Women own all of Wateringbury (1066)

Post date: Apr 20, 2011 1:13:52 PM

In 1066 both of the manors of Wateringbury were owned by ladies. We know this from the Domesday Book.

One was called Leofeva ('Leof' in Old English means 'beloved') who owned in total 20 manors scattered around England. Wateringbury was her only manor in Kent. By 1086, the time of the survey she had lost all her manors apart from 3 but at least she had survived The Norman Conquest and the subsequent years.

The second was Godil (also known as Godchild of Greensted). She owned 3 other manors in Essex in 1066, including Greensted, a village with the oldest wooden church in the world, but owned no manors in 1086. By coincidence Wateringbury's earliest (late 18th century) historian was Edward Greensted.

Anglo-Saxon women had property rights and had a more important role in society than women were to achieve for many centuries after The Norman Conquest. The replacement of Anglo-Saxon with Norman owners was typical of what happened after The Norman Conquest.

For more about Wateringbury in The Domesday Book see the Society's publication A History of Wateringbury to 1086 and a snippet Domesday Wateringbury.

For more snippets about Wateringbury women go to The Wateringbury witch; Women burglars of Wateringbury ;and Wateringbury wet nurse.