User:Iluvhistory66/sandbox/Domesday

Detailed Look in the Domesday Book = 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

(Image in Word Doc): Death of King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings, 1066. 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.