above fact will support the conclusion, that the clergy had acquired an influence in the state, dangerous to its liberties and independence.

Property in the possession of lay persons, is not long stationary, but is ever circulating by means of the vices, marriages, or deaths of its possessors. But property devoted to the church, or clergy, as forming a spiritual corporation, which never dies, became inalienable; so that this body appeared likely to realize in practice what they maintained in theory, "That dominion is founded in grace." Property extorted from the hopes and fears of men in their departing moments, often at the expence of their dearest connections, was continually encreasing the wealth of the church, which received all, but parted with nothing.

At this period the clergy, separated from the vulgar by their general habits, and the sanctity of their calling, formed a kind of independent body in the state, subject to the bishops of Rome. These, on the establishment of christianity in the empire, had acquired a dignity in the church equal to that of the city in which they resided. On the subversion of the empire, they artfully availed themselves of every circumstance to increase their power and acquire dominion: and were so successful that they appear to have perpetuated the authority of the Cæsars in the exercise of their spiritual power over the nations of Europe. William, who had no legal claim to the crown of England, applied to the bishop of Rome for his warrant, to seize it by force. This warrant was readily granted, and every pious son of the church was enjoined to aid and assist him in the enterprise. He collected an army, invaded England, and on the death of

Harold, at the battle of Hastings, took possession of the throne and kingdom.

The Saxons, who were not inferior to the Normans, either in prudence or courage, had to contend for near a century before they effected the conquest of the kingdom. What reason can be assigned, why one partial engagement should now decide the fate of the same kingdom? The reason is obvious, the clergy betrayed the liberties and interests of their country. To have opposed William, would have been to have opposed the lord's anointed. After the battle of Hastings, they exerted all their influence to prevent the election of Edgar Atheling to the throne; and persuaded the citizens of London to open their gates, and give William the possession of the capital.

For some little time William acted with lenity; but as soon as his power was established, he threw off the mask and displayed the ferocity of his temper. The Saxon kings had enjoyed lands for the support of their crown and dignity. In the time of Edward, the crown lands consisted of one thousand four hundred and twenty-two manors, in different counties. In right of the crown these belonged to William. Not willing to alienate his own property to satisfy his needy followers, he soon found some occasion to murder or banish the Saxon nobles, and other inferior land proprietors, and gave their possessions to his friends. On Ilbert de Lacy he bestowed the burgh of Kirkby, with all that immense territory included within the honour of Pontefract *.

*The following is the account given of this burgh at the time of the Doomsday survey, and clearly establishes the above fact.

Had the conquest only effected a change in the proprietors of land, it would soon have been forgotten. But William, not content with rewarding

MI

n TATESHALL. sunt. XVI. car træ sine geldo. ubi poss. ee. VIIII. car. Hochb rex. Nc ht Ilbtus ibi. III. car. et. LX. burgenses minutos. VII. coteros et XVI. uill. et. VIII. bord. hntes XVIII. car. Ibi. e. æccla et pbr. et 1. piscaria, et 111. mold redd. XLII. sol. et III. ac pti. Silua past. .1. lev lg. et dim lat. Tot M. 1. lev. et dim lg. et dim lat. T.R.E. ual. xx. lib. m. xv. lib. Infra hanc ceta ctinet elemosina paupum.

d eunde maner adiacet H SOCA. Manestorp. Barnebi.

A Silchestone, Simul, a car træ et dim ad gid. ubi poss. e. vi.

car. Ibi. sunt 1x. uilli, et. 111. bord, hntes. 111. car.

Doomsday-book, Vol. I. p. 316.

The following remarks may explain this account:-The manor of Tateshall, is the present township of Tanshelf; which, though not within the borough, forms a part of the present town of Pontefract. In the time of the Saxons, places derived their names from those who inhabited them; but after the conquest, a custom the reverse of this prevailed, and persons derived their names from the place where they resided. Some one of the name of Tate

enjoyed this manor under the king, and by connecting with his own name the term, Hall, or place of residence, gave denomination to it. The family name of Tate, with the addition of the Saxon Ham, home or ville, Tatham, continued in Tanshelf, till within a few years. Some of this family have been respectable for property, and were mayors of Pontefract. Tatham's yard is a name now given to some houses in Tanshelf, and which will probably perpetuate the name of this ancient Saxon family. The modern appellation seems derived from this, by an easy corruption in the pronunciation, as Tatshall, Tanshall, Tanshelf.

The burgh of Kirkby is not mentioned by name, but is included as a part of the manor of Tateshall; and what follows unquestionably contains a description of its state at that period. In the Doomsday survey, many places are omitted by name, either through haste or from some other cause, which are clearly described under some other neighbouring district.

The number of burgesses, together with those in a servile state, amounts only to an hundred families; and reckoning on an average, five to a family, the population of the place at that period, consisted only of five hundred persons, men, women and children. When we reflect on the bloody wars during the heptarchy; on the

H

his followers with the lands of the Saxon proprietors, he subverted the constitution, and introduced and established the feudal system; a system of organized

Danish invasion, and the contests with the Conqueror, the thin state of population will excite no surprize.

There is no thane or lord of Kirkby mentioned. As this survey goes back to Edward, and as in other places, the thanes and earls are specified as proprietors, does not this circumstance imply that it was then in the possession of the king?

The burgesses appear to have been chiefly mechanics and tradesmen, as only eighteen plough-lands were in possession of the burgesses and the servile. The carucate or plough-land, if estimated at 60 acres, the whole will give only 1080 acres, or about 10 to each person. The greater part of the land was çultivated by persons in a servile condition. The Cotarii, were so called, because they dwelt in small huts or cottages, near to the mansions of their masters. They were persons, who had been instructed, by the direction of their owners, in some händicraft trade, as that of smiths, carpenters, &c. which they practiced for the benefit of their masters. The Bordarii, were a kind of upper domestic servants, who waited at table, (then called bord) and performed other offices in their masters houses. They resided in huts of their own, to which little gardens and parcels of land were annexed, as the fee or reward of their services. The Villani, were predial slaves, who cultivated the inlands of their lords.

Vid. Spelman Gloss. in voci.

In this account it is remarkable, that nothing is said respecting the number of burgesses, the quantity of land în cultivation, or who enjoyed it, in the time of the Confessor. The only thing noticed is, that the value of this manor had decreased one fourth, being then worth twenty, and now only fifteen pounds.

The whole quantity of land in cultivation, was thirty plough lands, in the hand of the burgesses and the servile, which at sixty acres, will make one thousand eight hundred acres. No waste lands were included in this survey. The land in the present township of Pontefract, according to Mr. Hepworth's survey, is two thousand one hundred and thirty one acres; and as the townships of Tanshelf, Carlton, and Hardwick, were at the time of Doomsday survey, included within the manor of Tateshall, we may infer, that, not much above one third of the land was then cultivated.

The wood which might be depastured, one mile long and a half broad, most probably stretched along from the site of the

tyranny and oppression. In this system the king is sole proprietor of all the land in the kingdom, and the only freeholder. He gives to his friends land to hold of him, on what condition he pleases; but most commonly on condition that they furnish him with a number of men proportioned to the extent of their estate. Those who thus obtained estates, are said to hold of the king in capite, and were called barons. These let off some portion of their estates on like conditions; and thus estates passed through all the various degrees of subinfeudation. The great body of freeholders were now deprived of their freeholds, and their land subjected to this new species of tenure.

The burgesses of Kirkby became subject to Ilbert de Lacy, their feudal lord, and were deprived of their most valuable rights and privileges. The right of choosing their own burgh-reve, and governing themselves according to law, was now taken from them. The burgh-mote gave place to the court baron, in which he presided, either personally or by his constable. He, and not the burgesses, choose the burgh-reve*. They were called

present town through Fryer-wood gardens to Carlton, and South Hardwick; on the side of which, the Roman road passed to Legeolium.

The church has been already noticed, and the Alms-house for the poor is undoubtedly that of St. Nicholas.

The office of Burgh-reve, bailiff or constable, was put up to sale by the feudal proprietor, as appears by the first charter. Vid. App. Ch. 1. It is said, that the burgesses should have the preference, if they would give as much for the office as others." When an office is purchased, the purchaser will always attempt to reimburse himself; and if the usual fees are not deemed sufficient, he will find some causes of complaint, in order to impose fines and obtain the sum wanted. When civil offices are put up to sale, justice and equity cannot be expected.