Domesday BookNorthamptonshireWellingborough
Northamptonshire · Domesday Book 1086

Wellingborough in the Domesday Book

A settlement recorded in William the Conqueror's great survey of England, completed in 1086. 4 manors were recorded here.

In 1086, Wellingborough was held by Norigot.

Historical Context

Wellingborough 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 Wellingborough, 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

Northamptonshire in the Domesday survey

Northamptonshire in 1086 was a midland county of rolling limestone country and river valleys, with significant royal forest in the north and east. The town of Northampton was its administrative centre. Many of its manors had been reorganised under Norman lordship, and the county's position at the heart of England made it an important corridor between north and south.

Common questions

Questions about Wellingborough

Was Wellingborough in the Domesday Book?+
Yes. Wellingborough was recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book as a settlement in the historic county of Northamptonshire.
Who held Wellingborough in 1086?+
In 1086, Wellingborough was held by Norigot. The tenant-in-chief was Bishop Geoffrey of Coutances.
Who held Wellingborough before the Norman Conquest?+
Before the Conquest in 1066, Wellingborough was held by Edwin (son of Burgred).
What was Wellingborough worth in the Domesday Book?+
In 1086, Wellingborough was valued at 2 shillings.
How many people lived in Wellingborough in 1086?+
The 1086 survey recorded 34 people in Wellingborough: 23 villagers, 9 smallholders and 2 slaves.
What land did Wellingborough have in 1086?+
The Domesday Book records Wellingborough as having land for 0.5 ploughs.
Where is Wellingborough today?+
Wellingborough is a settlement in the historic county of Northamptonshire, England.
Aubrey Research

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