Herefordshire · Domesday Book 1086

Lingen in the Domesday Book

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

In 1086, Lingen was held by Turstin (of Wigmore).

Historical Context

Lingen 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 Lingen, 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

Herefordshire in the Domesday survey

Herefordshire in 1086 was a marcher county on the border with Wales, and its Domesday record reflects the instability of the frontier. Many settlements had been raided or destroyed in Welsh attacks, and the survey records considerable areas of waste. The city of Hereford was the county's administrative centre, and its bishop held extensive estates across a landscape of river valleys and wooded hills.

Common questions

Questions about Lingen

Was Lingen in the Domesday Book?+
Yes. Lingen was recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book as a settlement in the historic county of Herefordshire.
Who held Lingen in 1086?+
In 1086, Lingen was held by Turstin (of Wigmore). The tenant-in-chief was Ralph of Mortimer.
Who held Lingen before the Norman Conquest?+
Before the Conquest in 1066, Lingen was held by Edric (the wild).
What was Lingen worth in the Domesday Book?+
In 1086, Lingen was valued at 10 shillings.
How many people lived in Lingen in 1086?+
The 1086 survey recorded 5 people in Lingen: 1 villager and 4 smallholders.
What land did Lingen have in 1086?+
The Domesday Book records Lingen as having land for 7 ploughs, 0.5 leagues of woodland.
Where is Lingen today?+
Lingen is a settlement in the historic county of Herefordshire, England.
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