The oldest official notice of the parish is in Domesday Book, where it is stated that “in Aschebi, Odincarle (Wodin’s churl) and Chilbert had 4 carucates (_i.e._, 480 acres) rateable” to the tax called “gelt,” their whole land being 5 carucates or 600 acres. This was in Saxon times. When William the Conqueror took possession these were deprived of their property, and he bestowed the manor on Odo, Bishop of Baieux, who was his half-brother on the mother’s side. On the bishop coming to England, William created him Earl of Kent, and also Count Palatine, and “Justitiarius Angliæ.” He was so powerful that historians of the day described him as “Totius Angliæ Vice-dominus sub rege,” second only to the King. He held, of the King’s gift, 76 manors in Lincolnshire, besides 463 in other parts. This greatness, however, was his ruin, for, from his pride and arrogancy, he incurred the Conqueror’s displeasure and was sent to prison in Normandy. On the Conqueror’s death, in 1084, King Rufus restored him to his honours, but, finding his power not so great as formerly, he headed a conspiracy against Rufus in favour of Robert, Duke of Normandy, and, failing in it, he fled to the Duke, who made him governor of that Province, where he died in 1097. Ashby Puerorum was thus again “in the market.” The subsequent history of Ashby is more or less enveloped in the folding mists of antiquity. The clouds, however, do here and there lift a little, and we get a glimpse into the past which enables us to form a shrewd guess as to its early proprietors. Among the list of noble soldiers contained in the famous “Battle Roll” of the Conqueror, as coming over with him to England and fighting for him at Hastings, is the name of Creuquere, or Creveceur, Latinized as “De corde Crepito,” which some have rendered “of the craven heart,” not a very likely attribute of a brave soldier. We prefer another rendering, “of the tender heart,” and connect it with the legend of his rescuing a “ladye fayre” at the risk of his own life, who was kept “in durance vile” by a knight of ill repute, in his castle, situated in a lonesome forest. The name also took the alternative form of De Curcy. A de Curcy was seneschal, or High Steward, to Henry I., and it is a name which ranks high still. This Creveceur (we are not sure of his Christian name) was one of a doughty race. Giraldus Kambrensis tells us of one of them, who conquered the Irish kingdom of Ulster in 1177 (Hibernia Expugnata, lib. ii., c. 16, 17), and was created Earl of Ulster. He was of gigantic stature, and in a dispute between Kings Philip of France and John of England, the former sent one of his most redoubted knights to maintain his cause, but, the Creveceur being appointed champion for John, the Frenchman thought it best to show a clean pair of heels and shun the combat. In recognition of his valour this Knight was allowed by King John to wear his hat in the King’s