LITTLE STAMBRIDGE MANOR

A HISTORY

Domesday

The Domesday Book also known simply as Domesday and originally the Book of Winchester is a record of the survey of England undertaken for William the Conqueror and completed in 1086.

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that the planning for the survey was conducted in 1085 and Domesday itself records that the survey was completed in 1086. The compilation of the work would have taken longer. One of the main purposes of the survey was to find out who owned what so they could be taxed on it, and the judgment of the assessors was final — whatever the book said about who owned the property, or what it was worth, was the law, and there was no appeal.

Domesday is actually two independent works. Little Domesday covers Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. Great Domesday covers the rest of England. Despite its name, Little Domesday is actually larger and more detailed than Great Domesday. The manpower required to survey the whole of England to the depth covered in Little Domesday was probably too great.

In each county the list of landowners begins with the king himself followed by churchmen, religious houses and the lay tenants-in-chief. The tenants-in-chief in turn have sub-tenants and so on.

The place names Great and Little Stambridge in Domesday are known simply as Stanbruge, which appears four times in Domesday:

• Under Lands of Holy Trinity, Canterbury (for the sustenance of the monks), in the Hundred of Rochford we find: Holy Trinity held [Great and Little] Stambridge as a manor and 1 hide in the time of King Edward. Now Ralph Baynard holds it of the Church. then as now there was 1 plough in demesne. There were then 3 bordars, now 7 and 1 acre of meadow. Pasture for 200 sheep. There are 4 head of cattle, 10 pigs and 58 sheep.

• Under Lands of the Bishop of Bayeux (i.e. Odo, half-brother of William the Conqueror), in the Hundred of Rochford we find: Swein holds [Great and Little] Stambridge of the bishop, which Osweard held in the time of King Edward as 3½ hides and 30 acres. There were then 7 villeins and now none. There were then 6 bordars and now 10. There were then 3 slaves and now none. Then and now 2 ploughs in demesne. The men then had 3 ploughs and now 4. There is pasture for 300 sheep and there is 1 mill. There is now 1 horse. There were then 4 head of cattle and now 2; 15 pigs and now 25; 100 sheep and now 58. Then as now it was worth £6.

• Under Lands of Swein of Essex (Son of Robert FitzWymark. Sheriff of Essex for a period between 1066 and 1086; built Rayleigh Castle), in the Hundred of Rochford we find: Wiard holds [Great and Little] Stambridge of Swein which 1 free man held in the time of King Edward as 1 manor  and as 1½ hides and 7½ acres. Then as now there were 2 bordars and 1 slave. Then ½ a plough now 1. There is pasture for 100 sheep. It was then worth 10 shillings now 25.

• Under Lands of Free Men of the King, in the Hundred of Rochford we find: Theodoric appropriated [Great and Little] Stambridge which a free man held in the time of King Edward as a manor and as 1½ hides and 20 acres. Three knights hold this manor of Theodoric. There were then 3 villeins and now 2; 1 slave and now none; 2 bordars and now 5. Then as now there was 1 plough in demesne. The men had then 2 ploughs and now 1. It was then worth 40 shillings and now 100.

To learn more about Domesday click on the National Archives Domesday logo below.