X. THE BOLDON BOOK, A.D. 1183.
We are now in a position to creep up one step nearer to the time of the Domesday Survey, and in the Boldon Book to examine earlier examples of North Country manors.
The Boldon Book is a survey of the manors belonging to the Bishop of Durham in the year 1183, nearly a century earlier than the date of the Hundred Rolls.
Survey of Boldon.
The typical entry which may be taken as the common form used throughout the record relates to the village of Boldon, from which the name of the survey is taken.
It is as follows:[89]—
The services of villani.
- In Boldon there are 22 villani, each holding 2 bovates, or 30 acres,
and paying 2s. 6d. for 'scat-penynges' [being in fact 1d. per acre], a
half 'shaceldra' of oats, 16d., for 'averpenynges' [in lieu of carrying
service], 5 four-wheel waggons of 'woodlade' [lading of wood], 2 cocks,
and 10 eggs.
- They work 3 days a week throughout the year, excepting Easter week and Pentecost, and 13 days at Christmas.
- In autumn they do 4 dayworks at reaping, with all their family except the housewife. Also they reap 3 roods of 'averype,' and plough and harrow 3 roods of 'averere.'
- Also each villein plough-team ploughs and harrows 2 acres, with allowance of food ('corrodium') once from the bishop, and then they are quit of that week's work.
- When they do 'magnas precationes,' they have a food allowance (corrodium) from the bishop, and as part of their works do harrowing when necessary, and 'faciunt ladas' (make loads?). And when they do these each receives 1 loaf.
- Also they reap for 1 day at Octon till the evening, and then they receive an allowance of food.
- And for the fairs of St. Cuthbert, every 2 villeins erect a booth; and when they make 'logiæ' and 'wodelade' (load wood), they are quit of other labour. [p069]
- There are 12 'cotmanni,' each of whom holds 12 acres, and they work throughout the year 2 days a week except in the aforesaid feasts, and render 12 hens and 60 eggs.
- Robertus holds 2 bovates or 36 acres, and renders half a mark.
- The Punder holds 12 acres, and receives from each plough 1 'trave' of corn, and renders 40 hens and 500 eggs.
- The Miller [renders] 512 marks.
- The 'Villani' are, if need be, to make a house each year 40 feet long and 15 feet wide, and when they do this each is quit of 4d. of his 'averpenynges.'
- The whole 'villa' renders 17s. as 'cornagium' (i.e. tax on horned beasts), and 1 cow 'de metride.'
- The demesne is at farm, together with the stock for 4 ploughs and 4 harrows, and renders for 2 ploughs 16 'celdræ' of corn, 16 'celdræ' of oats, 8 'celdræ' of barley, and for the other 2 ploughs, 10 marks.
They hold yard-lands of two bovates, or single bovates.
Here then at Boldon were 22 villani, each holding two bovates or 30 acres, equivalent to a virgate or yard-land. In another place (Quycham) there are said to be thirty-five 'bovat-villani,' each of whom held a bovate of 15 acres, and performed such and such services.[90] These correspond with holders of half-virgates.