s of
Wolverhampton 2,200 acres in Wednesfield, 1,194 acres in Pelsall, both in
the same Hundred; 3,396 acres in Wolverhampton, 3,912 acres in Arley, and
6,377 acres, a part of Bushbury, are set down in Seisdon Hundred; the
Essington portion of Bushbury, once belonging to the Countess Godiva, is
reckoned in Cuddlestone Hundred, in which are also given the four other
portions of Wolverhampton, namely Hilton, Hatherton, Kinvaston, and
Featherstone.

Since the eleventh century the boundaries of the Hundreds of Offlow and
Cuddlestone have been altered. As to the Arley estate, that was lost to
the canons ere another century had elapsed--by 1172 had escheated to the
Crown.

The present-day acreage of Wolverhampton parish is no less than 17,449;
made up of 3,396 acres in Wolverhampton proper, 1,845 in Bilston, and
1,650 in Bentley, a total of 6,891 acres in Seisdon Hundred; thus leaving
10,608 acres to constitute Hilton (two manors, since united into one)
Hatherton, Kinvaston, Featherstone, and Hocintune. The last-named was a
manor which, at that time, probably lay between Hilton and Hatherton,
within Wolverhampton; the name is obsolete.

These ten estates, comprising Wolverhampton, Willenhall (part of), Arley
(part of), Bushbury (part of), Hilton (part of), Pelsall, Wednesfield,
Cote (near Penn), Haswic (near Newcastle), and Hocintune (now obsolete),
were in 1086 held by the Canons of Wolverhampton under Sampson, the
highly favoured royal Chaplain, to whom the Conqueror had presented this
fief. For the purposes of comparison it may be mentioned that there were
then eighteen holdings in Staffordshire, occupying 567 hides, and valued
at about 516 pounds. Sampson's fief extended to 26.5 hides of this, and
was estimated as being worth 8 pounds 2s. a year.

This Sampson, who has been incorrectly styled the first Dean of
Wolverhampton, was a Canon of Bayeux, and though a king's chaplain, was
not ordained a priest till nine years after the Conqueror's death, when
Rufus made him Bishop of Worcester. Bishop Sampson subsequently gave the
Church of Wolverhampton to his Cathedral Monastery of Worcester. He also
held the neighbouring estates at Bilbrook and Tettenhall as the superior
of the priests of Tettenhall College.

Willenhall, in the great survey, is recorded to have contained, as
previously stated, three hides belonging to the King, and two hides
belonging to the church--a hide of land in Saxon measurement was a
variabl