Domesday Witham - The Land of Saint Edmunds [Abbey]


The Lands of the King, Witham
The Fee of the Bishop of London, Howbridge Hall
The Land of Saint Edmunds, Benton Hall
The Lands of Count Eustace, Bluntshall and Witham
The Lands of Robert Gernon, Witham (Powers Hall), Howbridge Hall
The Lands of Ranulf Peverel, Bluntshall
The Land of Moduin, Witham

The Land of Saint Edmunds [Abbey]




		Expansion
1.		Breddinchou tenet Willeilmus filius grosse de abbate pro I hida & XV acris Tunc II
2.		carruce in dominio modo I Semper I carruca hominum IIII villani III bordarii modo I molendinum Silva L porci
3.		XX acre prati II runcini VI animalia XII porci V capre Valet L solidos

		Translation
1.		Benton [Hall]: holds William son of Grosse, of the Abbot, as 1 hide & 15 acres. Then 2 (William, son of Grosse, holds Benton Hall of the Abbot)
2.		ploughs on the demesne, now 1. Always 1 plough of the men, 4 villeins, 3 bordars. Now 1 mill. Woodland [for] 50 pigs.
3.		20 acres of meadow, 2 rounceys, 6 beasts, 12 pigs, 5 goats. It is worth 50 shillings.

Note
This is on the river, and had meadow nearby. Its mill may have been the present Blue Mill (Machins Mill), or the latter may have belonged to Blunts Hall. In later years, Benton Hall was subsidiary to the main Witham manor.