Measham History |
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Home;
The objective of this page is to pull together all the other pages of information about the Mease valley and Measham into a one coherent page. It also adds extra details to the other accounts and looks at things from a purely Measham perspective. The page is divided into the following sections:
Pre RomanPre Roman Measham was probably centred along the Mease and Gilwhiskaw. Some iron age crop makings have been found in the area of Gilwhiskaw. These is an interesting place name in the this area of Limbrow or Limborough (this depends on which map you use) which is certainly in the correct area of the crop markings. Perhaps this indicates the location of the first settlement in the parish of Measham. However, there is little archaeological evidence to support this - and probably will never be as the area was significantly disturbed when the Ashby canal was built through the area in the 18 th century. Also in this area across the Mease valley in Appleby there is an other iron age settlement. Apart from these fragments of information there is very little known human activity in the area. This, of course, does not mean that Measham was not occupied it is just there is little evidence
RomanAs with the Pre Roman period there is little direct evidence as to what Roman activity there was in the parish of Measham. There is reason to suspect that there was considerable Roman activity in the area but this speculative at this time. The known Roman activity was at the northern tip of the parish where the road to Chester ran. There probably was a Roman road which ran through Measham but this again is speculative. Equally, it can be argued that the salt way which ran to the west through the Mease valley might have been of Roman origin. However there is no direct Roman archaeological evidence to support any of this other than it is very unlikely that the Romano British would not have farmed land which was already in use prior to the Roman conquest.
EnglishThe first known English settlers arrived in the early part of the 5 th century. Their route to Measham may have been via either the Trent and Mease or perhaps via the Chester road from where it crosses the River Welland in south east Leicestershire. There is some place name evidence that suggests the name Measham it self indicates that it was an early English settlement. The 'ham' part of Measham is taken to indicate very early settlement. Whether this is true is unclear but there is a relationship between such named places and Roman roads. Again this indicates Romano British occupation as well as early English occupancy. So it is perhaps safe to suggest that Measham was an early place settled by the English. As the English occupancy consolidated then the rise of powerful families seems to have taken place. In the Measham area there seems to have been a direct link between Measham and Repton and it is perhaps not too much to suggest that this link may have involved the land around Measham belonging to the powerful families rising at Repton. An example of this link is the Lichfield diocese. Both Measham and Repton were within the Lichfield diocese whilst villages to the east of the parish were in the Leicester diocese. This illustrates the links between Repton and Measham. We do know that Measham was part of Tomsaetia - the home tribal area of the Mercian kings. The whole Measham/Donisthorpe enclave appears to have developed separately to the surrounding area. The significance of this is unclear but it could be seen as further evidence of a close connection between Measham and Repton and thus a close connection with the royal family of Mercia. The only known English artefact in the area is a stone at Measham church which is known as the Saxon stone - this itself is misleading as the area was clearly settled by Angles ! This stone is about 1 metre in height and has a faint cross carved on it. If it is genuine then it would suggest that the site of Measham church is much earlier than the 11 th century but again there is no corroborate evidence to support this. The road/track system which centres on Measham may have continued to develop. This system no doubt started under the Romans and possibly much earlier. This system may have lead to the visit of Alfred to the parish in 860's. During this time he and his brother assisted the Mercians repel the Danes from Nottingham. Whilst it is just as likely that he and his Wessex men marched up the Fosse way from Wessex they might just as easily gone to Tamworth. If this is the case then the most direct route is the Tamworth to Sawley road. If this was the case then Alfred the great visited the parish. There is little doubt that Measham was used to visits by the royal family of Mercia. Tamworth was only 10 miles to the south and one of the greatest of the Mercian kings, Aethelbald, was murder at Seckington - just 5 miles to the south. The implied connections between Repton and Measham would all seem to indicate a close connection not only with the developments of Repton but also the royal families of Mercia. Again perhaps the roads system indicates the importance of Measham to the Mercians. By the time of the decline of the Mercian kingdom Measham had seen over 300 years of development - much of it may well have been influenced by the Mercian kings themselves. However, it must always remembered that this is based on very little actual evidence.
Anglo DanishThere is little doubt that the arrival of the Danish army at Repton in the winter of 873 had a considerable effect on Measham. Over the next 100 hundred years Measham would have been changed by the influx of new settlers all around.
The Danish settled all around Measham and no doubt changed much of the way that Measham worked and perhaps even occupied the village itself. However, this is probably unlikely as the name would have changed as many of the village names around have. What was the world like as seen from the Anglo Danish perspective of late 9 th century Measham. For a start it must have been destabilising as the old order, of which Repton was the best symbol, had been disrupted. The full nature of this disruption it is unclear - an indicator of this is that the shrine at Repton to St Wystan continued to be visited. The old methods of administration were replaced by a Danish model - the area had been previous assessed in hides and now was to be assessed in Carucates. Much of the old religious organisation may also have been disrupted - although the diocese of Lichfield maintained a tenuous link over the area for the first years of the Danish settlement. By the turn of the 10 th century Anglo Danish Measham was somewhat different to that of Mercian Measham and yet it was still very mush the same place. The village still stood on the hill over looking the wide Mease valley. All around the Mease valley there still would have been large tracts of empty heath land. To the south west the road to Tamworth and all that was familiar was still open. Although at this time the old route to Nottingham via the Roman road may have finally fallen into dis-use as the Danish settlement of Ashby became established. The Mease valley itself formed part of the Danelaw division of Mercia. Settlements to the south and west of the Mease were in English Mercia whilst those to the north and east were in Anglo Danish Mercia. Of course the distinction was not as clear cut as this and perhaps the best way to look at Measham and the whole Mease valley at this is that of any border country - a place where small battles break out and continual unrest become a way of life. As the 10 th century progressed the Anglo Danish areas once more came back under the control of the English kings. However, these kings were those of the house of Wessex and it is doubtful whether the inhabitants were particularly loyal to these southern kings. Tamworth by now had probably regained much of it's former strength if not importance. So this must have effected the traffic along the Tamworth to Measham road. Equally, the traffic along the Salt way along the Mease valley may have increased during this time reflecting the increased trade which probably followed the unification of Mercia under a Wessex appointed earl. What direct effect Cnute would have had on Measham is unclear. He clearly had considerable effect on Repton - moving the shrine of St Wystan to Evesham. This would have had a drastic effect on the economy of the town and perhaps was the final blow to the once powerful centre of Mercian religion and art. Apart from this the only other thing to note is that Cnute appears to have used Mercia as a stepping stone to gaining the throne of England. He ordered his troops not to attack any settlements until they were out of the Danelaw counties. This may have sparred Measham further pillaging from the Danes - however, again it must be remembered that such lines as the Danelaw division were highly artificial and so not easy to interpret. The net effect of this might have been that Cnute's men may not have been aware where Danelaw stopped and English England began - thus happily pillaged Measham. With the rule of Cnute came new earls of Mercia. The family of Leofric were not of Tomsaetia but were probably from Hwicce and no doubt were viewed with almost equal suspicion as the kings of Wessex. They may be of Mercian extraction but were clearly not of the old Mercian royal family - or if they were they were distant relatives. To the people of Measham, as well as much of the Mease and Trent valley, this may have been important. The Leofric family probably controlled much of the Mease valley and Measham as their own land.
NormanBy 1066 there was going to be trouble. Harold had disputes with his brother which finally was settled at the battle of Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire. He then marched south to meet his death at Hastings. It is worth noting that the men of Mercia under their earl Edwin did not accompany their king into battle at Hastings which they had done so at Stamford Bridge. Perhaps the men of Mercia felt no need to help defend a Wessex king from the Normans whilst they felt the need to defeat a Wessex usurper with Norse backing. Whatever the reason the men of Mercia stayed away from the Hastings battle. The decision not to oppose William would come to haunt the whole of Mercia and Measham two years later. In the spring of 1068 the Mercians revolted against William. Whatever the cause for such a revolt William's solution was swift and vicious. At Easter he marched from Exeter to Warwick and then onto Tamworth. From Tamworth he marched to Nottingham. This suggests that he came to Measham around the end of spring 1068. His visit was one which probably was remembered by generations afterwards. The Doomsday entry for Measham notes that much of the land was waste. - no doubt was the result of William's visitation. This can also be seen as the an indicator of the importance of Measham as it must have formed the heart of Edwin's land in old Mercia. Whatever the true picture it is worth noting that surrounding villages do not appear to have been singled out for wasting as Measham and other Measham/Donisthorpe enclave lands. The best example of this is Packington which at the time of Doomsday was thriving with a priest. If the wasting was general then it would be fair to assume that Packington would have received a similar fate as Measham but this was not the case. William's visit in the spring of 1068 changed the whole Mease valley. Burton abbey owned land around the mouth of the Mease valley. All this land was confiscated by William only being returned towards the end of William's reign once Burton had shown it's loyalty. Equally, Repton became the King's. Prior to the Norman conquest it had been in the hands of the earls of Mercia.
Measham took sometime to recover from the wasting of William. Slowly it appears to emerge from the terible reign. Whether it was a stronger place because of it is doubtful. After William had died the lands of Measham and much of the Repton Wapentake came under the control of the earl of Chester. Perhaps the unification of the old English families of Mercia and the newer Norman earls of Chester took place with the marrage of Lucy to the 4 th earl of Chester, Rannulf. Lucy is an interesting figure but also one who is subject to much debate. One view is that she was in fact the daughter of Aelfgar and so sister of the last earl of Mercia - Edwin. Another view is that she was from Lincolnshire and was niece of Aelfgar. Whatever her true lineage she was a pivitol figure in the 12 th century development not only of Measham but of the country as a whole. By Rannulf she produced one the two earls who lead the rebellion against Stephen. By a previous marrage she produced William who became earl of Lincoln. The two half brother earls of Chester and Lincoln for 10 years fought and disputed the reign of Stephen. Also by this time the Wapentake was firmly under the control of Chester and so Measham would have been free of the King.
Post NormanAs the 12 th century developed so did Measham. This is best illustrated by the road/track system which meet at Measham.
Trade was clearly growing. For the first time we see the mention of Coal as a product. Where this coal went is unclear but it is of little doubt that it was not produced for local consumption. Oakthorpe was producing coal for Leicester Abbey some twenty five miles to the east by this time and it would seem fair to assume that Measham's coal was transported out the area as well. There certainly was a well developed transportation system in place to take this trade. Salt would have still been traded along the Salt ways which lead along the Mease valley. Given the power of the earl of Chester this trade can be seen one of the main influences on the area. There seems little doubt that the source of the salt which flowed along the salt ways of the Mease valley was Cheshire. As to where the salt way ran after Measham it is unclear. It probably went onto Normanton and possibly Ravenstone. This might explain why the castle at Ravenstone may have been destroyed around 1150. Being controlled by the earl of Leicester this castle may have threatened the trade along the salt way. Measham by the 13th century had a market and annual fair. Again this is supported by the meeting of three main routes through the area. It is clearly in the salt traders interest to supply major local markets and Measham appears to have been such. Interestingly, the market of Measham has continued to run since these times. Also around this time the stone building of Measham church took place. This replaced a chapel that had been there for at least 100 years. This chapel was provided by the church and then priory of Repton. During this period there was a dispute between the parishioners of Measham and prior of Repton over the provision of a full time preiest. This dispute went to the bishop of Coventry (which had replaced Lichfield as the seat of the see of Lichfield). The dispute was settled in favour of the prior but it again signifies the growth of Measham in that their parishioners felt the need for a full time priest to service them.
If this is the correct location then would seem to be the best location for the assize to sit. The only other building which could hold such a meeting was the church. By the end of the 13 th century Measham was probably at it's most important for 300 years. It had survived the wasting of king William and over time had once more become the regional centre. It was located at the junction of at least three long distance roads which supplied the main towns of the area. The trade that must have travelled along these road must have meant that Measham grew into a relatively prosperous village. The mineral wealth of the village was being exploited and exported to Leicester and beyond. On the whole it would seem that Measham by start of the 14th century was a busy prosperous place with an interesting mix of travellers from all over the east and west midlands and beyond.
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