Worcestershire · Domesday Book 1086

Comberton in the Domesday Book

Also recorded as: [Great and Little] Comberton

A settlement recorded in William the Conqueror's great survey of England, completed in 1086. 3 manors were recorded here.

In 1086, Comberton was held by Gilbert son of Turold.

Historical Context

Comberton 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 Comberton, 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

Worcestershire in the Domesday survey

Worcestershire in 1086 was a prosperous county of the Severn valley and the Malvern Hills, its estates dominated by the church. The bishop of Worcester and the great abbeys of Evesham and Pershore held much of the county's land. Its fertile soils and navigable river made it an important agricultural and commercial region, and the city of Worcester was a significant urban centre in the west midlands.

Common questions

Questions about Comberton

Was Comberton in the Domesday Book?+
Yes. Comberton was recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book as a settlement in the historic county of Worcestershire.
Who held Comberton in 1086?+
In 1086, Comberton was held by Gilbert son of Turold. The tenant-in-chief was Westminster (St Peter), abbey of.
Who held Comberton before the Norman Conquest?+
Before the Conquest in 1066, Comberton was held by Asgot.
What was Comberton worth in the Domesday Book?+
In 1086, Comberton was valued at 8.5 pounds. The 1066 value was 16 pounds, showing a fall.
How many people lived in Comberton in 1086?+
The 1086 survey recorded 80 people in Comberton: 49 villagers, 16 smallholders and 15 slaves.
What land did Comberton have in 1086?+
The Domesday Book records Comberton as having 20 ploughs in use, 60 acres of meadow, 1 * 1 leagues of woodland.
Where is Comberton today?+
Comberton is a settlement in the historic county of Worcestershire, England.
Aubrey Research

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