Introduction and Method
Map
Summary Table
Bibliography and Thanks
Email
The Lands of the King, Witham
The Fee of the Bishop of London, Howbridge Hall
The Land of Saint Edmunds, Benton Hall
The Lands of Count Eustace, Bluntshall and Witham
The Lands of Robert Gernon, Witham (Powers Hall), Howbridge Hall
The Lands of Ranulf Peverel, Bluntshall
The Land of Moduin, Witham

 
 Bibliography
Revd. J. Bramston,
Witham in Olden Time
(two lectures delivered to the Witham Literary Institution), Meggy and Chalk, 1855.

*T.C. Chisenhale-Marsh (ed.),
The Domesday Book relating to Essex,
W.D. Burrell, 1864.

H.C. Darby,
The Domesday Geography of Eastern England,
C.U.P., 3rd ed., 1971.

D.C. Douglas and G.W. Greenaway, (eds.),
English Historical Documents, 1042-1189,
Vol.II of English Historical Documents series, Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1953.

A.C. Edwards,
A History of Essex in Maps and Pictures,
Darwen Finlayson, 3rd ed., 1965.

Essex Record Office D/CT 405 and 405A, Tithe Map and Award for Witham parish, 1839.

R. Welldon Finn,
Domesday Studies - the Eastern Counties,
Longman, 1967.

G.N. Garmonsway, (ed.),
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle,
J.M. Dent, 1972.

B.A. Lees, (ed.),
Records of the Templars in England in the Twelfth Century,
O.U.P., 1935.

P. Morant,
The History and Antiquities of the County of Essex,
Vol.II, 1763/8.

Ordnance Survey,
Domesday Book or the Great Survey of England: Facsimile of the Part relating to Essex, 1862.

W.R. Powell (ed.),
A History of the County of Essex,
vol.VII, part of the Victoria History of the Counties of England, O.U.P., 1978. (re. royal manor of Havering).

*J.H. Round,
"Introduction to the Essex Domesday", and "Text of the Essex Domesday",
in The Victoria History of the County of Essex,
Volume I, Archibald Constable, 1903.

*A. Rumble, (ed.),
Domesday Book: Essex,
Phillimore, 1983.

M.L. Smith,
Early History of Witham,
privately published, 1970.

M.L. Smith,
Markets, Manors and Manorial Court Rolls of Witham,
privately published, 1970.

D.M. Stenton,
English Society in the Early Middle Ages,
Vol.3 of the Pelican History of England, Penguin, 4th ed., 1965.

*These include translations of the Essex text.

 

 
 
 Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I am indebted to Ray Powell. He very generously gave up his time and expertise to comment on the draft of this booklet, and to make many helpful suggestions. His encouragement and interest have been invaluable over many years. An indication of this is the fact that my commentary is largely based on an essay written for him in 1978.

Frank Johnson has patiently dealt with all requests for advice about printing. The final test of this patience was when I decided to ignore his advice, and prepared my own text using the dot-matrix lettering which he so dislikes! As a good friend, he agreed to print it all the same, but I am responsible for its appearance.

My family nobly shared the computer, the table and the Cow-gum, as well as my attention.

The staff of the Essex Record Office have always provided unstinting information and advice. They have also kindly allowed me to reproduce parts of their copy of the Ordnance Survey facsimile.

The Domesday children at Templars Junior School showed unexpected and talented enthusiasm for the Saxons and Normans of Witham. This helped to inspire the idea that a publication such as this might be useful.

Last but by no means least, two courses by Dr. Rosemary Horrox made 1985 the year in which I discovered that medieval documents were actually readable, and thereby opened up a whole new world. Previously even the much translated Domesday Book was a complete mystery to me in its original form.

Janet Gyford, 1985

 

 
 

© 1985 Janet Gyford