MOULTON IN 1086

A TRANSLATION FROM THE ORIGINAL LATIN OF THE ENTRY IN THE DOMESDAY BOOK

The same Richard holds Moletune (Moulton) Leofnoth (Levenot) held it and was a free man.  There is one hide that pays geld.  There is land (enough) for two ploughs.  One villein and one bordar have half a plough (team) there.  (There is) wood(land) one league long and one wide.  There is one hay.  It was and is worth five shillings

Richard is Richard de Vernon. He held land in the Wirral, in Macclesfield Hundred, and Nantwich (Audlem) as well as the block in Middlewich Hundred.  The latter area included Shipbrook, Leftwioh, Wharton, Davenham and Bostock in addition to Moulton.

GLOSSARY

Hide

Area of land sufficient to support one free family and dependants; the acreage varied from 60 to 120 according to locality.

Plough

As much land as could be ploughed by one team of eight oxen in a year.

Villein

A feudal serf.

Bordar

Man with fewer rights than a freeman but more important than a serf; he would have some land of his own

Hay

An enclosure.

Geld

Money.