THE CORNWALL DOMESDAY AND (lELD INQUEST. 549 



This latter Book which is preserved amongst the muniments 

 of the Dean and Chapter of Exeter (whence its name), is 

 supposed to be an extract transcript of the original returns, for 

 the Counties of Wilts, Dorset, Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall, 

 from which as well as from others the Exchequer Domesday- 

 was compiled. 



Prefixed to the Manuscript is the " Inquisitio Geldi" or 

 taxation of the above-written Counties, being a record of the 

 payment of a great geld, without doubt that of six shillings 

 in the hide levied in the winter of 1083-4, when "the King 

 becoming older, more covetous and despotic, cruelly extorted 

 six shillings from each single ploughland that is a hide of land 

 from the whole Kingdom."^ 



When King William was firmly seated on the throne of 

 England, he found amongst his most valuable rights that of 

 levying a land tax known as Danegeld, Heregeld, and the 

 King's geld. 



In A,D. 991, in the reign of Ethelred "the unready," 

 the first mention of this tax appears, it was a great and ever 

 increasing sum of money paid to the Northmen as a tribute to 

 depart and leave England in peace. 



But step by step they crept on, ever returning with 

 increasing numbers, until despair spread over the nation, and as 

 the old Chronicler tells us, "It was as if all counsel had come to 

 an end, and the King and Aldermen, and all the high Witan 

 went home, and let the toil of all the nation lightly perish." 



The first Danegeld, levied in A.D. 991, amounted to 

 £10,000 f three years afterwards the south of England was 

 overrun and plundered by the same warriors, and this time the 

 tribute exacted was £16,000.* In A.D. 1002 it had risen to 

 £24,000,5 [^ j^j) 1007 to £30,000,*' in 1018 Canute exacted the 

 heaviest geld of all £11,000 from London, and £72,000 from the 

 rest of the Kingdom.'' To avoid such heavy demands Canute 

 was elected King, and Danegeld (as such) came to an end, what 

 was henceforward levied being Heregeld or the King's geld, 



2 Matthew of Westminster, edit. 1570, p. 8. 



8Earle, Two Chronicles, pp. 130.1. ^ibid, pp. 132-3. ^Ibid, p. 137. ^Ibid, p. 

 141. 7Ibid, pp. 160-1. 



