14th June, 2007
Neweton Hundred
Well before the conquest the area between the Mersey and the Ribble had been divided into six administrative units known as "hundreds" to the Anglo-Saxons and "wapentakes" to the Norsemen. These were Walintune (Warrington), Derbei (West Derby), Salford, Blackeburn, Lailand (Leyland) and Neweton.
The Neweton hundred had an area of 30 carucates, about one third of which was woodland, although perhaps much of this did not contain a high density of trees.
The "Domesday Book" says this of the Neweton hundred in 1066:
"15 men who were called drengs, (who) held 15 manors but they were berewicks of this manor and between them all they rendered 30 shillings".
"Drengs" were freeholders. They held lands which they could leave to their heirs but were still subordinate to the overall lord of the Neweton hundred and were subject to manorial "customs". A "berewick" was a subordinate manor.
By 1086 there were 6 drengs, 12 villeins and 6 bordars in the hundred.
In 1066, a fifth of the land was held by the king himself and was described as being "in desmesne". This would probably have been managed by his reeve. The rest was held by the "drengs" or "freemen". In the Neweton Hundred "villeins" probably held some land from the "dreng" in exchange for labour services. "Bordars" probably held little or no land and their status was little above that of a slave.
The Domesday survey tells us more about the position of the drengs, although none are mentioned by name. Between them they paid thirty shillings in rent as well as a further payment of "two ores (ounces) of pence" for each carucate of land they held. This payment was known as "carucate geld".
Customary Services
In addition the drengs were obliged to perform "customs" or services for the lord. In Neweton this meant they worked for two days as reapers in the lord's fields. A "fine" of two shillings was levied if this was not observed.
They were also obliged to repair the king's houses and fisheries, as well as woodland and deer enclosures. A "fine" of two shillings was imposed if any of these services was not rendered.
A payment of 40 shillings was levied on anyone who wished to leave the king's land and a similar amount was paid upon inheritance of an estate. Theft, the breaking of the king's peace, bloodshed and rape all earned a fine of 40 shillings.
Afterthoughts
The name, "Domesday", apparently comes from the Old English word "dom", meaning "assessment" or "reckoning", so an interpretation of its literal meaning is "the day of reckoning". It catalogued landholdings and customary practices so efficiently that it was regarded by many as the equivalent of the biblical "last judgement".
It does not, however, indicate how harsh life must have been at the time, especially for the cottars and bordars who were at the lower levels of society. The working day was long, and the labour was hard. It must have been especially onerous to toil two days each week for the benefit of the lord, while neglecting your own land. Famine, disease and violence were prevalent.
It was not the best age in which to live.