THE DOMESDAY SURVEY OF SOUTH LANCASHIRE. By J. H. Lnmby, B.A., Charles IJeard Historical Research Exhibitioner, University College, Liverpool. Read i8ih January, 1900. HE Domesday Survey of South Lancashire is T included in that of Cheshire, under the sub- title Inter Ripam et Mersham. It consists merely of three columns and nine lines of a fourth. Com­ pared with the treatment afforded to Cheshire this seems scant courtesy, but we may find that the task of the Commissioners and of the scribe who made the final abstract of the original returns, was simplified considerably by the broad lines of the history of the district during the 20 years preceding the accepted date of the Inquest. The first column is wholly concerned with the hundred of " Derbei," of which some 40 vills are enumerated. The second column proceeds with an account of the customs of the same hundred, customs that, in whole or in part, related also to the other hundreds, unless we except " Walintune," which would be rash. Derby Hundred T. R. W., and Newton and Warrington Hundreds T. R. E. and T. R. W., are treated in the PLATE XIII. H. S. OF L& C. NTER RIPAM ET MERSHAM The Idenhficahons of Ohegnmele. Erengermeles and Mele are MTarrers. B L A C H (B URN U N D R E D i I v a ) xxviii liba/i homines], pro xxviii Maneriis o iHu nnicoh La land Si)va] Ofe^rimele (ONn^emele) LAILAND HUNDRED xii car. pro xii Manerns Erenqermeles /" . <~'' Merrelun * . Hirlefun \ (Hiretun) HUNDRED xxi bereuuich (p r° xx,i Maneriis cum i bereuuiob'"" \ ; f Si lv)ae) .pro iii Maneriis v I [ a d e c 11 u e ': (Silva) / ^ V MCl6 . pro iii Manei-iis 'TE HUN ' .Torentune--- v. .... ' o;SalPord (forese ,---..Sexhone NEWETON HUNDRED ( 15 drengs) (Silva) jLiderlanh ' ..-- ;..-..(2. Manors) ..>'' """ "' ' . Chentklueslei f \\ i -- _....--"' Derbie cum vi Bereu^.ch / . '*"'''' -. ... .- " .' R a b. \ ' ' "*"V" ''.^ WALINTUNE HUNDRED (34- dren^s) Walinhune Si-ochesfed :-pVueton^ ; cum iii bereuuich Minors) ' "' 'Ciideuuelie THOMAS 54 Domesday Survey of South Lancashire. same column. The hundreds of " Blacheburne," "'Salford," and " Lailand " follow the third col­ umn ; and the content and valets of all six hundreds occupy the remaining lines. It is thus apparent that our hundred of West Derby has greater promi­ nence in the Inquest than any of the other five. It maybe of interest, though of small importance, to notice the manner in which the scribe plotted out his abstract. The manuscript is a tribute to the care bestowed on it by the clerk. The writing is even-where clear, there are no puzzling abbre­ viations, there are few interlineations, and fewer verbal errors. It may be noticed, however, that a few lines at the head of column b, page i, are written in a bolder hand, which suddenly becomes cramped and small about half way through the enumeration of the customs of West Derby Hun­ dred. Probably this is not clue to the pre-eminent importance of the customs which appear -so promi­ nently, but rather that the scribe fancied his space was limited and economised accordingly. There may have been an intention of detailing the vills of the other hundreds, as had been done in the case of West Derby, a minuteness which was perhaps un­ essential to the object of the Inquest, the quest of geld. In the record of the customs is a blank sufficient for two lines, left apparently for a further insertion, and in a parenthesis, and placed where it can have no relation to the context, is the very im­ portant statement that in each hide there are six carucates. It looks as if the clerk put it where he could find room, with no reference to logic, for it is but of place, and not in any physical line. It is hidden amongst forests and valets, and its obscure position has led at least one Domesday explorer far astray. So much for what may be termed the -physical features of our pages. '.'...The meagreness of the entries has been touched We have six hundreds under one lord, the Domesday Survey of South Lancashire. 55 king no\v, Roger of Poictou a few years ago. It seems a natural result of this fact that the record should be as brief as possible, and should merely state the assessment of each hundred and its value, and, since there were six hundreds, the sum total, if the aim of the Inquest were to seek for geld or to correct unfair assessments. It may be further noted that, with the exception of the manors which gave their name to the respective hundreds, the values were small and the teamlands few. Before treating some of the wider problems which the record of this district presents, I would briefly summarise a few of the details given by our Inquest, taking the hundreds in the order of Domesday Book. A detailed account of West Derby Hundred is given only for the time of King Edward. The vills T. R. E. are to be found, the extent of rateable land, and the values. For the state of things at the time of the Conqueror, we must be satisfied with the names of men whose tenements are not assigned, the content and value and workers of their demesne lands as a whole. Their"tenements have not separate and individual treatment. King Edward, we read, held one manor named " Derbie," with six berewicks. There are 4 hides. The land is 15 teamlands, forest 2 leagues by I, and a hawk's eyrie. No value given. Of the re­ maining hides in the hundred, Uctred was the most extensive holder, having 17 vills, many, perhaps all, manors, and containing 4 hides, 5 carucates, 2 bo- vates. Six more bovates would give him exactly 5 hides of geldable land. In another place in the record we read that in Orrell(P). Halsall, and Hur- leston were 3 hides quit from the geld of carucated land. Of these, by referring back, Uctred held Hurleston, which with half of Martin was assessed at half a hide, and was worth 10/8. Perhaps, therefore, we must add another hide to Uctred's tenement. Before leaving this entry, it may be 56 Domesday Survey of South Lancashire. noticed that here Otegrimele (identified by Mr. Farrer as North Meols) has the variant Otringe- mele, and Haleshale Herleshala. The Hirletun with half Merretun which Uctred held has been identified with Hurleston in Scarisbrick, and is spelt Hiretun in the second entry. Is it not pro­ bable, then, making the analogy of the Otegrimele Otringemele, Heleshale Herleshala entries, that Hiretun is Hirletun, and not to be identified with either Everton or Tarleton ? And would it not be somewhat extraordinary that no holder should be assigned to a place bearing the high privilege of exemption from geld, which is the case if Hiretun is not Hirletun ? To proceed. All the vills of Derby Hundred are valued, except the royal manor of Derby, Uctred's six manors, assessed in toto at 2 hides, of Roby, Knowsley, Kirkby, Crosby, Maghull, Aughton, and his tenement of Acrer (Altcar), which was assessed at half a carucate and was waste. Waste land may simply mean that no oxen were to be found there. There was wood at Derby, Roby, and those other four manors of Uctred, Woolton, Lathom, Melling, and Lydiate. With the exception of Derby and Melling, which was Godeve's, all these places belonged to Uctred surely a very rich holder in the midst of small tenements. Of church land, we find that a priest had in Child- wall half a carucate of land in frank-almoigne. He owed spiritual, but no secular service. And we dis­ cover that the spiritual needs of Walton were not neglected, merely by the incidental statement that at Bootle a priest had one carucate in Walton Church. The vills once enumerated, the record proceeds to summarise "All these lands gelded, and 15 manors returned nothing but the geld T. R. E." Other extraordinary tenures are stated in subse­ quent entries, and may be treated below. Domesday Survey of South Lancashire. 57 The next entry presents some slight difficulty. This Manor of Derbie with these aforesaid hides returned to King Edward of " firma" £26 zs. Of these, 3 hides \vere free, whose rent he (the King) pardoned to the thanes that held them. They (the hides) returned £3 145. 8d. This is the entire entry relating to the King's " firma." The opening phrase, " Hoc Manerium Derbei, cum his supra- " dictis hidis," has been construed " This Manor of " Derbie with its aforesaid hides." Now compare this phrase, " cum his supradictis hidis," with the opening words of the " firma " entries of the other hundreds : Newton Totum hoc Manerium. Walintune Totum Manerium cum Hundredo. Blackburn Totum Manerium cum Hundredo. Salford Totum Manerium Salford cum Hun­ dredo. Lailand Totum Manerium Lailand cum Hun­ dredo. With the exception of Newton the formula is the same for each hundred. The " firma" proceeding from the manor is added to that from the hundred, and the whole sum stated. It would appear, then, that " cum his supradictis hidis " of Derby Hundred is merely another way of saying cum Hundredo. It is further noticeable that the word Hundredo is in three of the four cases lined with red, and always written in capitals. The values of the "firma" are as follow : Neweton ...... £10 10 o Blacheburn...;£32 2 o Walintune ... 14 18 o Salford ...... 37 4 o I.aiiand ...... 19 18 2 Derbie ......... -?o 16 8 Total ...;£i45 8 10 This is an enormous sum of money, and we may see in it a reason for the very small assessment of the manors.