The History of North Curry

Domesday Book

When William, Duke of Normandy ascended the British throne as William the Conqueror he took possession of all the various estates of England. He ordered a survey of England and it's people, for the purpose of levying a tax on every hide of land.

The survey was called Domesday, the day of judgement, because 'like the day of judgement its decisions are unalterable', It was compiled in 1085-6, took eight months to complete, and gives the names of the hundreds and parishes into which every county was divided, and contains the earliest records of land tenure.

The King sent men all over England to each shire to find out what or how much each landholder held. They carefully noted the name of each lord of the manor; how many tenants he had; how much in agricultural land both he and the peasants had; what it was worth; what livestock he owned; and what corn mills, woods and so on, there were within each manor.

Our entry in the Domesday Book values North Curry at £27 with twenty hides of forty carucate, having an acreage of 7,832 acres which was about one penny per acre. Of these there were 4,800 acres of arable land,  62 acres of woodland, 78 acres of meadowland and 2,885 acres of pastureland with a labouring population of 195 males.

The description in Domesday relates to the parishes of North Curry, Stoke St Gregory and West Hatch which also formed the Manor. Very little change has taken place in boundaries since that time. North Curry by modern measure occupies 11,027 acres, but the wastes or worthless tracts were not measured at the time of Domesday.

This is the Domesday entry for North Curry from the Translation of Domesday Book in the Victoria History of Somerset Volume 1 (1906)

The King hold NORT CURI

Earl Harold held it, and paid geld for 20 hides. There is land for 40 ploughs. Of this there are in demesne 5 hides, where (are) 5 ploughs and 18 serfs and 23 coliberts, (there are) 100 villeins less 5 and 15 bordars with 30 ploughs' and 11 hides'. 'There are 1 riding horse and 20 beasts and 20 swine and 100 sheep'. There are 60 acres of meadow, and 50 acres of wood(land). Pasture 2 leagues long and 1 league broad. To this manor belong 5 burgesses in Langporth, 'Lantporta (Langport), paying 38 pence, and 18 serfs and 4 swine-herds and 2 cottars. The whole (manor) pays 23 pounds of white silver, 'and when W (de Moione) received it as much'. There is a fishery which does not belong to the feorm and 7 acres of vineyard.

Bishop Maurice holds the church of this manor with 3 hides of same land. He has there 7 villeins and 11 bordars and 2 serfs with 4 ploughs and 18 acres of meadow and 5 acres of pasture and 12 acres of wood (land). It pays 60 shillings.

Of the same land of this manor Ansger 'Brito' holds 1 hide of the Count of Mortain. It is worth 20 shillings.

 

For more information on the history of North Curry why not buy a copy of  "North Curry - A Place in History" by Angela Dix.  For details go to http://www.dixuk.com.