Buckinghamshire · Domesday Book 1086

Weston in the Domesday Book

A settlement recorded in William the Conqueror's great survey of England, completed in 1086.

In 1086, Weston was held by Bishop (Gilbert Maminot) of Lisieux.

Historical Context

Weston in 1086

The Domesday Book was the result of a comprehensive survey ordered by William the Conqueror at Christmas 1085. Royal commissioners rode out across every county of England, recording the name and size of every settlement, who held it, what it was worth, and how that compared with the value it had held in the time of Edward the Confessor twenty years before.

For a settlement like Weston, being entered in the Domesday Book was a defining moment in its history — a written acknowledgement of its existence by the new Norman state. The survey recorded the manor's lord, its taxable assessment in hides or carucates, the number of ploughs at work, and the population of villagers, smallholders and slaves who farmed the land.

The names of Domesday settlements reveal the deep roots of England's landscape. Many carry Saxon, Danish or even older origins — names that were already ancient when the Norman commissioners inscribed them in the great survey. Understanding a place's Domesday record is the first step in tracing the full arc of its history from the early medieval period to the present day.

About this area

Buckinghamshire in the Domesday survey

Buckinghamshire in 1086 was a heavily wooded county of the Chiltern Hills and the Thames valley. Its manors ranged from small woodland settlements to substantial river-valley estates. The county lay along key routes between London and the Midlands, giving its lords strategic as well as agricultural importance in the newly reorganised Norman kingdom.

Common questions

Questions about Weston

Was Weston in the Domesday Book?+
Yes. Weston was recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book as a settlement in the historic county of Buckinghamshire.
Who held Weston in 1086?+
In 1086, Weston was held by Bishop (Gilbert Maminot) of Lisieux. The tenant-in-chief was Bishop Odo of Bayeux.
Who held Weston before the Norman Conquest?+
Before the Conquest in 1066, Weston was held by Godric the sheriff.
What was Weston worth in the Domesday Book?+
In 1086, Weston was valued at 15.25 pounds. The 1066 value was 15.25 pounds, showing unchanged.
How many people lived in Weston in 1086?+
The 1086 survey recorded 24 people in Weston: 12 villagers and 12 slaves.
What land did Weston have in 1086?+
The Domesday Book records Weston as having land for 18 ploughs, 10 ploughs of meadow, 100 pigs of woodland.
Where is Weston today?+
Weston is a settlement in the historic county of Buckinghamshire, England.
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