| 'The Domesday Book' |
'The
Domesday Book'
Update nearly complete. |
| History Learning Site's Domesday is
good, as is its whole Medieval
England section. |
| Learning Curves's Focus
on ...
Domesday is a must. |
| 'Domesday' Sussex |
| The following information is from
'The Domesday Book: England's Heritage, Then & Now', edited by Thomas Hinde,
on the shelves at ANF 941. |
| Sussex was the only county divided into 5 'rapes'. The origin of the term 'rape' is unclear. They were parallel strips of land from the coast to the northern border of the county. In 1066, and for several centuries later,
Sussex included the whole of modern East and West Sussex and bits
of Surrey. |
William I reorganised the Saxon Rapes
and put each under the control of its own lord, a powerful Norman
baron, who had complete control of the lands except for the church
and royal manors, and were expected
to build powerful inland mottes (castles). In turn, as a feudal overlord, lesser barons held
the lands from him and so on.
This is shown in the examples below by  . |
The 5 rapes were:
The
Rape of Arundel - Earl Roger of Shrewsbury
The
Rape of Bramber - William de Braose
The Rape
of Hastings - Count of Eu
The Rape of Lewes
- William de Warenne
The Rape of Pevensey -
Count of Mortain |
Several local towns and villages were
listed in 'The Domesday Book'. Compare the information on
'Domesday' Ditchling, now a small country village it was then an
important holding (notice how the value dropped after the Conquest
because so much of the south was devastated) with 'Domesday' Brighton.
 refers to
their 'Domesday' details - notice that none were listed for Portslade
or Worthing. |
Reading through it, what
do you notice about the holders of:
Brighton & Hangleton?
Lancing & Worthing? |
Bramber [Name
in 1086: Brembre]
Held by: William de Braose King
Castle |
Brighton [Name
in 1086: Bristelme(s)tune]
Held by: Ralph Widard William
de Watteville William
de Warenne King
4000
herrings
church |
Ditchling [Name
in 1086: Dicelings]
Held by: William de Warenne (pre 1066 by King Edward) King
Before 1066 it had been held by the king and had therefore never paid tax but
it held 46 hides. The value of the whole manor was £80 and 66d.
Between
1066 and 1086 it held 42 hides and was valued at £25.
33 hides.
Land for 60 ploughs.
In lordship 8 ploughs.
108 villagers and 40 smallholders have 81 ploughs.
A
church
1
mill at 30d
meadow,
130 acres
woodland,
80 pigs
It also gives the following details of who held some of this land, though it
was still part of the Ditchling demesne
Gilbert
holds 1½ hides of this land
Hugh
2 hides
Alfward
3 hides
Warin
3 hides
Richard 1 hide.
Plus that in lordship they have
7½ ploughs, with 29 smallholders,
3 villagers and 10 slaves with 3 ploughs.
In Lewes:
11
dwellings in Lewes at 12s.
6 burgesses in Lewes at 43d.
Value: William's lordship £60; his men's £12 10s. |
Hangleton [Name
in 1086: Hangetone]
Held by: William de Watteville William
de Warenne King
church |
Lancing [Name
in 1086: Lancinges]
Held by: Robert Ralph William
de Braose King
1 mill
23
salt-houses. |
Patcham [Name
in 1086: Piceham]
Held by: Richard William
de Warenne King
church |
Portslade [Name
in 1086: Porteslage or Porteslamhe]
Held by: Albert William
de Warenne King |
Steyning [Name
in 1086: Staninges]
Held by: William de Braose King
2
churches
5
mills
3 salt-houses. |
Worthing [Name
in 1086: Mordinges/Ordinges]
Held by: Robert Ralph William
de Braose King |
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