998 HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF .

It seems as if both the lords of Durandesthorp (of " The lord of the manor in 1630 was Mr. Wo»dcockt that name) and some junior branches of their family, rector of the church of Gilmorton "." were some time after 1300 usually styled de Aula. By an inquisition taken Nov. 13, 1632, it was (See note 4. below.) The above John, son of Roger, found that John Dalman died June 29 then last past4 is taken from the following deed: seised of a messuage and lands in Doniflhorpe l3. " Rogerus de Aulld dominus de Durandesthorp, Joh'i "The town still mostly belongs to the Grejleysi filio meo unam placeam gardini mei, vid* in illo cor- though John Burdett, efq. a younger brother to fir nario q'jacet in longitudine juxta altam viam in Du- Robert Burdett, of Foremarke, has an estate and randesthorp, cum tribus acris, &c. ad totam vitam dwelling here (1712)."14 fuam. Hfis t's; Rogo fil' Hugonis de Aula de Duran- A chief-rent of is. for the Doniflhorpe lands of the desthorp, Joh'e fiV Matild', Rog'o de le Chapelhous, late Philip Jervis, efq. was paid to fir John Danvers^ Rog'o Hauttel, Rob' fil' Hugonis de Aula. Mercur' bart. whose heir has again received it since 1796. ante Purific'm 11 Edw. 1.1" A remarkable fine spaw at , net far " Henricus de Colevill tenet manerium de Donis- from Alhby Woulds, is much frequented 5 and the thorp de domino per 1 par calcar' deaurat' vel 63. water from it is often carried for medical purpofei to per annum; et DevilF tenet de comite de Warenna a considerable distance. per 1 par calcar' deaurat' vel 63. per annum, ut dicit The late much-regretted Historian '5 of Staffordshire, Rubrus Liber; fed carta dicit quod dominus tenet dic- in a letter with which he favoured me in 179a, says, tum manerium de dicto comite per 1 speruarium vel " Having this morning- walked from Seile about 2,s. per annum *." a mile to Donisthorpe, a hamlet partly belonging " This manor hath been for many years belonging to that parish, to fee a salt spring there, I will to the Gre/leys, a very antient family, who had in this give you some account of it while fresh in my mind. tract of country very large territories, lands, and pof- The counties of Leicester and , and the pa- scffions, soearl y as the reign of king Edward I.; and rishes of Seile, Grefley, and Meastiam, being so in- who had long since a castle at Castle Grefley, and termixed hereabouts, it is difficult to ascertain in which founded a priory at Grefley, dedicated to the honour the spring is; but I believe it is in Leicestershire. of St. George \" 'Tis in a small meadow by the side of a stream called In 1346, Richard at HUH (on the aid then granted Hooborougb brook, which issues out of Barrat pool, for knighting Edward of Woodstock the king's eldest a large mill-pond upon Astiby Woulds, and is for a son) was assessed %i. for a twentieth part of one knight'sconsiderable distance between Donisthorpe and Seile fee in Dnrandeflhorp, parcel of the fee of Tutbury 5. a boundary betwixt the two counties. This spring, In 1411, William Leichfield, cousin and heir of Ado- which is of a very brackish flavour, has long been mar Taverner,of Lichfield, released all his right in his frequented by councry people, who resort here in lands and tenements at Durandesthorp, and at Oke- great numbers every Sunday njorning during the sum- thorpe, Willefley, Childcote, and Edninghall, co. mer season, and drink large doses of this salutary wa- Derby, to John ion and heir of John de Finderne and ter, for scorbutic and other' disorders in the blood. his heirs6. To make this spring more commodious, a large tub In 1519} George Grefley gave to Robert Grefley the is placed in the middle as a reservoir; and amidst the manors of Donisthorpe and Oðorp (Osgathorpe7), flat grass at a little distance below is a remarkable ring cum homagio. of about 12 yards diameter, the singular appearance By an inquisition taken in 15 23 s, it appears that of which at a time of year before the place begins Richard Vernon died seised of certain lands and tene- to be frequented might baffle the skill of most ail- ments in Durandesthorpe, held of the king, as of the tiquaries to find out its use, and the gentleman who honour of Tutbury ?. shewed it me had seen it upwards of 25 years at dif- On the dissolution of religious houses, the land ferent times without knowing what it meant. And so which belonged to the priory of St. Thomas, together puzzled was I with it, that I had thoughts of sending with the said priory, were granted by the crown, in you a long and curious article for the Gentleman's 1539, to Rowland Lee bishop of Coventry and Lich- Magazine upon fairy-rings, &c. But, upon enquiring Jield; who gave them to Brian Fowler, his nephew Io. of the farmer, Mr. Newbold (tenant to Francis Bur- Oct. 16, 1600, it was found that the lady Margaret dett, efq. of Foremark), in whose land this spring Stanley died seised of certain lands ia Durandesthorp, is, he assured us it was made by the visitors to this held of the queen, as of the honour of Tutbury, by spring, who thus describe the circle in their exercise the service of half a knight's fee ". after drinking the water ; yet at present the bare track In 1619, Thomas Howthell held in Donisthorpe a is not half the breadth of a man's foot, and has not capital messuage and lands in capite ; and Walter Fow- the appearance of any such marks; but I will satisfy ler, efq. held also lands there in capite. myself more fully in the course of this season." 1 Willesley Hall original. z Segrave Chart ulary. 'Burton, MS. 4 Qj^ Hall? Richard de Aula de Durantesthorp frequent in Seile originals, and particularly test. Nativ. of St. John Bapt. 1349. Also in the list of holders, 2: Edw. III. in p. *984. In the preceding lists are Hug. de Aula, 1331, and Rog' fil' Hug' atte HJIe, 1329. Hugo de Aula test' to Will' le Sauwage in p. 997. So, in p. 1000, Roger de la Sale de Dur.:nthorp, ante Portam Latinam 6 Edw. II. (6 May, 1313.)—N. B. Sale, a respectable freeholder, and tenant of Donisthorpe Hall, at this day. s Rot. Aux. 20 Edw. III. 6 Claus. 13 Hen. IV. 33. & 3. T Gresley Chartulary, p. 60. 1 This is the date of the inquisition. But ££. whether not the fame Richard who died 1517, as in page *986. 9 Esch. 15 Hen. VIII. ' Pat. 31 Hen. VIII. m, 6. " Esch. 41 Eliz. li Burton, MS. 13 Inq. 8 Car. I. j Cole's Escheats, vol. III. (Harl. MSS. 758.) p. 143. '* Wolley's MS History of . 15 It ha9 been my fate, in almost every period of the present laborious undertaking, to have cause to lament the loss of abl» coadjutors ; but not one of them has been taken otf more unexpectedly, nor by me more sincerely regretted, than the friend whose communication is above acknowledged. In this particular district I had looked forward with much pleasure to his promised rcvisal of the parishes of Seile, Stretton, and Swepston, all of them in his own immediate neighbourhood. But " vain are the hopes of man." It pleased the Allwise Disposer of Events to call him hence, in the prime of life, Oct. 28, 1802.—Mr. Shaw was born at or near Stone in Staffordshire ; educated at school; and in 1780 became a resident member of Queen's- college, Cambridge, where he took the degree of B. A. 1784; M. A. 1787; B. D. 1796, after being fellow some years; became F. S. A. 1795; aiutin 1799 succeeded his father in the rectory of Hartshorn, co. Derby. With a sanguine, active bent to topography, Mr. Shaw possessed the advantage of a ready and accurate pencil; and to those accomplishments added a very great proficiency in musick; and that perfect goodness of heart and singleness of manners which render his loss a severe affliction to all his acquaintance. His warmth of friendship is indeed demonstrable in whatever he wrote ; of which the prefaces to his Staffordshire, and many of his letters in Mr. Urban's Miscellany, reporting progress, are striking examples. His publication! were, " A Tour, in 1787, from London to the Western Highlands of Scotland, &c. with Descriptions of the principal Seats, 3cc." 1788, I2mo; " ATourin the West of in 1788," 1789, 8vo. He was joint editor of "The Topographer," 4 vols. 8vo, 1789—1791 ; but is better known by his last valuable publication, " The History and Antiquities of the County of Staf- ford ;" vol. I. 1798; vol. II. part I. 1801. His vast treasures of MSS, drawings, and engraved plates, remain; and some qualified person will, it is hoped, be found to continue hia most valuable work. Au affecting account of him was given in the Gent. Mag. vol. LXX1II. p. 11. by a very able associate in his antiquarian pursuits, who fays, '• To the writer of this memoir, the loss can never be recompensed. An intimacy of two and twenty years, a similarity of pursuits, and a thousand associations, contributed to make the shock inexpressibly afflicting to him. The lesson too was awful. Taken away in the full vigour of his ags ; in the height of his enjoyments, with an easy fortune, a mind daily improving, with inexhaustible materials and full leisure for the indulgence of his favourite pursuits, with an acquaintance daily extended, and increasing respect and reputation! Had I been called on but a few months before, to select the person whose situation was most adapted tl hit willies, I should have named my departed friend!" Contents