MINSTERWORTH: Evidence of the Early History
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Reprinted from Gloucestershire History No. 21 (2007) pages 23-30 MINSTERWORTH: evidence of the early history by Margot Johnson The place name Minsterworth derives its name from its pre-Conquest possession by a minster. The clergy of minsters lived in community in monastic fashion, but had pastoral responsibilities in their neighbourhood, often covering a wide area, before parochial boundaries were firmly established. The suffix worth indicates an enclosure, often around a homestead, but in this case probably the land around the minster. The seclusion of the Minsterworth church site, its easy access by water, characteristic of pre-Conquest sites, and the safe haven provided by the outcrop of rock in the River Severn, suggests the origin of the secular settlement as a farm supporting a small minster. Such minsters were usually independent foundations; and there is no evidence to support the assertion that Minstelworth was dependent on St Peter and St Paul, Gloucester (founded c.681).1 The church of Minsterworth was appropriated to the Priory of St Oswald, Gloucester, in 1417.2 Pre-Christian associations The bore, the Church Rock, forming a narrow channel in the Severn on the south (Elmore) side, the channel or inlet formerly to the west of the church site (now silted), and the ease of crossing the river by ferry, are all factors suggesting the early focus on the river pre-dating a Christian settlement. At low tide, before the recent raising of the river banks and consequent alteration of the water level, it was possible to wade across the rock as far as the deep channel. A similar, but greater, outcrop of rock, leaving only a narrow navigable channel, exists at Duni or Dinney3. Tides flow to Minsterworth on average every other week, producing a normal rise of up to ten feet4. Both rocks are covered with two to three feet of water. Very occasionally the rough and nearly level surface is exposed and can be walked upon but only as far as the very deep channel on the Elmore side. Pagan worship of river and water deities was popular in Roman and Romano-British society. It was the policy of early missionaries to Christianise pagan religious sites. Pre-Conquest references to Minsterworth and diocesan boundaries Many local stories were recorded by Walter Map or Mape (d. circa 1210), the prolific and well-known author who was parson of Westbuly and its chapehy of Minsterworth. He recounts that Edmund Ironside, King of the West Saxons, was in the neighbourhood after making his contract with King Cnut on an island in the Severn near Deerhurst, and received a fatal wound at Minsterworth. Edmund II reigned only seven months in 1016, during which he fought nine battles. The Danes, under Olaf of Norway and Sweyn of Denmark invaded England in 981. Sweyn was acknowledged King of England in 1013, but died the following year, leaving Cnut his son to succeed him. Cnut had to fight for his realm with Edmund (son of Ethelred II, Unrede), whose courage and tenacity gained for him the title of ‘Ironside’. After six pitched battles it was agreed, on the advice of the Witan, to divide the kingdom: Edmund was to have Wessex, East Anglia, Essex, and London. Cnut took Mercia and the North. Walter Map, writing between 1180 and 1190, says he was fatally wounded at Minsterworth and carried to Ross-on-Wye where he died on 30 November, 1016. Other chroniclers say that Edmund died at Oxford or in London; but as he was no saint, there was no motive for the people of Minsterworth to claim the story, nor for their parson to repeat it.5 Cnut (1017-35) was a religious man and a firm friend of the Church. His aim was to establish stable government with the assent of the English people. In 1016 the see of Worcester, which had been held in plurality with York for nearly half a century, received a bishop of its own. Perhaps the division of the kingdom in that year moved the Bishop of Hereford to record the dividing line between his diocese and that of Worcester.6 A gospel book of probably the mid-eleventh century contains a description of the eastern boundary of Hereford diocese. The recorded first half of the boundary may be translated as follows: 23 From Momnouth up along the Sevem to Minsterworth; from Minsterworth to Dodda’s Ash; from Dodda’s Ash to Ceola’s Head; from Ceola’s Head to Malvem. The Wye is not mentioned, but the boundary evidently runs down the Wye from Monmouth to Beachley, before tuming up the Sevem, taking in the whole of the Forest of Dean. After passing Minsterworth it turns up the Leadon which, like the Wye, is passed over in silence. However, in the thirteenth century it divided the dioceses of Hereford and Worcester, and doubtless did so in the time of Bishop Athelstan. At Cutmill, on the westem edge of Redmarley D’Abit6t, the boundary leaves the Leadon and ascends the valley to Dodda’s Ash, which probably stood on a spot north-west of Pfera Hall, now marked by a boundary stone (Grid Ref. SO 750323). It next crosses the valley of the Glynch Brook, rising to Ceola’s Head, a landmark occurring in the Redmarley charter of 963. From details given there it can be identified with a spur of the Malvems on the 200 foot contour line north of Bury Court (SO 761335). From there it passes over Chase End Hill and out of Gloucestershire, following the line of the Shire Ditch to Malvem. At an unknown date before 1086, the Forest of Dean, and the hundreds of Botloe, Longbridge, Westbury, Bledisloe, Lydney, Tidenham, and Twyford were annexed to Gloucestershire for secular purposes, but their parishes remained in the diocese of Hereford until 15417, when the diocese of Gloucester was created under Henry VIII, with the former abbey church of St Peter as its Cathedral. The church of Westbury, and the dependant chapelry of Minsterworth, were livings then in the gift of the vicars choral of Hereford; and Westbury remained so until the twentieth century. Westbury Hundred, Longbridge Hundred, and the Duchy of Lancaster Hundred Minsterworth (with its historical record) has been included in all three Hundreds for administrative purposes at different periods which must be distinguished. Westbury Hundred lies on the west bank of the Severn in two separate parts. From the mid-17th century it was composed of the parishes of Blaisdon, Newnham, Tidenham, Woolaston, with parts of Churcham and Westbury-on-Severn. The rest of Churcham, which comprised the manor of Highnam, wasin Dudston and King’s Barton Hundred and had been in Longbridge Hundred in 1086. Rodley tithing in Westbury parish was in the Duchy of Lancaster Hundred. The constitution of the Hundred changed several times between the Norman Conquest and the seventeenth century. In 1066 Westbury Hundred included Westbury, Churcham, Longhope, Bulley, the estates of Stears, Hyde, and Ruddle in Newnham, and probably Blaisdon, as part of Longhope, and Minsterworth, containing a total of 50 hides.8 ‘Hamme’, in Longbridge Hundred was evidently in Highnam, but Taylor was inclined to identify it with Minsterworth.9 , The Gloucester Abbey cartulary states that the manors of Churcham and Highnam were granted to the abbey by the nobleman Wulfin le Rue soon after the arrival of Benedictine monks in 1022. Wulfin was alleged to have killed six priests between Churcham and Gloucester. He sought absolution from the Pope and consequently had to find six priests to intercede for him in perpetuity. He, therefore, granted Churcham and Highnam to Gloucester Abbey on condition that the abbey should provide monks to make the intercessionslo The two manors were represented by the five hide estate of Ham and Morton and the seven hide estate also called Ham which belonged to the abbey in 1086.“ In 1287 the Abbot of Gloucester claimed free warren in Highnam and Churcham which had been granted by a charter of Henry II.12 He received a grant of protection in the manors in 1322.13 The two manors were in the hands of the abbey until the Dissolution. Westbury Hundred was the property of the Crown; but no records of its court appear to have survived.l4 In 1286-7 Edmund, earl of Lancaster, claimed view of Frankpledge, vetitum namium, and assize of bread and ale in his manors of Rodley and Minsterworth, which were exempt from all suits of shire and Hundred.“ Domesday Book“ This record of taxable land compiled for William I in 1086 is a fruitful source of information about Minsterworth. Modem scholarship, with its greater resources, is able to correct the wrong assumptions of 24 the older Gloucestershire historians, Sir Robert Atkins, 1712 and 1768, and Samuel Rudder, 1779, which have misled more recent writers. Domesday Book names Alfwold as the pre-Conquest holder of Minsterworth, which heads the list of thirteen places in various parts of Gloucestershire held by Durand of Pitres, who was Constable of Gloucester Castle and Sheriff of Gloucester in 1086 after his brother Roger. The entry reads in translation: Durand the Sheriff holds one manor of 3 hides. Alfwold held it; it paid tax. In lordship 1 plough - 4 villagers [villeins] and 3 smallholders [bordars] with 4 ploughs. 2 slaves [serfs or servi]. The value was 60s; now 40s. 8 A hide, the area of land able to support a family, varied in quantity according to the quality of the land and was usually 90 - 120 acres. The area recorded is small and consistent with the definition of worth in the sense of an enclosed farm.