Leverton

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By a charter dated 984, King Ethelred granted to his "faithful servant" Bryhtric eight homesteads (mansas) by the Kennet, formerly belonging to one Aetheric or Edric (Chron. Abingdon, i 397-399).

The bounds were described, in Latin, as follows: "First to the Cynete at Scoelles ealdeotan; thence up along the stream to Eadgifu's boundary; thence north to the bounds of Lambourne, so east along the boundary to Aelfwig's boundary; so south along the boundary to Hyddene; so south by the boundary; then back into Cynete stream".

In 1050 Edward the Confessor granted the eight "hides" to the Abbey of Abingdon, the bounds being described in similar terms (Chron. Ab. i 452,453). In another charter (i 473, 474) of the same date, the name of the manor is given as Leofwartun.

The chronicle goes on to say that a rich priest named Blacheman, who had built a church dedicated to St Andrew on the Isle of Anderset near Abingdon, and adorned it with costly gifts of gold and silver, rented Chiltuna and Leuardestone (Chilton and Leverton) of the Abbey (i 474). He left England with the Lady Githa, the mother of King Harold, about 1066, and never returned (i 282), and his property was confiscated to the King, when the Abbot had great difficulty in obtaining from William a restitution of the land.

The account in Domesday Book is as follows:

"The land of the Church of Abingdon. Hegelin holds of the Abbey Lewartone. Blackeman held it in fee in King Edward's time. Then it was assessed at 6 hides and a half, now at four and a half. The land is four carucates. There is one demesne, and 4 villeins and 3 bordars with 2 carucates. There are 2 serfs, and a mill paying 10 shillings, with a wood feeding two swine. It was worth 60s; now 50s."

See also:

- Leverton