Originally published by Janet Woodall on 4th December 2011
The Domesday Book was drawn up about twenty years after the Norman invasion of 1066. This is the entry for Walkern:
“Dearman himself owns Walchra. It is assessed at 10 hides. This is land for 12 ploughs. In the demesne are 5 hides and there 2 ploughs in it and there could be two others. There are 14 villeins and 1 priest and 6 bordars have 8 ploughs. There are 8 cottars and 4 serfs. Pasture is there sufficient for the livestock, woodland to feed 200 swine. Its total value is ten pounds; when received it was worth 8 pounds.T.R.E.16 ponds. Alwin Home, a theyn of King Edward’s held this manor and could sell”.
A ‘hide’ was perhaps about 120 acres. A ‘villein’ held about 30 strips, ‘borders’ and ‘cotters’ probably one or two and ‘serfs’ none at all except for a small piece of land outside their huts. Villeins, bordars and cotters could not leave the manor without their lord’s consent.
The Doomsday entry for Walkern Manor from domesdaymap.co.uk
Households: 14 villagers. 6 smallholders. 4 slaves. 1 priest. 8 cottagers.
Total number of households: 33 households [quite large, possibly around 150 individuals]
Ploughland: 12 ploughlands (land for). 2 lord’s plough teams. 2 lord’s plough teams possible. 8 men’s plough teams.
Other resources: 5.0 lord’s lands. Woodland 200 pigs.
Total tax assessed: 10 geld units [very large]
1066 [at reign of Edward the Confessor]: Lord of the manor was Alwin Horne; Overlord was King Edward. Value to the lord was