Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

tenants-in-chief In medieval and early modern Europe, the term ''tenant-in-chief'' (or ''vassal-in-chief'') denoted a person who held his lands under various forms of feudal land tenure directly from the king or territorial prince to whom he did homage, as oppos ...

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...

Osbern FitzOsbern __NOTOC__ Osbern FitzOsbern (–1103) was a Norman churchman. He was a relative of King Edward the Confessor as well as being a royal chaplain.Barlow ''Edward the Confessor'' p. 164 During Edward's reign he received the church at Bosham, near ...

Bishop of Exeter The Bishop of Exeter is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. Since 30 April 2014 the ordinary has been Robert Atwell.

Geoffrey de Montbray Geoffrey de Montbray (Montbrai, Mowbray) (died 1093), bishop of Coutances ( la, Constantiensis), also known as Geoffrey of Coutances, was a Norman nobleman, trusted adviser of William the Conqueror and a great secular prelate, warrior and adminis ...

Bishop of Coutances The Roman Catholic Diocese of Coutances (–Avranches) (Latin: ''Dioecesis Constantiensis (–Abrincensis)''; French: ''Diocèse de Coutances (–Avranches)'') is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in France. Its mother church is the Cathe ...

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of ...

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

Caen Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,Holy Trinity Church, Caen *

Hugh d'Avranches, 1st Earl of Chester Hugh d'Avranches ( 1047 – 27 July 1101), nicknamed ''le Gros'' (the Large) or ''Lupus'' (the Wolf), was from 1071 the second Norman Earl of Chester and one of the great magnates of early Norman England. Early life and career Hugh d'Avra ...

(died 1101) *

Robert, Count of Mortain Robert, Count of Mortain, 2nd Earl of Cornwall (–) was a Norman nobleman and the half-brother (on their mother's side) of King William the Conqueror. He was one of the very few proven companions of William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastin ...

(died 1090), half-brother of the king * Baldwin de Moels (died 1090),

Sheriff of Devon The High Sheriff of Devon is the Queen's representative for the County of Devon, a territory known as his/her bailiwick. Selected from three nominated people, they hold the office for one year. They have judicial, ceremonial and administrative f ...

,

feudal baron of Okehampton The feudal barony of Okehampton was a very large feudal barony, the largest mediaeval fiefdom in the county of Devon, England,Thorn & Thorn, part 2, chapter 16 whose ''caput'' was Okehampton Castle and manor. It was one of eight feudal baronies ...

, *

Juhel de Totnes Juhel de Totnes (died 1123/30) (''alias'' Juhel fitz Alfred, Juhel de Mayenne, Judel, Judhel, Judael, Judhael, Joel, Judhel de Totenais), Latinised to Judhellus filius Aluredi, "Juhel son of Alured") was a soldier and supporter of William the Con ...

(died 1123/30), feudal baron of Totnes, Devon * William de Mohun (died post 1090),

feudal baron of Dunster Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structur ...

, Somerset *

William Cheever William Cheever ( 1086) (''alias'' Chievre) ( Latinised to ''Capra'', "she-goat",Thorn & Thorn, part 2 (notes) chap.19 from French ''chèvre'') was one of the 52 Devon Domesday Book tenants-in-chief of King William the Conqueror. He held 46 landho ...

, ( Latinised to ''Capra'', "she-goat"), feudal baron of Bradninch, Devon. He was brother of

Ralph de Pomeroy Ralph de Pomeroy (died pre-1100) (''alias'' de la Pomeroy, Pomeraie, Pomerei, etc.) was one of the 52 Devon Domesday Book tenants-in-chief of King William the Conqueror and was the first feudal baron of Berry Pomeroy in Devon. He held 58 landholdi ...

(see below),

feudal baron of Berry Pomeroy The Feudal Barony of Berry Pomeroy was one of eight feudal baronies in Devonshire, England, which existed during the mediaeval era. It had its ''caput'' at the manor of Berry Pomeroy, 20 miles south of the City of Exeter and 2 miles east of the ...

Devon *

William de Falaise William de Falaise (11th century), also called William of Falaise, was a Norman from Falaise, Duchy of Normandy, today in the Calvados department in the Lower Normandy region of north-western France. He became feudal baron of Stogursey in Somers ...

,

feudal baron A feudal baron is a vassal holding a heritable fief called a ''barony'', comprising a specific portion of land, granted by an overlord in return for allegiance and service. Following the end of European feudalism, feudal baronies have largely been ...

of Stogursey, Somerset *

William de Poilley Buckland Monachorum is a village and civil parish in the West Devon district of Devon, England, situated on the River Tavy, about 10 miles north of Plymouth. In 2006 the neighbourhood had an estimated 1,511 residents and 654 dwellings. The elec ...

, whose lands later formed part of the

Feudal barony of Plympton The feudal barony of Plympton (or Honour of Plympton) was a large feudal barony in the county of Devon, England, whose ''caput'' was Plympton Castle and manor, Plympton. It was one of eight feudal baronies in Devonshire which existed during the ...

*

William II, Count of Eu William II, Count of Eu, feudal baron of Hastings (died about 1095) was a first generation Anglo-Norman nobleman, Count of Eu and rebel. Origins According to most authorities he was the son and heir of Robert, Count of Eu, (died before 1093), b ...

(died 1097) *

Walter of Douai Walter of Douai (Old Norman: ''Wautier de Douai'') (born c.1046, died: c.1107) was a Norman knight, probably at the Battle of Hastings, and a major landowner in South West England after the Norman Conquest, being feudal baron of Bampton in Devon an ...

(died c. 1107),

Feudal baron of Bampton The feudal barony of Bampton was one of eight feudal baronies in Devonshire which existed during the mediaeval era, and had its ''caput'' at Bampton Castle within the manor of Bampton. Descent Domesday Book The Domesday Book of 1086 lists ' ...

, Devon *

Walter de Claville Walter I de Claville (floruit 1086) (''alias'' de Clarville and Latinised to ''de Clavilla'') was an Anglo-Norman magnate and one of the 52 Devon Domesday Book tenants-in-chief of King William the Conqueror. He also held lands in Dorset. His Devon ...

, brother of

Gotshelm {{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022 Gotshelm (floruit 1086) was an Anglo-Norman magnate and one of the 52 Devon Domesday Book tenants-in-chief of King William the Conqueror and was also a Cornwall Domesday Book tenant-in-chief. He is listed in the Dom ...

; his lands later formed part of the

Feudal barony of Gloucester The feudal barony of Gloucester or Honour of Gloucester was one of the largest of the mediaeval English feudal baronies in 1166, comprising 279 knight's fees, or manors. The constituent landholdings were spread over many counties. The location of ...

*

Gotshelm {{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022 Gotshelm (floruit 1086) was an Anglo-Norman magnate and one of the 52 Devon Domesday Book tenants-in-chief of King William the Conqueror and was also a Cornwall Domesday Book tenant-in-chief. He is listed in the Dom ...

, brother of

Walter de Claville Walter I de Claville (floruit 1086) (''alias'' de Clarville and Latinised to ''de Clavilla'') was an Anglo-Norman magnate and one of the 52 Devon Domesday Book tenants-in-chief of King William the Conqueror. He also held lands in Dorset. His Devon ...

; his lands later formed part of the

Feudal barony of Gloucester The feudal barony of Gloucester or Honour of Gloucester was one of the largest of the mediaeval English feudal baronies in 1166, comprising 279 knight's fees, or manors. The constituent landholdings were spread over many counties. The location of ...

*

Richard fitz Gilbert Richard fitz Gilbert (before 1035–), 1st feudal baron of Clare in Suffolk, was a Norman lord who participated in the Norman conquest of England in 1066, and was styled "de Bienfaite", "de Clare", and of "Tonbridge" from his holdings.G. E. ...

(died c. 1090), elder brother of Baldwin de Moels,

Sheriff of Devon The High Sheriff of Devon is the Queen's representative for the County of Devon, a territory known as his/her bailiwick. Selected from three nominated people, they hold the office for one year. They have judicial, ceremonial and administrative f ...

,

feudal baron of Okehampton The feudal barony of Okehampton was a very large feudal barony, the largest mediaeval fiefdom in the county of Devon, England,Thorn & Thorn, part 2, chapter 16 whose ''caput'' was Okehampton Castle and manor. It was one of eight feudal baronies ...

, *

Roger de Busli Roger de Busli (c. 1038 – c. 1099) was a Norman baron who participated in the conquest of England in 1066. Life Roger de Busli was born in or around 1038. His surname comes from the town now known as Bully (near Neufchâtel-en-Bray, mentione ...

(died c. 1099) * Robert of Aumale ( Latinised to ''de Albemarle''); his lands later formed part of the

Feudal barony of Plympton The feudal barony of Plympton (or Honour of Plympton) was a large feudal barony in the county of Devon, England, whose ''caput'' was Plympton Castle and manor, Plympton. It was one of eight feudal baronies in Devonshire which existed during the ...

* Robert Bastard, whose lands later formed part of the

Feudal barony of Plympton The feudal barony of Plympton (or Honour of Plympton) was a large feudal barony in the county of Devon, England, whose ''caput'' was Plympton Castle and manor, Plympton. It was one of eight feudal baronies in Devonshire which existed during the ...

*

Richard Fitz Turold Richard Fitz Turold (died after 1103–06) (''alias'' fitzThorold, fitzTurolf) was an eleventh-century Anglo-Norman landowner in Cornwall and Devon, mentioned in the Domesday Book. In the 13th century his estates formed part of the Feudal barony of ...

(died post 1103-6) (''alias'' fitzThorold, fitzTurolf), whose lands later formed part of the

Feudal barony of Cardinham The Feudal barony of Cardinham (or Honour of Cardinham) is one of the three feudal baronies in Cornwall which existed during the medieval era. Its ''caput'' was at Cardinham Castle, Cornwall. The Barony was held in recent times by the Vivian fami ...

, Cornwall *

Ralph de Limesy {{Cleanup bare URLs, date=August 2022 Ralph de Limesy (''alias'' de Limesi) lord of the manor of Limésy in Normandy (now a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France) was a Domesday Book Anglo-Norman magnat ...

, most of his Devon manors passed to the

Feudal barony of Bradninch {{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022 The feudal barony of Bradninch was one of eight8 per Sanders, 1960; Pole, pp.1-31, listed 12 feudal baronies in Devonshire which existed during the mediaeval era, and had its '' caput'' at the manor of Bradninch. O ...

* Ralph Pagnell * Ralph de Feugeres *

Ralph de Pomeroy Ralph de Pomeroy (died pre-1100) (''alias'' de la Pomeroy, Pomeraie, Pomerei, etc.) was one of the 52 Devon Domesday Book tenants-in-chief of King William the Conqueror and was the first feudal baron of Berry Pomeroy in Devon. He held 58 landholdi ...

,

feudal baron of Berry Pomeroy The Feudal Barony of Berry Pomeroy was one of eight feudal baronies in Devonshire, England, which existed during the mediaeval era. It had its ''caput'' at the manor of Berry Pomeroy, 20 miles south of the City of Exeter and 2 miles east of the ...

, brother of

William Cheever William Cheever ( 1086) (''alias'' Chievre) ( Latinised to ''Capra'', "she-goat",Thorn & Thorn, part 2 (notes) chap.19 from French ''chèvre'') was one of the 52 Devon Domesday Book tenants-in-chief of King William the Conqueror. He held 46 landho ...

, feudal baron of Bradninch * Roald Dubbed, whose lands later formed part of the

Feudal barony of Plympton The feudal barony of Plympton (or Honour of Plympton) was a large feudal barony in the county of Devon, England, whose ''caput'' was Plympton Castle and manor, Plympton. It was one of eight feudal baronies in Devonshire which existed during the ...

*

Theobald FitzBerner Theobald FitzBerner (fl. 1086), (Theobald son of Berner, ''Tetbaldus Filius Bernerius'') was an Anglo-Norman warrior and magnate, one of the Devon Domesday Book tenants-in-chief of King William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book of 1086 lists him as ...

, whose lands later formed part of the Feudal barony of Great Torrington. He was the father-in-law of Odo FitzGamelin *

Turstin FitzRolf Turstin fitz Rolf, also known as Turstin le Blanc and Tustein fitz Rou (Old Norse: ''Þorsteinn Hrólfsson'') played a prominent role in the Norman conquest of England and is regarded as one of the few proven companions of William the Conqueror ...

, feudal baron of

North Cadbury North Cadbury is a village and civil parish west of Wincanton, by the River Cam, in the South Somerset district of Somerset, England. It shares its parish council with nearby Yarlington and its civil parish includes the village of Galhampton, ...

, Somerset *

Alfred of Spain Alfred of Spain was a Norman lord recorded in the Domesday Book. He held land mainly in Somerset but also in Devon, Dorset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire. He was not from Spain but from Épaignes Épaignes () is a commune in the ...

* Alfred the Breton * Ansger * Aiulf * Odo FitzGamelin, son-in-law of

Theobald FitzBerner Theobald FitzBerner (fl. 1086), (Theobald son of Berner, ''Tetbaldus Filius Bernerius'') was an Anglo-Norman warrior and magnate, one of the Devon Domesday Book tenants-in-chief of King William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book of 1086 lists him as ...

. His lands later formed part of the Feudal barony of Great Torrington. * Osbern of Sacey *The wife of Hervey of Hellean *Gerald the Chaplain *Gerard *Godbold *

Nicholas the Bowman {{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022 Nicholas the Bowman (fl. 1086) (or "Nicholas the Gunner", Latin: ''Nicolaus Balistarius'' or ''Archibalistarius''), also known as Nicholas ''de la Pole'', was a servant of King William the Conqueror (1066-1087) and w ...

(or "Nicholas the Gunner") *Fulchere ("Fulchere the Bowman"), most of his lands later became part of the

feudal barony of Plympton The feudal barony of Plympton (or Honour of Plympton) was a large feudal barony in the county of Devon, England, whose ''caput'' was Plympton Castle and manor, Plympton. It was one of eight feudal baronies in Devonshire which existed during the ...

Thorn, Part 2 (notes), ch.49 *Haimeric *King's Servants * King's Thanes

References

{{reflist

Sources

*Thorn, Caroline & Frank, (eds.) ''Domesday Book'', (Morris, John, gen. ed.) Vol. 9, Devon, Parts 1 & 2, Phillimore Press, Chichester, 1985, part 1, List of Landholders in Devon *Sanders, I. J. ''English Baronies: a Study of their Origin and Descent 1086-1327'', Oxford, 1960

See also

References

Sources