The origins of Anglo-Saxon Herefordshire

508 Pages·2014·12.99 MB·English

by  Sheila Waddington

THE ORIGINS OF ANGLO-SAXON HEREFORDSHIRE:
A STUDY IN LAND-UNIT ANTIQUITY

by
SHEILA KATHRYN WADDINGTON

A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF
PHILOSOPHY

Department of Medieval History
School of History and Cultures
College of Arts and Law
University of Birmingham
May 2013
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Abstract

The study researches the origins and evolution of Herefordshire’s medieval landscape from
the standpoint of its late Anglo-Saxon territorial organization, both secular and ecclesiastical.
It contributes to the genre of topographical studies, adopting a methodology of regression
mapping. It identifies and explores the chronology for the development of middle Anglo-
Saxon land-units within the Mercian provincia of the Magonsaete, proposing a reassessment
of the timescale by when the latter people became the dominant group within the provincia.
It argues for the existence of fourteen early-to-mid Anglo-Saxon old minster territories, at
least three of which reveal British Church origins, and proposes a model for the establishment
of the Anglo-Saxon see at Hereford. It suggests a ninth-century chronology for the
incorporation into Mercia of the northern and eastern districts of the kingdom of Ergyng and
a tenth-century terminus ante quem for the shire’s creation. It argues that aspects of the
shire’s infrastructure are British in origin. It concludes by positing the existence within
Herefordshire of two relict British tribal districts which once belonged to a sixth-century
kingdom of Powys of similar size to those found in Ergyng.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This study would have been impossible to undertake without the consistent support,
encouragement and assistance of my supervisor, Dr Steven Bassett. Its preparation occurred
during the time when Dr Bassett announced his retirement, so I am particularly indebted to
him for staying the course to the study’s conclusion. He has been an inspirational supervisor,
and I count myself extremely lucky to have been his student.
I am also indebted to the University of Birmingham for the financial assistance which I was
given. It was an honour to have been awarded the George Henry Marshall Scholarship two
years in succession, and to have received tuition remission during my third year of research.
Librarians at Birmingham, particularly in the Cadbury Special Collections unit, have been
extremely helpful, as have those at Cardiff University’s Department of Special Collections,
those at Hereford Cathedral Archives and at Hereford County Archives. Their assistance has
been invaluable.
In the preparation and presentation of the thesis I was assisted by James Peart, of the
University’s Geography Department, who provided me with a digitised version of the Alecto
Map. This meant that I was able demonstrate my findings to a high standard. My daughter,
Dr Kate Waddington, assisted in preparation of the images in Chapter Seven. Her husband,
Dr Mark Hagger provided support interpreting some of the source material. My daughter,
Megan, spent considerable time on the manuscript editing.
I was helped by having sight of Michael Hare’s article on Berkeley in advance of its
publication; his conclusions helped me to formulate my views concerning Leominster, and
this generosity deserves special mention.
Finally I thank my family—those of my children not already mentioned—Clare, Hugh and
Anna for their consistent support and encouragement. I also thank my sisters, Dr Mary Beth
Ingham, CSJ and Dr Patricia Ingham, both of whom know how long it has taken me to be
able to undertake research at this level.

Wer so viel Huld vergessen kann den seh’ man mit Verachtung an.
Table of Contents
Introduction page 1

Chapter One An evaluation source material for the study 9
1.1 Introduction 9
1.2 Primary sources: Anglo-Saxon and English 9
1.2.1 Anglo-Saxon charters and hagiographical material 9
1.2.2 The chronicles and histories 13
1.2.3 Domesday Book 14
1.3 Ecclesiastical sources: Anglo-Saxon and English 16
1.3.1 Episcopal charters for the Diocese of Hereford 16
1.3.2 Registers of the Bishops of Hereford 18
1.3.3 Later cartularies 19
1.3.4 The 1291 Taxation 19
1.3.5 Valor Ecclesiasticus 22
1.3.6 Charters of the Earls of Hereford 23
1.4 Primary sources: Welsh 23
1.4.1 Welsh charters, hagiographies and other material 23
1.4.2 Welsh hagiographies in the Vitae Sanctorum Wallensium 25
1.4.3 Other Welsh primary sources 26
1.5 Secondary Sources 27
1.5.1 Antiquarian ecclesiastical sources 27
1.5.2 County histories 28
1.5.3 Welsh antiquarian studies 31
1.6 Other sources 32
1.6.1 Herefordshire place-names 32
1.6.2 Archaeological finds 35
1.6.3 Physical/topographical features 37
1.7 Conclusion 39

Chapter Two Land-unit studies: historiography and methodology 40
2.1 Introduction and context 40
2.2 The historiography of land-unit studies 42
2.2.1 Detecting the bounds of early secular land-units 42
2.2.2 A bridge too far? 45
2.2.3 Some resolution 48
2.3 The quest for a methodology to support land-unit studies 49
2.3.1 Early secular land-units and economic organisation 49
2.3.2 A second bridge too far? 51
2.3.3 The reality check: abandoning certain theoretical models 53
2.3.4 The limits of the method and a way forward 55
2.4 Secular land-units and their ecclesiastical counterparts 56
2.4.1 The ‘minster’ hypothesis 57
2.4.2 Its critique 59
2.4.3 Further support for the hypothesis: a revised approach 63
2.4.4 An indigenous British church 64
2.4.5 A way forward 66
2.5 The methodology: identifying pre-tenth-century land- 67
units in Herefordshire
Chapter Three The late Anglo-Saxon ecclesiastical geography of 70
Herefordshire
3.1 Introduction 70
3.2 The historical context 70
3.3 The study’s evidential basis, its methodology and its 72
terms
3.4 The importance of twelfth- and thirteenth-century records 77
3.5 Hereford’s ecclesiastical geography 79
3.5.1 The origins of the minster of St Mary and St Ethelbert 87
3.5.2 The origins of the minster of St Guthlac 95
3.5.3 Initial conclusions about Hereford’s early ecclesiastical 98
organisation

Chapter Four The late Anglo-Saxon ecclesiastical geography of 101
eastern and central Herefordshire
4.1 Introduction 101
4.2 Ledbury 102
4.3 Much Cowarne 107
4.4 Bromyard 113
4.5 Lugwardine 122
4.6 Ross-on-Wye 139
4.7 Bodenham and the Maund district 146
4.8 Burghill and the district of Lydas 153
4.9 Summary 161

Chapter Five The late Anglo-Saxon ecclesiastical geography of 163
northern and western Herefordshire and Archenfield
5.1 Introduction 163
5.2 Leominster 164
5.3 Kington and Pembridge 188
5.4 Leintwardine, Wigmore and Aymestrey 191
5.5 Madley and the district of Mawfield 195
5.6 Malveselle and Staunton-on-Wye 203
5.7 Clifford and the parishes in the Golden Valley 208
5.8 The district of Ewyas 213
5.9 Archenfield parishes 215
5.10 Herefordshire’s late Anglo-Saxon ecclesiastical 222
geography: concluding remarks

Chapter Six The late Anglo-Saxon administrative geography of 228
Herefordshire
6.1 Introduction 228
6.2 The origins of the Anglo-Saxon hundred 229
6.2.1 An assessment device 230
6.2.2 An administrative device 234
6.3 The eleventh-century framework 236
6.4 The hundreds of Herefordshire 237
6.4.1 Hazletree 243
6.4.2 Wolphy 247
6.4.3 The composite manor of Leominster and the Lene 251
Hundred
6.4.4 Elsdon 261
6.4.5 Lene 264
6.4.6 Stretford 264
6.4.7 Plegelgate 271
6.4.8 Staple 275
6.4.9 Cutsthorn 280
6.4.10 Thornlaw 283
6.4.11 Radlow 286
6.4.12 Winstree 290
6.4.13 The Golden Valley 294
6.4.14 Dinedor 297
6.4.15 Greytree 300
6.4.16 Wormelow 303
6.4.17 Sellack 304
6.4.18 Bromsash 306
6.5 Summary 310

Chapter Seven The diocese and the shire of Hereford: origins, 314
formation and extents
7.1 Introduction 314
7.2 The origins of Hereford Diocese 314
7.3 The territorial extent of Hereford Diocese 325
7.4 The formation of the territory which became 343
Herefordshire
7.4.1 Formation of the burh and its hinterland 346
7.4.2 Mercian statecraft in evidence 351
7.5 The extent of an eighth-century Mercian province 353
7.6 An embryonic Herefordshire 359
7.7 A tenth-century shire 365
7.7.1 Tenth-century assessments and the County Hidage 367
7.8 A comparison of Herefordshire’s secular and 370
ecclesiastical land-units
7.8.1 The diocese of Hereford compared to its secular 370
counterparts
7.8.2 The parochiae of Herefordshire compared to its hundreds 374
7.9 Summary 383

Chapter Eight Herefordshire’s Anglo-Saxon land-units: British 385
tribal districts in disguise?
8.1 Introduction 385
8.2 The secular land-units of Herefordshire in the eleventh 386
century: some observations about its hundreds
8.2.1 Two middle Anglo-Saxon hundred manors: Burghill and 388
Much Cowarne
8.3 The ecclesiastical land-units of Herefordshire in the 395
eleventh century: some observations about its old minster
parochiae
8.4 Evidence for British districts and their extent 405
8.4.1 Three polities 410
8.4.2 Subsequent development of the province: British in all 414
but name?

Conclusion 416

Appendix One Table of Herefordshire’s old minsters, their lesser 423
churches, their 1291 valuations and patrons

Appendix Two A post-Conquest pattern of ecclesiastical provision for 437
Herefordshire

Appendix Three The hundreds of Herefordshire in tabular format 442

Appendix Four Land-unit comparisons 461

Appendix Five Chronology, tenurial information and hundred 464
reorganisation

Appendix Six Llan Dav charter differential place identification 466

Appendix Seven Illustration of possible British land-unit configuration in 468
sixth-century Herefordshire

Bibliography of works cited and consulted 469
List of Illustrations page
Figure 1 A location map of the study area 8
Figure 2 Herefordshire in 1086 69

Figure 3.1 Hereford parishes in the twelfth century 86
Figure 3.2 The peculiar jurisdiction of the dean and chapter of 95
Hereford Cathedral
Figure 4.1 Ledbury’s parochia 107
Figure 4.2 Much Cowarne’s parochia 113
Figure 4.3 Bromyard’s parochia 122
Figure 4.4 Lugwardine’s ecclesiastical relationships 129
Figure 4.5 A possible Lugwardine parochia south of the Wye 137
Figure 4.6 A possible parochia for Lugwardine north and south of 138
the Wye
Figure 4.7 Ross-on-Wye: its likely parochia 146
Figure 4.8A The district of Maund 151
Figure 4.8B Bodenham and the Maund district—a possible parochia 153
Figure 4.9A District of Lyde 158
Figure 4.9B An early Hereford parochia north of the Wye: Burghill 161
and the district of Lydas

Figure 5.1A The district of Leen 165
Figure 5.1B Kemp’s twelfth-century Leominster parochia 167
Figure 5.1C Leominster—1086 members and pre-1066 members 168
Figure 5.1D Leominster’s internal parochia and Eye parish 176
Figure 5.1E Parishes in the district of Lene 188
Figure 5.2 Pembridge: a possible parochia 191
Figure 5.3 Leintwardine: a possible parochia 195
Figure 5.4A Mais Mail Lochou/Mawfield 201
Figure 5.4B Madley’s parochia 202
Figure 5.5 Malveselle 208
Figure 5.6 Clifford and the Golden Valley 212
Figure 5.7 Ewyas 215
Figure 5.8 Archenfield parishes 216
Figure 5.9 A suggested depiction of Herefordshire’s ninth-century 223
parochia
Figure 5.10 Hereford’s eighth-century parochia 226

Figure 6.1 Map of Herefordshire from Domesday Book 239
Figure 6.2.1 Hazletree portion a 246
Figure 6.2.2 Hazletree portion b 246
Figure 6.2.3 Hazletree portion c 247
Figure 6.3.1 Wolphy portion a 250
Figure 6.3.2 Wolphy portion b 250
Figure 6.3.3 Wolphy portion c 251
Figure 6.4.1 The composite manor of Leominster 254
Figure 6.4.2 Lene 257
Figure 6.4.3 The consequences of a Lene hundred-organisation 260
Figure 6.5 Elsdon 264
Figure 6.6.1 Stretford North 270
Figure 6.6.2 Stretford South 271
Figure 6.7 Plegelgate 275
Figure 6.8 Staple 280
Figure 6.9 Cutsthorn 282
Figure 6.10 Thornlaw 286
Figure 6.11 Radlow 290
Figure 6.12.1 Winstree 293
Figure 6.12.2 The detached portion of Winstree: the manor of Much 293
Marcle
Figure 6.13 The Golden Valley 297
Figure 6.14 Dinedor 300
Figure 6.15 Greytree 303
Figure 6.16 Wormelow 304
Figure 6.17 Sellack 305
Figure 6.18.1 Bromsash 309
Figure 6.18.2 Alvington and Staunton—detached 309

Figure 7.1 The Herefordshire ecclesiastical parishes where ‘Maund’ 321
place-name survival occurs
Figure 7.2 The kingdom of the Magonsaete and the diocese of 326
Hereford, c. 850
Figure 7.3 The 1291 extent of Hereford diocese in Herefordshire 328
Figure 7.4 The 1291 extent of southern Shropshire in the diocese of 331
Hereford
Figure 7.5 The 1291 extent of western Gloucestershire in the diocese 333
of Hereford
Figure 7.6 The 1291 extent of Worcestershire within the diocese of 336
Hereford
Figure 7.7 The 1291 extent of Montgomeryshire within the diocese 339
of Hereford, excluding Welshpool
Figure 7.8 The 1291 extent of Radnorshire within the diocese of 340
Hereford
Figure 7.9 A suggested depiction of Herefordshire’s ninth-century 342
parochiae
Figure 7.10 A depiction of the territory which subsequently formed 346
Herefordshire according to Lewis
Figure 7.11 Coplestone-Crow’s depiction of the extent of Ergyng in 363
the sixth and seventh centuries
Figure 7.12 Herefordshire in 1086 371
Figure 7.13 The portion of the diocese of Hereford within Shropshire 372
in 1086
Figure 7.14 The portion of the diocese of Hereford within 372
Worcestershire in 1086
Figure 7.15 The portion of the diocese of Hereford in Gloucestershire 373
in 1086
Figure 7.16 The hundreds of Herefordshire 374
Figure 7.17 Leintwardine parochia overlaid upon Hazletree Hundred 375
Figure 7.18 Eye parochia overlaid upon Wolphy Hundred 376