Chaldon Herring

Above : Both maps (from Historic Landscape of the Weld Estate) showing medieval village layout, deserted village site and possible sites (mound to north and crop mark to south east)

Early maps None

Ogilby 1675 n/a

Taylor 1765 Below - the centrally sited "Chaldon Hill" would seem to be a possible mill site

Tithe Map (c1840) None

1st Edition OS map None

Present OS map None

Google Map

The Windmill Almost certainly a post mill due to early dating

The Millers None known

Present site condition Farmland but location unknown

Notes and comments : Although its location is unknown, with no mention in the Tithe Apportionment, an early windmill is recorded somewhere near this village in 1267. Today, the village is also known as East Chaldon and lies in a valley about 4 miles south west of Wool. There is a deserted village site to the north of the present village area.

In 1288, The Assize Roll of 16 Edward 1 records a grant.^[1] :

Stephen de Welle pleads from Adam Harang for this that whereas said Stephen in the 52nd year of Henry [ie Henry III = 1267/8] father of the now King granted to said Adam a windmill and 12 acres land in Chandun Harang for a term of 30 years by such an agreement that said Adam immediately should pay 5 quarters of corn (frumenta) and 1 robe of a price of 1 mark and 1 mark per annum every year until the end of said term by a deed of convenant thereof made between them, which said deed by the consent of the parties was delivered to an equal hand of Matilda Cole of Dorchester to keep.

And said Stephen afterwards to said Adam delivered full seisen of said deed and refuses to deliver it and still refuses. Whence he says he is deteriorated and has damage to value of 100/- and produces suit. And Adam comes and denies the force and injury and well denies said deed ever came to his hands as said Stephen (William crossed out) pleads. And for this puts himself on the country and Stephen likewise. Wherefore let them be a jury.

The jury elected by consent of the parties say that said deed never was delivered to said Adam nor came to his hands. Wherefore it is considered that Adam go without a day and William (sic for Stephen) takes nothing by this jury but is in mercy for false claim.

The manorial affix first appears in C13th (Chaluedon Hereng in 1243). The Harang family (orginally Norman French) lived here from the late 12th century (Henry II) also giving their name to Langton Herring, Herrison & Winterborne Herringston.^[2]

This family also features at nearby Coombe Keynes where there is another windmill recorded slightly later in 1306. They also owned a watermill at nearby Tadenhole (Tadnoll) as in 1280/1 Adam Harang was in dispute with the Abbot of Byndon (Bindon) over services due at the mill.^[3] Chaldon Herring had also had a water flour mill recorded in Doomsday^[4].

Thomas Harang was the sub tenant of the de Newburgh family the patrons and founders of the Cistercian abbey at nearby Bindon. Like many families in the area, the Harang family had gifted many lands to the nearby Bindon Abbey. By the late C13th many such families were in bitter disputes with the now all powerful Abbey over the status of these earlier gifted lands. The Harang family reached a situation of having to leave the area in 1278^[5].

By 1332, the majority of the area formed part of the abbey estates. The abbey was finally disolved in 1541 and its estates granted to Sir Thomas Poynings. By marriage they passed into the Howard family (who built Lulworth Castle in 1603) and the finally were purchasd by the Weld family in 1641^[6].

Much of the present village lies to the south of the stream but to the north of both the stream and road there is evidence of deserted village remains. To the north and above the site of a chapel there is a steep slope up to Chaldon North Field. The relatively exposed chalk downs surrounding Chaldon Herring never supported natural vegetation and had became a sheep rearing area.

There is a crop mark at grid ref SY 7945 8225 and a mound (possibly a barrow) at grid ref SY 7908 8420^[7]

^{Notes :}

^[1] Dorset County Museum library, Typescript Dorset Assize Rolls[B4] - 210 49 (3), 194.

^[2] Mills AD Place Names of Dorset Part 1 p108

^[3] Fry's Transcriptions Vol G2 p377; De Banco Roll 42, 9 Edw 1 (1280/1); Adam Harang v Abbot of Bynindon "that he permit his villeins of Chalvedon and Forteshull to do suit at Adam's mill at Tadenhole"

^[4] Eyton Doomsday pp141-2 "Uno molinus reddens 10s"

^[5] Hutchins (Vol 1 340-1)

^[6] Keen L, & Carrick A, Historic Landscape of the Weld Estate Dorset

^{[7] ibid , Historic Landscape of the Weld Estate}

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