GEN-MEDIEVAL-L Archives

Archiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 2006-09 > 1157843584


From: "CE Wood" <>
Subject: Beseby, soke of Wautham
Date: 9 Sep 2006 16:13:04 -0700


In his post of 18 Feb 1999, "THE EARLY CHAMPERNOUNS" Ronny Bodine, in
Generation 3, #5. WILLIAM DE CHAMPERNOUN, says, "On 21 Aug 1249,
Geoffrey de Grandi Monte was granted all land in Beseby, in the soke of
Wautham, and with the dower of Eva de Chambernun there if she should
die in this time (Cal. Patent Rolls, 1247-58, p. 46)."

The closest I have been able to come to finding this place is the
holding of Bescaby, just northeast of Waltham on the Wolds,
Leicestershire (Lat: 52:49:03N Lon: 000:48:54W).

Searching Google found a cached DOC file from the now expired
www.walthamonthewolds.org. #1185, Waltham Area Village Appraisal
Report. In the section, The History of the Waltham Appraisal Area:
Waltham-on-the-Wolds, is the following:

"Waltham-on-the-Wolds

The village is situated in the northeast corner of Leicestershire, five
miles from Melton Mowbray, eleven miles from Grantham and approximately
twenty miles from Leicester, Nottingham, Newark and Stamford. It is
positioned on the eastern edge of the Leicestershire Wolds, overlooking
the Vale of Belvoir from a height of 168m (560ft), making it the second
highest village in the county. Geologically, Waltham stands on a
mixture of clay and red marl with underlying strata of Jurassic
limestone, which has been quarried locally and used in the building of
many of the older houses in the village.

There is little evidence of any settlement in the area earlier than AD
800. The Domesday Book reference to Waltham reveals that the village
belonged to Hugh of Grandmesnil who, after the Norman Conquest, was the
largest landowner in the county. Hugh allowed a man named Walter to
hold a major part of the village and surrounding area. Some say that
this arrangement gave Waltham its name - Walt's Ham (Walter's
Town). However, EARLIER RECORDS REFER TO THE VILLAGE AS WAUTHAM (caps
mine)- so another theory is that the name may have been derived from
Weald (woody), Ham (town) and, the Saxon word, Wold (a hill or high
place)."

Perhaps the location of Beseby, soke of Wautham, is already known, but
if not, is this a likely candidate?

CE Wood

This thread: