of £50. to Geoffry the Porter (Portar') in Dorchester; and the same year William de Bendenges, in accounting for the old farm of the same counties, owed the sum of £9. 10s. for the old farm of Bridport and Fordington and Dorchester, and for half a year of the King's moiety of Meleburne; and at the same time, in accounting for the tallage in Dorset, enters the men of Dorchester as owing £7. 19s. 2d. de dono.⁽¹²⁾

1 Hen. III.⁽¹³⁾ Henry Fitz Count was seised of this manor, and those of Bridport, Fordington, and Blackemore Forest, and had a market at Meleburne⁽¹⁴⁾

11 Hen. III.⁽¹⁵⁾ on the sheriffs rendering the farm into the exchequer, the purse of Dorchester (bursa de Dorcestre) lacked 3d. and the purse of the county lacked 1d., and they are to be extended to (the value of) 7½.⁽¹⁶⁾

19 Hen. III.⁽¹⁷⁾ in a tallage assessed by William de Wudiet and his companions on the counties of Dorset and Somerset, the amount levied on this vill was ten marks.⁽¹⁸⁾

20 Hen. III. ⁽¹⁹⁾ the men of Dorchester paid £12 blanch money for the fee farm of the town, which is £12.12s.; £12. blanch was then £12.12s. numero⁽²⁰⁾

47 Hen. III.⁽²¹⁾ Baldwin de Insula Earl of Devon held this manor.⁽²²⁾ On the general inquisition concerning various rights of the crown, 3 Edw. I.⁽²³⁾   the jurors of the borough of Dorchester returned that Henry Cole held within the limits of the borough of Dorchester 11a, of land, it was unknown by what warranty, and nothing was therefrom rendered to the King; and that on the said land dwellings had been newly built, and the inhabitants were quit of toll and other customs, to the damage of the King and the said vill, of half a mark per annum. The same jurors likewise returned that William de Insula (or de Lisle) had established a market at Niweton (Maiden Newton) in the time of the father of the present King, to the damage of the borough of Dorchester of half a mark per annum.⁽²³⁾ In pursuance of this inquisition, John de Insula was summoned to answer by what warranty he held a certain market in Neweton, to the prejudice of the King's free borough of Dorchester, &c., and William de Giselham, who followed on behalf of the King, declared that every market ought to be five miles distant from another, and the market held by the said John was within that distance from the King's boroughs of Brideport and Dorchester; but the said John appeared and pleaded that his vill of Neweton was more than five miles from the said boroughs, and (to prove) that it was so he prayed that inquisition might be taken.⁽²⁴⁾

8 Edw. I.⁽²⁵⁾ by an inquisition there taken the jury presented that this borough was the King's borough, and that it was worth yearly £16 and that in it were the churches of St. Peter, St. Trinity, and All Saints; all which were in the patronage of the Crown; whereof the two former were valued at twenty-four marks annually, and All Saints at three marks.⁽²⁶⁾

In 1308, 2 Edward II. the burgesses of the borough of Dorchester petitioned the King and Council, setting forth that the prior of Christchurch, who held a moiety of the vill of Pidelton in fee-farm of the Sire Simon de Monteacuto for £20 per annum, sought to establish a market (there) on Thursdays, to the prejudice of the King and his crown, because the merchants who have been accustomed to come to the borough of Dorchester to sell, tarry at Pidelton, so that the said borough cannot be maintained nor the King's farm levied: therefore they pray a remedy for God, and because the one vill is so near to the other disputes will arise between them. In response to this they were to have a writ to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to inquire if the said market is unjustly maintained; return to be made to the King.

17 Edw. II. March 18,⁽²⁷⁾ the King granted to the bailiffs, burgesses, and good men of this borough the custody of it for five years, from Michaelmas then next ensuing, paying yearly £20 Madox says their farm was raised, that the burgesses might not be disquieted by any custos set over them by the officers of the Crown ⁽²⁸⁾  In the same year, June 5th, the King reciting that this borough having been anciently in the hands of the burgesses for the yearly pension of £16 paid at the Exchequer, and that the said farm had been augmented to £20 per annum in his father's time, and was afterwards assigned to his mother, Queen Isabella, for term of her life, but is now in his hands by her surrender of it to him; for a fine of 40s. paid by the burgesses that they might not be disquieted by any custos, granted the borough to them in farm, from Easter last for the term of ten years, paying yearly at the Exchequer £20 per billam thesaurarii.⁽²⁹⁾

11 Edw. III.⁽³⁰⁾ on the petition of the burgesses, setting forth that they held the farm of the borough several times for a certain term of years, at £20 per annum, pursuant to an inquisition taken here this year, wherein it was found that it could not be prejudicial to the King, nor diminish the farm of the county if he granted to the burgesses the borough, which was worth £16. 5s. yearly; which perquisites arise several ways, namely, from three fairs, on the feasts of the Holy Trinity, St. John the Baptist, and St. James, each continuing one day, worth annually 20s.; and a market on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday every week, worth yearly 57s.. The King now grants the borough to them for ever, in fee-farm, paying yearly at the Exchequer £20⁽³¹⁾

The following documents were enrolled on this occasion :-

Edward, by the grace of God, &c. To his Treasurer and Barons of the Exchequer greeting, Because for certain causes we will to be certified how much the burgesses of Dorchester, co. Dorset, or others to whom the said town was demised by our progenitors or us, at a certain farm per annum, were accustomed to render to our said progenitors, or us, for the farm of that vill, at our Exchequer by the year, and of how much our progenitors aforesaid, or ourselves, were yearly answered at the Exchequer of the issues of the aforesaid vill at all times when the same town was in the hands of our progenitors, or in our hands. We command you that, having searched the rolls and memoranda of the aforesaid Exchequer, you clearly and openly, and without delay, certify us in our Chancery of that which you shall therein find, under the seal of the Exchequer aforesaid, remitting to us this writ. Witness myself, at the Tower of London, the first day of March, in the eleventh year of our reign.

Diligent search having been made in the rolls and memoranda of your Exchequer, upon the matters contained in your royal writ, which we send back to you inclosed with these presents, it is found that, in the sixth year of the reign of the Lord Henry, late King of England, your great-grandfather, there was demanded first, under the name of the men of Dorchester, xx li. blanch of the farm of their town, which from that time are so demanded yearly until the twenty-first year of the reign of the same your great-grandfather, in which year Walter de Burgh, then custos of the demesne of the same your great-grandfather, in his account of the same demesne answered for £16 for the farm of the vill of Dorchester for the same twenty-first year, and for sixteen pounds for the same for the twenty-second year of the reign of your said great-grandfather; and from the twenty-fifth year of the reign of the same your great-grandfather there was demanded yearly sixteen pounds for the farm of the vill aforesaid unto the seventeenth year of the reign of the Lord Edward late King of England your father, in which year Walter Berill had the said vill at farm at the will of the same your father, rendering twenty pounds per annum; and from the same seventeenth year the burgesses, and other men of the borough of Dorchester, have had the said borough at farm for the term of five years, rendering therefor twenty pounds per annum; and afterwards the same burgesses had the same borough at farm by your grant by another commission, from the feast of Easter in the fifth year of your reign, unto the term of ten years, rendering therefor annually £20

Edward, by the grace of God King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Aquitaine, to the Sheriff of Dorset, greeting, We command you that, by the oath of honest and lawworthy men of your bailiwick, by whom the truth of the matter may be best known, you shall diligently inquire if it will be to the loss or prejudice of us, or of others, or to the diminution of the farm of the aforesaid county, if we grant to our chosen the burgesses of Dorchester, in the county aforesaid, their borough of Dorchester aforesaid, to have and to hold to the same burgesses, their heirs and successors, burgesses of the same borough, together with the liberties, free customs, and all other things to the same borough of any sort soever belonging of us and our heirs, at fee-farm for ever or not. And if it will be to the loss or prejudice of us or of others, or to the diminution of the farm of the county aforesaid, then to what loss and to what prejudice of us, and to what damage and to what prejudice of others, and to what diminution of the farm of that county, and in what manner and how much, and how much the aforesaid borough is worth per annum in all issues according to the true value of the same, and in what the profits belonging to the same borough consist; and the inquisition thereupon clearly and openly made under your seal, and the seals of those by whom it shall be taken, without delay you shall send to us and this writ. Witness myself at Westminster, the 18th day of March, in the 11th year of our reign.    -- By the Council.

I, Hildebrand de London, have taken an inquisition according to the tenor of this writ, and the same inquisition I send to you hereunto annexed.

An Inquisition taken at Dorchester by the precept of the Lord the King by his writ before Hildebrand de London, sheriff of Dorset, appointed to inquire concerning the articles contained in the said writ, on Sunday next after the feast of St. Mark the Evangelist, in the eleventh year of the reign of King Edward the Third after the Conquest, by the oath of John de Burtone, Walter Harang, John de Ludeforde, John de Stroude, Thomas de Mari, Richard de Monteforti, William Jurdan, Laurence de Bosco, William Thomelyn, John Barfought, John de Fermerie, and Robert Bassett, who say upon their oath that it is not to the loss or prejudice of the Lord the King nor any other, nor to the diminution of the farm of the aforesaid county, if the same Lord the King grant to his burgesses at Dorchester in the county aforesaid, their borough aforesaid, to have and to hold to the same burgesses, their heirs and successors, burgesses of that borough, together with the liberties and free customs and all other things to the same borough of any sort belonging, of the said Lord the King and his heirs at fee-farm for ever; and they say that the aforesaid borough with its appurtenances is worth per annum in all issues, according to the true value of the same, sixteen pounds, five shillings; and they say that the profits to the same borough annually belonging consist in sixty and thirteen shillings rents of assize per annum; in the assize of bread and beer broken, which are worth per annum sixty and ten shillings; in all plaints arising within the said borough, and perquisites of court, waifs, estrays, the shedding of blood, the levying of hue and cry, which are worth per annum fifty and two shillings; in three fairs, at the feasts of the Holy Trinity, the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, and Saint James, to wit, in every feast for one day, which are worth per annum twenty shillings; in three markets every week, per annum, to wit, on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, of any customs whatsoever to markets belonging, value per annum fifty and seven shillings, and of all things in anywise weighed in certain places round the borough aforesaid, that is to say, from the borough aforesaid, as far as La Ridedich, beyond Winterborne Saint Martin, and from that place unto an ash tree in the middle of the vill of Maydene Newtone, and from the same place unto Puttestable, and from thence as far as Sherborne upon the Greyne, near the chapell of the Blessed Thomas the Martyr, on every side, and from thence unto Kingestake, and thenceforward as far as Harfordebrigge, Blandefordebrigge, Craufordesbrigge, and from thence unto the bridge of Stourminster Marschal, and from thence unto Wirgerede, and from thence by the river of Frome, on the north side, unto Eastwirdesford, and from thence unto Frarenemayne, and from thence unto Dorchester, which pelage is worth per annum fifty and three shillings. In witness of which things to this inquisition the aforesaid jurors have appended their seals. Given in the day, place, and year abovesaid.

"The bailiffs and burgesses of the borough of Dorchester humbly petition their Lord the King, that, whereas they held to them, their heirs and successors, by grant and confirmation of the Sire Edward the Third, late King of England, progenitor of the present King, the said borough with all its appurtenances, and all the liberties and free customs, and all other things appendant and belonging thereto, of the said King and his heirs in fee-farm for ever, rendering annually £20 to the Exchequer, at certain terms, by equal portions ; to the same 'borough, amongst other liberties, free customs, &c. as parcel of the aforesaid fee-farm, the said bailiffs and burgesses have had and have been accustomed to have the weighing of all sorts of things weighable (choses poisables) purchased or sold by their beam (balaunce), according to the standard of the King's Exchequer, as well in all the fairs and markets of the said borough, as in all the vills and other places for the space of twelve miles round the same; receiving for every draught under and above the weight of 28 lbs. one farthing, as parcel of the fee-farm aforesaid: of which pesage they have been seised from time beyond memory under the grant and confirmation aforesaid, and so seised have been hindered, ousted, and interrupted by certain men, lords of the vills, and and by others in the said vills and places within the said twelve miles surrounding the said borough, under colour of a statute made in the late Parliament at Westminster, on the morrow of St. Matthew the Apostle, in the eighth year of the present King, by which statute, amongst other things, it was ordained, that every city under penalty of £10 every borough under penalty of 100s., and every vill where there is a constable under penalty of 40s., shall have a common beam, together with weights according to the standard of the Exchequer, within two months after the proclamation of the same ordinance shall have been made; by which beam as well the inhabitants of the cities, boroughs, and vills aforesaid as others therein, will have authority to weigh all things weighable (toutz choses poisables) as in the said statute more plainly appears. The said bailiffs and burgesses therefore prayed that the matter might be considered how, by the said statute, as well the Lord the King and his heirs, as the said bailiffs and burgesses, their heirs and successors, would be for ever disinherited of the profit and pesage aforesaid, to the perpetual annihilation of the said fee-farm if due remedy should not be found out. And they desired that the King, by the advice of the lords spiritual and temporal, and by authority of Parliament, would be pleased to appoint a special commission, under the direction of his chancellor, to inquire and make return, &c. of all the aforesaid matters, that the said bailiffs and burgesses, by the authority of Parliament, might be restored to their inheritance of the aforesaid pesage, &c."

"It is ordained and agreed to, that, whereas by force of a statute made in the present Parliament there shall be weights according to the standard of the Exchequer in every city, borough, and vill within the realm; nevertheless, it shall not disturb our burgesses of the borough of Dorchester in their right of pesage for twelve miles round the same borough, they using always such weights as in the statute are expressed, and no right or title of pesage shall accrue to any one by force of the said late statute in disturbance of the right of the burgesses of the borough of Dorchester aforesaid."

To all true crysten pepill to whom this present wrytyng cometh, John Reson, Meyre of the Burgh of Wareham, William 0lyver and John Harreys, Balyvys of the towne of Brideport, in the shire of Dorset, send greeting in God, Forasmoche as hit apereth to us of record under the grete seall of our gracyous and soveraigne lord kyng yt nowe is, that atte petycion of the Ballyvys and Burges of the Burgh of Dorchestre, of the sayde shyre, mayde to our sayd lord in his parlement, held at Westminster the Fryday next before the fest of Seynt hillary, the ix yere of his regne, hit was ordeyned and assented, by thavyse of the lordes Spyrituell and temporell and the commons of this reme of Engelond, that the burges of the sayd Burgh of Dorchestre shold not be desturbet ne let of no manner persone to use and enyoye the libertee of peysage whyche they yr auncestors predecessours, Burges of the sayd burgh, have use fro tyme yt no mynd of man rendeth, in all manner cyteis, burghs, tounys, and placys where feyres and mercatys beth within the space of xij myle round aboute the sayd burgh of Dorchestre, and yt no title of peysage shold growe to eny persone be force of eny statute made the contrary yrof, in desturbance of right and title of the burges of the sayd burgh. And also we the sayd meyre and Ballyvys be enfourmed of right true and credybell persones, byers and syllers wtinne the space of xii mile in every fayre and mercate yt hath be round aboute the sayd burgh, yt they have payed for yr peysage to the Ballyvys and burges of the sayd burgh, and to none outher man, and yt the said ballyvys and burges of Dorchestre foresayd, yr auncestours and predecessours burges of the same burgh, have be in pesybell wyse possessed and seysed of the sayd liberte of peysage in manner and fourme forsayd syth tyme of mynd of man, and before eny tyme of menis mynds, withoute eny desturbance and enterrupcion of Abbot, Knyght, or squyer, havyng eny franchise toune or place withinne the sayd space of xii mile. In wytnysse of whyche thyng we the sayd meyre and Ballyvys, by consent and assent of all the burges of the said burgh of Warham and toune of Brydeport, have put to this present wrytyng oure comen selys. Geve the day of the translation of seynt Edward Confessor, the yere of the regne of King Harry the sixt, after the Conquest xxxix.

14 Edw. III. ⁽³³⁾ the following inhabitants and others were assessed in Dorchester for the subsidy of the ninth and fifteenth, granted by Parliament, by which the inhabitants of cities and boroughs were to contribute the very ninth part of all their goods and chattels.⁽³⁴⁾

From Henry Eldager, for the ninth part of all his goods . iiij s. viii d.
From John Dawe, for the ninth part of all his goods . iij s. iv d.
From William Gardewastel, for the same vi s. viiij d.
From Roger de Haselber for the same ij s. vi d.
From Stephen le Hore for the same xiii s. iv d.
From Benedict le Glover for the same iv s. viii d.
From John Pokeswell for the same ij s. viii d.
From Robert Champ for the same ij s xx d.
From John Ludeford for the same ij s. iii d.
From Robert Boghier for the same iij s. iv d.
From Peter le Deygher for the same x s. iv d.
From John Somer for the same iv s. vi d.
From Robert Deigher for the same iii s. vi d
From Walter Portesham for the same ij s. viii d.
From Robert de Stoke for the same iv s. viii d.
From William Terry for the same iv s. xvi d.
From William Our, senior for the same senior ij s. xvi d.
From John Baillif for the same viii s. xvi d.
From John de Cumpton for the same x s. xvi d.
From John Rolond for the same ij s. xvi d.
From Richard Tyte for the same x s. vi d.
From Geoffry Joup for the same vi s. viii d.
From William Hony for the same vi s. viii d.
From John le Degher for the same ij s. xvi d.
From John Woderove for the same v s. viii d.
From Nicholas Ryper for the same iv s. vi d.
From Walter Whittok for the same ij s. vi d.
From Thomas de Cerne for the same vi s. viii d.
From John Parker for the same iij s. viii d.
From John Boghier for the same iij s. viii d.
From Hugh Westbrouk for the same iv s. viii d.
From Peter le Spicer for the same ij s. viii d.
From Roger Hayne for the same ij s. xvi d.
From William Our, junior for the same x s. xvi d.
From Hugh le Beste for the same ij s xvi d.
From Roger Camber for the same iv s xvi d.
From Emma Bailiff for the same iij s. iv d.
From John de Burton for the same iv s. iv d.
From Richard le Walyssh for the same . iv a. vi d.
From Henry Page for the same iij s. iv d.
From Ralph Wranne for the same x s. iv d.
From John Resom for the same vi s.viii d.
Total £ix. xvii s. ix d.