And instances occur in more formal documents. In 977, Oswald, Archbishop of York and Bishop of Worcester, made a grant of three hides at Teddington, for three lives, to Eádríc his thane, with reversion to Worcester: “Now there are three hides of this land which Archbishop Oswald booketh to Eádríc his thane, both near town and from town, even as he before held them as lǽnland[568].” ----- Footnote 568: Cod. Dipl. Nos. 617, 651. ----- In another grant of the same prelate, between 972-992, made to his _client_ Ælfsige, of a dwelling in Worcester city, for three lives, he adds, “Also we write [or book] to him the croft appurtenant to that tenement, which lies to the east of Wulfsige’s croft; that he may hold it in as large measure, for bócland, as he before held it for lǽnland[569].” ----- Footnote 569: Ibid. No. 679. ----- In 977, the same convent at Worcester booked three hides for three lives to the monk Wynsige, even as his father had held them[570]; and in 978-992, they gave to Goding the priest, also for three lives, the tenement which he himself had without the city gate[571]. In both these cases lǽn appears to have been converted into estate for successive lives. ----- Footnote 570: Ibid. No. 616. Footnote 571: Ibid. No. 683. ----- Where there was lǽn, there could properly be no book, because the possession of the charter itself was _prima facie_ evidence (indeed nearly conclusive evidence) in favour of the holder. Hence, where from any circumstance the books were withheld, the tenant had only a lǽn: this was the case with Helmstán’s estates mentioned above: he had deposited his charters with Ordláf as a security on an occasion when this duke helped him to make oath to some property. On Helmstán’s felony, Ordláf seized the land to himself, and the document from which we learn this is obviously his appeal to Ælfred’s son and successor, against an attempt to disturb Helmstán’s original title, under a judgment given by Ælfred. Nor was it unusual for books to be thus retained as securities, by which the tenant having only a lǽn could be evicted, if not at pleasure, at least by legal process[572]. And the same remarks apply to a very common mode of disposing of estates, where the clergy were grantees. Either to avoid litigation with justly exasperated heirs, or to escape from the commands of various synods, the clergy used to take deeds of gift from living tenants, impounding the books of course, and leaving the life-interest only to the owner. Such an estate in technical Latin was named _praestaria_; but it was obviously a lǽn, and was generally charged with recognitory payments[573]. ----- Footnote 572: See the case of the estate at Cowling, in the trial between Queen Eádgyfu and Goda. Cod. Dipl. No. 499. Footnote 573: Examples of this are found in Cod. Dipl. Nos. 429, 754, 1351, 1354, § 6. -----