

BOLDON BOOK 



Burdon ; Newbottle, Biddick, and Herrington ; Houghton, Warden, and 

 Morton. 1 



Here our test works out very neatly. The vills forming the manor of 

 Houghton follow one another in order in the Boldon survey, moreover they 

 all have some further connexion. Wearmouth, Ryhope, and Burdon, came 

 to the bishop together as part of a reputed grant by King Athelstane.* In 

 Boldon Book the vills are arranged in the groups indicated. Wearmouth and 

 Tunstall are surveyed together, work, render, and have their demesne in 

 common ; and this is true also of Ryhope and Burdon. The third group is 

 connected by a common pinder and common mills. Warden and Morton 

 are dependent on Houghton, where they work and with which they have a 

 pinder in common. They all conform, moreover, to the Boldon or corn age- 

 paying type, and fit in therefore with that general classification of vills of 

 which we speak elsewhere.* 



Easington Group in the Halmote Rolls : Sherburn, Cassop, Shotton, 

 Shadforth, Easington. 



Vills in the Boldon Book : Easington, Thorp, and Shotton ; North 

 Sherburn, Shadforth, Cassop, Trillesden, and Whitwell. 



Here again we find an economic connexion between the vills which go 

 to form this manor. Easington, Thorp, and Shotton were grouped as early 

 as A.D. 901, when Bishop Cutheard granted them to Elfred, son of 

 Birihtulfinc, in return for services,* and in the Boldon survey they follow one 

 another. The first two are connected by common renders, services, and 

 demesne. The second group is described in Boldon Book as Quarringtonshire, 

 and appears to have an organic connexion. Whitwell would be a new vill 

 erected in this region for its tenant William. In Hatfield's Survey it is being 

 held as a sub-manor by the Master of Sherburn Hospital, 1 and would there- 

 fore not be enumerated as one of the bishop's vills in the Halmote Rolls. 

 Trillesden also would seem to be an offshoot or member of Cassop.* Finally 

 the whole cluster conforms, as in the case of Houghton, to the Boldon or 

 cornage-paying type. 



Chester Group in the Halmote Rolls : Ryton, Whickham, Whitburn, 

 Cleadon, Newton, Plawsworth, Boldon, Chester, Urpeth, Gateshead, Fram- 

 wellgate. 



Vills in the Boldon Book : Chester and Urpeth ; Gateshead, Boldon, 

 Newton, and Plawsworth ; Cleadon and Whitburn ; Whickham ; Ryton and 

 Crawcrook. 



Here the connexion of the minor groups is more apparent than that of 

 the whole. The villeins of Urpeth plough and harrow at Chester, and 

 although the entries are widely separated in Boldon Book, there is no doubt 



1 The manorial grouping as derived from the episcopal halmote rolls is necessarily only approximate, 

 rid. sap. p. 261 I have given what seems to be the most usual or generally recognized arrangement of vills. 

 Cf. Durham Halmote R. pref. p. viii ff. 



1 Symeoti of Durham (Rolls Ser.), i. in. 



* There are some apparent exceptions to this. The villeins of Biddick are firming their rill at special 

 terms. Newbottle contains only cottiers and is a member of Herrington. Wardon and Morton in like 

 manner contain only 'firmarii,' and are members of Houghton. I cannot account for the omission of Tunstall 

 and Biddick, both of which are duly recorded in HaifieU'i Survey (Surtees Soc.), pp. 135, 153. Biddick is 

 there recorded as being held by charter. 



* Symeoti of Durham (Rolls Ser.), i. 208. 



* Hatfielfi Surv. (Surtees Soc.), 150. Ibid. 



I 265 34 



