Chalton Manor

The Thornton family coat of arms

Domesday Book

In 1086 the Domesday Book was compiled by scribes sent all over England by King William I (1066-1087). The idea was to establish who owned every piece of land in the newly conquered country. Chalton was measured at ten hides which was held by Adelaide or Adeliza, wife of Hugh de Grandmesnil. The manor contained sixteen villagers, nine smallholders and two slaves for a total of twenty seven. These, of course, were just the heads of household and the figure should probably by multiplied by a figure of at least four to arrive at an estimate of the total population. This would mean a population of over a hundred, probably in two settlements, Chalton itself and Mogerhanger which is almost certainly part of the manor.

The manor contained a mill, probably on or near the site of the later South Mills in Chalton. There was also woodland for sixteen pigs. This was all worth £10. Before William's usurpation and conquest it had been worth £12 and had been held by King Edward the Confessor himself with the treacherous Earl Tostig (brother of King Harold II) who was killed fighting against his brother at StamfordBridge in 1066 as tenant. The book notes: "this land was an outlier of Potton, Countess Judith's manor, before 1066, so that no one could separate it from it".

Chalton Manor

This manor is first mentioned in surviving documents only in the 17th century. It was held by the same people as those holding South Mills Manor.