Mireden.
THis place situate upon London-road, having from some Inns and Alehouses, built for the re∣ceipt of Passengers, grown of late times to the cre∣dit of a Village, doth now utterly eclipse the name of Alspath. by which, and none other, the Town it self (••c. where the Church standeth) was known, even from the Saxons times, till about the begin∣ning of King Henry the sixt's reign; for of Myre∣dene till g then, I have never seen mention in any authentique writing: so that, I conceive it to have been about that time, that the buildings in this thorough-fare increast to such a considerable num∣ber, that the name of the place, where they stand, came to be more frequently used, than that of the Town it self. Yet am I of opinion, that the place where the greatest part of Myridene now stands, was very antiently so called; for the later syllable dene ••mporteth no lesse, being the old English word, that signifieth a Valley, as this is; which (I sup∣pose) for the foulnesse thereof, was at first called Miredene.
By the Conqueror's Survey h, where it is written Ailespede, and certified to contain four hides, ha∣ving Woods of a mile and half in length, and a mi••e in breadth, it appears, that the Countess Godeva possest it in Edward the Confessor's days: whence I conclude, that the famous Earl Leofrike, her husband (of whom I have spoke at large in Coventre) was formerly owner thereof: but at the time of the said Survey, it with the rest of the lands in this Shire, which the said Countess before the Norman invasion held, were in the King's hands, and ferm'd out by him to one Nicholas. This at that time being valued at xxx s. with Co∣ventre and the rest, was granted afterwards to the Earl of Chester, as it seems: but, as yet, I have not seen when the first of that Familie, who assu∣med their sirname from hence, was enfeoft of those lands here, which they enjoyed: Perhaps it was Ivo de Alspath, who lived i in H. 2. time; for be∣fore him I have not observed this sirname attributed to any other.
To which Ivo succeeded Gerard, and Walter; but whether they were brothers or not, I am not cer∣tain. It seems that both these had a good share in this place; for Gerard de Alspath, son of that Ger. in 41 H. 3. obtained a Charter k of Free warren in all his demesn lands, here: and Walter was l stiled Dominus de Alspath. This Gerard holding certain lands of Richard de Amundevill, Lord of Berks∣well, for which he did m Homage in 33 H. 3. by his Deed n obligatory, bound himself to pay unto the said Richard and his heirs, a pair of gilt Spurs, yearly, at Easter, in Berskwell-Hall, or xii d. in money, whether they should please to choose. But that which Walter de Alspath had, descended to William de Alspath; who, in 32 E. 1. had also Free warren granted o to him in all his demesn lands thereof. This William had a daughter p cal∣led Annabel, second q wife to Gerard de Alspath (son and heir to the last mentioned Gerard) but whether she was an inheritrix, or not, I make a question. Which Gerard and Annabel had r issue S••r Gerard de Alspath Kn••ght, a Servant, or at least a very great Well-wisher to Roger Mortimer Earl of March; who helping s to contrive the escape of the said Roger, out of the Tower of London (where he was a Prisoner, by reason of the diffe∣rence