When the battle of Hastings, in 1066, had terminated in favour of William the Conqueror, and placed him on the throne of England, he indulged his newly acquired power in many acts of tyranny towards the vanquished nation, subjecting the old nobility to frequent indignities, weakening the sway of the Church, and impoverishing the middle and lower classes of the community. This harsh policy spread dissatisfaction and indignation through all ranks of the people, and it was not long before rebellion broke out in the old province of Northumbria. The Lancastrians and others, under the earls Morcar and Edwin, rose up in revolt, slew the Norman Baron set over them, and were only reduced to order and submission when William appeared on the scene at the head of an overwhelming force. The two earls escaped across the frontier to Scotland, and for some inexplicable reason were permitted to retain their possessions in Lancashire and elsewhere, while the common insurgents were afterwards treated with great severity and cruelty by their Norman rulers. Numerous castles were now erected in the north of England to hold the Saxons in subjection, and guard against similar outbreaks in future. Those at Lancaster and Liverpool were built by a Norman Baron of high position, named Roger de Poictou, the third son of Robert de Montgomery, earl of Arundel and Shrewsbury. When William divided the conquered territory amongst his followers, the Honor[15] of Lancaster and the Hundred of Amounderness fell, amongst other gifts, amounting in all to three hundred and ninety-eight manors,[16] to that nobleman, and, as he resided during a large portion of his time at the castle erected on the banks of the Lune, our district would receive a greater share of attention than his more distant possessions.
After the country had been restored to peace, William determined to institute an inquiry into the condition and resources of his kingdom. The records of the survey were afterwards bound up in two volumes, which received the name of the Domesday Book, from Dome, a census, and Boc, a book.
The king’s commands to the investigators were, according to the Saxon Chronicle, to ascertain—“How many hundreds of hydes were in each shire, what lands the king himself had, and what stock there was upon the land; or what dues he ought to have by the year from each shire. Also he commissioned them to record in writing, how much land his archbishops had and his diocesan bishops, and his abbots and his earls; what or how much each man had, who was an occupier of land in England, either in land or stock, and how much money it was worth. So very narrowly, indeed, did he commission them to trace it out, that there was not one single hide, nor a yard of land; nay, moreover (it is shameful to tell, though he thought it no shame to do it), not even an ox, nor a cow, nor a swine, was there left that was not set down in his writ.” The examination was commenced in 1080, and six years afterwards the whole of the laborious task was accomplished. In this compilation the county of Lancaster is never once mentioned by name, but the northern portion is joined to the Yorkshire survey, and the southern to that of Cheshire.
The following is a translation of that part of Domesday Book relating to the Fylde:—
Agemundernesse under Evrvic—scire (Yorkshire).
Poltun (Poulton), two carucates;[17] Rushale (Rossall), two carucates; Brune (Burn), two carucates; Torentun (Thornton), six carucates; Carlentun (Carleton), four carucates; Meretun (Marton), six carucates; Staininghe (Staining), six carucates.
Biscopham (Bispham), eight carucates; Latun (Layton), six carucates.
Chicheham (Kirkham), four carucates; Salewic (Salwick), one carucate; Cliftun (Clifton), two carucates; Newtune (Newton-with-Scales), two carucates; Frecheltune (Freckleton), four carucates; Rigbi (Ribby-with-Wray), six carucates; Treueles (Treales), two carucates; Westbi (Westby), two carucates; Pluntun (Plumptons), two carucates; Widetun (Weeton), three carucates; Pres (Preese), two carucates; Midehope (Mythorp), one carucate; Wartun (Warton), four carucates; Singletun (Singleton), six carucates; Greneholf (Greenhalgh), three carucates; Hameltune (Hambleton), two carucates.
Lidun (Lytham), two carucates.
Michelescherche (St. Michael’s-on-Wyre), one carucate; Pluntun (Wood Plumpton) five carucates; Rodecliff (Upper Rawcliffe), two carucates; Rodecliff (Middle Rawcliffe), two carucates; a third Rodecliff (Out Rawcliffe), three carucates; Eglestun (Ecclestons), two carucates; Edeleswic (Elswick), three carucates; Inscip (Inskip), two carucates; Sorbi (Sowerby), one carucate.