DOMESDAY SURVEY 



gives his surname as Banneson. Trasmund, Osbern Giffard's predecessor at Hill 

 (no. 318), had held one of his manors in Wiltshire also, and Matthew de Moretania's 

 predecessor at Milborne St. Andrew and Owermoigne (nos. 320, 321) was John, who 

 had previously held some of Matthew's land in Gloucestershire and Somerset. In the 

 Exon. Domesday for Somerset he is called John the Dane. Strang the Dane held 

 another of Matthew's Gloucestershire manors, and Torchil (another Danish name) 

 appears as his predecessor in Somerset. The acquisition of the scattered land of an 

 English thegn does not always account for the possession of these solitary manors. 

 Hugh de Port's" manor of Compton Valence (no. 357) was held by Bundi, who does not 

 appear as his predecessor elsewhere, and the manor of Corton (no. 238), belonging to 

 Roger de CourseuUes,^*^ was held by two unnamed thegns T.R.E. Berenger Giffard's 

 predecessor at Bredy (no. 3 17), Harding, did not hold either of his two Wiltshire manors. 

 Subinfeudation had reached a considerable extent in 1086, especially on the larger 

 estates. Both the Count of Mortain and the wife of Hugh fitz Grip had subinfeudated 

 about two-thirds of their land in Dorset. Ernulf of Hesdin and Turstin fitz Rolf also 

 had subinfeudated about two-thirds of their land, and William of Eu retained only 

 about a quarter of his land in demesne. Earl Hugh and William of Briouze, whose chief 

 possessions lay at some distance from Dorset, had subinfeudated all or virtually all their 

 land, but William of Ecouis, whose land lay mainly in Norfolk, had retained all his 

 Dorset manors in demesne. Roger Arundel and William of Moyon each held about half 

 their land in Dorset in demesne. Roger de Beaumont, Robert fitz Gerold, and Aiulf the 

 chamberlain" had retained the greater part of their land in demesne, and William of 

 Falaise and Walter de Claville had so retained virtually all their Dorset manors. Some 

 of this subinfeudated land was held by English tenants. Eddeva (Eadgifu) held Ed- 

 mondsham (no. 354) of Humphrey the chamberlain, and Alwin (Aelfwine) held 

 Stourton Caundle (no. 219) of the Count of Mortain. Beulf (Beowulf), who held 

 Church Knowle (no. 308) of Waleran the huntsman, must have been English. It would 

 appear from the Geld Rolls that other Englishmen had been holding land of Norman 

 lords. 5^ Most of the mesne tenants, however, were French. The Exchequer text does 

 not as a rule mention their surnames, and Exon. Domesday, which usually does, only 

 covers one-fifth of the manors in Dorset. In the case of lands not covered by Exon. 

 Domesday it is sometimes possible to identify tenants in Dorset with men holding of the 

 same lord in other counties. Vitalis, who held the single Dorset manor of Roger de 

 Courseulles, is probably the same Vitalis who held land of Roger de Courseulles in 

 Somerset. Urse, who held two manors in Dorset of Ernulf of Hesdin, held one of his 

 Wiltshire manors too. Bernard, who held two Dorset manors of Turstin fitz Rolf, is 

 probably to be identified with Bernard Pauncevolt, who held land of Turstin in Somer- 

 set and Gloucestershire, and was a tenant-in-chief in Hampshire and Wiltshire. Exon. 

 Domesday for Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall supplies surnames for some of the ten- 

 ants of the Count of Mortain, and some of the men holding land of the count in Dorset 

 can tentatively be identified with men holding land of the count in these other South- 

 western counties. Ansger, who held four Dorset manors of the count, may be identified 

 with Ansger Breto or Brito who was a tenant of the count in Somerset and Devon. 

 Malger, who held Wintreburne (no. 182) and part of Wool (no. 208) of the count, may 

 be Malger de Cartrai, a tenant of the count in Somerset and Devon. 5? Hubert who held 



" Port-en-Bessin: Calvados, arr. Bayeux, cant. Ryes. some of his land had been held by mesne tenants not 



5* CourseulIes-sur-Mer: Calvados, arr. Caen, cant, mentioned in the Domesday sur\'ey. 



Creully. ** See pp. 35-36. 



" Domesday suggests that Aiulf retained nearly all his *» A knight called H. de Cartrai held land at Beaminster 



manors in demesne. The Geld Rolls, however, indicate that (no. 46) of the Bp. of Salisbun.'. 



DO. Ill 49 ° 



