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Document one

A modern day version of Dartford's Domesday book entry, 1086

The manor of Dartford belongs to King William. It is situated in the administrative district or half lathe of Sutton in the hundred of Axstane.

The manor is assessed on the basis of 300 acres of taxable land. The arable land within the manor is sufficient to support forty teams of oxen. Two teams of oxen are retained for the exclusive use of the Lord of the manor.

142 peasant farmers and 10 agricultural labourers own 53 teams of oxen between them. There are 3 slaves living in the manor. There is also a mill. Land within the manor of Dartford is made up of 22 acres of meadow and 40 acres of pasture. The manor includes woodland comprising eight small woods and three large woods or dens used for the grazing of pigs. The manor also contains two wharves, which are sited on the river.

In the days of King Edward, the manor of Dartford was valued at £60 and the valuation remained the same when Haimo the sheriff acquired the manor. The English have valued the manor at £60, but the French reeve or overseer who supervises the manor on behalf of King William disagrees. He maintains that the manor of Dartford is worth £90.

The Norman reeve taxes the inhabitants of the manor £70 of coins, 111s made up of silver pennies, and an additional £7.26 made up of silver coins. Therefore, the income from the manor is actually worth just over £82.

The men of the hundred of Axstane have testified that various parts of the manor of Dartford have been taken away. These include one meadow, one alder bed, one mill, twenty acres of arable land and an additional ten acres of meadow land. All these were originally managed on behalf of King Edward. The parts of the manor which have been taken away are valued at 20s.

The men of the hundred of Axstane also report that Osward who was sheriff in the days of King Edward mortgaged them to Alestan the reeve of London, and the missing parts of the manor of Dartford are now held by Helt the steward and his nephew.

The men of the hundred of Axstane also testify that Hawley, which is assessed on the basis of 100 acres of land, has been taken away from the manor of Dartford. The sheriff originally held this land. When he retired from office, the land remained under the control of the king. It was designated royal land even after the death of King Edward. Now Hugh le Port holds the land with an additional fifty-four acres of arable land. All the land is valued at £15. Six acres of arable land have been taken away from this manor as well as a wood which Osward mortgaged for 40s.

The bishop of Rochester controls the church in the manor of Dartford and it is valued at 60s. In addition to the church, there are also three chapels in the manor of Dartford.


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