DOMESDAY SURVEY
predecessor of that Dunning[1] who was living in the early years after the date of Domesday, and with whom the genealogy of the ancient family of Lathom commences.
For some of his lands Ughtred enjoyed greater liberties than his neighbours, in that he was exempt from all forfeitures, except breach of the peace, premeditated assault (forsteal), house-breaking, renewing a fray after having sworn to desist, failure to pay a debt when condemned to do so by the reeve, and disregarding a summons from the reeve to attend him upon a set day, for which offences he was liable to a fine of 40s. Another thegn, by name Dot, held one hide in Huyton and Tarbock exempt from all customary services except geld. No other thegns held manors in West Derby hundred of more than average size or exempt from forfeitures; except that fifteen manors rated at three hides had been pardoned the rent of 4l. 14s. 8d., which they had formerly paid to the king. These three hides were also exempt from paying fines for bloodshed and rape, which fines were retained by the thegns instead of being handed over to the king. These remissions were possibly granted to compensate for the low-lying position of these manors and their liability to inundations. In Newton hundred two of the fifteen drengs, who held 24 carucates amongst them, had 5 carucates in their two manors, and took to their own profit the forfeitures of bloodshed and rape, and likewise the pannage of swine belonging to their men or under tenants. The thirty-four drengs in Warrington hundred, whose manors averaged a carucate and a half, do not appear to have differed much in status.
In Salford hundred the manors or berewicks were of much larger size, twenty-one berewicks containing 11½ hides and 10½ carucates, being an average of 3¾ carucates each. The survey makes particular mention of one thegn, Gamel of Rochdale, who held the whole of that lordship in 1066, but at the date of Domesday had lost all but two carucates—possibly representing his demesne of Castleton. He was exempt from all customary services and forfeitures, except for theft, house-breaking, 'forsteal,' breach of peace, neglecting the reeve's summons, and renewing a fray after swearing to desist; for which offences a fine of 40s. was the penalty. In this hundred there were in 1066 derelict or waste lands belonging to the demesne rated at 12 carucates. The unfertile, cold, and hilly nature of part of this hundred seems the most likely explanation of the statement in the survey respecting the thegnslands, that 'some of these estates were quit from all custom except [Dane-]geld, and a few are even quit from [Dane-]geld.' In Blackburn hundred the twenty-eight manors held by freemen averaged just over 2½ carucates each. It is, however, probable that the individual manors varied considerably on either side of the average.
When we cross the Ribble to examine the survey of the regions lying to the north, the question presents itself whether the Conqueror's surveyors ever visited the regions of Amounderness, Lonsdale, Kendal, and Furness. The account of them in Domesday Book partakes more of the nature of a Geld book than of a survey, and one cannot avoid coming to the conclusion either that the district was not visited, or that it was so nearly waste in 1086 that it was not possible to survey it further than appears to have been done.
273
- ↑ Testa de Nevill (Rec. Com.), 402b.
