DOMESDAY SURVEY 



proportion of manors held by large numbers of unnamed thegns is taken into con- 

 sideration. An extreme instance is the manor of Poleham (nos. 276 and Ixxxvi), which 

 was held by 21 thegns T.R.E., and which was assessed at 10 hides. The Exon. version 

 shows that these thegns held in parage. If the manor had been divided between them 

 the fragmentation would have produced a large number of tiny, uneconomic units. 

 Even so, it is plain from such examples that many pre-Conquest thegns were scarcely 

 more prosperous, in economic terms, than the rillani. Poleham is unusual, but large 

 groups of thegns are not exceptional. Twelve thegns held 7 hides in Purbeck and 

 poterant ire quo volebant. Ten thegns held 3 hides in Cerne (no. 157). Four manors were 

 each held by a group of 9 thegns,-*^ two more were held by groups of 7 thegns,'*^ and 

 Stinsford (no. 358), assessed at zh hides, was held by 6 thegns. Kingcombe (no. 485), 

 assessed at i hide and |- virgate, was held by 10 thegns pro iino mmierio and they still 

 held it in 1086. A certain amount of consolidation had taken place after the Conquest. 

 There are cases where the lands of several thegns had been made into one holding for a 

 single Norman lord. William of Ecouis held the land of 5 thegns in Stourton Caundle 

 (no. 299), assessed at 5 hides, as one manor. Hugh de Lure held land in 3 places [terras 

 in tribus locis) which had belonged to 11 thegns T.R.E. and which was assessed at 5 

 hides. William de Dalmar had the lands of 3 thegns, assessed at 3 hides, 3 virgates. 

 Some manors had been held as two manors {pro ii maneriis) T.R.E. Piddlehinton (no. 

 168), which the abbey of Marmoutier held of the Count of Mortain in 1086, had been 

 held T.R.E. by two thegns ^ro ii maneriis. Three thegns had held Wool (no. 208), which 

 Bretel and Malger held of the Count of Mortain in 1086 /)ro ii maneriis. Wintrehiirne 

 (no. 300), held by Walcher of Walscin of Douai in 1086, was held T.R.E. by Alward 

 and x\lwin pro ii maneriis. Roger Arundel's manor of North Poorton (nos. 329 and ci) 

 was held T.R.E. by Alwin and Ulf^ro iihidis (sic). Comparison with Exon. Domesday 

 shows that there were in fact two manors T.R.E., one of i^ hide, held by Alwin, and 

 one of \ hide, held by Ulf. Stafford (nos. 383 and cxv) was held by 3 thegns in parage 

 T.R.E. pro ii maneriis. At first sight this seems like a contradiction in terms, but Exon. 

 Domesday shows that there were in fact 2 manors, one held by two thegns in parage and 

 one held by Leving. At Hurpston (nos. 413 and cxlvi) the wife of Hugh had 3 hides 

 which Alward held T.R.E. and h hide which Sawin held^ro manerio T.R.E. Buckhorn 

 Weston (no. 149) was held by Godric and Bruno in parage pro ii maneriis. Like the 

 Stafford entry this seems to contradict itself. A similar position is revealed by the Exon. 

 entry for Chilfrome (nos. 278 and Ixxxviii) belonging to William of Moyon. The 

 Exchequer text says that 3 thegns held the manor in parage T.R.E. Exon. Domesday 

 repeats this, and adds has Hi mansiones clamat Willelmiis pro ii. This entry also suggests 

 that whereas two or more manors might be given to one lord, and listed as a single 

 manor in Domesday, they were still reckoned as two manors or more. Chilfrome was 

 held by Dodoman and Niel (the Exchequer text says merely duo homines) of William of 

 Moyon, and this is not the only manor of this sort to be held by more than one post- 

 Conquest mesne tenant. Stafford was held by William and Hugh, and Wool by Bretel 

 and Malger. 



Some Englishmen can be shown to have survived the Conquest still in possession of 

 at least some of their land, or to have received land which had belonged to other thegns 

 T.R.E. Most of these men are numbered among the king's thegns in 1086, and are 



■*' Waia (nos. 380 and cxii), assessed at 4 hides, E. manor in 1086: see pp. 36, gg. 



Chaldon (nos. 408 and cxli), assessed at 5 hides, Martins- '" Mappowder (no. 431) and Mapperton (no. 248). 



town (nos. 376 and cviii), assessed at 6 hides, and Rolling- Mappowder was assessed at 5 hides, 3 virgates, and 



ton (nos. 331 and ciii), assessed at 2^ hides. According to Mapperton at 3 hides, 3 virgates. 

 Exon. Domesday the Q thegns at RoUington still held the 



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