Wessex Tales: "Schelin's Daughter" (Story 14)

By Robert Fripp

The Norman knight Schelin (from whom the village of Shilling Okeford or Shillingstone takes its name) was awarded the manor of Okeford for his service to King William at the Battle of Hastings. Schelin holds the richest agricultural land in Dorset, but he still has a problem. His daughter would rather get herself to a nunnery than marry well. A Saxon wise woman’s potions are called for. (c.1085)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robert Fripp
• Release date: Jan 19, 2013
• ISBN: 9780991857531

Robert Fripp

Nature, wildlife and public affairs television, earth sciences, gothic vaults and liturgy: Robert Fripp’s fiction and non-fiction share many slices of life. § Here, Fripp introduces his 38 “Wessex Tales” stories. Thomas Hardy used that title over a century ago. Fripp moves it forward with a new collection of “Wessex Tales” covering “Eight thousand years in the life of an English village.” § First come Stone Age hunters. Then villagers discover a new “stone,” bronze. Locals build Stonehenge. A Roman mosaic depicts Jesus. We advance: from Viking raiders to potions for maidens, a medieval wedding, civil war, smugglers, and the second battle of the Somme. § Smashwords releases several stories, here. Read them—free, for a time—choosing a format for your Kindle, Nook, iPad, Mac, PC, iPhone (via Stanza), Sony, Kobo and Androids. All 38 “Wessex Tales” stories will come alive in paperback within two years.

Book preview

This is one among 38 stories in my collection...

~ WESSEX TALES ~

Eight thousand years in the life of an English village

‘ Schelin’s Daughter ’

Robert Fripp

Copyright Robert Fripp 2013

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Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for downloading this e-story. It will be free to read for several months. However, it remains the copyrighted property of the author, Robert Fripp, who reserves all rights. This e-story may not be reproduced, copied or distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoy it, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from https://www.smashwords.com, where they will find more of my stories.

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Cover

Photo by ‘aberration’

123RF Stock Photo 8562315

Cover design: The Design Unit,

www.thedesignunit.com

Wessex Tales stories: ‘Schelin’s Daughter’

ISBN 978-0-9918575-3-1

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

The Author’s Note

Books by Robert Fripp

Reach me Online

A List of my Stories

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WESSEX TALES

‘ Schelin’s Daughter ’

Chapter 1

The year is 1086. William the Conqueror finally paid off his army at Salisbury (Old Sarum) that year. Meanwhile the ink was drying on his survey of all England, the Domesday Book.

At some point in the twenty years between the Battle of Hastings and that survey of all England known as the Domesday Book, a hamlet at Okeford, in Dorset, hard by the River Stour, was given in perpetuity to a Norman knight whose name appears variously in charter rolls as Azelin, Aschelin, Schelin, Eschelinus, or Exchelines. The Domesday Book puts it this way, ‘Schelin tenet Alfrod’, and who are