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THE SAXON LAND CHARTERS OF WILTSHIRE. I ~J\ a copy of the record of a survey contemporary with the grant is uncertain. There are in the charters many instances of records of surveys where the language is Anglo-Saxon corrupted by a copyist of post-Conquest date; and in such instances it may with probability be assumed that the extant copy goes back to an original of the date of the original grant. But in the present survey the forms of words approximate more to Middle English than to Anglo- Saxon. Still the original Saxon forms of the Middle English terms used in the survey would be near enough to those . of the terms in the charter for it to be conceivable that a copyist of the early post-Conquest age might have translated the Saxon of the original into the language of his own time. Again, the fact that the body of the survey is in Latin, and only the proper names in English, is characteristic of the surveys of the earlier AS. age—of the age, that is, to which the grant professes to belong. In the surveys attached to grants of the later AS. period the language is almost invariably Saxon thoughout. Though on the evidence it is not possible to say with certainty that the extant copy is founded on an AS. original, yet probability inclines to such a conclusion. Survey. 1 1. ' First from the place which is called Lorting's Bourne (Lortinges Bourne).'' Bourne, AS. burna, is almost always used of a large brook. Lorting's Bourne was almost certainly what is now called the River Key; and further landmarks suggest that the survey began at a point on the stream due W. of Bentham House (OMi). 2. ' As far as Teow's Thorntree {Ίeowes Thome).' 3. ' And thence to Harmod's Thorntree (Hermodes Thome).' 4. ' And from it to Black Pond (Blake Mere).' 5. ' And from there to the Marsh of Coarse Grass (Hassukes More).' This last name survives in that of Haxmore Farm (OM6) which is about 5 fur. ENE. of Bentham House (OMi). The name Haxmoor or Haxmore occurs also three times in the field-names of the neighbourhood of the farm. 1 1 do not print the original Latin of the document, as it is quite simple and easy of interpretation.
THE SAXON LAND CHARTERS OF WILTSHIRE. I ~J\ This landmark shows that the by. of the grant did not run along the present N. by. of Purton parish, but cut through the N. part of the parish, and did not include the region of Purton Stoke. It is just possible that a reminiscence of the Blake Mere survives in the name Pond Farm (OM6) which stands \ m. S. of Purton Stoke village. The Thorntrees of 2 and 3 must have stood between this farm and that point on the River Key indicated in 1. 6. ' And thence northwards to the Ditch which is called The Old Dyke (Olde Dich).' 7. ' And by that Dyke straight to the Rush-bed (Riehsbed).' 8. ' And from it to the river called Worfe.' The identity of this stream is placed beyond doubt by a reference in the Moredon (Rodbourne Cheney) charter B.788, K.i 146, where the stream is called Wurf. It is the river called the Ray, which forms the greater part of the E. by. of Purton. 1 I suspect that the old dyke of 6 is that side branch of the river which forms the E. by. of Purton parish from the NE. corner of the parish as far as Tadpole Bridge (OM6) close to Blunsdon station (OMi). The rush-bed was probably where this dyke or side-stream leaves the Ray close to Blunsdon station (OMi). 9. ' And so straight along the river as far as the Tongue of Land (la Steorte)? 10. ' And from there to the Willowtree (la Wythie).' 11. 'And from there to Helen's Thorntree (Helnes thorne)." 1 This tree is mentioned in the Ellendune charter B.948, K.i 184 (q.v.). The land of Ellendun included part, at any rate, of Lydiard Millicent; and the thorntree must have been on the S. by. of Purton somewhere close to Common Piatt (OMi). Steort is usually used' of a tongue of land between two streams; and the steort of 9 was probably where the streams meet at the SE. corner of the parish near Sparcell's Farm 1 Dr. Henry Bradley has called attention to the fact that the river-name Ray, of which there are several examples in England, is really a corruption of the A.S act thaere ea, ' the river,' a name which would naturally be applied by natives of a locality to the principal stream in their neighbourhood.
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