THE LIBERTY (fn. 1) OR HUNDRED OF
WEST MEDINE (fn. 2)
CONTAINING THE PARISHES OF
|
| BRIGHSTONE |
GATCOMBE |
NORTHWOOD |
| BROOK |
KINGSTON |
SHALFLEET |
| CALBOURNE |
MOTTISTONE |
SHORWELL |
| CARISBROOKE |
NEWPORT |
THORLEY |
| CHALE |
NEWTOWN (fn. 3)
|
YARMOUTH (fn. 4)
|
| FRESHWATER |
|
|
At the time of the Domesday Survey the whole of the Isle of Wight
seems to have been included in the three hundreds of Bowcombe,
Hemreswel and Calbourne. (fn. 5) Of these Bowcombe, which contained the
greater part of the Island, included Calbourne (fn. 6) ; the latter was described
as 'Cauborne Hundret which lies
in Bouecombe Hundret,' (fn. 7) and
contained only the manor of
Swainstone, the estate of the
Bishop of Winchester in the
Island. It was therefore known
indifferently as the hundred of
Calbourne or Swainstone, and was
probably more of the nature of a
liberty, being exempt from suit
at the hundred of Bowcombe.
Thus in 1316 it was known as
the liberty of Swainstone, (fn. 8) and
separate courts were held for it
from the 13th (fn. 9) to the 17th century. During the 13th and 14th
centuries it contained, besides the
manor of Swainstone, to the lord
of which the hundred pertained, (fn. 10) the manors of Limerstone in Brighstone,
Atherfield in Shorwell, Thorley and part of Whippingham. (fn. 11)
Index Map to the Liberty of West Medine
Hemreswel Hundred included Yarmouth, 'Soet,' which may, perhaps,
be identified with Sheat in Gatcombe or with Shute in Brighstone, and the
unidentified holding of 'Lenimcode.' (fn. 12) It had disappeared as a hundred
before the middle of the 13th century, when the existing Hundred Rolls
for Hampshire begin.
Before 1182 (fn. 13) the Island was divided into the two hundreds of East
and West Medine, which appear on the Pipe Roll of that year as 'Est
medehundredum' and 'West medehundredum,' and in 1271–2 the hundred
of Freshwater, belonging to the lords of the manor of Freshwater (fn. 14)
and containing Freshwater, Weston and Northinton, made its appearance
in the Hundred Rolls. (fn. 15) Like Swainstone, it was called a liberty in 1316, (fn. 16)
and existed at least as late as the beginning of the 17th century, when it
still contained only the manors of Freshwater, Weston, Braybeof and
Norton in the parish of Freshwater. (fn. 17)
The hundred of West Medine, which during the 13th and 14th centuries contained the hamlet of Cadland on the mainland, (fn. 18) is at the present
day of the same extent as in 1831, having absorbed the ancient hundreds of
Hemreswel, Calbourne and Freshwater, and includes the whole of the Island
on the western side of the Medina River. The hundred belonged to the
lords of the Island, (fn. 19) and in it they claimed wreck of the sea, return of writs,
estreats of summonses, pleas of namii vetiti, view of frankpledge, infangenthef,
pillory, cucking-stool, tumbril and gallows, and the assize of bread and ale,
and waif and free chase throughout the Island. The king had no coroner
in the Island, the constable of Carisbrooke Castle fulfilling that office. (fn. 20)
The courts for the hundred of West Medine were held in the time of
Henry VIII at 'Westmedine le Pitte.' (fn. 21) Owing to a note left by Sir John
Oglander (1595–1648), this pit is capable of identification. He says:
'Observe this that the law dayes for our Island wase kept, for the West in
the pitt by Shyde downe. . . . Wherefore you shall find on all the Court
rolls that are antient, West Medine le Pitt, East Medine le Hatte,—the
places where they were kept.' (fn. 22) The chalk-pit, still in use, is at the back of
Shide station. Courts held in April 1605 give in the West Medine the
tithings of Shide, Gatcombe, Chale, Chillerton, Atherfield, South Shorwell,
North Shorwell, Kingston, Bowcombe, Mottistone, Brook, Compton, Afton,
Thorley, Ningwood, Shalfleet, Park, Carisbrooke, Watchingwell, Northwood
and Calbourne, and separate courts were held for the hundreds of Swainstone
and King's Freshwater.
In the 14th century the Island was divided into nine districts for
militia purposes, and in the 16th century into ten districts called centons,
each under a centoner, a resident landowner, in command of a lieutenant
and from 150 to 200 men with a number of 'hobelers' and watchmen. (fn. 23)