User:Iluvhistory66/sandbox/Domesday

Detailed Look in the Domesday Book


 * FIRST Run through of Lionel's information by Virginia Pratt Introduction through Section 6

INTRODUCTION
In order to understand the impact of the Battle of Hastings in 1066, and the subsequent order to generate the Domesday folios, it will be necessary to delve into the history of 11th. Century England. Right from the start, it should be understood that the word “DOMESDAY” in early English should be translated as “DOOMSDAY” in modern English!

Peter Esterhazy made the following statement: “HISTORY BELONGS TO THE VICTORS, legends to the people.” By this, he meant that the victors could write anything they chose, and because they controlled communication, the average person had no way to argue. But the legends of the people had a way of being transmitted down the generations to finally provide clarity to what was, before, a one-sided picture. History is written such that William was a rightful heir to the English throne, and a reasonable monarch. The conquered people knew otherwise!

Dr. Hugh Nibley made the following observation (paraphrased): “If something is put forward as having happened by legend or folk lore, and is only found in one or two areas in the same country, then it is not likely to be true. If it comes up not just in one or two areas in one country, but in one or more countries, it is likely to be true. But if the legend is found in a number of locations in three or four different countries, then it is most probably true. This will be used as a basis for what is included later.

England, prior to the Battle of Hastings, was still not a unified country. There were constant invasions from the Germanic area of Europe, and later, by the Vikings from Denmark.

Sometime between A.D. 880 and 890, King Alfred finally restored peace to England by making a compact, whereby the Danes retained control of some of their conquered lands. This Danish invasion forced all the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms to unite under one ruler, with Alfred the Great becoming the first king of England. The other, eastern and north-eastern area of the country was called the Danelaw.

A: THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM OF ENGLAND
During the course of the 10th century, the West Saxon kings extended their power first over Mercia, then over the southern Danelaw, and finally over Northumbria, thereby imposing a semblance of political unity on peoples who nonetheless would remain conscious of their respective customs and their separate pasts. The prestige and pretensions of the monarchy increased, the institutions of government strengthened, and kings and their agents sought in various ways to establish social order. Ref. 1, “The Development of England.”

Anglo-Saxon society was stratified. A three-tier system seems to have been most common: thēow, ceorl and thegn, or thrall, freeman and nobleman. Social status was inherited from your father, although a woman's status did not change on marriage.

Social mobility was possible in both directions. A thegn who lost his wealth might sink to the status of ceorl; a ceorl who fell on hard times might be forced to sell himself and his family into slavery as a lord's thralls. Conversely, thralls could be freed by their masters, and prosperous ceorls rise to the nobility. Ref 1: Quora: Anglo Saxon nobility

However, a surprisingly bright period for women took place from about A.D. 580 to 1066 in Anglo-Saxon England. Old English society allowed to women, not only private influence, but also the widest liberty of intervention in public affairs.

Under Anglo-Saxon law, women could own and control all three types of real property. Women could receive grants of land singly or jointly with their spouses. Women could also make grants of land singly or jointly with their spouse. Some historians seek to diminish the significance of the fact that women held bookland by pointing out that most of the women who owned bookland received it because of their kinship with royalty or their positions in the church. While this is likely true, it is also likely that men who received bookland received it for the same reasons. Ref. 2. “Women’s Rights in England: BYU Law Review. Unfortunately, this was lost under French rule, and did not return until after about 800 years!

B: THE DANELAW
Danelaw can describe the set of legal terms and definitions created in the treaties between the King of Wessex, Alfred the Great, and the Danish warlord, Guthrum, written following Guthrum's defeat at the Battle of Edington in 878. Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danelaw In 886, the Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum was formalized, defining the boundaries of their kingdoms, with provisions for peaceful relations between the English and the Vikings. The language spoken in England was also affected by this clash of cultures with the emergence of Anglo-Norse dialects. The Danelaw roughly comprised of the following 15 shires: Leicester, York, Nottingham, Derby, Lincoln, Essex, Cambridge, Suffolk, Norfolk, Northampton, Huntingdon, Bedford, Hertford, Middlesex, and Buckingham. Its law was distinguished by procedural differences, severe fines for breach of peace, and the existence of an aristocratic jury of presentment to initiate the prosecution of criminal suspects. In the areas of intensive Danish settlement, there were an unusually high number of sokemen, a class of personally free peasants attached to a lord rather than to the land. Ref: Britanica.com / Danelaw Under the law, there was no freedom for women, whose rights were tied to their husbands, and, upon the death of the husband, all belongings went to the oldest male who became the legal heir.

SECTION 2, RELIGION IN ENGLAND PRIOR TO 1066
The early Anglo-Saxon Church was structured around archbishops, bishops and monasteries. Groups of churches were governed by bishops and archbishops. Sometimes, leading churchmen would come together in councils to agree legislation and make collective decisions. It should be noted, however, that there were no close ties to Rome, or the Catholic church there. The church itself in England did not have a rigid hierarchy. In fact, on a number of occasions, the Bishops of England clearly told Rome to keep to their own affairs. The Anglo-Saxons were attracted to Christianity for a variety of reasons. It is perhaps no coincidence that some began converting to Christianity at the time when larger kingdoms began to be formed. Christianity brought with it access to writing technologies such as the Latin alphabet we still use today and the Latin language itself. Kings used these writing systems to create written law codes, and charters to transfer rights and property. It was different in the Danelaw. During the 10th century or the late Viking Age, the Danes officially adopted Christianity, as evidenced by several rune stones, documents and church buildings. The new Christian influences also show in their art, jewelry and burial practices of the late Viking Age, but the transition was not rapid and definitive and older customs from the Norse religion, remained to be practiced to a greater degree. Ref: Wikipedia, Danes. This was multi-theistic, and was part of the belief systems of the Great Heathen Army. Norse mythology not only has it’s gods, goddesses and immortals but also a myriad of other characters and creatures that populate the stories including giants, dwarfs, monsters, magical animals and objects. Ref: the norse gods.com

A: THE ACTUAL BATTLE, 14 OCTOBER, 1066
There was probably no way that England could have won this battle. Prior to Hastings itself, England was embroiled in 2 other major battles with the Danelaw; the battle of Fulford, in which the English were defeated, and the battle of Stamford Bridge, fought on September 25, 1066, in which the English were victorious, defeating the Danes, and killing the 2 Danish leaders, Tostig and Hadrada.

However both these battles took their toll on available English warriors, leaving King Harold an army of only about 7,000 men, all who were war weary! In contrast, it has been estimated that William had close to 11,000 fresh warriors to call upon.

In addition, the great English Longbow had not yet been invented, and the English army consisted mainly of infantry and few archers. The French, on the other hand, had close to 50% of their soldiers split between archers and cavalry. This was to make a major difference.

At the start of the battle, the English had the superior position, being staged on the upper slopes of a hill that the French had to climb. The French, however, used superior tactics, and the archers made a huge difference.

Tradition has it that Harold was shot in the eye by an arrow, late in the battle, and his army then pulled back in retreat, allowing the French cavalry to ride through and cause major havoc. By the evening of 14th. of October 1066, it was all over; Harold was dead, and his troops mainly killed. The following image from the famous Bayeux tapestry, at Bayeux in Normandy, depicts Harold’s death. We have no sources to tell us who made the Bayeux Tapestry; however, most scholars agree that it was made in Norman England, probably by Anglo-Saxon embroiderers. At present we do not know how many people were involved in creating the Tapestry. We can say it would have been embroidered by women because all the surviving evidence demonstrates that only women in early medieval England embroidered. Ref: historyextra.com

Detail of the Bayeux Tapestry – 11th century; by special permission of the City of Bayeux

B: SUBJUGATION OF THE SOUTH
William expected to receive the submission of the surviving English leaders after his victory, but instead Edgar the AEtheling was proclaimed king by the Witenagemot, with the support of Earls Edwin and Morcar, Stigand, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Ealdred, the Archbishop of York. William therefore advanced on London, marching around the coast of Kent. He defeated an English force that attacked him at Southwark, but was unable to storm London Bridge, forcing him to reach the capital by a more circuitous route. William moved up the Thames valley to cross the river at Walligford, where he received the submission of Stigand. He then travelled north-east along the Chilterns, before advancing towards London from the north-west, fighting further engagements against forces from the city. The English leaders surrendered to William at Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire. William was then acclaimed King of England and crowned by Ealdred on 25 December 1066, in Westminster Abbey. Despite the submission of the English nobles, resistance continued for several years in the South, causing him to spent almost three years putting down trouble spots of rebellion. C: HARRYING OF THE NORTH. During these three years, the north was in foment. In 1069 William faced more troubles from Northumbrian rebels, an invading Danish fleet, and rebellions in the south and west of England. He ruthlessly put down the various risings, culminating in the Harrying of the North in late 1069 and early 1070 that devastated parts of northern England. It is estimated that close to 40% of the male population of the north were killed in these rebellions. In addition, many noble families were decimated by the murder of wives and children, especially children who could grow up and foment rebellion.

A: Why called the Domesday
In essence, England of the early 11th century was mostly a self-governed society. There was, of course, a social stratification, based primarily on wealth and land holdings, but the people were remarkably free. That all changed with William the Conqueror and the Domesday Census.

To the English, who held the book in awe, it became known as "Domesday Book", in allusion to the Last Judgement and in specific reference to the definitive character of the record.

The book is metaphorically called by the native English, Domesday, i.e., the Day of Judgement. For as the sentence of that strict and terrible last account cannot be evaded by any skillful subterfuge, so when this book is appealed to on those matters which it contains, its sentence cannot be quashed or set aside with impunity. That is why we have called the book "the Book of Judgement", ... not because it contains decisions on various difficult points, but because its decisions, like those of the Last Judgement, are unalterable. Ref: Richard FitzNeal, treasurer of England

B: Distribution of lands to his leading knights
After all the problems William had in subjugating the English, he realized that only his knights that were brought from Normandy with him could really be trusted, and they were largely made territorial governors for the major counties of England. Under them were placed Sheriffs, if possible of English origin who could be trusted or bought, who would be responsible for implementing the records from Domesday Census.

C: Identification of quality of land / forestry, and structures
It needs to be clearly understood that the underlying core reason for the Domesday Census was economic. William expected his vassal territories to provide both income, and also funds to keep his peers and sheriffs in operating funds. The only way to adequately ensure that this occurred was to know what he had.

Then, at the midwinter [1085], was the king in Gloucester with his council ... . After this had the king a large meeting, and very deep consultation with his council, about this land; how it was occupied, and by what sort of men. Then sent he his men (N.B. HIS MEN) over all England into each shire; commissioning them to find out "How many hundreds of hides were in the shire, what land the king himself had, and what stock upon the land; or, what dues he ought to have by the year from the shire”. Ref: en.wikipedia.org

The survey's main purpose was to determine what taxes had been owed during the reign of King Edward the Confessor, thereby allowing William to reassert the rights of the Crown and assess where power lay after a wholesale redistribution of land following the Norman conquest. Ref: The Anglo Saxon Chronicle

After the survey was taken, it was relatively easy to compare the land area in forest with the land area in cultivation to determine what funds were generated, and thence to what taxes could be levied.

the normal relationship of the common Domesday measures of length or area to each other, and their approximate - very approximate - size, would in modern terms be:

1 rod/perch = 5.5 yards 1 furlong = 40 perches 1 mile = 8 furlongs 1 league = 12 furlongs 1 acre = 40 * 4 perches 1 bovate = 15 acres 1 virgate = 30 acres 1 yoke = 60 acres 1 hide = 120 acres 1 carucate = 120 acres 1 sulung = 240 acres

The valuation of land and estates were given in pounds, shillings, and pence.

The symbols £ s d are abbreviations derived from the initial letters of the three Latin words for pounds, shillings and pence (£ibra, solidus, denarius). These were the basic denominations of the English currency for over a millennium,

D: Actual census of the defeated people
Another critical value of the Domesday Census was to provide a picture of the population density of each of the Shires. Areas that were densely populated with the defeated British working class were areas that needed to be carefully watched and controlled by his Sheriffs. These areas might require a small Norman controlled garrison to keep the civil peace, as well as to ensure that taxes were paid promptly. For the British population, this was subjugation, indeed! The assessors' reckoning of a man's holdings and their values, as recorded in Domesday Book, was dispositive and without appeal. Ref: en.wikipedia.org

For the Normans, the picture was hugely different. Per the census, the King and his family held about 17% of all the land in the various counties. About 26% was held by the Bishops and Abbots. 54% was held by his tenants in chief; his leading Barons and Lords.

E: Tax value to the Crown
A large part of the funding for the conquest of England was in promises to his captains and troops. They understood that success would provide them with a level of wealth that heretofore they had not seen. His army, consisting of a mixture of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French soldiers. They were with him largely for loot and land, things they did not have at home. Even after 18 years of subjugation, William did not really know the value of lands and people, and thus what could be provided as benefits for his followers. The Domesday Census was to provide this.

DOMESDAY COUNTIES
Introduction:

It must be noted that the British Counties remained for all intents unchanged until 1 April 1974. Purists still decry that decision, which largely favored the larger urban areas, and made funding distribution very difficult to understand. A number of the old counties were decimated, and one, Middlesex) disappeared completely.

In the following documents, the old boundaries will be followed, albeit with notes to indicate the major changes today.

BEDFORDSHIRE:
Bedfordshire was already a well-developed agricultural county. There was a remarkably even distribution of villages and hamlets over the whole county, proving its popularity and pleasant location.

The oxen that pulled the ploughs, and the sheep that grazed the upland, were equally provided with forage. The area supported a large number of pigs, mainly in the eastern areas.

Even though there was the county town of Bedford (the county’s only borough) the Domesday Book was much more interested in the towns of Leighton Buzzard and Luton, both of which had weekly markets.

Some towns which figure prominently today were not mentioned in the Domesday, even though they were sited favorably, for example Dunstable which lay at a busy crossroad. A few notable locations will be mentioned here.

Easton Socon:

Eudo Fitzhubert was granted this location based on his loyalty to William. It was previously held by Wulfmer of Eaton, a thane to King Edward. It answers for a total of 20 hides of land, 2 mills, and was given a taxable rating of £15.

Elstow ELstinov:
This small village on the outskirts of Bedford still retains its identity to this day, even with the encroaching suburbia of the county town of Bedford.

It answers for 3.5 hides, with one mill, and was held by the nuns of St. Mary’s. The taxable rating was 100 shillings (s).

Leighton Buzzard (originally Lestone):
This town was listed as King’s Land, and therefore not valued as the King owned it directly. The Bishop of Lincoln owned the church, and there were 2 mills as well as it being a market town.

Luton (originally Lintone or Loitone):
Also listed as King’s Land, and therefore not valued for taxation purposes. It was listed as having 6 mills, a thriving market, and a major church. William the Chamberlain was listed as the owner of the church.

Luton was the site of Iron Age, Roman, and Saxon settlements.

Turvey
This small village, on the banks of the River Ouse, borders with the neighboring county of Buckinghamshire.

It answers for 4 hides of land and one mill, including a large area of woodland along the banks of the river. The taxable rating was £6.

Of critical historical import was the mention that the holdings were for the Bishop of Coutances from France. Obviously a grant for his support of the invasion. It appears from other records that a French family, the de Alneto’s, were the Bishop’s major tenants.

Domesday Counties by Lionel July 2020
Easton Socon:

Eudo Fitzhubert was granted this location based on his loyalty to William. It was previously held by Wulfmer of Eaton, a thane to King Edward. It answers for a total of 20 hides of land, 2 mills, and was given a taxable rating of £15.

Elstow ELstinov:

This small village on the outskirts of Bedford still retains its identity to this day, even with the encroaching suburbia of the county town of Bedford.

It answers for 3.5 hides, with one mill, and was held by the nuns of St. Mary’s. The taxable rating was 100 shillings (s).

Leighton Buzzard (originally Lestone):

This town was listed as King’s Land, and therefore not valued as the King owned it directly. The Bishop of Lincoln owned the church, and there were 2 mills as well as it being a market town.

Luton (originally Lintone or Loitone):

Also listed as King’s Land, and therefore not valued for taxation purposes. It was listed as having 6 mills, a thriving market, and a major church. William the Chamberlain was listed as the owner of the church.

Luton was the site of Iron Age, Roman, and Saxon settlements.

Turvey:

This small village, on the banks of the River Ouse, borders with the neighboring county of Buckinghamshire.

It answers for 4 hides of land and one mill, including a large area of woodland along the banks of the river. The taxable rating was £6.

Of critical historical import was the mention that the holdings were for the Bishop of Coutances from France. Obviously a grant for his support of the invasion. It appears from other records that a French family, the de Alneto’s, were the Bishop’s major tenants.

BERKSHIRE:

In 1871, the historian Edward Freeman stated that the Berkshire’s Domesday listing was, “of special interest, with pages rich in personal details which breath life into the statistics.” Domesday records William’s new castle, built at Windsor on half a hide, taken from the manor of Clewer (an English landowning).

Berkshire’s real agricultural value lay in the west, where its manors in the Vale of the White Horse were important producers of grain and cheese.

Goosey:

This small hamlet in the west was always held by the Abbey. After 1066, and the re-assignment of large parcels of land to the king and his nobles, it accounted for 11 hides of land. Hermer, one of the Norman knights, was given 11 hides of land. Valuation for tax purposes was £10. The monks priced the area for its cheese production; with 2 dairies producing between them about 7,100 pounds of cheese.

Great Faringdon:

This small market town was originally held by King Harold. Since 1066, it reverted to William and was held entirely by him. It answered for 30 hides. It had a mill, and also s small fishery. William assumed title to the manor house, but it was managed by Alfsi, an Englishman, who was granted thaneship under William, having no difficulty in switching loyalty.

Bray:

Today a small Thames-side village overshadowed by Maidenhead, was assessed in Domesday times as a royal Manor, with about 18 hides. Land was held by the king. About 70 families were tenant farmers, farming 50 acres of meadow. They were required to yearly pay in tribute 60 pigs a year.

Windsor:

Until William chose it as the site for his impregnable castle, it was a tiny, unknown, little village. Since the building of the moated castle, it became a royal residence, and has remained such since that time. Today, the town survives primarily on tourism.

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE:

Buckinghamshire was a creation of the Domesday planners, and was carved from other counties. It was probably based on a desire to provide territory for the newly created fortress town of Buckingham. It was partially made up of territory axed from the Danelaw, and resulted in a long and irregular outline.

There may have been ore acreage under the plough in the eleventh century than in the twentieth, a remarkable statistic considering the much smaller population.

Olney:

Olney is a small market town on the river Ouse. It was held by the Bishop of Coutances himself, and accounts for 10 hides of land. There was one mill, an estimated 400 pigs, and a in total, a valuation of £12. From France, was introduced the manufacture of lace.

Buckingham:

Known in the Saxon as Bochinghela, was a tiny settlement accounting for 1 hide of land. The land itself is held by Bishop Remigius (Bishop of Lincoln) and was answerable to the King. The value was £6. It was made the capital or county town of the newly formed county of Buckinghamshire by royal edict. After the conquest, it was granted to Walter Giffard, whose descendants built the castle.

Its significance lay in the number of burgesses reporting through the fortress. A burgess was an elected or unelected official of a fortress or municipality. He was a freeman who could sit in council with the local leadership, under the direction of the nobleman who held him.

•	The Bishop of Coutances: 3 burgesses. •	Earl Hugh: 1 burgess. •	Roger d’Ivrey: 4 burgesses. •	Hugh de Bolbec: 4 burgesses. •	Mainou le Breton: 4 burgesses. •	Hascoit Musard: 1 burgess. •	Arnulf de Hesdiin: 2 burgesses. •	William de Castillon: 2 burgesses. •	Earl Aubrey: 1 burgess. •	Leofin of Nuneham: 5 burgesses.

West Wycombe:

In the Saxon, Wicumbe. It was a small village straddling the Oxford Road out of High Wycombe.

It is held by Walkelin, the Bishop of Winchester, and accounted for 19 hides. There were 3 mills, meadows for 7 ploughs, a fishery of 1,000 eels, and about 1,000 pigs. The total valuation was £15.

According to Domesday, it was the only other manor to have originally and always belonged to the Bishop of Winchester.

Hartwell:

In the Saxon, Heredewelle, a mere handful of thatched and timbered cottages in a lane off the Ayelesbury Road.

It is held by William de Peverel of Nottingham, and accounted for 6 hides and 3 virgates. The lease was given to Teuthael. There were no mills not pigs nor fishery. Total value was 100 shillings.

CAMBRIDGESHIRE:

Cambridgeshire in the eleventh century was quite a lot different from the county of today. For example, much of the northern part of the county was fenland; half sea and half marsh, and totally uninhabitable. There were a few islands, the largest of which was Ely. The highlight of Ely was the Abbey, and the Abbot one of the greatest landowners in the county. The Abbot despised his new Norman rulers, and especially the newly installed Sheriff, Picot, “A roving wolf, a crafty fox, and a greedy hog” was the Abbot’s description.

The townof Cambridge, near the southern edge of the fens, was a simple agricultural community of about 2,000 ‘but as primitive as any county borough could be’.

Grantchester:

Saxon: Granteseta. Held by Robert Fafiton. In total close to 6 hides of land, with one mill, a weir valued for 500 eels, and no pigs mentioned. Taxable rating was £7.

The village was an easy walk from the County town of Cambridge, and described as, “As a lovely place, with apple orchards in blossom, and, later, adorned in summer with a mirid of roses.”

Guilden Morden:

Saxon: Mordune.. Held by the Sherriff, Picot. In total, 5.5 hides of land. With one mill, good arable land, and good pastureland for the village. Taxable rating was £6 10s.

Burwell:

Saxon: Burewelle. The Abbot of Ramsey holds this village. In total, 10 hides and 1 virgate. There were 4 mills making the village self sufficient in the production of flour, large areas for both pasture and ploughing, and for the village green. Taxable value was £16.

In Domesday times, Burwell was considered to be a coastal town, not on the North Sea, but on the fens. Intrepid sailors in small boats were able to take produce from the village, through the fens, to the North Sea itself.

By the time of Domesday, the village was deceptively peaceful. However just 15 years earlier, the village had been in the front line of Norman attempts to suppress Hereward the Wake, England’s most successful rebel against William the Conqueror.

CHESHIRE:

At the time of Domesday, Cheshire was divided between two major landowners, the Bishop of Chester, and Hugh d’Avranches made Earl of Chester. He had 2 nicknames, ‘the Wolf’ for his treatment of the Welsh, and ‘the Fat’ due to his obesity.

At this time, the county included a narrow strip of land that eventually became part of Wales. It was a county devastated by warfare; most of the eastern section being totally wasted. Conditions were somewhat better in the fertile west, but the city of Chester lay in ruins, with many of the houses empty.

Sandbach:

Saxon: Sandbec. Bigot de Loges holds this ancient village, from Earl Hugh of Chester. In total paying 1 hide for tax. In total 1 hide and 1.5 virgates paying tax. The taxable valuation was 8 shillings.

The notation in Domesday was that most of the land “was and is, all waste.” This implies that the Conqueror came through in 1070 as part of the harrying of the north, and laid waste to much of the village.

There was a church here prior to the conquest, but no records presently remain describing it.

Neston:

Saxon: Nestone. It was held by Arni, under authority of William FitzNigel. In total 2 hides of land, but of very poor quality. There was no church in the village, but there was a priest assigned there. The taxable valuation was 25 shillings.

Knutsford:

Saxon: Cuetesford, but the name in the Danelaw means Knut’s Ford. Held by William FitzNigel, with Egbrand managing it for him. In total there was only ½ hide of land. For taxation purposes it was valued at 10 shillings.

Like Sandbach, most of the land “was and is, all waste.” This implies that the Conqueror came through in 1070 as part of the harrying of the north, and laid waste to much of the village.

According to legend, King Canute (Cnut), forded a stream in the area, and it then became Cnut’s Ford, now Knutsford.

Macclesfield:

Previously held by Earl Edwin, but after the conquest, held by Earl Hugh. In total there were 2 hides of land. The village also had a mill which served the Great Hall. Prior to the conquest, it was valued at £8. After the harrying of the north, it was completely laid waste, and valued at only 20 shillings, due to being waste land.

Chester:

From the original Latin, Cestre. Held by Earl Hugh. By 1086, many of the houses had either been re-built, or were in the process of being re-built. Chester was a walled city from the time of the Romans (called by them Deva ), and part of the original amphitheater and ramparts remain.

Domesday listed the total land area as 5 hides. The taxable value of this important city was £132.

CORNWALL:

Robert, Count of Mortain and half – brother of William, became the biggest landowner in England after William himself. and Cornwall was his primary domain. In Cornwall, he was Lord of the Maor to more Manors than the king himself. According to the Domesday Assessors, there were 248 manors.

The county was considered to be very poor, and sparsely populated; with 160 acres of land per person. Only 6 mills were listed, and the reason proposed is that the use of water power for milling developed in the east, and had not yet arrived fully in the county.

Cornwall’s maritime heritage did not come to prominence until more than 200 years after the conquest; such critical towns as Penzance and Bude not even mentioned until the fifteenth century.

Perranzabuloe:

Present day St. Piran. Before Domesday, this tiny village was held by the collegiate church of St. Piran. However the ever acquisitive Robert of Mortain chose to enlarge his territory by seizing it. The original name meant Piran-in-the-Sands, and the village location was moved twice, probably due to shifting sands.

The earliest church ruins are presentlyseen, located on the beach, and the structure, merely 25’ x 12’, was built in the ninth century. It was abandoned in the twelfth century due to encroaching sands.

At the time of Domesday, it was held under tenancy by the canons of St. Piran’s. Land was 3 hides, with 8 cattle and 30 sheep. It was valued at 40 shillings when the Count received it.

Bodmin:

Held by St. Petroc’s church. It counted for 1 hide of land, and before Domesday, never paid taxes. Afterwards is not clear. It had 68 houses and a tiny market. Total value was 25 shillings.

The town’s name derives from Bod-minachau meaning the house of monks. The church which held this village was very wealthy,  Originally there were 18 manors, of which Count Robert seized 7 for himself, and 1 for the king.

The founding father was a Welsh hermit called St. Guron, in about 530 A.D.

Launceton:

Held by Count Robert. Considered to have 1 hide of land, as well as 2 mills. There were 5 cattle and 50 sheep. Taxable value was £4.

Even before the conquest, Launceton was of great importance. It had both a Saxon mint (for local currency) as well as an ecclesiastical college. The name derives from Lan Stephen, meaning the church of Stephen.

Count Robert obtained the manor of Dunheut, and there built his castle on a major promontory overlooking the valley. During the next 200 to 300 years, military commanders placed great importance on Launceton, which is the only walled town in Cornwall, and the castle a major defense on the border between Cornwall and Devon.

CUMBERLAND:

Prior to Domesday, there was no name for the area bordering Scotland. It was called Cumberland after its Welsh speaking residents, the Cymri,  Being so far north, the land probably escaped William’s march north, when much of the north was laid waste.

Millom:

Called Hougon in Domesday. Land taken by the King from Tosti, Earl of Northumbria, who was killed by Harold It was deeded to William after Hastings.

The land area was listed as 4 carucates, an ancient measure of land based upon the area a team of oxen could plough in a year. The best estimate is about 6 hides of land, per Domesday. No taxable rating was given to the area, demonstrating how wild and sparsely populated it was.

Bootle:

This was the furthest north the Normans attempted to penetrate in northern England. The locals were wild and fierce Welsh people, adept at what would be called guerilla warfare, and not worth the time or attention of the Normans.

There was, however, a small market here for the local people, but it was destroyed by the local people before the Normans could ransack it.

The land was listed as 4 carucates, but it is believed that this was only an estimate, as the Domesday assessors were handily driven out.

Domesday Counties by Lionel August 2020
DOMESDAY COUNTIES, AUGUST, 2020.

Just a short note to clarify why there are only 3 or 4 entries per county. When the original Domesday is reviewed, the average number of listings for each county was in excess of 50. I have reviewed the listings and selected those entries which were either (a) important at the time, or (b) still viable and important today.

Derbyshire:

Before 1066, Derbyshire was the most westerly of the northern Danelaw counties. Holdings were originally assessed in carucates (C) and bovates, rather than hides and virgates.

The county was dramatically separated into 2 areas or zones, the northwester Peak District where agriculture was not possible, and the rest, where normal agricultural processes were practiced.

In 1086, during the harrying of the North, 43 whole settlements were completely destroyed, and a further 25 partly wasted. As usual, William reserved for himself large parts of the county. The church, on the other hand, received a remarkably small portion.

Wirksworth:

In the Danish, Werchesvorde. Land deeded to the king. 3 (C) of land considered taxable, but never taxed due to it being king’s land. It had a priest and a small church.

Peak Cavern:

Land of William Peverel, including Peverel’s castle. 2 ( C) of land deemed taxable. 2 ploughs of land deemed for agriculture and 4 ploughs of land in meadows. Taxable value: 50 shillings.

Melbourne:

Kings land. Prior to the Conquest, the King held 6 ( C) of land that was taxable. There was a church with a resident priest, 1 mill, and 24 acres of meadowland. Prior to the harrying of the North, the town and outlying area was one of the most populated parts of the county. Taxable value was £6.

Derby:

Considered jointly king’s land and land deeded to the Abbot of Burton. There were 4 churches, a fishery, and a market within the county town confines. Strangely, no taxable value was listed in the Domesday records

Devonshire:

England’s third largest county, and the only county with both a north and south coast. At the time of Domesday, the population was estimated at between 60,000 and 80,000, a considerable number. No ownership was ascribed, so it is assumed to be King’s land.

Brendon:

Held by the Norman, Ralph de Pomeroy. Before 1066, held by Alward, son of Toki. Together with King William and his brother William Cheever, they held altogether 60 manor Houses, and more than 45,000 acres under cultivation. Woodland; 30 acres, pasture; 2 leagues. Animals: 1 cob, 104 mares, 25 cattle, 8 pigs, 100 sheep, 30 goats. Taxable value for 2 hides: 100 shillings.

Berry Pomeroy:

Held by the Norman, Ralph de Pomeroy. Before 1066, held by Alric. Meadow; 10 acres, woodland; 100 acres, pasture 40 acres. Animals: 8 cattle, 17 pigs, 560 sheep. Taxable value for 2 hides: £12.

Lydford:

The King holds this Borough in Lordship. There were 28 Burgesses within the Borough. And paid 60 shillings tax. One strange tax system attributed to the Borough; any expedition leaving by land or sea paid the same as Barnstaple.

Exeter:

Prior to 1066, there were 300 king’s houses (held by noblemen), of which 48 were destroyed after 1066. Exeter was both a City and the County Capital. The city dated from Roman times, and was an important port until the 13th century. There were numerous churches, held by the Bishop of Exeter. The Bishop’s Palace still contains the Exeter Book of 950 ( a survey and set of records) as well as the Exon Domesday Book.

Dorset:

Dorset has always been an agricultural county, with larger landowners, and small villages dotted over the landscape. Before 1066, more than 35% of the land was held by the church, and there were 9 monasteries. Waleran the hunter held 9 manor houses. The population in 1086 was estimated as between 35,000 and 50,000. The south coast has always been a thriving area for fishing.

Beaminster:

Saxon: Beiminstre. Held by the Bishop of Salisbury (Osmond of Seez in Normandy) for the monks of Sherborne. Beaminster was a full market town, and considered to be an excellent place for the nobility to live. While an important town in Norman times, it has hardly grown since.

Total land for tax purposes, 16 hides and 1 virgate. There were altogether, 4 mills, 74 acres of pasture, about 60 acres of meadow, and 55 acres of woodland. Taxable value; £23.

Lyme Regis:

In Norman times, the town and area were held by three principals: The Bishop of Salisbury; the Church of St. Mary’s, Glastonbury; and William de Bellett. The town itself was on the south coast, and has always been a fishing village. There were three separate manor houses in the village. Access to the sea was by several steep gullies that led to the sandy beach below.

The Bishop’s land was leased to a group of Fishermen who paid 15 shillings to the monks, and there was 4 acres of meadow.

St. Mary’s church held 3 hides of land. There were 4 acres of land for pasture, and 10 acres of woodland. One unusual feature was that the church also had 13 salt workers, so there must have been a ‘wych’ or salt pit in the area.

Willian held 2 hides of land, and paid taxes on a valuation of 60 shillings. He owned a mill, 3 acres of meadow, and about 40 acres of pastureland.

Wareham:

Held by the Bishop of Salisbury and William d’Eu. Since long before Domesday this town was always a major fishing port in the east of the county, and still is today. Domesday does not list land area, but it is estimated at 3 hides and 2 virgates. Taxable value was £2 and 7 shillings.

Essex:

Due to its proximity to London, and also to the fact that there were still major pockets of resistance to the Norman invasion, Essex had been decimated, and the population enslaved. In 1086, only 7% of the population were freemen, and the subservient bordarii(not slaves, but tied to major landholders) had grown to almost 50%. Thus the population not only lost most of their lands, but also their freedom!

One wit has stated that the almost 50,000 sheep were thus better off than many of the residents!

Hatfield:

Prior to 1066, Harold held this small town. With 1 manor and 20 hides of land. Tax value at that time was £118. Geoffrey de Mandeville, acting for William, took control of the area. By 1086, the manor was rated at £60. The rating included 40 cattle (most lost to the cattle plague soon after), 980 pigs, and more than 200 sheep. As the land became king’s land, it was not rated for taxes.

Castle Hedingham:

Aubrey de Vere holds. 1 manor, 1 mill, 160 sheep, 100 pigs, 1 cob (horse), and 100 goats. Domesday notes that the de Veres brought with them vines from France and started a vineyard.

Hedingham is unique in that the area was really separated into 2 communities, high and low, lord and liege, the high land and its castle being for the conquering Normans, and the low land being the Saxons.

Colchester:

By its name ending of Chester, originally a Roman settlement, and the largest town in Essex at the time. The population was about 2,000.

The town was held jointly as king’s land and by the Bishop of London. To indicate the dominance of the Normans, the following is a list of persons who either had manor houses or town houses in the area: Count Eustace and John Fitz Waleran (burgesses), EUdo, king’s steward, Hugh de Montfort, Roger de Poitou, Geoffrey de Mandeville.

The building listing included 2 churches, 4 mills, and 400 bricked houses, and a local courthouse.

Dedham:

Held by Roger de Raismes in Lordship. The village had 1 manor house and 2 mills. Land listed for rating is 2.5 hides. 5 ploughs of woodland with 250 pigs; 40 acres of meadow with 10 cobs, 3 cows, and 100 sheep. The rating value was £12.

Dedham was one of the few towns listed in Domesday that had actually prospered between 1066 and 1086. The livestock numbers more than doubled, as well as a second mill being built (almost unheard of in the intervening years) for the grinding of corn. Dedham’s ongoing increases in sheep led to it becoming a center of the woolen trade in later centuries. Gloucestershire:

This county of England holds the dubious honor of being the place where Domesday was started. In conference with his wise men, in the city of Gloucester, William ordered the survey to be made in 1085, during his Christmas Council. It took 2 years to get finally organized. The county was as varied in topography and vegetation as an county in the kingdom, providing a basis for the balance of the Domesday survey.

Economically, the county ranged from iron smelting in the west, to sheep farming in the east. Documentary evidence indicates that there was a fulling mill (for cleaning and pounding level the fibers in new cloth, using fullers earth) in the county by 1086, as well as indications of cloth weaving much earlier.

Finally evidence from Domesday relating to ploughed land, would suggest that Gloucestershire’s arable land use was much more extensive than today, most of the flatland being tilled.

Deerhurst (Derherst):

This town was held directly by Westminster Abbey. Gerard, the King’s Chamberlain, held a manor in the area. As well as 2 separate landholdings amounting to 11 hides. The area was listed as totaling 59 hides of land. There were 4 mills listed in the area. Surprisingly, Domesday does not list the church, although other records extant state that there had been one there since about 850 A.D. While Westminster Abbey paid no taxes, manor houses in the area (totaling 6) paid a total of £40 in taxes.

Chepstow:

Presently part of Wales, and always Welsh speaking, this town was held in Gloucestershire by Domesday up until the thirteenth century.

Earl William of Normandy built the castle high on a cliff overlooking the Wye River, and it remained in his family for several centuries, with his son Earl Roger laying claim to the land.

Not much land was held other than that for the castle, with only 2 caruscates listed. The taxation value was £12, paid primarily on taxes for ships passing up-river.

Domesday is very sketchy relative to this area, due to the fact that it had barely been assimilated into Gloucestershire, and to both the hostility of the local residents, as well as difficulty with the language. Eventually however, Chepstow became one of the most valuable of Norman boroughs in the area, due the collection of river tolls on vessels traveling upriver.

Stow-on-the-Wold:

Saxon; Eduuardestou.

Held by Evesham Abbey for the church. Land for taxation purposes were 9 hides. The area had 1 church, 1 mill, and some pastureland. Valuation for Domesday was £7.

This small town had been in existence since the early 900’s as the Eduuard in its Saxon name was almost certainly King Edward the Martyr, who died in 978 A.D. IN the ensuing years up to Domesday, a thriving market built up around the hill on which the town was sited for the local area. In time, 2 semi-annual fairs were established there for the region.

Gloucester:

Saxon: Glouuecestre:

Originally a Roman settlement, the town was built up long before the Norman Conquest. It was always King’s land, both before and after, with the exception of Gloucester Abbey which was church land. It eventually became the basis for a Cathedral, and Gloucester then became a Cathedral City.

No land area was listed, but there were 5 fisheries in the town, as well as 1 mill.

Hampshire:

Hampshire is a county that was intimately associated with Domesday; it’s original name was “Liber Wintoniensis” because the original folio was kept in the King’s treasury in Winchester, the county capital and previous capital of the Anglo – Saxon kingdom. It was here that all the original documents from the survey, unfortunately now lost, were compiled into the surviving document now called the Domesday Book.

In fact, Winchester itself was not included, and it has been surmised that this was because it was the original Royal Seat, and the city was granted royal tax exemptions.

Originally the folios for the Isle of Wight and for the New Forest were separate from the main county. Isle of Wight made sense because it was totally separate, but the reasoning for the New Forest made no sense.

Canterton:

Saxon: Cantortun. Held as King’s land, as part of the New Forest. In Saxon times it was held for the king by Kenna, who is still there, but now as a vassal. Land totaled 1 virgate. Value before 1066 was 20 shillings by Kenna. Afterwards, Kenna’s land was valued at 4 shillings, and the kings land at 16 shillings.

Famously, William’s son, King William Rufus, was killed here in 1100 by an arrow shot by a person unknown.

The village has changed little in the more than 900 years since, with a populations scarcely more than a few score.

Whitchurch:

Held by the Bishop of Winchester, whose seat was a scant 12 miles south. Even back at the time of Domesday, its central square was where 5 roads converged, making it a central location for a small market and meeting place for the surrounding area.

It answered for 38 hides of land, with 3 mills; 15 acres of meadow; 10 acres of woodland with 40 pigs. The manor house was one of the Bishop of Winchester’s largest manorial holdings. Aelfric the priest held the manor church, with 1 hide of land including 3 acres of meadow. His holding was valued at 20 shillings. The Bishop’s holding was valued at £35.

Basing:

Hugh de Port holds it. It was one of 55 Hampshire manors held by Hugh, who was probably the county’s Sherriff. Unlike most of the other Norman Barons, who held land scattered across the kingdom, Hugh’s holdings were primarily in the county of Hampshire.

It answered for 6.5 hides of land with 3 mills, 19 acres of meadows, and woodland capable of raising 25 pigs. The land was valued at £16.

The Isle of Wight:

For some strange reason, Domesday separates the Isle of Wight from the rest of Hampshire, possibly because more than 50% of the island was held as King’s Land. His holdings were extensive, with 40 manors listed. However the religious landowners, such as the Bishop of Winchester, held surprisingly little; he held only one manor.

The islands other 3 tenants in chief were: William FitzStur, and Jocelyn and William FitzAzor. Surprisingly the major Hampshire landlord on the mainland, Hugh de Port, held nothing on the Island.

Bonchurch:

Held by William FitzAzor. Land 1 virgate. Tax 20 shillings. In 1086 there was a large Manor House held by William.

The Abbey of Lyre held 6 churches on the island, and there was a monastery for the monks who lived there.

Alvington:

Saxon: Alwinestune. Held by the king. It was guarded by Carisbrooke castle and held 2 hides of land. There were 2 mills, and 6 acres of meadows. Value was £3, excluding the castle which was values at £1.

Originally most of the conquest of the Isle of Wight was made by William FitzOsbern, the conqueror’s closest friend, who originally held the castle. However he died on an expedition for William to Flanders in 1071, and little was hear of him since. The castle was later deeded to Richard de Redvers, and the ruin is now listed as ‘the most perfect specimen of a Norman Castle now in existance.’

Herefordshire”

Even prior to 1066, the Normans had been attracted to Herefordshire. They liked the mild climate, the fertile soil, and the opportunity to seize land from the Welsh. However it was William FitzOsbern, named Earl of Hereford, who developed the county and made it militarily secure.

After FitzOsbern’s untimely death in 1071, and because his son was in rebellion to the Conqueror, the county was given to Ralph de Mortimer, and Roger de Lacy.

Prior to Norman times, the western edges of the county were constantly under Welsh attack, and the towns of Ewyas and Archenfield were Welsh speaking, and so named in Domesday.

Ewyas:

Held for the king by Alfred of Marlborough. There were a total of 13 carucates of land. Besides the castle itself, there were 3 fisheries, 54 acres of meadows, 3 churches, 1 priest. Taxable value was £10.

The village was not an attractive place, sprawling in the valley and the foothills. It was so located as to command the routes through the Black Mountains.

The castle remained of strategic significance until the death of the Welsh rebel, Owen of Glendower, in 1416.

Ledbury:

Saxon: Liedeberge. The manor was held by Bishop Walter. The total land area was listed at 10 hides. There were 2 mills, 7 acres of scraggly woodland, meadows totaling 14 acres, and a salt house which was of great value to the area. Total value was £9 5 shillings.

It was listed then and now as ‘A county of orchards and gardens, the whole county being full of fruit trees, even in the cornfields and hedgerows’.

The town was initially a market town with license from the king. With a huge Minster Church, and more land held by the Bishop and priests than was held by Norman knights, it rivalled Hereford itself for prominence in the county.

Hereford:

Hereford, as the county town (later city) was always king’s land. It was originally first a Roman settlement, and then a major Saxon community.

The Normans built a castle there, and also built the famous Hereford Cathedral. Domesday lists 11 manor houses, but no tax is assigned to the city.

Hertfordshire:

The Domesday map shows a striking difference in population centers within the county. The north and east is highly populated and concentrated, while the south and west is thinly populated. The key is the great expanse of clay lands in the north and east; a condition that has always led to the cultivation of grains. The south and west, by contrast, consisted of mainly scraggly woodland or sandy heath, not good for much of anything.

It is no wonder that powerful men such as Bishop Odo, Hardwin de Scales, and Geoffrey de Bec held large areas of this segment of the county, under the king.

Barley:

Saxon: Berlei. Theobald holds 4 hides and 10 acres under liege from Hardwin de Scales. Under him, 5 Freemen held the manors in the area: 3, Earl Algar’s men, held 1 hide and 10 acres; 1, Earl Gyrth’s man, held 2 hides; and the fifth, Earl Harold’s man, held 1 hide. There was one priest in the village, and Total taxable value was £12.

Barley was a small farming village in the north – east of the county. It is still that today. At harvest time it presented a vista of golden grain, which gave the village its name.

Knebworth:

Saxon, Chenepeworde. Eudo FitzHubert holds the village, with Earl Humphrey d’Anneville as a lesser liege. The area answers for 8 hides and 1 virgate. There was 1 mill, land for 12 ploughs, ½ plough for meadow, and sufficient forestland to serve for about 1,000 pigs. Taxable value was £12.

Located in primarily woodland, the village of old Knebworth itself was set on the edge of an area of parkland.

Eudo FitzHubert, who was the king’s Steward, was given his grants in small pockets throughout the kingdom, many of them in North Hertfordshire. Knebworth was his largest holding. The number of pigs tallied, by far the largest number in the kingdom, indicates the extent of the forest land, used primarily for pigs to forage.

Ashwell:

Saxon, Escewelle. Held by Westminster Abbey. The area answers for 6 hides of land. There was sufficient flatland to account for 12 ploughs. 1 manor, and sufficient woodland for about 100 pigs. Peter de Valognes the Sherriff was given ½ hide of land to serve for the local Abbot. Taxable value was £20.

Ashwell was a large, prosperous village located in the lee of the Hertford Chiltern Hills, in the far north of the county. In later years its location and prosperity made the growth of the area inevitable, and it became a market town.

Peter de Valognes’ major function, in addition to maintaining law and order, was to collect all taxes due to both the Abbey and the King.

Domesday Counties by Lionel September 2020
Huntingdonshire:

Huntingdonshire was the third smallest of the English counties in Domesday, and disappeared in the 1972 UK Government Local Counties Act of 1972. Population and settlements were fairly evenly distributed, except in the north east corner. This was primarily marshland and fens, stretching through Cambridgeshire to the Wash.

By 1086, William had already claimed a large portion of the county as a royal forest (by title hunting lands) for his personal hunting.

Little Gidding:

Saxon: Redinges. The village was originally controlled by the king’s manor at Alconbury. Now it is given to Eustace of Normandy, who has sub-let it to Lord Ingelran. Land is rated at 4.5 hides. Total 8 ploughs of land, 22 acres of meadow. Taxable value now £4.

At the time of Domesday, the area was in the hands of 3 men: the Abbot of Ramsey was the largest landholder, with most of the land top the south; Eustace the Sherriff held most of the land to the north; and William the Artificer ( originally a skilled artisan of weapons of war). Eustace’s claim to the land was disputed and the dispute upheld, but, due to the fact he was from Normandy, the ruling was not enforced.

Kimbolton:

Saxon: Chenebaltone. Held by William de Warrene. It was listed as 10 hides of land for taxable purposes. The settlement had a castle, a church, a mill, and one priest. There were 70 acres in meadow, and aa large area of pastural woodland measuring 3 miles by 3 miles. Domesday mentions 2 men-a- arms, freemen, who were granted 1 hide of land. This would suggest normal Norman soldiers of outstanding qualities, who were granted the land. Tax value: £16 and 4 shillings.

Kimbolton was a thriving village with a population of about 500 inhabitants. It was one of the few villages to increase in taxable value after 1066, suggesting it was blessed abundantly with both arable land and good pastures.

Kimbolton castle is famous in later years as being the place where Katherine of Aragon spent her last years in imprisonment after her divorce from Henry VIII.

Huntingdon:

Saxon: Huntedone. County town. Held by a number of notables, namely: Gilbert de Ghent, the Countess Judith, the Bishop of Lincoln, the Bishop of Coutances, and Eustace the Sherriff.

The town could properly be called a city today, with a castle, 2 – 3 mills, 2 churches, and a mint for making coin. It was listed in the top 20% of towns in England in the Domesday. Because it was liege held to King William, no valuation for tax purposes was given.

Kent:

Immediately after the Battle of Hastings, William’s troops marched into Kent and, against his orders, burned the town of Dover. William swiftly followed, and used Kent as his future landing point for troops and supplies from the Continent.

In 1067 another Frenchman, Eustace of Boulogne, sailed to Dover, hoping to get the Kentsmen to support his claim and overthrow William. He was defeated, and Kent suffered. Domesday registered the results.

More than half the land he gave to his half brother Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, who he made the Earl of Kent. Two other major tracts of land were given to Richard FitzGilbert, with Tonbridge and his castle; and Hugh de Montfort, at Saltfort castle.

Sandwich:

Saxon: Sandwic. The ending -wich, or -wic signified either a salt mine or salt flats. This was a valuable commodity for preserving fish and meat for storage. The Archbishop of Canterbury holds this land. It’s primary service is to provide clothing for the local monks. This was provided by a tax of £50 in revenue by the townspeople, plus 40,000 herrings, all for the monks.

Within the town, the Archbishop also held 32 private dwellings that were rented out, providing income for himself.

Sandwich was one of the ancient “Cinque Ports”, all along the Kentish coast. In the 11th. Century, the town had grown to become a Borough.

Although not mentioned specifically in Domesday, Sandwich had naval arrangements for the King, and supplied 20 ships, each manned by 21 men, for 15 days each year.

Yalding:

Saxon: Hallinges. Held by Richard FitzGilbert. Land held was about 2.5 hides. There were 2

churches, 2 mills, 4 fisheries, and 5 acres of woodland for 150 pigs. Taxable vale after the spoiling was £20.

It was one of only two manors held by Richard in Kent as tenant in chief. However he was able to take control of 25 other manors b y subterfuge, making him one of the largest landholders in the county. Upon the death of William, he chose to back the losing side in the battle for succession, was imprisoned in France, and died there.

Saltwood:

Saxon: Salteode. Held by Hugh de Montfort, as lay tenant from the Archbishop of Canterbury. Land holdings amount to 3 hides. There was 1 church, 9 mills, 33 acres of meadows, and enough woodland for 80 pigs. The taxable value was £29 6 shillings and 4 pence.

Saltwood castle existed at the time of both the conquest and Domesday. The ruins still stand today.

Dover:

Because the town was burned to the ground by William’s soldiers, its value could not be fairly determined at the time of Domesday. An estimate, based upon the Dover before 1066, would be about £135.

There were, however, still 2 churches (One of which was the fine Saxon church of St. Mary) and 3 mills. Today’s castle was built on the ruins of the Norman castle built after 1067. Dover has always been the busiest port on the Kentish coast, and still is today.

Lancashire:

Lancashire did not become a county until 1182, more than a century after the Norman conquest. Consequently, it was treated as 2 separate areas; everything north of the River Ribble (modern Preston) was bundled with Yorkshire, and its southern segment was grouped with Cheshire. Even though it was a largely unpopulated area, it was given to Roger de Poitou.

For the northern section, Domesday does little other than naming the settlements, indicating how difficult it was for the census takers. The population was a mixture of Saxon and Scandinavian, and the land measurement depended upon who provided the information; carucates or hides.

Those villages and towns identified bellow were in the southern section.

Heysham:

Saxon: Hessam. Land of the king, originally part of Yorkshire. The area covered what are now major cities or towns; Aldcliffe, Thurnham, hillam, Lancaster, Hutton, Overton, and Middleton. The land area totaled more than 36 hides, although most of it was desolate. No taxable value was given to the whole area.

In 1086, Heysham still had a major Christian tradition. Local tales still talk of St. Patrick being shipwrecked there in the early 400’s, and established a church and a mission there. Heysham remained a place of worship, with 2 holy wells (Holywells) that kept pilgrims coming until the wells dried up.

Argemeles:

The name means, in Norse, land of the sand dunes. Its Norse name was Erengermeles. Held by Roger de Poitou. Its taxable value was 8 shillings. The place had disappeared by the year 1346, when it was completely flooded by the inroads of the North Sea.

Warrington:

Saxon: Walintune. One of the few places listed in Domesday that still survive today. Held by Roger de Poitou. There were a total of 42 carucates and 1.5 hides of land held under the manor house. Other than the manor, there was no other structure mentioned, but the taxable value was listed at £14 and 18 shillings.

It was an ancient settlement even at the time of Domesday; the Romans established a settlement there that they called Veratinum, meaning place of the ford (over the Mersey). Warrington had one of the few churches in the north identified in Domesday as St. Elphin’s. The estimated population for the village and its surroundings in 1086 was 120.

Leicestershire:

Before 1086, Leicestershire belonged firmly in the Danelaw, the section of Central and Northeastern England controlled by the Vikings. Land was measured in Carucates rather than Hides, There were a few Saxons in the far western part of the county, but, generally, people with Scandinavian names were proportionately high. Leicestershire was one of the country’s more densely populated counties.

The major land holder after 1066 was Hugh de Grandmesnil, who was probably Sherriff of the county by 1086. He held 180 houses and 4 churches in Leicester itself, plus 67 villages in the southern part of the County. The King himself was the other major landholder.

Countess Godiva, she of riding naked through Coventry fame, held 3 manors in the County. It should be noted that Leicestershire was heavily pillaged during William’s suppression of the local people’s revolts in the 1070’s.

Castle Donington:

Saxon: Dunintone. Held by the Countess Aelfeva herself, although later lost to Earl Hugh of Chester. Land was 22.5 carucates. There was a mill, ploughland amounting to the working of 11 ploughs, and much woodland. Taxable value was £11.

The town was located on several steep hillsides in the Trent valley, and was itself a market town. Eustace, Baron of Haulton, built the original castle. However it was ordered to be torn down by the King, and later rebuilt by Henry de Lacy.

Ingarsby:

Saxon: Gerberie. Held by Ivo under tenancy from Hugh de Grandmesnil. The land holding was 12 carucates. There was 1 mill, with land suitable for 5 ploughs. Taxable value was £4.

Domesday lists the village as a larger than average settlement with no signs of decay during the census. It was located on 2 sloping meadows, several miles east of Leicester.

Leicester:

Saxon: Ledocestre. The town was held by Hugh de Grandmesnil, Countess Judith, and the Bishop of Leicester. Total lands held were 11 carucates. There were 6 churches, 2 mills, and a number of manor houses.

It was originally an iron age settlement, later called Civitas by the Romans. By the ninth century it was titled as a city, with a cathedral, the See of the Bishop of Leicester. This was rescinded when it became a Viking borough in the ninth century.

Waltham on the Wolds:

Saxon; Waltha. Held by Walter from Hugh de Grandmesnil. Total land was 16.5 carucates. There was sufficient arable land for 11 ploughs. There were 100 acres of meadowland. Taxable value was £6.

Waltham was always a beautiful village, later town, in the north east corner of the County. Houses were built with solid sturdy local stone that could easily have been placed into the Cotswolds for its beauty.

Today it is a typical sleepy English village, with the only reminder of its Norman history being the magnificent Norman carved stone font in the church.

Lincolnshire:

At the time of Domesday, Lincolnshire was the fourth largest of all English counties. However it was the most isolated, almost a separate country, due to the vast, undrained, fens to the south and north-west.

Additionally, it was the most Danish of all English counties in the Danelaw, due to its location on England’s east coast. This was obvious both on place names and also the names of the population. Also language, units of measurement, and legal customs, were all predominantly Danish.

Spalding:

Held by Earl Algar, who had 9 carucates of land, sufficient for 9 ploughs. He had a sub-tenant, Ivo Tailbois who was King William’s nephew, who held an additional portion of arable land capable of supporting 4 ploughs. Spalding was a small market town, with 6 fisheries, several salt houses, and a wooded area of alder trees. Total taxable value was £30.

In 1086, Spalding was situated on a spur of silt, immediately on the coast of the Wash. It really had no value other than its ability to catch and salt fish.

Ivo was awarded the manor at Spalding, as well as close to 100 other Lincolnshire holdings. For some reason, Ivo had a passionate hatred for the monks of Croyland Abbey, and took most of the Abbey lands after his uncle, King William, died.

Louth:

Held by the Bishop of Lincoln. There were a total of 12 carucates of land, and sufficient good arable land to support 12 ploughs. In the township there was 1 market, 13 mills, 21 acres of meadow, and more than 400 acres of woodland, suitable for raising pigs. Taxable value was £22.

Domesday mentions that Louth had a number of Burgesses (rich freemen) in its population, which amounted to about 600 persons. Also that there was a large area surrounding the town that cultivated grain, accounting for the fact that there were 13 mills.

Castle Bytham:

Danish: Wesbitham. Held for the Danelaw by Morcar, and after 1066, was presented to Drogo de Bervriere. Land totaled 9 carucates, with arable land sufficient for 11 ploughs, pastures 1.5 leagues long, and 60 acres of meadows. There were 3 ironworks within the Castle, the only one mentioned within the county of Lincolnshire! They were almost certainly staffed by immigrant Normans. Taxable value was £10. It is supposed that the ironworks were located there because of the abundance of excellent forestry, providing charcoal for the forges, as there are no deposits of iron ore nearby.

Obviously important in Norman times, the village has now been mainly forgotten, and could be more realistically called a hamlet today.

Lincoln:

King’s land. Major landholders in the area include: Bishop Remigius, Ralph Pagnell, Earl Hugh, Countess Judith, and Gilbert de Ghent. It was the county as well as a cathedral town. There were 3 other churches, and a population of close to 1,000.

Of the more than 500 dwellings prior to 1066, 166 were destroyed by the order of King William in order to provide the site for the new Lincoln castle. Originally a Roman fort built on the old northern road.

Middlesex:

Middlesex is the county that isn’t. The UK Government Council stated that as of 1965, the county of Middlesex ceased to exist. It was absorbed into other local constituencies, but there are still older residents that refuse to acknowledge its demise!

In Domesday, Middlesex was deemed to be one of the most important counties in the realm. Its entries provide by far the best indication of the COMMON MAN, with half the population listed as villages (villani), who were often assessed taxably for as much as a hide of land. Next were the smallholders (bordarii) who could hold up to an eighth of a hide, although some were landless. Below them were the cottagers (catarii) who could hold up to 5 acres. IN Middlesex, about 50% of this group held no land at all; just their cottage. Finally came the landless slave population. Finally there was a class called ‘milites’ who were French mercenary soldiers. These were given land in the area by their liege lord, who hired them in France in the first place.

In the selected villages, towns, or boroughs below, they would each have been located within the old county borders.

Edmonton:

Saxon: Adelmentone. Held by Geoffrey de Mandeville, who held the main manor house. Emonton and the surrounding area accounted for 35 hides. The amount of arable land required 26 ploughs. Meadow was sufficient to support large herds of cattle, and woodlands sufficient for more than 2,000 pigs. Taxable value was £40.

To the east, Edmonton was bounded by a large area of swamplands in Domesday times; these have been drained in the 1800’s. Chelsea:

Saxon: Chelched. Held by Edward of Salisbury. It should be noted that William’s chief knights received lands throughout England; possibly as a way to ensure that the rebellious local people remained under submission. Edward, however, was not one of the more famous, nor richest, of the Norman Barons.

Taxable land was 2 hides and 3 virgates. Arable land was sufficient to require 7 ploughs, if all was worked. The woodland supported 60 pigs, and there were a few acres of meadow for livestock. Taxable value was £9 and 52 pence.

Before Tudor times, Chelsea was just a small, simple, riverside village. It wasn’t until Tudor times that the locale became fashionable for the rich and famous, but, since then, became the abode for the rich, fashionable, and powerful.

Harmondsworth:

Saxon: Hermodesworde. Held by the Holy Trinity abbey of Rouen from the king. It answered for 30 hides of land. The land was primarily flat fertile fields in the Colne valley that made it valuable in Norman times. Arable land was capable of supporting more than 20 ploughs. The village supported 3 mills, and had fishponds providing 500 eels. The woodland supported 500 pigs, and the slopes had land for several vineyards, one of the few places Domesday mentions vine cultivation. Total taxable value was £25.

According to Domesday, the amount of arable land could support many more than 20 ploughs, but was probably ravaged after 1066 in subduing the area. Also, because it was given to an Abbey with very little agricultural experience or management of foreign lands. This was the only holding of the Rouen Abbey.

Norfolk:

Norfolk in the eleventh century was a county whose way of life was totally influenced by water. Its mills and fresh water fisheries, easily outnumbered any other eastern county. And because of the Fens, normal agriculture was extremely difficult, and so salt pans and sheep rearing became the primary sources of income.

There were a large number of freemen, smallholders, not beholden nor linked to a great liege lord or landholder.

Norwich, the county town, had a population of about 5,000 in Domesday towns, but it was not the most important town in the county. Tat title was held by Thetford, the county’s ecclesiastical center and the home of the Bishop of Norfolk. He was one of the largest and most influential landowners. Castle Rising:

Norse name: Risinga. Held by the Odo, the Bishop of Bayeux. Land holdings were 3 carucates. The castle alone accounting for more than 12 acres. Meadowland was about 14 acres, and the listing showed 7 freemen holding 24 acres of land. 3 mills, and 12 salt houses. 1 fishery. As this was church land, no tax value was listed.

Throughout its long history, Bishop Rising was never more than a small insignificant village. However at the start of the Norman period of dominance, it aspires to greater things, with its magnificent Norman Castle, the ruins of which are among the most elegant Norman remains in Britain.

In 1086, the village stood on the edge of the Fens, with easy access to the sea. In common with other villages on the western edges of the county, and thus shielded from North Sea storms, it was a major salt producing center.

The original land owner in 1086 was Bishop Odo, whose half-brother was the Conqueror. However when he rebelled against the king, the land passed to the King’s Butler, William d’Albini.

Blakeney:

Norse name: Esnuterle. Land held by the king, under livery by Walter Giffard. 3.5 carucates of land. After several minor skirmishes between Norman nobles, the land reverted to Earl Hugh. There were 23 acres of meadowland. Taxable value was £50. Thus there was much more value to the location than Domesday actually lists.

For some strange reason the village was primarily known as Snitterley, although no-one knows why. Historians believe this was due to the original Norse name, Esnuterle, being corrupted by the English to Snitterley.

The original village has now been totally lost, being sunk under the shifting sands and the sea. In later years, the residents moved their businesses and dwellings inland, and Blakeney for a while was a busy port, until the harbor silted up and was lost.

Thetford:

Originally Tetford, or Tet’s Ford. King’s land.

Historically it was the capital of Anglo-Saxon kingdom of East Anglia, it was pillaged and burned during the Norse invasions and rebellions in 1004. For some reason the town thrived and was rebuilt within the next 10 years. Even after the deprivations of the Conquest, Thetford boasted of 720 burgesses and a population of more than 4,000.

Domesday lists 21 of those burgesses holding 60 acres of land. The Abbot of St. Edmunds held 1 church, and 1 house free. The Abbot of Ely had 3 churches, and 2 houses, one for the collection of customs. Altogether the entry lists more than a dozen churches. There was one Monastery, 4 mills, and a mint for minting coinage. Taxable value was very difficult to total, due to the number of burgesses and church holdings, but it is believed to be between £40 and £55.

Domesday lists 4 separate entries for Norman nobles and royalty. The king held 3 parts of the town, with William de Noyers acting as his capable manager. Roger Bigot as Constable of Norwich Castle managed the rest.

The area outside the town’s environs consisted of acres of sandy heath, with no mention of any woodland.

During Norman times, Thetford became the center of all religious activity in the area. It was the seat of the Bishops of East Anglia, and the Cluniac priory was a much visited center of pilgrimage activity.

For centuries after, it was also a royal retreat. The King’s House, now the site of the Thetford Council, was once a hunting lodge for the King and his noblemen.

Northamptonshire:

Northamptonshire in 1086 was quite a bit larger than the present day county. It included the Soke (definition was a defined area of land known by the locals and recognized in Domesday) of Peterborough, as well as well as the Wapentake of Witchley.

Domesday identified more than 300 place names, most of which still exist today, but some, such as Brime and Hantone, have disappeared. Because the county was split between the Danelaw and Saxon England, many idiosyncrasies were found. Although hides and carucates can be found in the record, woodland was invariably measured in leagues and furlongs.

The record identifies many areas of waste, probably the result of the harrying of the north by Morcar, Earl of Northumbria, in 1085.

Finedon:

Originally Tingdene. Held by King William. The land holding was 27 hides including dependent outlying areas. The agricultural area was sufficient to require 54 ploughs. There were 50 acres of meadow, and woodland covering an area 1 league long by 0.5 leagues wide. The land was valued at £40.

The village lies on a ridge 600 feet high, stretching along the western part of the county.

The local “Soke” was held by 50 freedmen under the king, and they paid £8 and 10d rent to the king. The freemen were allowed to hold council together, and were also allowed to act as a criminal court to try local offenders.

Finedon Manor itself, a small distance from the center of the village, held only 9.5 hides of land.

Naseby:

Saxon: Navesberie. Held by William Peverel, Sherriff of Nottinghamshire. The land area was 7 hides. Agricultural land for cultivation was sufficient for 14 ploughs. Meadowland consisted of 8 acres. Taxable value was 60 shillings.

Not much is known about this small village that achieved recognition as the site of a decisive battle during the English Civil War, in 1645. IN this battle, the Royalists were soundly defeated.

Rockingham:

Danish: Rochingeha. Kings land. By the King’s order, the place to build a new castle. Total land area was 1 hide. There was sufficient agricultural land for 3 ploughs. The land was valued at 26 shillings.

The area had been laid waste earlier, both by marauding hosts from the Danelaw right after 1066, and secondly by the king’s hosts during the hounding of the north. The castle was on a site commanding views over the whole of the Welland Valley.

The castle consisted of Motte, double bailey, curtain walls, a gate house, a great hall, and a chapel. Subsequent monarchs stayed there regularly, including King John early in the thirteenth century.

Nottinghamshire:

At the time of 1066, the shire was part of the Northern Danelaw. When William and his troops marched northward, right after the Battle of Hastings, Nottingham, and the rest of the county, quickly seceded to Norman control. William’s main men on the spot, Roger de Bully, and William Peverell, started to immediately make the whole county a Norman base of operations for work in the north.

Geographically and geologically, the county was determined by a great swath of infertile sandy soil, stretching north from Nottingham for more than 25 miles. Which became Sherwood Forest not may years afterwards.

Blyth:

Danish: Blide. Land and village belonging to Roger de Bully. An extremely small area that was, nevertheless, of considerable military significance, due to its location on the northern borders of the county. Land accounted for only 1 bovate, of which only 25% was taxable. There was land for only one plough, and 1 acre of meadow. The taxable value was not even listed.

An early historian, Nikolaus Pevsner, said the following about the place: “There is nothing like Blyth to give one a feeling for the essential Norman grimness.”

Roger de Bully gave the place to the Benedictine monks so they could form a Priory there. The meager church, built by the monks, showed how little they had to work with. The style of the church is probably copied after the Abbey of Jumieges in Normandy, and is the oldest surviving Norman edifice in England.

The 4 village house holders, and 4 smallholders, were required to plough the land, secure the harvest, and repair the mill pool, before they were allowed to do anything to provide for themselves or their families.

Bunny:

Danish: Bonei. Land of Ralph FitzHubert. A total of 2 carucates of land. Altogether enough land for 6 ploughs, with 160 acres of meadows, and woodlands 10 furlongs long, and 1 wide. There was a church with 1 priest. Also a mill. Taxable value was 60 shillings.

In 1086, it was a prosperous manor, controlling land sized at 3 carucates 3 miles away at Widnerpool. Ralph was not one of the great Nottinghamshire landholders; it appears that William deliberately gave his Lords large holdings in 1 or 2 counties, and then a number of much smaller holdings elsewhere, requiring them to constantly move from one place to another, to ensure control of their fiefdoms. He lived in the manor part time, and farmed part of the land himself, the rest being farmed by 27 villagers.

Laxton:

Danish: Laxintvne. Land of Geoffrey Alselin. 2 carucates of land. , sufficient for 6 ploughs. Walter, Geoffrey’s man, was given 1 plough of land for himself, and managed 22 villagers and 7 smallholders who were able to work 5 ploughs of land. There were 40 acres of meadows, and woodland pastures about 1 league long and 1/3 league wide. Taxable value was £6, only 66% of its worth before Domesday.

The castle was of typical Motte and Bailey construction, built on a large mound with a circumference of 816 feet. Nothing remains today, except the hillside. That is even though it was described as one of the best in the country, during its heyday.

The manor was the principal residence of Geoffrey in 1086, and he ruled the area with an iron hand. One somewhat unique feature of the Laxton fields was that they were hedge-less; a system that largely survives today, making the village a living agricultural museum and telling us much about how early crop rotation was carried out.

Oxfordshire:

With the exception of a few wooded areas, the Shire seems to have been fairly evenly populated in 1086. Most of the land was fertile, particularly along the foot of the Chiltern hills.

Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, Roger d’Ivry, and Robert d’Oilly had large holdings in the Shire, along with large portions allocated to the King. The Bishop of Lincoln (at that time, Oxfordshire was in his jurisdiction) was another large landholder.

Minster Lovell:

Saxon: Minstre. Originally just called Minster, because of the church that there that was on a pilgrims route to Winchcombe; the “Lovell’ was not added until the late in the thirteenth century, but is still in effect today. Held by Earl Aubrey. Land totaled 7 hides. There was enough arable land for 10 ploughs. 78 acres of meadowland, and woodland that was 1 league long by 4 furlongs wide. There were 10 smallholders and 17 listed villagers, all of whom would have been freemen. 2 mills were listed. Taxable value was £7.

Domesday used a past tense for Earl Aubrey; namely ‘tenuit’ indicating that sometime during the census he lost possession. History records that he was sent back to Normandy for ‘being of little use during these trying circumstances’. Ownership probably reverted to the King.

Oxford:

Saxon: Oxenforde. At the start of the Domesday census, Oxford was given an unusually long entry. It listed 243 houses with their owners who paid tax. Another 478 had been badly damaged during the Norman conquest, that no tax was paid. There were also as many as 9 churches.

The town was a Royal Borough, and, as such, was King’s land. It is alleged that Oxford University developed from a nunnery founded by Frideswide, but the actual first University college dated from 1249 A.D.

The city became the Royalist Headquarters during the English civil War.

As King’s land, no tax valuation was given. However it was one of about 12 major boroughs throughout the kingdom listed in Domesday.

Nuneham Courtenay:

Saxon: Neuham. Held by Richard de Courcy. Total land listed was 16 hides. Sufficient agricultural land to support 12 ploughs. One mill, 40 acres of meadow, 10 acres of pastureland, and a copse 2 furlongs long and 1 furlong wide. One unusual feature of this listing was that there was a further award of land capable of supporting 14 plows held by 3 fishermen and taxed separately at 30 shillings. Total tax valuation was £13.

While the land holding here was large, Domesday lists the soil quality as ‘generally poor’. This may account for the fact that down through the years, the land reverted to many owners, and finally only became valuable as the site of a huge mansion built for Lord Harcourt, called Stanton Harcourt. It is best known for its gardens, designed by the famous horticulturist, Capability Brown.

Islip:

Saxon Letelape. An unusual listing in Domesday in that title is in the name of the wife of Roger d’Ivry. Land holding was 5 hides, although, for some strange reason, 3 hides were never taxed. Agricultural land was sufficient to require 15 ploughs. There was one mill, 30 acres of meadow, pasture 3 furlongs long by 2 furlongs wide, and woodland 1 league long by ½ league wide. Taxable value was £10.

In ancient times, the village was of major strategic importance. It was located on the River Cherwell, and, during flood times, the Islip Bridge was the only way to cross the river. Depending on whether the marauders came from the west or from the east, the bridge could be held by a relatively small band. During the English Civil War, the Royalists placed a garrison there to ensure that the road from Worcester to London remained secure.

Islip has a remarkable history down through the years. Edward the Confessor was born here. Before 1086, Godric and Alwyn held it. Azelina (Roger d’Ivry’s wife) next held it with her descendants. Finally it was held by Westminster Abbey for the church.

Domesday Counties by Lionel October 2020
DOMESDAY COUNTIES

October.

Rutland:

Rutland, one of the smallest of the English counties, did not exist as such in Domesday times. The area was originally split between Saxon and Danish, but by Domesday was two small administrative regions called Witchley and Roteland. William chose to administer it as a new county as an inheritance for future queens of England.

Today, Rutland no longer exists, swept away by the mostly unwelcome Local Government Reorganization of 1974.

Great Casterton:

Saxon: Castretone. Kings land. Hugh FitzBaldric administered it. Land totaled 3.5 hides. Suffucient agricultural lands to require 9 ploughs. 16 acres of meadow, and a spinney 3 furlongs by 2 furlongs. 1 mill and 1 priest are mentioned. Taxable value was £10.

Great Casterton was a tiny stone village along the Great North Road. It had been a thriving Roman town due to its location, but became just a tiny village by the time of Domesday. Remnants of the original mill were modified in 1540, and again extended in 1598, and traces can still be seen toward Stamford, where grinding stones can be found along the footpath.

Oakham:

Danish: Ocheham. The church was given jurisdiction over this area. Land was listed at 4 carucates, plus 2 carucates for the hall itself. Agricultural land could support up to 22 ploughs. It was a relatively large village, with 138 villagers and 19 smallholders listed. 1 priest and 1 church in the district. 80 acres of meadows, and a woodland pasture 1 league long by ½ league wide. Taxable land before 1086 was £40 demonstrating the value of the area. As it was deeded to the church, no taxes reverted to the crown.

Oakham became the county town of Rutland when it was still a recognized county. It was always recognized as a sleepy rural community all during its long history, however. Another oddity was that although Domesday lists up to 22 ploughs, in fact there were 39 ploughs working, with the potential for 4 more ploughs.

The initial hall mentioned was probably a wooden structure. This was later succeeded by the Great Hall of Oldham Castle, a large stove structure still standing today. Shropshire:

Shropshire was still a very inaccessible county in 1086. To the west, barren moorlands rose to above 1700 feet above sea level. To the north were bogs interspersed with glacial clays and small meres.

In 1086, Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury, was the most important titled person. He built castles at Shrewsbury and Montgomery, with further defensible castles at Oswestry, Clun, and Ludlow, helped to thwart the marauding Welsh. West Shropshire had already been ravaged by the Welsh in 1077, and again in 1088.

Domesday references wasteland frequently in its entries, so damaged that more than 50% of the fertile land area at the time had been made barren. Also note that a number of places that were listed as part of Shropshire, reverted to Wales in later centuries. These included such towns and villages as Aston, Montgomery, and Thornbury.

Acton Burnell:

Saxon: Actune. Land held by Roger FitzCorbet. Total land area was 3.5 hides. At the time of Domesday, there was land suitable for agriculture of only 1.5 ploughs, but Domesday indicated that at least 2 more ploughs could be later cultivated. Taxable value was 20 shillings.

Acton Burnell was a neat, well laid out, village, of both timber frame and stone cottages. It was half way between the Stretton Hills and Shrewsbury. The Saxon family Burnell acquired the manor from Roger in the early eleventh century. One of their progeny, Robert Burnell, became influential as the Chancellor to Edward the First.

Much Wenlock:

Saxon: Wenloch. Held by the church of St. Milburga. Total land area listed was 20 hides. Agricultural land capable of supporting 17 ploughs. Of interest in the entry was the statement that a further land area for 17 more ploughs could be reclaimed. There was a large Abbey for the monks, as well as 2 mills which served the monks, plus a fishery, and woodland to support 300 pigs. Taxable value was £12.

Hidden away in a muddle of small hills, Much Wenlock could be titled the ‘Sleepy Hollow’ of Shropshire, both in Norman times, as well as today.

In later years, a mile of two west of the Abbey, coal and ironstone were found, and the Abbey became owner of several coal and iron ore mines, making it one of the richest Abbeys in the kingdom.

Clun:

Saxon: Clune. Picot de Say held it from Earl Roger. Land area amounted to a total of 15 hides. Land held for agriculture supported 60 ploughs, and Domesday identifies 2 full time plough men. There was one mill dedicated only to provide milled products for the court of the manor. To show the damage caused by the Welsh marauders, before 1086, the land was valued at £25; now the total value is £6 5 shillings.

Clun is the most westerly settlement in Shropshire, right on the Welsh border. A towering Norman keep was built on a large mound or hillock, to try to provide some defense for the local area. With a number of Norman built castles and churches in the area, it was probably the intention of King William to use the area as a base from which to try to subdue the Welsh. As such, the town was reduced to ashes by Prince Rhys in 1195, and nearby Richard’s Castle nearly wiped out in 1263.

Clun never lived up to the Conqueror’s expectations. History records that the actual land usage never supported more than 30 ploughs, and Clun slowly decayed to a small hamlet.

Somerset:

Somerset is a county with very varied topography, from the high wastelands of Exmoor, to the bogs close to the river Severn. The county has one of the mildest in the whole of England, with a number of places, such as Glastonbury, able to cultivate grapes.

After the conquest, the King either allocated the land to himself, or to a few of his faithful barons, such as Robert de Mortain, who ruled over 86 manors with a greedy and iron fist. He lived in the county at his castle at Montacute.

There was an unusual sub set of Domesday documents, known as the Exeter folio, that covered Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall, as well as parts of Dorset. It included such added details as names of some of the freemen, as well as listings of animals.

Nether Stowey:

Saxon: Stalwei. Held by Alfred d’Espaignes. Taxable land area was 3 hides. Agricultural land supported 5 ploughs. There was 7 acres of meadows, 100 acres of pastureland, and woodland 1.5 leagues by 1.5 leagues. The listing showed 9 cattle, 7 pigs, and 100 sheep. Taxable value was £8.

Alfred held a total of 24 manors in Somerset, of which 2 made up the area known as Nether Stowey. It lay on the edge of the Quantock hills and was ideal for sheep farming.

Over the centuries, it became a desirable residence of the gentry, and was the country home of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who wrote most of his work here, including Christabel and the Ancient Mariner. William Wordsworth and his wife had a cottage close by and the two sepnt much time together.

Castle Cary:

Saxon: Cari. Held by Walter of Bainton. Land area was 15 hides. 8 hides were held directly by Walter, with 7 hides sublet to tenants. The land sustained a total of 17 ploughs, with 100 acres of meadow, and woodland 1.5 leagues long by 0.5 leagues wide. There were 3 mills which flourished, milling the grain from the ploughed land. The areas sustained many head of cattle and pigs. Taxable value was £15.

The Norman castle, built starting in the early 1100’s, was the source for the villages formal name. and was not mentioned after 1158. It was besieged by the Norman king Stephen, in his fight against his cousin Maud, for the English Throne.

UP until the Industrial Revolution, the area was famous for a type of tough woolen cloth known as Cary Worsted, when the industry moved north due to mechanization and the proximity to markets and ports.

Wedmore:

Saxon: Wedmore. Held by the Bishop of Wells both before and after the Domesday census. The total land area was 11 hides. The agricultural land supported 36 ploughs. There was 70 acres of meadowland, 50 acres of woodland, and one square league of pastures. The village also had 2 fisheries. Taxable value was £17.

The Bishop of Wells held 19 landholdings in Somerset, of which Wedmore was considered to be the most valuable, including Wells itself. One of the largest villages in the county at the time of Domesday, it was already important in Saxon times, and was much harassed by the Danes.

It was the place where Alfred the Great signed the Peace of Wedmore after the battle of Edington. This gave Alfred many years to re-build his ships, re-fortify his vulnerable burghs, and reinforce his army. It was obviously an area of strife, as a pot was dug up in the nineteenth century containing a hoard of more than 200 silver coins from the time of Ethelred to Alfred. The person who hid the coins obviously was not able top return and retrieve them.

The village was probably the place where, much later in England’s history, Dr. John Westover established the first ‘hospital’ or lunatic asylum for the treatment of mentally handicaps persons.

Wells:

Saxon: Wella. Always held by the Bishop of Wells. Market town and cathedral town, and the largest town in the county until about 1,500 A.D. 9 mills and 22 manor houses. Because it was held by the church, no taxable value was ever listed.

The cathedral itself was built in the early twelfth century, and the city and cathedral are both considered to be one of the most beautiful areas in England.

Staffordshire:

Remembering that Domesday is about statistics, not history, in most cases reasons were not given for an entry. Thus may entries merely stated “wasta est” meaning waste land, without any concerns as to the why. In Staffordshire, more than 20% of the land was so listed, probably due to the actions of William’s marauding hosts, as they subdued the land and people.

By the time of Domesday, the normally densely populated central and southeastern areas rarely averaged more than 5 persons per square mile. The hilly northern regions bordering the Penines, was almost completely depopulated! Staffordshire became the third least populated county, next to Middlesex and Rutland, and more than half the settlements were valued at less than £2!

Elford:

Saxon: Eleford. King’s land, held by Earl Algar. Total land was 3 hides. Sufficient arable land to support 11 ploughs. 24 acres of meadows. 2 mills, only one functioning in 1086. Taxable value was £12.

In Norman times, Elford was one of the most prosperous towns in the county, with a newly built Norman style church, and several large and prosperous manor houses. It benefited from having a river flowing through, providing energy for the mills, and rich soil for providing the grain to be milled. For some reason, William’s punitive army forays into the county seemed to have left the village relatively intact.

Cannock:

Saxon: Chenet. King’s land, held by Earl Algar. Total land area was 1 hide. However it was able to support 15 ploughs suggesting that the whole area was really rich arable land. There was also much woodland, 6 leagues long and 4 leagues wide, capable of supporting more than 150 pigs. Taxable value only 20 shillings.

At the time of Domesday, while the land was capable of supporting 15 ploughs, the population list showed only 3 ploughman. This would suggest that William’s men really decimated the area’s population! Over the next 50 years much of the arable land went to seed for the next 50 plus years. The forest land was obviously magnificent, as Cannock Forest, known as Cannock Chase in Domesday, was bought by the Bishop of Lichfield, and for centuries it was held as a pleasure ground for the rich.

Today, Cannock is on the northern edge of one of the most densely populated and industrialized areas of England, now known as the West Midlands. The great church of St. Luke, now dwarfed by the huge Prince of Wales Shopping Center, stands dwarfed in its small area of grassland.

Leek:

Saxon: Lec. As with much of the manor houses in the county, it was King’s land, held by Earl Algar. Taxable land areas was a little more than 1 hide. Arable land was sufficient for 12 ploughs, but the census lists only 4 ploughmen. There was 3 acres of meadowland, and forestry 4 leagues long and 4 leagues wide. Yet Domesday does not list any pigs, suggesting that the victorious armies took all that were there for food and for booty.

Soon after Domesday, Leek was given to the Earls of Chester, as part of their huge national holdings. The first Earl, Earl Lupus, was profusely prodigal, and many of the family holdings were either sold or ransomed to pay his debts. The condition of the holding was greatly improved in 1209 by Earl Randle, who liberally allowed each manor holder to use his funds to develop the land, and to use the forestry to cut timber and firewood, and to graze animals. All of these benefits cost the manor holders only 12 Pence in tax each year.

Today, and from the start of the Industrial Revolution, Leek became a thriving market town, with more than 25,000 inhabitants.

Suffolk:

Suffolk, together with Norfolk and Essex, were originally included in a separate volume known as the LITTLE DOMESDAY BOOK. The entries were quite a bit more detailed than the main document, but very confusing as they included concepts that were not explained. Something called “gelding” was included but never defined. It is believed to be derived from the word “Geld” meaning, originally gold or money, and therefore referred to taxable items.

Land was also defined differently, using such terms as “Leets”, used to also apportion taxable ratings. The county was predominantly one of villages and freemen, rather than manors and vassals, with a population fairly evenly distributed. Only in the northwest, with its barren breckland giving way to marsh and fens, was the population sparse.

There were not many large towns. Not one of the seven principal towns, including Ipswich, Bury St. Edmunds, and Dunwich, had more than 3,000 inhabitants. Also note the predominance of the town and villages ending in -wich. This is a ancient termination meaning salt mine or salt pits.

Dunwich:

Danish: Duneuuic. Held by Robert Malet. Originally 2 carucates of land, but sea erosion resulted in the loss of about 1 carucate. An unusual entry indicated that part of the population included 24 Frenchmen, given a total of 40 acres of land. 236 burgesses. 3 churches, valued at £50, and deeded 60,000 herrings annually for the churchmen and monks. No mention is made of the salt holdings being worked after 1066. Taxable value is £8 10 shillings.

Originally known in Saxon times as the English Atlantis, once the prosperous capital of East Anglia, the main settlement was overcome by erosion from the North Sea. At the time of Domesday, Dunwich was a thriving small city, and yet only had one church in 1066 and 3 by 1086.

Yet in the seventh century, it was the capital of Saxon Christianity, and the seat of the Bishop of East Anglia. Its decay from that time was possibly due to the entrance of the Vikings into the picture, and their use of the original port for marauding. It was still an important port in the eleventh century, paying a gift to the king of 68,000 herrings per annum.

Today, in the old churchyard, stands the elegant ruins of a Norman chapel. At the top of the sea cliffs can be seen the remains of a Franciscan Priory. Other than this, the village raminas a sleepy place, cut off from most of the area.

Mildenhall:

Danish: Mitdenhalla. Always held by the king, both before and after 1066. After 1066, William de Noyes was made manager of the estates. It was held under Danish, and then Saxon, times as a manor belonging to St. Edmunds. Total land amounted to 12 carucates. Arable land was able to support 14 ploughs. 1 church, 3 fisheries, and 1 mill. Domesday listed the following livestock: 31 mares, 37 cattle, 60 pigs, and 1,000 sheep.

The manor continued to prosper as a Royal Manor, showing no indication of the decline that was the fate of many of the new Norman manors. Originally the area had a lot of fenland and marshes, but over the centuries these were drained and provided additional ploughland.

Had it not been for both of the World Wars, Mildenhall would have remained a prosperous market town. However with the development of the airplane, a small airfield was built there. Between the wars it became the start for an air race to Melbourne, Australia. The base was constantly developed during WWII, later became a base for nuclear weapons during the cold war.

Framlingham:

Saxon: Framelingham. Note the ending -ham, a Saxon term meaning settlement. Held by Roger Bigot under Earl Hugh. Land area was 9 carucates. Agricultural land capable of supporting 19 ploughs by 1086, a loss of 5 after 1066. 16 acres of meadows, woodlands, 14 furlongs long and 12 wide. There were 2 mills, 1 church was listed ans 1 in construction, and, strangely, Domesday mentions that there were 5 beehives in the town area. Taxable value for the area is £36.

After Hastings, William divided most of the area, first under Earl Hugh of Chester, with Roger Bigot as the major sub-tenant. Roger had obviously been industrious, as his new manor house had been built, and in land worked for him there were a total 19 ploughs. IN addition, a substantial castle was in construction, and was completed in about 1190.

Long Melford:

Danish: Melaforda. The Abbot of St. Edmunds always held this land, including after 1066. The land area was 12 carucates. While at the time of Domesday there were only 19 ploughs, at the time of Hastings, there were a total of 28 ploughs being worked. 50 acres of meadows were listed, with woodland 18 furlongs long by 1 league wide, able to support 200 pigs. The area also listed 12 beehives. Taxable value of the manor was £30.

In Domesday times, the French feudal hierarchy system had started to dominate Long Melford. With the pecking order being: Norman Lords and soldiers who chose to remain in England, villagers (villani), smallholder (bordarii), cottagers (cotari), and and serfs. As was previously mentioned, the rights of females was completely eliminated, except for high born French ladies.

One important listing in 1086, not immediately of interest, was the addition of 300 sheep to the 1066 number. Within a century, the wealth of Suffolk depended upon the wool trade, both within England, and also as an export product to Flemish weavers, many of whom moved to the county.

Surrey:

In 1086, large portions of the county were still wild country. The great forest of Andreswald resulted in an area that was so remote that the borders between Surrey and Sussex could not be clearly defined. In addition, the area to the west, beyond Guildford, were stretches of dense heath and woodland known as the forest of Windsor. These, combined, made Surrey a very difficult county to be censused.

To this point in history, London itself was not a great influence on the county, as the seat for Saxon England was never the city. However after the Battle of Hastings, London became the de facto new capital, and started to exert a much greater influence on Surrey, with population moving south into the county.

Although Domesday showed that many Norman barons held manors in Surrey, there was not one who had his seat there. And the largest tenants in chief were the religious houses of Canterbury, Winchester, and Bishop Odo, Bishop of Bayeux. As Odo and Richard FitzGilbert were respectively the Earl of Kent, and the holder of Tonbridge Castle in Kent, Surrey appears to have been considered as an appendage of that county.

Godalming:

Saxon: Godelminge. Always king’s land. Land area was 24 hides. The agricultural land supported 30 ploughs. 25 acres of meadow, anad 16 acres of woodland that supported as many as 700 to 1,000 pigs. There were 3 corn mills on the river Wey, and 2 churches listed in the area. One manor was sub-held by Ranulf Flambard for some unknown reason had control of the churches. The taxable value of the land considered worked by villagers and smallholders was £30, so Godalming was considered to be a valuable manor indeed.

The 3 mills were both interesting and unusual, as they were used to provide fullers earth for cleaning and removing oil from wool, a county critical product.

In the surviving church, that of St. Peter and St. Paul, two blocked or covered Saxon windows were uncovered in 1890.

The population was listed as follows in Domesday: 50 villagers, 29 smallholders,12 cottagers, and 2 slaves.

Oxted:

Saxon: Acstede. Held by Count Eustace. Before 1066 it answered for 20 hides, but the holding was reduced by Domesday to 5 hides. Arable land was enough to require 20 ploughs. There were 4 acres of meadow, and woodland sufficient to support 100 pigs. The holding included 2 mills and 1 church. Taxable value was £14.

Pillaged and burned by William and his army on their way north, the main settlers had returned by 1086, and the villages was again becoming prosperous. For centuries it remained a small rural community, cut off from London to the north by the Downs, but its timber framed buildings showed that it was always modestly prosperous.

The industrial revolution brought the railway to the area, and today it could be considered as a small suburb of the great London megalopolis.

Battersea:

Saxon: Patricesy. The church of St. Peters of Westminster holds it. Before 1066, it answered for 72 hides, but this was critically reduced by 1086 to 18 hides. Arable land sufficient to require 17 ploughs, 82 acres of meadows, and woodland for 500 pigs. The area accounted for 7 mills. The listed population was 45 villagers, 16 smallholders, and 8 slaves. Strangely, the population also included several men-at-arms, probably Norman soldiers who chose to remain in the region. The taxable value was £75 and 9 shillings.

While there was no listing for a church, the fact that the priest Gilbert was provided with 1 hide of land suggests strongly that there was one there.

This large manor had already been of considerable importance before Domesday for more than 400 years. A charter of A.D. 693 shows that it was gifted to one of his nobles by King Caedwalla.

It’s value was dramatically reduced by William’s hordes as they marched north from Hastings, destroying crops and manors. He camped at Battersea long enough to burn Southwark to the ground, before turning west toward Winchester.

Originally held by then King Harold, William did not allow him to be so titled, as Domesday called him Earl Harold.

Today the only indication that Battersea was ever a village is the fact that two ancient sailing barges are moored with their gangways through the churchyard railings Sussex:

For some strange reason, Domesday subdivides the county into ‘rapes’. A term not defined, and used nowhere else. It is believed this may refer to some Saxon unit or measurement, now long forgotten. There were 5 rapes, situated longitudinally.

There were 5 rapes, and William defined each rape as a new manor, and assigned 5 Norman Lords, one to each manor. The Lord held all lands under the king, with the exception of ecclesiastical lands. They ruled from their respective castles at Hastings, Pevensey, Lewes, Bramber, and Arundel. This suggested that William might have assigned these rapes because Sussex was dangerously close to the Channel, and to incursions from his enemies in France. He had started his invasion from Pevensey, and so knew the danger facing him in the future. His expectation was that his underlings would defend the coast from any attacks.

Rye:

Saxon: Rameslie. One of the ‘Cinque Ports’ along the southern coast. Held by the Abbot of Fecamp from the king. Total land area was 17.5 hides. The agricultural land was sufficient for 35 ploughs. 7 acres of pasture, and woodland for 55 pigs. There were 5 churches, and 100 salt houses. Robert of Hastings sub-held 2 ½ hides from the Abbot. The total taxable value of the holding was £50.

Originally located on the Channel, Rye now stands about 2 miles inland, on a hilly promontory overlooking the coast. Changed to a Borough by William, and with 64 burgesses, it was always a thriving port, right down to the mid nineteenth century.

Over the next two hundred years after Domesday, Rye was the center of many struggles. As long as there was agreement between England and Normandy, things were peaceful, but when King John lost Normandy back to the French, strive was initiated. Indeed Rye was captures by King Louis of France when he invaded England in support of the Barons who were in conflict with King John. The final result of that conflict was the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215.

It was again sacked by the French in 1339, 1365, and 1377. This was during the period termed the 100 years war, which ended in 1453. After that, no further conflict occurred in the town.

In the late middle ages, Rye became famous as one of the major smuggling towns along the coast. The English government had always taxed liquors at a very high rate,  Strangely enough woolens were smuggled into Europe from the same location.

Today, Rye is a sleepy tourist town, mainly because all things nautical are still part of its heritage, even though the sea is nowhere to be seen.

Washington:

Saxon: Wasingetune. Held by William de Braose. This was a huge manor, accounting for 59 hides. The famous Bramber castle took one of those hides completely. Arable land could support 34 ploughs, with 11 acres of meadows, and woodland pasturage for more than 60 pigs. The manor owned 5 salt houses, producing tons of salt each year. While presently not taxed due to king’s favor, it was estimated that the value would have been close to £100.

William carved out the land for William de Braose, after his troops sacked and raped Arundel to the west and Lewes to the east, and carved a large portion of the residue for this community. The land reached down to the tidal river Adur, and it is assumed that the salt houses would have been on its banks.

For close to 200 years, Bramber castle was a major defensible castle, and was still involved by the 100 year’s war.

Ditchling:

Saxon: Dicelinges. William de Warenne held this manor area. When he acquired it, it accounted for 42 hides. Most of the area was arable land, and so could support a total of 89 ploughs, both in lordship and by 108 villages and 40 smallholders. All these paid taxes. Meadow covering 130 acres, and woodland 80 acres for pigs. There was 1 church, 1 mill, and 2 manors. Total taxable value was £72 10 shillings.

In earlier times, the Romans were smelting iron from ore in what is now Ashdown Forest. Evidence that the Saxons also smelted iron in the area was found in bloomery smelter was found in the area.

Today Ditchling is a pretty village, straddling the main south coast road to Brighton.

Warwickshire:

In 1086, the county consisted of two halves, Arden in the north, with isolated hamlets and a few farms, and Feldon in the south and east, with compact villages, supporting rich farmland from which the original dense oak woods had been cleared.

The holdings of Thorkell of Warwick (One of only two Englishmen still holding under William), and Robert Beaumont, Count of Meulan, comprised of three quarters of all the valuable land in the county. The balance of the land was held by a number of ecclesiastical authorities.

Robert Beaumont was a shrewd politician, becoming Earl of Leicester and acquiring land in Leicestershire by ruse. He died in 1118, one of the last of William’s Norman adventurers.

Hampton-in-Arden:

Saxon: Hantone. IN old English it was Hean Tun, meaning ‘High Hill’, and was a defensible site. Held by Geoffrey de la Guerche. Total land held was 10 hides. Agricultural land supported 22 ploughs. Meadow 10 acres, and woodland 3 leagues by 3 leagues. There was 1 functioning mill left after the harassing. 1 priest, 50 villagers, and 16 smallholders. Taxable value was 100 shillings. Unusually, Geoffrey sent the tax money to his Monastery of St. Nicholas in Angers in France.

Arden was on the high ground in Warwickshire. The hamlet straggled down on the slopes of the hill to the River Blythe, a serious obstacle as the river surrounded it on 3 sides.

In later times, Sir Hugh Arden, taking his name from the area, secured license for a weekly market and annual fair in the town in 1250, and this continued well into the late middle ages.

Of note, Sir Robert Peel, he who started the first real police force in England (called the Peelers), bought the Lordship of Hampton for his second son in 1852, and the son died there in 1906.

Successive government restrictions on developing the area have meant that Hampton is still a dormitory village even down to today.

Bidford on Avon:

Saxon: Bede’s-ford. Land held by the King. Land held was 5 hides. Agriculture could support 21 ploughs. 150 acres of meadow, and woodland 4 leagues long by 1 league wide. 1 church, and 4 mills, operating on hydro power from the River Avon. The village was estimated to have been worth £7 and 15 shillings.

Domesday lists the village as an ‘ancient demesne’, exempting it from later landowners trying to extract taxes. This even went to the high court of the land in 1567, ruling in favor of the citizens of the town.

Another strange local custom: the town later became known in the county as ‘Drunken Bideford’ although it has never been determined why. Today it is a tourist attraction, with narrowboats plying up and down the river, from Stratford on the Avon to Tewkesbury on the Severn.

Brailes:

The name is of Saxon origin. Held by the king, with Earl Edwin as his liege lord. Land size was 46 hides. In 1086, it was listed as supporting 60 ploughs, and this grew to 76 within 10 years. Meadow of 100 acres, with woodland 3 leagues long by 2 leagues wide. 100 villagers and 30 smallholders were listed, with the smallholders allowed to farm with 46 ploughs. There was 1 mill. Taxable value was £55, and, unusual, 20 pack-loads of salt.

Brailes was considered to be the capital of the Feldon area, at a height of 700 feet up on the Cotswold scarp. With an estimated total of 150 households, todays estimate was that it could cultivate up to, perhaps, 5,000 acres.

Its huge castle, built in Saxon times, was the site of a major battle to seize it from Earl Edwin of Mercia for King William, and probably took place between 1066 and 1086. Today the castle earthworks are barely discernable.

From King William, the land Henry Beaumont, Earl of Warwick. His descendants held it until the start of the fifteenth century.

Snitterfield:

Saxon: Snitefeld. Held by the Count of Meulan. Originally a Neolithic settlement on the ancient Marroway road along which the men of Mercia march to attack the Wessex warriors.

4 miles from Stratford – on – Avon, the village where Richard Shakespeare, the grandfather of William, farmed.

NOTE: I put this in as it is the place where you can visit the local church and see the records of the parish in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. As you scan the entries, you will find, interspersed with Shakespeare’s, the Fullwood family. This is my ancestral home! You can remove my note now!

Westmorland:

Danish: Westmerelund. An ancient county of England, controlled by the Danes prior to 1066, was eliminated in 1974, and became part of the new county of Cumbria.

It appears that the Domesday surveyors who were so careful in their census for the south of England, became increasingly more careless as they moved north. About Westmorland, they were even more brief. The 24 holdings that were identified were taxed as a total of 64 carucates of land.

Most were identified as king’s land, with Roger de Poitou holding the balance. At the time of the census, they were listed as part of Yorkshire, Westmorland not becoming a county until the late 1300’s.

Little else is known about the area, other than the tragic entry in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle of 1069 that simply stated ‘the king laid waste to all the northern shires.’ One author stated, ‘The outstanding fact about the human geography of the northern counties was the devasted condition of the countryside.’

Kendal:

Old English: Cherchebi. Land of the king. Total land area, although not taxable, was 20 curucates. No definition was given to the condition of the area. No listing of agricultural areas, no dimensions of forest lands. To highlight the levels of devastation, 7 small villages are identified, with no existing residents!

Kendal was the principal town of Westmorland, but it was certainly a grey area. The only thing that was certain from the census was that there was a church, for the town was listed by the surveyors as ‘Cherchebi’ which can be translated as Kirkby, or literally church town.

The only recorded history of Kendal begins with the reign of the Conqueror’s successor, William Rufus, who drove the Scots out of the area in 1092.

Today the city calls itself ‘The Gateway to the Lakes’, a claim that is unfortunately true as at weekends, and during the holiday months of July and August, its streets are jammed with overheated cars and weary travelers in endless traffic jams.

Leavens:

Danish: Lefuenes. Held by Roger de Poitou. Total land was 17 carucates, with Ernwin the priest holding a few carucates under him. There are no listings of arable, meadow, or forest lands, nor with any ploughs in use.

Both the Normans and the Britons / Saxons fortified and used this precious stretch or arable, low lying, land. It was one of the only lowland in the whole area. It was here that the Normans obtained their first toe-hold in this Saxon held area of the north. The area was only partially populated at the time of Domesday, due to the fierce harrying and slaughter that was William’s revenge for their stubborn defense of their lands.

The village itself was a grey huddle of dwellings on the side of a hill, its streets flanked by stone walls of defense. Today it is merely a dot on the side of the busy highway leading to the lower Lakes.

Wiltshire:

On the whole, Wiltshire was a sparsely populated county in 1086. It was a largely unenclosed, with almost no population in the north, and still not heavily populated in the fertile south. The valley of the Avon in had a reasonable population base; with close to 10 people per square mile. Here could be found most of the county’s mills and meadows.

The major landowner was the king, with religious holdings following. The Bishops of Winchester and Salisbury had the greatest holdings. They were followed by tenants-in-chief, mainly the great Norman Barons.

Fonthill Bishop:

Saxon: Fontel. Held by the Bishop of Winchester. Berengar Gifford, a Norman noble, was a sub-tenant. The land area listed was 10 hides. Agricultural land sufficient to require 12 ploughs. 8 acres of meadow, and pasture, 3 leagues long by ½ league wide. About the same area of forestry. 1 mill was listed. The value listed was £14.

Fonthill Bishop was a small manor, with its only real value being its mill. However over the next few generations a number of distinguished houses were built there. In the 1700’s William Beckford, a phenomenally rich sugar merchant from the West Indies built a splendid mansion called Fonthill Splendens near here.

Today nothing remains except for a small scattering of stone cottages along a quaint village road.

Warminster:

Saxon: Guerminstre. Land of the king, For some reason, Domesday did not identify the land area in hides or any other unit of measurement. Land to sustain 44 ploughs. Meadow, 80 acres, pasture 1 league long by ½ league wide, and woodland 2 leagues long by 2 leagues wide. 7 mills were listed.

Unusually for Domesday, the whole population was listed as: 24 slaves and 3 pigmen, 15 villagers, 8 cottagers, and 14 freemen, with 30 burgesses. The burgesses were probably craftsmen who supplied the goods and services needed by such a large manor.

While not listed, there was a particularly splendid church here, the minster from which the small town took its name, on the river Were.

In the middle ages this location became a particularly strong center for nonconformism, and large numbers migrated to the Americas, where religious tolerance was more the norm. Today there is nothing remaining of the eleventh century town, not even the remains of the Minster.

Wootton Bassett:

Saxon: Wodestone. Held by Miles Crispin. Land area was 12 hides. There was sufficient agricultural land to support 17 ploughs. 24 acres of meadows, 33 acres in pasture, and woodland 2 leagues long by 1 league wide. And 1 mill. 5 slaves, 11 villagers, and 14 smallholders. Taxable value was £9.

In 1086, it was the largest of the 13 Wiltshire manors held by Miles Crispin, one of King William’s most powerful tenants-in-chief. He also had holdings in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, and Buckinghamshire.

Its modern name came from the Bassett family who built the great fortified house of Vastern in the early thirteenth century, surrounding it with a large deer park. It was still an important manor house right into the start of the nineteenth century. Today it is largely a dormitory suburb for Swindon.

Wiltshire’s World Heritage Stonehenge, and the even more spectacular Avebury pair of henges, were brought to the attention of the modern world in the sixteenth century by William Camden, an amateur archeologist. However reference to the stones can be found in earlier writings as early as the fourteenth century. It has been suggested that they were both forms of “Templums”: places of worship that were similar in nature to Temples of later days.

Worcestershire:

North of the River Severn, and west of the River Avon, the shire was heavily forested, and therefore lightly populated. Contrasting this the terraces of the River Avon, known today as the Vale of Evesham, have always been places of wonderful agricultural land.

The shire was not much damaged by the advances of William’s men, as Aethelwig, Bishop of Evesham, and Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester, had found exceptional favor in the eyes of King William. They helped suppress the uprisings of 3 earls in 1075, and both became adjudicators on behalf of the king.

Cleve Prior:

Saxon: Clive. Held Worcester Church, and administered by the Abbot of Evesham. 10 and ½ hides of land, of which 2 hides had been laid waste. The agricultural land could support 11 ploughs. There was 20 acres of meadowland, and the village supported 1 mill, and a small church. The population list follows: 1 priest, 9 villagers, 5 smallholders, and 8 slaves. The area was valued at £6.

The mill, demolished in the year 1940, was almost certainly the one mentioned in Domesday, It was unique in that payment was paid in honey, rather than money.

Feckenham:

Saxon: Fecheha. Land held by the king, and identified as a Royal Hunting Reserve. Total land was 11 and ½ hides, but most of the land was afforested. To attest to this, the agricultural land could only support 19 ploughs. There was 1 mill and 4 salt-houses, the source of the salt being the underground salt way that now runs from modern Droitwich (-wich refers to a salt mine or house) to Alcester. Personnel listed as follows: 30 villagers, 11 smallholders, a reeve, a beadle, a miller and a smith. There were also 17 slaves. While not spelled out, the tithes of this village were sent to St. Mary’s church in Normandy.

The township was of major importance even before Domesday, as the center of administration for the region, including the remains today of what was certainly the local prison for offenders south of the river Trent.

In the fourteenth century the king, by royal decree, allowed the deforestation of the royal hunting grounds, and the conversion to agricultural ploughland.

Upton-on-Severn:

Saxon: Uptun. Held by the Bishop of Worcester, but the land was still listed for tax purposes. 25 hides of land. Agricultural land supported 42 ploughs. 30 acres of meadows, and woodland ½ league long by 3 furlongs wide. The listed populations was: 2 priests, 40 villagers, 16 smallholders, and 9 slaves. 1 church and 1 mill are listed. Taxable value was £10, but the Bishop also received honey, firewood, and timber to rebuild houses.

Upton in 1086 was a thriving village situated on the west bank of the River Severn. It is surprising that Domesday does not mention river traffic, as it is known that Upton was already transporting timber, salt, wine, and cider, as well as ceramics and pottery made locally upriver at Hanley Castle.

Today Upton is a busy holiday venue, with narrow-boats and other water craft plying up and down the river, and restaurants, teashops, and pubs providing relief for the holidaymakers.

Yorkshire:

Yorkshire is by far the largest of the English Counties. On top of that, the county was severely impacted during the harrying of the north by William’s forces. The census shows major disruptions for both people and land for all areas surveyed. The result is the entries for Yorkshire are the least satisfactory for all the counties surveyed.

Further, the county has traditionally been divided into the three Ridings, East, West, and North. The North Riding was the most affected by the harrying, with more than 50% of the entries showing major damage or indeed, total loss.

It should be noted that there had always been cross border incursions by the Scots, and this added to the devastation.

The entries for the county will be divided into the three Ridings, to make the results more understandable.

East Riding:

Wharram Percy:

Saxon: Warham. Land of the King. 8 carucates of land. Because of the ‘harrying’ there was only enough arable land to support 4 ½ ploughs. No taxation value listed. The village lies in a hidden and virtually inaccessible valley, and today all that remains is a single cottage, the church ruins, and the remarkably clear earthworks of the village.

Although Domesday references are almost non-existent, recent excavations of the area suggest that the village was in existence for at least 500 years before 1086. While no population is listed in the census, the fact that 4 ½ ploughs are there suggests some level of residents.

While Domesday does not identify the presence of a church, the tower of the ruins that can be seen today is of the eleventh century, and excavations have revealed an Anglo-Saxon nave and a Normal chancel and apse.

Withernsea:

Danish: Witfornes. To further demonstrate the extent of the destruction, Domesday lists as follows: Before 1066, the land holding was by Morcar, and consisted of 18 carucates and 6 bovates, and 15 ploughs possible. Now held by Drogo, the listing follows: 1 plough and 4 villagers, 5 smallholders and 2 priests.

William moved into the village 11 other villages / manors for the purposes of management. This added a further 32 carucates of land, but only 25 ploughs of arable land. With all these additions, Drogo only had 10 freemen, 10 villagers, and 2 smallholders. Taxable value before 1066 was £56; by 1086 the value was £6!

At the time of Domesday, the village was on the Yorkshire coast, and had expectations of becoming a thriving port. As it was a huge soke with 11 subsidiary settlements and its manor one of the most valuable in the estate of Holderness, that expectation was great, but he accidentally killed his wife in about 1084, and, fearing the wrath of the king, fled back to Normandy. The estate was then given to Count Odo, husband of the king’s sister.

Violent storms in the North Sea over the next 2 centuries devastated the whole area, and in 144 the church was destroyed. A further church built later was also destroyed. IN the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, plans were made to develop the town into a holiday destination, but again tragedy and storms ruined all the plans, and Withernsea remains today as a ‘second level’ holiday resort.

Hemingbrough:

Danish: Hamiburg. Held by the King. 3 carucates of land, now with arable land that can support 2 ploughs, with 7 acres of meadowland and woodland pastures 1 league long and ½ league wide. The population is listed as 5 villagers, 3 smallholders, and 1 priest. 1 church is listed. Taxable rating before 1066 was 40 shillings; now 16 shillings.

Sited on the River Ouse near Selby, it was a natural location for a Viking stronghold. The name was probably derived from Jarl Hamingr who captained the northern detachment of Viking troops.

By 1086, there were only about 300 acres of arable land, worked by 2 ploughs. Much of the land was woodland, a rarity in East Yorkshire at the time. Of interest, the church identified in Domesday still stands, and, with its spectacular spire, is still the most striking building in the community.

Almost immediately after things had settled down, the King transferred ownership to the Bishop of Durham, who in turn transferred it to Durham Priory. And this priory was responsible for ensuring the church’s restoration and continuation.

West Riding:

Wath upon Dearne:

Danish: Wade. 2 manors now held, one by Roger de Bully and one by the Saxon thane Ulsi. A total of 6 carucates of land. Only enough arable land for 1 plough was listed. 4 villagers and 8 smallholders. Additionally jurisdiction was held for Swinton and Wentworth, but these were laid waste. Value was 10 shillings.

De Bully, a major supporter of King William, was also granted 54 manors in South Yorkshire and 163 manors in north Nottinghamshire. Both Wath manors had declined in value between 1066 and Domesday, but only the holdings at Swinton and Wentworth were described as wasteland.

By 1303, some wasteland had been cleared, and a farm called Wentworth Woodhouse was established. Today the Manor at Wentworth Woodhouse is one of the grandest houses in the whole of England, built between 1725 and 1750 for Thomas Wentworth, the first Marquis of Rockingham.

His fortune had been built on local coal mines, and these continued to be developed right through to the twentieth century.

Wath and Wentworth, totally rural areas in the time of Domesday, are today prominently large industrial estates.

Ilkley:

This manor held 13 outliers. All held now by William de Percy, and Archbishop Thomas of York,  in Lordship. Land holding was huge, with a total of 60 carucates and 6 bovates. Even after the ‘harrying’ there was sufficient arable land there to support 35 ploughs. Meadow 4 acres, and woodland pasture 2 leagues and 3 furlongs both long and wide. Altogether there were 17 villagers, and 19 smallholders, plus 1 priest. 1 church is listed. Even with this huge amount of land, the taxable value was only £3!

There are no remains of the church to be seen, but it is assumed that the present church, built in the thirteenth century, was built on its site. The area had been populated as early as Roman times, with the Roman fort of Olicana there.

The curative properties of the waters of Ilkley resulted in the town becoming a tourist and health center in the nineteenth century, and today it is still the center for thousands of hikers who consider the local miles and miles of moorland ideal for hiking and mountain biking.

Pontefract:

Danish: Tateshalla. The strange name means ‘broken bridge’ and was first applied in the twelfth century. Before that it was known as Tanshelf. Originally king’s land, now managed by Ilbert de Lacey. 16 carucates of land, with arable land capable of supporting 27 ploughs. Meadow, 3 acres, and woodland pasture 1 league long by ½ leagues wide.

There were 3 other manors that were managed under the jurisdiction of Ilbert. The population listed follows: 60 petty burgesses, 16 cottagers, 16 villagers, and 8 smallholders. There is also a church, with 1 priest, 3 mills, and 1 fishery. All of this clearly indicates that Tanshelf was already a thriving village; maybe to be considered a small town. Based on Domesday, which never included women and children, the population could have easily exceeded 500.

Little survives of Pontefract Castle, which Ilbert started to build in 1082, on a rocky promontory on the east side of the town.

During the English Civil War, the town was hotly contested by both sides. Originally a Royalist stronghold, it was finally captured by the Roundheads in 1645. After several reversals of fortune, it was finally taken again by the Roundheads, and the citizens sued parliament to have the castle torn down, as it had caused so much bloodshed and loss of life.

Pontefract’s claim to fame lies at the feet of its liquorice sweets, the famous “Pontefract Cakes” that were first mentioned in 1614, although the product gained fame only in the nineteenth century. The delicacy ended up employing more than 40% of the town’s residents!

North Riding:

Middleham:

Danish: Medelai. Held by Ralph, the nephew of Count Alan. Land area was 5 carucates. Arable land could only support 3 ploughs. There was one manor. Domesday reported that the whole land was waste, 1 league by 1 league. However there must have been a small amount usable, for 3 ploughs to be mentioned. No population was listed, and the taxable value was £1.

The village is picturesquely situated in Wensleydale, between the rivers Ure and Cover. In Norman times it was dominated by the huge castle built by Ralph. While built as a defensible keep, it was apparently sufficiently comfortable to be the favorite residence of “Warwick the Kingmaker” where the boy Richard, eventually to become King Richard III, was trained.

The manor was held as a favorite of kings and barons in the middle ages, and is now held by the Middleham Parish Council. Today the town relies on tourism to keep it alive.

Coxwold:

Danish: Cucualt. Before 1066, Coxwold was a thriving town, with a full market and local court. Apparently there were some oddities about the place, As Domesday lists neither land area, nor population, and yet the local manor house was known to be well populated and thriving. It is described as a densely wooded area, but one that was difficult to get to.

The only thing that was well recorded was that the Cistercian Abbey of Byland, and the Augustine Priory of Newburgh were established there in the twelfth century, and supported by the Mowbray family that took control in the thirteenth century.

The Fylingdales:

Danish: Figlingge. Held by William de Percy. Domesday records this small area as two vills (defined as a small administrative unit), Fyling with 1 carucate of land, and North Fyling with 5 carucates of land. There was some conflict between William, and Earl Hugh over who really held title, but it was rather irrelevant, as the whole area was listed as ‘laid waste’, and the ‘vills’ uninhabited.

Unlike many other areas in Yorkshire, the Fylings remain essentially what they were in Domesday times; a barren moorland. Its only income today is from tourism, its residents artists and holiday-makers.

THE END!

Virginia:

I did NOT include the following in the introduction to Domesday as it is quite explicit. However it really bothers me (as a father of 6 girls, natural and adopted) and I will describe below and you and Danielle decide.

Prior to 1066, females in Saxon England had almost as many rights and legal terms as their male counterparts. They were treated generally as ladies. That all changed when the Normans conquered England.

The most onerous was known, in French, as “Droit de Seigneur”. In simple terms, any French landholder, right down to the original men at arms who chose to stay in England, had the right to take a virgin who was planning to marry a man, whether the man was in his domain or not, to his bed PRIOR to her marriage. This continued in the countryside for almost 200 years!!

Here is the definition directly from the internet. a feudal right said to have existed in medieval Europe giving the lord to whom it belonged the right to sleep the first night with the bride of any one of his vassals. ...