Radwell in 1086

Domesday Book was commissioned by William the Conqueror (1066-1087) at Christmas 1085. It was designed to show who held every piece of land in the newly conquered Kingdom of England. It was known colloquially as the Domesday Book because it was seen as being as final as the Last Judgement and as difficult to conceal things from. The book does not cover the whole country - Cumberland, Durham, Northumberland, and Westmorland were omitted and London and Winchester likewise, along with some other towns. A separate book, called Little Domesday covered the counties of Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk and, despite its name, it is actually bigger and more detailed than the Great Domesday Book containing the other counties.

Domesday Book documents two land holdings in Radwell. Nigel d’Aubigny was one of the three major landowners in the county and held seven hides, one and a half virgates and had a tenant - Nigel of le Vast, who was also tenant of Nigel’s land in Turvey, Millbrook, Ampthill and Broom. The holding had six villagers, six smallholders and three slaves and a mill worth ten shillings of the River Great Ouse. In 1066 ten freemen held the manor and it had been worth £8, the value had been halved by the time d’Aubigny acquired it, and remained at this level in 1086. It has been suggested that the reason for so many Bedfordshire manors losing value between 1066 and 1086 is that they were despoiled by Norman armies passing through to quash rebellions in the north and east.

Countess Judith, William’s niece, held two hides, two and a half virgates in Radwell, her tenant being a man named Hugh. The holding included one villager, one smallholder and one slave and had been worth forty shjillings in 1066 when owned by Tovi, a guard, or housecarl, of Edward the Confessor (1042-1066). By the time Judith acquired it the value had been reduced to ten shillings; by 1086 it was worth twenty shillings.

This number represents the heads of household. To get an idea of the total population it is probably necessary to multiply this figure by a factor of at least four suggesting a total population to somewhere around.