The Manor of Hougun is the historic name for an area which now forms part of the county of

Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. ...

North West England North West England is one of nine official regions of England and consists of the ceremonial counties of England, administrative counties of Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside. The North West had a population of ...

. Of the three most northern counties of England surveyed in the

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 ...

of 1086 (

Northumbria la, Regnum Northanhymbrorum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Northumbria , common_name = Northumbria , status = State , status_text = Unified Anglian kingdom (before 876)North: Anglian kingdom (af ...

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...

and

), only the southern band of land in the south of Cumbria was recorded. The westernmost entries for Cumbria, covering the Duddon and

Furness Furness ( ) is a peninsula and region of Cumbria in northwestern England. Together with the Cartmel Peninsula it forms North Lonsdale, historically an exclave of Lancashire. The Furness Peninsula, also known as Low Furness, is an area of vil ...

Peninsulas are largely recorded as part of the ''Manor of Hougun''. The entry in

covering Hougun refers to the time (ca. 1060) when it was held by

Tostig Godwinson Tostig Godwinson ( 102925 September 1066) was an Anglo-Saxon Earl of Northumbria and brother of King Harold Godwinson. After being exiled by his brother, Tostig supported the Norwegian king Harald Hardrada's invasion of England, and was kill ...

(c. 1026 – 25 September 1066),

Earl of Northumbria Earl of Northumbria or Ealdorman of Northumbria was a title in the late Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Scandinavian and early Anglo-Norman period in England. The ealdordom was a successor of the Norse Kingdom of York. In the seventh century, the Anglo-Saxo ...

Location

The exact location of Hougun has been long disputed and Millom is often suggested, although High Haume near

Dalton-in-Furness Dalton-in-Furness is a town and former civil parish in the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. In 2011 it had a population of 7,827. It is located north east of Barrow-in-Furness. History Dalton is mentioned in the Domesday Book, wr ...

has also been proposed, given that it was recorded in 1336 as Howehom. It has also been suggested that the centre of the district was

, and that the territory included the

Millom Millom is a town and civil parish on the north shore of the estuary of the River Duddon in southwest Cumbria, historically part of Cumberland, England. It is situated just outside the Lake District National Park, about north of Barrow-in-Fur ...

area, plus part or all of

Cartmel Cartmel is a village in Cumbria, England, northwest of Grange-over-Sands close to the River Eea. The village takes its name from the Cartmel Peninsula, and was historically known as Kirkby in Cartmel. The village is the location of the 12t ...

– what would later be the Lancashire territory known as

Amounderness The Amounderness Hundred () is one of the six subdivisions of the historic county of Lancashire in North West England, but the name is older than the system of hundreds first recorded in the 13th century and might best be described as the name ...

. The notion that the manor of Hougun was an administrative district and not just the chief

vill Vill is a term used in English history to describe the basic rural land unit, roughly comparable to that of a parish, manor, village or tithing. Medieval developments The vill was the smallest territorial and administrative unit—a geographical ...

of the area has been challenged.

Etymology

The name itself is commonly thought to derive from the

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...

''haugr'' meaning mound or hill. Island of Hougun (''Houganai'') was also the name given to nearby

Walney Island Walney Island, also known as the Isle of Walney, is an island off the west coast of England, at the western end of Morecambe Bay in the Irish Sea. It is part of Barrow-in-Furness, separated from the mainland by Walney Channel, which is spanned ...

at the western end of

Morecambe Bay Morecambe Bay is a large estuary in northwest England, just to the south of the Lake District National Park. It is the largest expanse of intertidal mudflats and sand in the United Kingdom, covering a total area of . In 1974, the second large ...

Domesday Book of 1086

The Domesday entry for Hougun is therefore significant in indicating the extent of

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

control of the north-west, probably down to 1092, when

William II of England William II ( xno, Williame; – 2 August 1100) was King of England from 26 September 1087 until his death in 1100, with powers over Normandy and influence in Scotland. He was less successful in extending control into Wales. The third so ...

took over Carlisle and northern Cumberland. North of the Hougun district, the land was part of Strathclyde/Cumbria, under Scottish overlordship. It has been suggested that the Domesday entry offers a snapshot of the "transition between the Anglo-Norse and Norman worlds in the 11th century", and suggests a largely self-governing area with a lack of the shire and

wapentake A hundred is an administrative division that is geographically part of a larger region. It was formerly used in England, Wales, some parts of the United States, Denmark, Southern Schleswig, Sweden, Finland, Norway, the Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek, ...

structure that prevailed further south in England. At some time before the

shiring Shire is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries such as Australia and New Zealand. It is generally synonymous with county. It was first used in Wessex from the begin ...

of Lancaster, Cumberland and Westmorland (which took place around 1157-1182), parts of the Hougun area had been split off.

Furness Abbey Furness Abbey, or St. Mary of Furness, is a former Catholic monastery located to the north of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. The abbey dates back to 1123 and was once the second-wealthiest and most powerful Cistercian monastery in the coun ...

was given the Furness peninsula; and

St Bees Priory St Bees Priory is the parish church of St Bees, Cumbria, England. There is evidence for a pre-Norman religious site, and on this a Benedictine priory was founded by the first Norman Lord of Egremont William Meschin, and was dedicated by Archbish ...

was granted land from the Norman lord of Millom around 1125. The Hougun entry is as follows (land is measured in

carucate The carucate or carrucate ( lat-med, carrūcāta or ) was a medieval unit of land area approximating the land a plough team of eight oxen could till in a single annual season. It was known by different regional names and fell under different form ...

s in the north, which is roughly the amount of land assumed to provide for one household for one year): :In Hougun Manor Earl Tosti had four carucates rateable to the geld. :In Chiluestreuic iii c., Sourebi iii c., Hietun iiii c., Daltune ii c., Warte ii c., Neutun vi c., :Walletun vi c., Suntun ii c., Fordebodele ii c., Rosse vi c., Hert ii c., Lies vi c., Alia Lies ii c., :Glassertun ii c., Steintun ii c., Clivertun iiii c., Ouregrave iii c., Meretun iiii c., Pennigetun ii c., :Gerleuuorde ii c., Borch vi c., Beretsiege iiii c., Witingham iiii c., Bodele iiii c., :Santacherche i c., Hougenai vi c.. All these vills belong to Hougun. Hougun (?High Haume/

), 4 c., Tosti * Chiluestreuic (Killerwick, lost, possibly directly north of Dalton), 3c. * Sourebi ( Sowerby), 3c. * Hietun (?

Hawcoat Hawcoat is an area and electoral ward of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. Historically part of Lancashire, it is one of Barrow's most northerly wards and is bordered by Roose, Newbarns, Parkside, Ormsgill and the town of Dalton-in-Furness ...

), 4c. * Daltune (

), 2c. * Warte (?Thwaite Flat), 2c. * Neutun ( Newton, probably in Furness), 6c. * Walletun (Waltoncote, was probably in Furness, lost), 6c. * Suntun (?Sunbrick/Stank), lost, 2c. * Fordbodele ( Fordbootle, lost, possibly near Roose), 2c. * Rosse (

Roose Roose or Roosecote is a suburb and ward of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. The word 'roose' is Celtic for "moor" or "heath" and the suffix 'cote' of Roosecote means "hut" or "huts" (the word 'cottage' is derived from 'cote'). Before the buil ...

), 6c. * Hert ( Hart, lost, probably was near the site of modern Gleaston Mill), 2c. * Lies ( Leece), 6c. * Alia Lies (another Leece, lost, although may be "two different tax assessments for the same place"), 2c. * Glassertun ( Gleaston), 2c. * Steintun ( Stainton), 2c. * Clivertun ( Crivelton, lost, but might be near the modern Newtown), 4c. * Ourgrave (Orgrave), 3c. * Meretun ( Marton), 4c. * Pennigetun ( Pennington), 2c. * Gerleuuorde (

Ireleth Askam and Ireleth is a civil parish close to Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, in North West England. Historically part of Lancashire, it originally consisted of two separate coastal villages with different origins and histories which, ...

), but possibly "somewhere south of Ulverston and east of Dalton", 2c. * Borch (?

Broughton-in-Furness Broughton in Furness is a market town in the civil parish of Broughton West in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. It had a population of 529 at the 2011 Census. It is located on the south western boundary of England's Lake District ...

/ Birkrigg), several possible locations might fit, 6c. * Beretseige (

Bardsea Bardsea is a village in the ''Low Furness'' area of Cumbria, England. It is two miles to the south-east of Ulverston on the northern coast of Morecambe Bay. It is in the Historic counties of England, historic county of Lancashire. History Bard ...

), 4c. * Witingham (Whicham), 4c. * Bodele (

Bootle Bootle (pronounced ) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England, which had a population of 51,394 in 2011; the wider Parliamentary constituency had a population of 98,449. Historically part of Lancashire, Bootle ...

), 4c. * Santacherche ( Kirksanton) 1c. * Hougenai ( Walney), scribal error for Wagenai,Whalley, 2018, p. 115-116. 6c. Ulvreston (

Ulverston Ulverston is a market town and a civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 11,524, increasing at the 2011 census to 11,678. Historically in Lancashire, it lies a few mi ...

), 6c., Turulf * Dene ( Dendron), 1c. * Bodeltun (Bolton-with-Adgarley), 6c. Aldingham (Aldingham), 6c., Ernulf Cherchebi (?

), Dwan from the King Holecher ( Holker), Orm from the King Neutun (High and Low Newton), King's land Bretebi (Birkby), Orm from the King Further east, in what was later to become Westmorland, several other places are mentioned but with similar brevity. Most of the places are within the low-lying areas around the

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

and

Lune Lune may refer to: Rivers *River Lune, in Lancashire and Cumbria, England *River Lune, Durham, in County Durham, England *Lune (Weser), a 43 km-long tributary of the Weser in Germany *Lune River (Tasmania), in south-eastern Tasmania, Australia Pl ...

valleys. Most of the entries are in two groups: the first is land around Kendal belonging to the King which had belonged to a Gillemichael before the Conquest; and the second is land belonging to

Roger de Poitou Roger the Poitevin (Roger de Poitou) was born in Normandy in the mid-1060s and died before 1140. He was an Anglo-Norman aristocrat, possessing large holdings in both England and through his marriage in France. He was the third son of Roger of M ...

and held by one Ernwin the Priest under him: :In Stercaland, Mimet, Cherchebi, Helsingetune, Steintun, Bodelforde, Hoton, Bortun, :Daltun, Patun. Gillemichael had them. There are xx c. of land taxable in them. :In Biedun Earl Tosti had vi c. taxable. Now Roger de Poitou has them, and Ernwin the :Priest under him. In Yeland iiii c., Fareltun iiii c., Prestun iii c., Borwick ii c., :Hennecastre ii c., Eureshaim ii c., Lefuenes ii c. King's land * Stercaland (Strickland Roger) * Mimet (Mint) * Cherchebi ( Kendal) reviously known as Kirkby Kendal* Helsingetune (

Helsington Helsington is a civil parish in the South Lakeland South Lakeland is a local government district in Cumbria, England. The population of the non-metropolitan district was 102,301 according to the 2001 census, increasing to 103,658 at the 201 ...

) * Steintun (Stainton) * Bodelforde lost * Hoton (Old Hutton) * Bortun (Burton-in-Kendal) * Daltun (Dalton) * Patun (Patton) Biedun (

Beetham Beetham is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cumbria, England, situated on the border with Lancashire, north of Carnforth. It is part of the Arnside and Silverdale, Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Bea ...

), 6c., Ernwin the Priest from Roger de Poitou * Yeland (Yealand Conyers/Yealand Redmayne), 4c. * Fareltun ( Farleton) 4c. * Preston (Preston Patrick/Preston Richard) 3c. * Borwick (Borwick) 2c. * Hennecastre ( Hincaster), 2c. * Eureshaim (Heversham), 2c. * Lefuenes ( Levens) 2c. Brebrune (Barbon), King's land Castretune (Casterton), King's land Holme (Holme), King's land Hotun (Hutton Roof), King's land Cherchebi (Kirkby Lonsdale), King's land Lupetun (Lupton), King's land Manzserge (Mansergh), King's land Middeltun (Middleton), King's land

References

Other sources

*Darby, Henry C. (1977) ''Domesday England'' (Cambridge University Press) *Maitland, F. W. (1988) ''Domesday Book and Beyond'' (Cambridge University Press) *Roffe, David (2000) ''Domesday: The Inquest and The Book'' (Oxford University Press)

Location

Etymology

Domesday Book of 1086

See also

References

Other sources

Related reading