St. Lucia, W.I., Nov. 1850.
_Holland Land_ (Vol. ii., pp. 267. 345.; Vol. iii., p. 30).--In an ancient
charter, in my possession, bearing date 19 Edw. I.: "Gilebertus dictus ate
Vorde, de Farlegh," and "James, son of the late Philip de Essche,"
quitclaim to James, son of Paulinus de Wynchelse:
"dimidiam acram terre Flandrensis ... in villa de Ickelesham,"
to have and to hold
una cum redditu et servitio mihi (_sic_) pertinentibus de alia dimidia
acra terre Flandrensis."
The _polders_ of Holland are familiar to all travellers, as lands lying
below the level of the sea, once a mere morass, redeemed from that state,
and brought into cultivation by embankments, &c., &c.
In another charter, somewhat earlier in date and relating to the same
district, viz. the neighbourhood of Winchelsea, Hamo de Crevecour speaks of
lands in La more in Ideun, which the monks of Robertsbridge, with consent
of his father Hamo, "a mari incluserunt."
I have always supposed that the "terra Flandrensis" of my charter signified
land of the same description as the Dutch polders; the art of thus
redeeming land being probably introduced from the Low Countries. It is not
unlikely that, in that day, lands so brought into cultivation were
designated as "terre Flandrenses," and the term afterwards anglicised into
"Holland Land."