Читать книгу Records, Historical and Antiquarian, of Parishes Round Horncastle онлайн

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The oldest official notice of the parish is in Domesday Book, where it is stated that “in Aschebi, Odincarle (Wodin’s churl) and Chilbert had 4 carucates (i.e., 480 acres) rateable” to the tax called “gelt,” their whole land being 5 carucates or 600 acres. This was in Saxon times. When William the Conqueror took possession these were deprived of their property, and he bestowed the manor on Odo, Bishop of Baieux, who was his half-brother on the mother’s side. On the bishop coming to England, William created him Earl of Kent, and also Count Palatine, and “Justitiarius Angliæ.” He was so powerful that historians of the day described him as “Totius Angliæ Vice-dominus sub rege,” second only to the King. He held, of the King’s gift, 76 manors in Lincolnshire, besides 463 in other parts. This greatness, however, was his ruin, for, from his pride and arrogancy, he incurred the Conqueror’s displeasure and was sent to prison in Normandy. On the Conqueror’s death, in 1084, King Rufus restored him to his honours, but, finding his power not so great as formerly, he headed a conspiracy against Rufus in favour of Robert, Duke of Normandy, and, failing in it, he fled to the Duke, who made him governor of that Province, where he died in 1097. Ashby Puerorum was thus again “in the market.”