Glossary of Domesday Terms
occuring in the extracts, as provided by the original researcher
BORDARS - (bordarii. Low Lat) COTTAGERS
CLOSES - (hagae. Low Lat. Hege, A-s) literally hedge, fence, enclosure, hence a SHELTER
enclosed by a fence.
COTTARS - (cotaril, Low Lat) the POOR of the manor, owning a cottage and 1 acre or
half and acer of field, doing work similar to the duties of a villeign.
DEMESNE - (domini manibus) DOMAIN. The land of the manor, belonging to the lord and
cultivated by villeigns.
EYRY - (area, Low Lat) an AERY, or best of eagle or hawks.
HIDE - (hyde, A-s hida, Low Lat) a measure of land, 120 or 200 acres or less: as
much land as could be tilled with 1 plough, or support 1 family.
REEVE - (erefa-A-S) a PROVOST, judicial officer over the villeigns in a town or manor.
Inferior to the Eorl, he assisted the Bailiff in the management of the estate and
held a position correspond ing the the modern Justice of the Peace.
SERFS - (servi, Lat) slaves attached to the soil.
SHERIFF - Shire-Reeve, Govenor of a shire.
THEGN - originally a servant of the king. A nobleman, inferior to an Eorl, but later
denominated Baron. Title not heriditary. To be a Thegn a man must posses 5 hides,
a church, a kitchen, a bell-house, a judicial seat at the city-gate and a seat at
the Witha-gemot.
T.R.E. - Tempore Regis Edwardi - in the time of King Edward.
VILL - unwalled town.
VILLEIGN - (villanus, Low Lat) an inhabitant of an unwalled town. Servile tenant,
bondman, farm ser vant, yeoman.
VIRGATE - a LAND-YARD, a fixed number of acre, strips of meadow held by bondmen.
Usually 30 acres, but sometimes 15 or even 80 acres.
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