http:// boar.org.uk/ariwxo3FNQ380.htm           Latest edit 2 Sep 2007.   

Interactive version ©2006 R.J.PENHEY

The Bourne Archive

FNQ

Fenland Notes and Queries. Edited by Rev. W.D. Sweeting, Rector of Maxey.

Part 17. April  1893.

This quarterly periodical took the form of a forum in which people sent in questions about the history, ecology and so on of the Fens and the region’s environs and others replied with some sort of answer. Some ‘answers’ seem to have been spontaneous, so qualifying as ‘notes’.

Because of its length, the late fifteenth century document was spread between two FNQ articles of which this is the second. The first is FNQ 338. Two print versions are available. These include only the text of the 1500 document, one in the original Latin, the other translated. Each of the print versions combines the relevant material from FNQ 338 and FNQ 380.

No claim is made as to the authorship of the FNQ article but it is almost certainly by Sweeting. The parts of words in the Latin text which are printed in Italic will be those which Sweeting has reinstated after they had been omitted by the 1500 legal scribe’s shorthand (or that of the copyist).

I have inserted national grid references to facilitate the placing of the names metioned on a map. These are unqualified where I estimate the probability of their accuracy to be greater than 95%. Otherwise an indication of estimated pobability is given.

R.J.P.

Bookmarks: – Bourne Eau : Cheal Beche : Dowsby Cross : Eastcote : Guthram Cote : Guthramsend : River Glen : Midfen Dike : Neslam

Administration

380 – The Limits of Kesteven and Holland (338). –

Et Juratores predicti dicunt super sacramentum suum Quod tendendum est ab illa cruce non tamen omnino australiter usque ad le heathsteade in Nestleholm sed inter crucem predictam et Nestleholm hearthestead sunt quedam declinaciones hinc et illinc satis cognite illis quorum interest et incolis et vicinis in partibus utrisque predictis et notate per cursum aque et quasdam sykas bene videndas et deinde ab illo loco vocato le hearthesteade predicto versus austrum eundo per flatpoles et quandam crucem vocatam Dowesby Crosse que posita fuit in honorem Sancte Elene  Imperatricis ut semper sit meta et bunda dividens partes predictas usque ad Earthloade olim Cheylbeche et transeundo le Earthloade abinde australiter ad priourdike alias midfendike et directa via per medium dicte prioursdike tendendo nova Syka predicta nova Drana ad Newdike end similiter vocatam priourdike alias fendike end alias Northflete alias Blackflete omnibus quorum interest satis cogitam hijs hominibus et eundum adhuc per le blackflete usque ad fossatum  Alvei sive fluuij de Glean eo loco ubi predictum fossatum instar promontorij extenditur occidentem versus Et hinc paululum eundum est orientaliter per idem fossatum ad fundamen Crucis lapidee iuxta fossatum fluuij predictum positum contigue ad Gotheramscoat  Que quidem crux erecta fuit in honorem sancte Trinitatis ut sit meta et bunda dividens partes predictas  Et ab eodem crucis fundamine per flumen aque directe versus orientem transeundum est ad ulteriorem ripam sive partem aque predicte que dicitur Glean alias Burn Ea alias Catebrige Water Et Satis liquet quod ab hoc loco id est a Gotheramscoat trans amnem versus eurum usque ad Gotheramsend ipsum fossatum in ea parte fluuij constructum et erectum est vera meta bunda et diuisio dividens partes predictas  Nam Juratores predicti dicunt super sacramentum suum  Quod  com eo ventum est scilicet trans amnem in eam partem ubi est Pinchbecke et Spaldinge Southefenn mete et  bunde predicte vertuntur austrum versus non tamen directe sed sicut fossatum predictum eo tenditur et ducit usque ad quedam Repagula sive barras et crucem lapideam in quodam loco vocato Gotheramsend directe ex transuerso sive ex opposito le Eascoat versus austrum  Que quidem Crux apud Gotheramsend predictum posita fuit in honorem sancti Nicolai ut sit meta et bunda dividens partes predictas  Et ulterius Juratores predicti dicunt super sacramentum suum Quod mete et bunde dividentes partes predictas de Kesteven et Holland se extendunt a predicta cruce lapidea posita in Gotherams end ex oppositio le Eascoate predictum (ut predicitur) directe ad puteum quendam sive foramen effossum apud Wadload grayn alias Crosse in the fleggs olim vocatam Oggott recta propemodum linia ad orientem sicut Crosselake alias Everards Lake se extendit a predicta Cruce apud Gotheramsend usque ad dictum puteum sive foramen apud Wodload-greyns alias Cross in le fleggs intersecando siue transeundo quasdam Seweras et incilia in marisco predicto  Et Juratores predicti dicunt Quod predicta Crosse lake alias Everards lake cuius extrema attingere solent et Gotheramsend predictam et crosse in le flegges obstruitur in profundo marisci et fere limo bitumine et sabulo impletur  Antequam ventum sit ad puteum predictum  Et igitur cupivit renovari Sin minus levem putant fore errorem  Si limites et mete et bunde predicte extendantur a cruce predicta apud Gotheramsend directa linia ad puteum predictum apud Crosse in le fleggs predictum sicut anteactis temporibus fiebat   Et Juratores predicti ducunt super sacramentum suum quod tibia cuiusdam crucis lapidee apud Wood Loadgrayns alias Crosse in le fleggs diruta adhuc manet que posita fuit in honorem sancti Guthlaici in ipso Loco ubi puteus predictus effossus et factus est ut semper esset meta et bunda dividens partes predictas sed dejecta fuit diabolico conatu quorundam  Depingensium qui nec deum nec Christum eius nec sanctam dei matrem reverentur aut colunt   Quorum (?) etiam aliquot predicta nobilissima Comitissa merito supplicio tam ecclesiastico quam seculari puniri fecit et quibusdam finibus Depinge cuiuslibet in eternum interdixit.

                   Translation.  [Kesteven and Holland]

And the Jurors aforesaid say upon their oath that one must proceed from that cross but not altogether southwards to the Hearthstead in Nestleholm but between the cross aforesaid and thither well enough known to those concerned and to the inhabitants and neighbours in both parts aforesaid and marked by the course of the water and by certain sykes easily to be seen(2)  And thence from that place called the Hearthstead aforesaid by going towards the south by Flatpoles and a certain cross called Dowesby cross which was erected to the honour of Saint Helena the Empress to be always a mete and bound dividing the parts aforesaid up to Earthloade formerly Cheylbeche(1) and crossing the Earthloade southwards to Priorsdike otherwise Midfendike and by the new syke aforesaid by a new drain to Newdike end likewise called Priorsdike otherwise Fendike otherwise Northflete otherwise Blackflete well enough known to all men concerned and one must go on by the Blackflete up to a fosse of the channel or river of Glean in that place where the aforesaid fosse is stretched out like a promontory towards the west  And from this one must go a little to the east by the same fosse to the foundation of a stone cross by the side of the fosse of the river aforesaid placed near to Gotheramscoat  Which cross indeed was erected to the honour of the Holy Trinity to be a mete and bound dividing the parts aforesaid  And from the same foundation of a cross one must cross by the river of water directly towards the east to the farther bank or part of the water aforesaid which is called Glean otherwise Burn*1 Ea otherwise Catebridge Water and it is sufficiently clear that from this place that is form Gotheramscoat across the river towards the south up to Gotheramsend this very fosse was constructed and erected as a true mete bound and division dividing the parts aforesaid  For the Jurors aforesaid say upon their oath that when one has come to that spot namely across the river to that part where are Pinchbeck and Spalding Southfen the metes and bounds aforesaid are turned towards the south but not in direct line but just as the fosse aforesaid is stretched thither and leads up to certain stoppages or bars and a stone cross in a certain place called Gotheramsend directly opposite the Eascoat towards the south  Which cross at Gotheramsend aforesaid was erected to the honour of Saint Nicolas to be a mete and bound dividing the parts aforesaid  And further the Jurors aforesaid say upon their oath that the metes and bounds dividing the parts aforesaid of Kesteven and Holland extend form the aforesaid stone cross erected in Gotheramsend opposite the Eascoat aforesaid (as is said before) in direct line to a certain well or hole dug at Wodload Grayns otherwise Cross in the Flags formerly called Oggott in nearly a straight line to the east as Crosslake otherwise Everards lake extends form the aforesaid cross at Gotheramsend up to the said well or hole at Wodload Grayns otherwise Cross in the Flags cutting or crossing certain sewers and ditches in the marsh aforesaid  And the Jurors aforesaid say upon their oath that the aforesaid Crosslake otherwise Everards lake the ends of which are wont to touch both Gotheramsend aforesaid and Cross in the Flags is overwhelmed in the depth of the marsh and is nearly filled with mud slime and gravel before one comes to the well aforesaid and therefore needs to be renewed. But if this is not done they think the error would be slight if the metes and bounds aforesaid extend from the cross aforesaid at Gotheramsend in direct line to the well aforesaid at Cross in the Flags aforesaid as was done in former times  And the Jurors aforesaid say upon their oath that the shaft of a certain stone cross at Woodload Grayns otherwise Cross in the Flags remains still overthrown which was erected to the honour of Saint Guthlac in the very place where the well aforesaid was dug and made for ever a mete and bound dividing the parts aforesaid but was thrown down by the diabolical effort of certain Deeping men who reverence neither God nor His Christ nor the Holy Mother of God  Of whom some also the aforesaid Countess caused to be punished by deserved punishment both ecclesiastical and secular and for ever interdicted form certain boundaries of both the Deepings.*2

Footnotes: those of FNQ are marked with an asterisk. –

*1 That is, Bourn Ea.

*2 The exact meaning of this last sentence is very doubtful.

(2) The commissioners seem to be fudging the issue. The survey was made to clarify the matter of who should be paying for the sluice at Boston; now they say in effect, that the locals know but we don’t need to tell the tax man.

Neslam appears to be an example of the colonization of the fens towards Holland, from the Kesteven direction. The homestead is to the east of the general trend of the boundary but most of its land is to the west. Also, so far as records go back, it has always been included in Kesteven. The settlement was made on a large roddon of a creek which was active in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age (Hayes & Lane figs 15, 24 & 30) say, 800 to 600 BC. The settlement appears to antedate both the South Forty Foot Drain and its predecessor, the Midfen Dyke.

In this satellite photograph, the north to south feature in the centre is the modern South forty Foot Drain. Mornington House is to its east.

(1) Cheal Bech is readily traceable inland as far as Rigbolt (TF192280). Its upper part appears to have been Rippingale Running Dike which drains from Cawthorpe and Dyke through the Car Dyke, and from Kirkby Underwood through the Old Beck. These upper waters are now collected by the South Forty Foot Drain at Casswell’s Bridge, TF165274. This is consistent with the layout shown by Hondius (1610) and his guide, Saxton (1579). Though, these two misplace Rippingale a little.

Other footnotes are in the course of preparation.

First part (FNQ 338)   Third part (FNQ 425)   Fourth part (FNQ468)   Printable version (English)   Printable version (Latin)   FNQ Home page