The Strong Survive !!.

Thought this may interest some, its from way back, I feel it shows the strong survive, even if they are in the wrong, and the weak do not, nothing has changed.!


Shoreham Family of Baudefars circa 1268.

Some time around the date of 1268, there was a very strange family living in the Shoreham area, they dominated the whole area around Old and New Shoreham.
They were all millers and owned most of the mills within the area, both watermills and windmills. There name was the Baudefars, they only mixed with their own people, and tended to be evil towards any outsiders including the local townspeople who attempted to have any dispute with them.
Any form of physical argument with a Baudefar was totally out of the question, for a man who worked in mills lifting sacks of corn and millstones had a distinct advantage over a average man of the time, also it was not a good idea to have a dispute with one of the woman of the clan, for they also could well hold their own, and in any case this would result in all the men taking up arms to the not so lucky perpetrators of the incident, and the result I leave to the imagination.
Therefore the Baudefars flourished, sharing their lands, their ale, their money; good luck and bad.
This family also took by force what they wanted, if no other method would bring them what they desired, remember this was at a time when the strongest would survive, and the weakest would not, but justice was not far off for this family.
One of the family named William Baudefar was a miller at New Shoreham, this was during the period of the forty-second year reign of Henry 111.
He was a great, raving, burning fellow; full of jest, noise and totally repulsive.
His parents must have had some compassion in them, as they wanted him to become a priest, which is a surprise from this totally lawless family, but William would have none of it, his answer, he was for more fat pigs and less fat parsons,”Howerever”, he remarked, “my good stars have ordained me to be a knight-errant of the market place and tavern, and I shall save more souls with my staff than I would ever done with my sermons.
The history of Shoreham is very heavy with the transgressions of William Baudefar, but his temper lead him to his downfall, and led him to the lock up.
It is stated that one morning William walked into the market place with a surly temper, it is remembered that if this William entered the town in this way, the cheerfulness of the whole town was killed off, a force indeed.
The story goes that there in the full market was Edmund of Edburton selling his wares. It is possible that Edmund was one of the Sussex ironmasters who made such ironwork as you may see on the tomb of Henry 111 in Westminster Abby, he was a well known trader at the market and would sell hatchets, tools for use on the land, and buckles, and other ironmongery, all made to a good standard and sort after.
It is said that the said William Baudefar made his way to the stall and very soon angry words were exchanged, Edmund would have been the only man in Shoreham market-place who would not have afraid of Baudefar, when the miller took a fancy to a “silver buckle “ to the value of two “shillings” and pocket it without payment, it is understandable that the ironmonger let out a cry thief!,
The miller immediately replied “who me”, I am “Baudefar the Terrible Miller! And for two grouts I will ram my stave down your gullet.
William for perhaps the first time in his life overvalued the effects of his bluff, for Edmund was having none of it.
From very early infancy Edmund had been accustomed to look upon battle, murder and sudden death, and split blood affected his nerves about as much as red paint.
Therefore he was quite accustomed to enduring a very large amount of wordy warfare, and while Baudefar carried on raving and cursing, “he carelessly fingered a hatchet lying on his stall” as a sign that he was prepared to dispute for the possession of the silver buckle with something more than a few idle words.
At this point Baudefar noted the fingering of the hatchet, this hint was enough to bring him from words to deeds without further thought, with swift and practised ability he knocked Edmunds legs from under him, and put his foot on his neck, pressing his throat so hard that blood was soon flowing out of his nostrils.
At that point Baudefar made good his escape with the silver buckle, the damage against Edmund was estimated at twenty marks.
But the day of reckoning soon came about, at Lewes; Baudefar unfolded a veritable tangle to the justice of the peace.
He explained how Edmund had insulted him at Shoreham market and “tried to attack him with a hatchet”.
He had pushed him away several times, knowing full well that it takes two to make a quarrel, but Edmund insisted on making the number up.
Therefore William had defended himself, but did not take the buckle, the jurors said that William “ insulted Edmund and hit him with his fist, but did not take the buckle nor pressed his throat”.
Therefore once again the Bauderf,s had got away with this injustice, this was a due in part one suspect, that the jurors were perhaps a little afraid of going as far as to convict William of theft.