232
NAVESTOCK IN OLDEN DAYS ;
lands there after the death of his aunt, Isabella Atte Loft. John
Atte Loft resided here in 1415, and that it was still a manor in
1543 is evidenced from the fact of the lord being mentioned in the
record referred to by Morant. It would almost appear that as it
was then comparatively of insignificant rank, the staffe could have
only been carried there as a survival of its chief rank in ancient
days, i.e., considerably prior to the Conquest, and that possibly it
was one of the two referred to in Domesday as being held by
Howard and Ulsi, and afterwards in the St. Paul's records called
Nastocha Edwini and Nastocha Aldwini.
At what period the Christian religion first prevailed in Navestock
I am unable to tell you, but we have evidence from the great Survey
to prove that a presbiter or priest was located here in Saxon times,
and that he then held some 90 acres of land, presumably as an
endowment, which brought him in an income of 10s. per annum.
The Records of St. Paul's Cathedral include a charter of King
Edgar (whether authentic or not I leave others to judge) wherein he
bestows the manor or manors of Navestock upon the Dean and
Chapter of St. Paul's, the date of which is about 958 ; and again in
this and other records he is spoken of, if not as the founder of the
Church, at least as the contributor of a sum of 60 mancas of gold,
possibly if not probably for Church purposes.
But even should the authenticity of this charter be disputed we
have another (the authenticity of which I believe to be admitted on
all hands) to prove the fact that the Dean and Chapter possessed
the manor or manors of Navestock in Saxon times. Thus among
the Cathedral records we find a charter of King William the Con-
queror, granted as from the very day of his consecration, wherein he
restored their property to the Dean and Chapter, adding that it had
been taken away and unjustly retained by others during the time of
his predecessors. It is of considerable interest to note that he
mentions the then existence of a like number of holdings (presum-
ably of free tenants) as are mentioned in the charter of Edgar, viz.,
fifteen. It is true he gives to these a different name—Cassata, whilst
Edgar's charter describes them as Mansiones. Some may call the
words synonymous, as probably they were in this case, but it is
obvious that the word Cassata at least, if not the mansiones, refers to
houses with land around them sufficient to maintain a family of some
little position.