The Domesday Book - Life in 11th Century England

William the Conquerer, who invaded England in 1066, commisioned The Domesday book in December 1085. The first draft (completed in August 1086) contained records for 13,418 settlements in the English counties south of the rivers Ribble and Tees (the border with Scotland at the time).

The great majority of Domesday landholders came from northern France. Richard Scrope was a Norman knight who settled in Herefordshire and became a landowner in England when he was granted lands by King Edward the Confessor prior to the Conquest. He built Richard's Castle (near Ludlow) in county Hereford, on the Welsh border and administered this part of the border region. He held various manors in Worcestershire, Herefordshire, and Shropshire at the time of Edward the Confessor, according to the Domesday book.

Bedfordshire (1), (2)

  • Easton Estone: 4 freemen from Bishop of Coutances; William de Cairon from Bishop of Lincoln; William de Warenne and Theodoric from him; Wimund from Hugh de Beauchamp; Hugh Butler; Sigar de Chocques; Osbern FitzRichard.
  • Keysoe C(h)aisot: Hugh de Beauchamp; Hugh Hubald from Osbern FitzRichard; William de Warenne; Alwin, the king's thane, the pre-Conquest holder. Now 2 small villages, Keysoe and Keysoe Row.
  • Riseley Riselai: 2 Frenchmen and 6 Englishmen from Bishop of Coutances; Godfrey from Bishop of Lincoln; Hugh de Beauchamp and Alric from him. Hugh Hubald from Osbern FitzRichard; David d'Argenton. Straggling; one of the county's first brickmaking centres.

Berkshire (1), (3)

  • Childrey Celrea: William FitzRichard and Godfrey from William; Roger de Lacy; Roger from Thurstan FitzRolf. Mill, church. Near the site of a Roman villa, church with a Norman lead font.
  • Coleshill Coleselle / shalle: Abbess of Winchester (Walter de Lacy gave it to the Church so that his daughter might become a nun); William FitzRichard; Thurstan FitzRolf; Roger de Lacy; William Leofric. Mill. 17th century Coleshill House.
  • Odstone Ordegeston: William FitzRichard. Odstone Farm; Odstone Barn. Odstone Down was a Romano-British settlement.

Gloucestershire (2)

  • Newent Noent: Cormeilles Abbey; Durand from the Abbot; William FitzBaderon (by force); King's land held by the Abbot and William and Osbern FitzRichard. Mill. Small town; much new housing; Bronze Age and Roman finds; gabled Tudor market house.

Herefordshire (1) (2)

  • Bodenham Bodeham: Herbert from Roger de Lacy; Osbern FitzRichard, the pre-Conquest holder. Mill.
  • Byton Boitune: Osbern FitzRichard. Timber-framed, Tudor Combe Farm.
  • Edvin Loach Edevent: Cormeilles Church; Osbern and William FitzRichard from the king; Herbert from Osbern FitzRichard.
  • Knill Chenille: Osbern FitzRichard. The birthplace of Anne Garbett, wife of the 19th century scholar Sir Samuel Romilly.
  • Little Brampton Bruntune: Osbern FitzRichard. Medieval farmhouse.
  • Lyde Leode / Lude: Hereford Church; Ralph from Roger de Lacy, formerly Earl Harold; Roger de Lacy from Osbern FitzRichard. Part of the village of Pipe and Lyde.
  • Lye Lecwe / Lega / Lege: William FitzNorman, Ralph de Mortimer, Osbern FitzRichard and Gruffydd of Maredudd from the king. Now 2 hamlets, Upper and Lower Lye, separated by Sned Wood.
  • Milton Mildetune: Osbern FitzRichard.
  • Nash Hech: Osbern FitzRichard. Ford.
  • Newton Neutone: Osbern FitzRichard. Newton Court.
  • Richard's Castle Auretone: Robert Gernon; Osbern FitzRichard. Mill (15 sticks of eels). Remains of a castle built by Richard FitzScrob before the Conquest and later rebuilt by the Mortimers.
  • Staunton on Arrow Stantune: Ralph de Mortimer; Drogo from Osbern FitzRichard. The court of Noke Manor House; mill.
  • Titley Titel(l)ege: Osbern FitzRichard, formerly Earl Harold. Titley Court; a section of Offa's Dyke nearby.
  • Wapley Wapletone: King's land; Osbern FitzRichard. Site of an Iron Age fort associated by legend with the Ancient British King Caractacus.
  • Whyle Huilech: Osbern FitzRichard.

Kent

  • Ruckinge Rochinges: Ralph FitzRichard from Hugh de Montfort.

Oxfordshire

  • Mollington Molliton / Molitone: Count of Evreux; William from Osbern FitzRichard.

Wales

  • Cascob Cascope: Osbern FitzRichard.
  • Discoed Discote: Osbern FitzRichard. Castle mound; a section of Offa's Dyke nearby.
  • Harpton Hertune: Ralph de Mortimer; Osbern FitzRichard.

Warwickshire (1) (2) (3)

  • Aston Cantlow Estone: Osbern FitzRichard. Aston Hall; Aston Lodge.
  • Barford Bereford(e): William FitzCorbucion and Hugh from Osbern FitzRichard. Mill.
  • Binton Beninton(e) / Benitone: William from William FitzCorbucion; Gerin; Urso d'Abetot; Hugh from Osbert FitzRichard. 3½ mills (4 packloads of corn, 8 sticks of eels). Scott of the Antarctic married the rector's daughter in 1908.
  • Dunchurch Donecerce: William from Osbern FitzRichard. Guy Fawkes House, formerly the Lion Inn, where the Gunpowder Plot conspirators met.
  • Hillborough Hildebereurde / Hildeborde: Urso d'Abetot; Hugh from Osbern FitzRichard. Mill, salthouse. Ghosts, including that of Shakespeare's White Lady, Anne Whateley, are reputed to haunt Hillborough Manor.
  • Stretton-on-Fosse Stratone: Walter from Osbern FitzRichard.
  • Temple Grafton Grastone: Gilbert from Osbern FitzRichard.
  • Wilmcote Wilmecote: Urso from Osbern FitzRichard. Mary Arden's house.

Worcestershire (1) (2) (4)

  • Berrington Beritune: Osbern FitzRichard, formerly his father. Mill. Now 2 hamlets, Berrington and Berrington Green.
  • Carton Carletune: Odo from Osbern FitzRichard. Carton Farm.
  • Clifton upon Teme Clistune: Osbern FitzRichard and Abbot of Cormeilles from the king. Robert d'Oilly from Osbern FitzRichard. Red brick and black and white houses.
  • Cotheridge Codrie: Osbern FitzRichard from Worcester Church. Mill. Timber-framed Cotheridge Court.
  • Crowle Croelai / Crohlea: Roger de Lacy from Worcester Church and Odo from him; Urso from Osbern FitzRichard. Mill. 2 salthouses. Red brick and half-timbered cottages; orchards.
  • Droitwich Wic / Wich: King's land; Worcester Church; St. Denis' Church; Coventry Church; Westminster Church; Pershore Church; Evesham Church; St. Guthlac's Church; Ralph de Tosny; Roger de Lacy; Osbern FitzRichard; Harold FitzRalph; Urso d'Abetot; Hugh de Lasne; Aldeval. All holding and/or receiving revenue from brine pits, lead vats, leadworks, 4 furnaces and many salthouses. Market town with timber-framed houses, once the Roman site of Salinae and a Saxon centre of salt production. 'Droit' indicates the right, given by Edward III, to manufacture salt; previously the settlement was only 'Wich'.
  • Elmbridge Elmerige: Osbern FitzRichard. Salthouse. Purshall Court, nearby, was used by the Gunpowder Plot conspirators.
  • Homme Castle Hamme: Osbern FitzRichard. Fishery, mill (16 packloads of corn). Castle motte and bailey.
  • Kyre Chure: Urso from Bishop of Hereford; Osbern FitzRichard and Herbert from him. Mill (10 packloads of grain). Now Kyre Green; Kyre Park House, mainly 18th century, with gardens by Capability Brown.
  • Lower Sapey Sapie: Osbern FitzRichard. Mill (6 packloads of corn).
  • Shelsley Caldeslei / Celdeslai: Walter from Ralph de Tosny; Osbern FitzRichard. 2 fisheries (16 sticks of eels). Now 2 villages, Shelsley Walsh, whose part Norman church is limestone quarried from Southstone Rock, and Shelsley Beauchamp.
  • Stanford on Teme Stanford: Hugh from Roger de Lacy; Osbern FitzRichard. Stanford Court, now a factory.
  • Tenbury Wells Tame(t)deberie: Cormeilles Church; Osbern FitzRichard, formerly his father. Market town, a saline spa in the 19th century.
  • Worcester Wirecestre: Worcester Church, and Urso, Osbern FitzRichard, Walter Ponther and Robert the Bursar from the church; Evesham Church. City on the River Severn. The cathedral, rebuilt by Bishop Wulfstan, c.1080, has an 11th century crypt and a Norman chapter house.
  • Wychbold Wicelbold: Osbern FitzRichard. 5 mills, 26 salthouses. Hall.

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