Most of the counties of England were divided into hundreds or wapentakes from the late Anglo-Saxon period and these were, with a few exceptions, effectively abandoned as administrative divisions in the 19th century.[1]
Bedfordshire edit
- Barford
- Biggleswade
- Clifton
- Flitt
- Manshead
- Redbornestoke
- Stodden
- Willey
- Wixamtree
Berkshire edit
The County of Berkshire comprised 20 Hundreds and 193 parishes and parts of four others.[2] From The National Gazetteer of Britain and Ireland (1868), Victoria County History Berkshire Vol 3 (1923)[3] & Vol 4 (1924)[4]
Buckinghamshire edit
Until at least the time of the Domesday Survey in 1086 there were 18 hundreds in Buckinghamshire.[11] It has been suggested however that neighbouring hundreds had already become more closely associated in the 11th century so that by the end of the 14th century the original or ancient hundreds had been consolidated into 8 larger hundreds.[12]
- Ashendon Hundred
- Aylesbury Hundred – consolidated from the eleventh century Aylesbury, Risborough and Stone hundreds
- Buckingham Hundred
- Cottesloe Hundred
- Newport Hundred
Chiltern Hundreds edit
Cambridgeshire edit
Cambridgeshire was divided into 17 hundreds, plus the borough of Cambridge. Each hundred had a separate council that met each month to rule on local judicial and taxation matters. In 1929 the hundreds contained the following parishes.[13][14]
Cheshire edit
From Harris, B. E., and Thacker, A. T. (1987). The Victoria History of the County of Chester. (Volume 1: Physique, Prehistory, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Domesday). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-722761-9.
Cornwall edit
In Cornwall, the name calqued cantrev
From GENUKI Genuki: Cornwall, Cornwall
- Penwith (Penwyth)
- Kerrier (Keryer)
- Pydar (Pedera)
- Powder (Pow Ereder)
- Trigg (Trigor)
- Lesnewth (Lysnowyth)
- Stratton (Stradneth)
- West (Fawy)
- East (Ryslegh)
For some purposes, the Isles of Scilly were counted as a tenth hundred.
Cumberland edit
Cumberland was divided into wards, analogous to hundreds. From the National Gazetteer of Britain and Ireland Genuki: CUMBERLAND, England – History and Description, 1868, Cumberland
Derbyshire edit
The civil divisions of Derbyshire were anciently called wapentakes. In the Domesday Survey of 1086 are mentioned the wapentakes of Scarvedale, Hamestan, Morlestan, Walecross, and Apultre, and a district called Peche-fers.[16] Divided into hundreds by 1273. From GENUKI Genuki: DERBYSHIRE, England – History and Description, 1868, Derbyshire (based on the 1868 Gazette):
- High Peak—Hamestan wapentake and perhaps Peche-fers district in 1086; Peck wapentake by 1273.
- Wirksworth—Called a wapentake as late as 1817.
- Scarsdale
- Morleston and Litchurch—Called in the Domesday Survey of 1086, Morlestan or Morleystone wapentake and Littlechurch wapentake,[17] and in the Hundred-Roll of 1273, Littlechirch; by 1300 combined as the hundred of Morleston and Litchurch.[18]
- Appletree
- Repton and Gresley—In 1274 formed the separate wapentakes of Repindon and Greselegh (owned by the King and the heirs of the Earl of Chester respectively); in 1086 the large Walecross wapentake.
Devon edit
In 1850 there were thirty-two hundreds in Devon according to White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Devonshire[19]
Dorset edit
County Durham edit
County Durham was divided into wards, analogous to hundreds. From an 1840 map of County Durham Genuki: Co Durham in 1840, Durham.
Essex edit
- Barstable (sometimes spelled Barnstable)
- Becontree
- Chafford
- Chelmsford
- Clavering
- Dengie, known at the time of Domesday as Witbrictesherna (Wibrihtesherne) Hundred
- Dunmow
- Freshwell
- Harlow
- Liberty of Havering, also sometimes known as Romford Hundred
- Hinckford
- Lexden
- Ongar
- Rochford
- Tendring
- Thurstable
- Uttlesford
- Waltham
- Winstree
- Witham
According to essex1841.com Hundreds in the Essex 1841 census the 1841 census also recorded Harwich hundred, which the Victoria County History places within Tendring.
Gloucestershire edit
The thirty-nine hundreds mentioned in the Domesday Survey and the thirty-one hundreds of the Hundred Rolls of 1274 differ very widely in name and extent both from each other and from the twenty-eight hundreds of the present day.From the National Gazetteer of Britain and Ireland Genuki: Miscellaneous Places, Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire
- Barton Regis
- Berkeley
- Bishop's Cleeve
- Bisley
- Bledisloe
- Botloe
- Bradley
- Brightwell's Barrow
- Cheltenham
- Cleeve
- Crowthorne-with-Minety
- Deerhurst
- Dudstone (upper, middle and lower divisions)
- Grumbalds Ash
- Henbury
- Kiftsgate (upper and lower divisions)
- Langley and Swinehead
- Longtree
- Lower Slaughter
- Lower Tewkesbury
- Lower Thornbury
- Pucklechurch
- Rapsgate
- St Briavels
- Tibaldstone
- Upper Slaughter
- Upper Tewkesbury[21]
- Upper Thornbury[22]
- Westbury
- Westminster
- Whitstone (upper and lower divisions) – absorbed the Blacklow hundred by 1220.
The Duchy of Lancaster (Gloucestershire) liberty was sometimes counted as a hundred.
Hampshire edit
The Domesday Survey mentions 44 hundreds in Hampshire,[23] recorded as HanteScire and abbreviated as Hante.[24] By the 14th century the number had been reduced to 37. The hundreds of East Medina and West Medina in the Isle of Wight are mentioned in 1316. The Isle of Wight obtained a county council of its own in 1890 and became a full ceremonial county in 1974.
Hampshire has in the past been named Southamptonshire and is so recorded in the Commonwealth Instrument of Government, 1653. The name of the administrative county was changed from 'County of Southampton' to 'County of Hampshire' on 1 April 1959. The short form of the name, often used in postal addresses, is Hants.
The 44 Domesday-era hundreds were: Amesbury, Andover, Ashley, Barton, Basingstoke, Bermondspit, Bosbarrow, Bosham, Bountisborough, Bowcombe, Brightford, Broughton, Buddlesgate, Calbourne, Chalton, Charldon, Chuteley, Crondall, Droxford, East Meon, Edgegate, Evingar, Falemere, Fareham, Farringdon, Fawley, Fordingbridge, Hoddington, Holdshott, Hurstbourne, Kingsclere, Mansbridge, Meonstoke, Micheldever, Neatham, Odiham, Overton, Portsdown, Redbridge, Ringwood, Somborne, Titchfield, Waltham, Welford
In the 19th century, the hundreds were listed as:
Herefordshire edit
The hundreds mentioned in the Domesday Survey and the hundreds of the Hundred Rolls of 1274 differ very widely in name and extent both from each other and from the ten hundreds of the present day. Not included in the hundreds of Herefordshire at the time of Domesday, the sparsely populated Welch area of Archenfield included Ashe Ingen, Baysham and Kings Caple.[26]
From Domesday (1086):
- Bromsash
- Castlery[27]
- Cutestornes[28]
- Dinedor[29]
- Ewias[30]
- Greitrewes[31]
- Hazeltree – Hezetre[32]
- Plegelgete[33]
- Radlow[34]
- Sellack
- Stradel[35]
- Tornelaus[36]
From The National Gazetteer of Britain and Ireland (1868) Genuki: Miscellaneous Places, Herefordshire, Herefordshire
Hertfordshire edit
(Danais & Tring added as per History of Hertfordshire)[48]
Huntingdonshire edit
Kent edit
From Kent Genealogy Kent Genealogy England. Early Medieval Kent was traditionally divided into East and West Kent, and into lathes and hundreds.
The hundreds contained parishes and portions of parishes. In many regions of England as well as Kent, an entire parish would be within one hundred, yet especially along rivers and estuaries which had previously seen invasion, the Kentish hundreds were smaller in area and "shared" parishes to institutionalize resiliency and collective responsibility for defence and justice.
East Kent edit
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Lathe of Scraye formed by mid-1200s from the half lathe of Milton (which consisted of the hundred of Milton and the Isle of Sheppey) and the Lathe of Wye (which consisted of the Isle of Harty (which is conjoined to the Isle of Sheppey) and many additional hundreds.
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Due to a judicial administrative reform in the mid-19th century, the some hundreds of the Lathe of Scray were moved from East Kent administration to West Kent administration:
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The Lathe of Shepway also included the Cinque Port Liberty of New Romney in Romney Marsh,[49] with the parish of Lydd as a limb of the Liberty.
West Kent edit
plus the Lowey of Tonbridge
Lathe of Scraye (part)
In 1857 the provisions of the Act of 9 Geo. IV were invoked to re-examine the whole structure of Lathes and their divisions in providing for the administration of justice. The Lower Division of the Lathe of Scray, which formed the southernmost part of the Lathe, became part of West Kent, and consisted of the following Hundreds:
Lancashire edit
Leicestershire edit
Leicestershire was originally divided into four wapentakes, but these were usually later described as hundreds. From the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica[50] after 1346 the six hundreds were:
In the Domesday Book, West Goscote and East Goscote made up just Goscote and Sparkenhoe did not yet exist. The division which brought East and West Goscote and Sparkenhoe into existence was made in 1346.
Lincolnshire edit
Lincolnshire was divided into three Parts, each of which was divided into wapentakes, analogous to hundreds.
From map on Lincolnshire County Council website:[51]
- Aswardhurn
- Aveland
- Boothby Graffoe (Higher and Lower divisions)
- Beltisloe
- Flaxwell
- Langoe (First and Second divisions)
- Loveden
- Ness
- Winnibriggs and Threo (wapentake)
- Parts of Lindsey
- North Riding of Lindsey
- Bradley-Haverstoe
- Ludborough
- Walshcroft (North and South divisions)
- Yarborough
- South Riding of Lindsey
- Calceworth (Marsh and Wold divisions)
- Candleshoe (Marsh and Wold divisions)
- Gartree[53] (North and South divisions)
- Hill
- Louth-Eske (Marsh and Wold divisions)
- Wraggoe (East and West divisions)
- West Riding of Lindsey
- Aslacoe (East and West divisions)
- Corringham
- Epworth[54] (compare Isle of Axholme)
- Manley (East, North, and West divisions)
- Lawress
- Well
Middlesex edit
- Edmonton
- Elthorne
- Gore
- Isleworth (recorded in 1086 as Hounslow)[55]
- Ossulstone
- Spelthorne
Norfolk edit
Northamptonshire edit
In 1086, there were 39 hundreds in the county:[57] Alboldstow, Alwardsley, Barcheston, Beltisloe, Bloxham, Bumbelowe, Cleyley, Coleshill, Collingtree, Corby, Cuttlestone, Fawsley (Foxley), Gravesend (later absorbed into Fawsley Hundred),[58] Guilsborough, Hamfordshoe, Higham, Hunesberi, Huxloe, Kirtlington, Mawsley, Navisford, Navisland, Ness, Nobottle, Offlow, Orlingbury, Polebrook, Rothwell, Spelhoe, Stoke (By the time of the 'Nomina Villarum' a survey carried out in the first half of the 12th century, the Stoke Hundred had been absorbed into the Corby Hundred),[59] Stotfold, Sutton, Towcester, Upton, Warden, Willybrook, Witchley, Wootton and Wymersley.
From the Northamptonshire Family History Society[60] the hundreds in the 1800s are:
The liberty and Soke of Peterborough was sometimes called Nassaburgh hundred.
Northumberland edit
Following the Harrying of the North and subsequent incursions from Scotland, the high sheriff of Northumberland was granted extraordinary powers. The county was subdivided into baronies, which were arranged in six wards and subdivided into constabularies.[63] The wards were analogous to hundreds. From the National Gazetteer of Britain and Ireland (1868) GENUKI: The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) – Northumberland
Nottinghamshire edit
Nottinghamshire was divided into wapentakes, analogous to hundreds. From the Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire The Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire: Nottinghamshire
- Bassetlaw (North Clay, South Clay and Hatfield divisions)
- Bingham (North and South divisions)
- Broxtowe (North and South divisions)
- Newark (North and South divisions)
- Rushcliffe (North and South divisions)
- Thurgarton (North and South divisions)
Oxfordshire edit
From[66]
- Bampton[67][68]
- Banbury
- Binfield[69]
- Bloxham[70]
- Bullingdon
- Chadlington
- Dorchester
- Ewelme (Known as Benson hundred in 1070)[71]
- Kirtlington[72] – A hundred at the time of Domesday, it was combined to form the major portion of Ploughley hundred by 1169.
- Langtree
- Lewknor[73]
- Pyrton – Pirton is a later Latinised spelling.[74]
- Ploughley[75] – Name first mentioned in the form Pokedelawa hundred in the Pipe Roll of 1169.
- Thame
- Wootton – Includes the three hundreds dependent on the royal manor of Wootton in 1086[76] and sometimes called the "three hundreds of Wootton"[77] in the later 12th century: Shipton hundred,[78] (unknown name) hundred and pre-1086 Wootten hundred.[79] The hundred was later divided into two administrative regions:
- Wootton (Northern part) – 19 parishes including Barford St. Michael, Deddington, Glympton, Heythrop, Rousham, Sandford St. Martin, South Newington, Stonesfield, Tackley, Wootton, the Astons (North Aston and Steeple Aston), the Bartons (Steeple Barton and Westcott Barton), the Wortons (formed in 1932 by combining Nether Worton and Over Worton parishes), and the three Tews (Great Tew, Little Tew and Duns Tew).
- Wootton (Southern part) – 15 parishes and several extraparochial places[80]
- Within Woolton hundred yet separately administered were the areas of Oxford City & University,[81] Oxford City and Oxford Liberty.[82]
Rutland edit
Shropshire edit
From GENUKI[83]
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† — including the Shropshire exclave of Halesowen‡ The liberties of the borough of Shrewsbury and priory/borough of Wenlock were extensive and are usually considered as hundreds (Wenlock was sometimes described as the "franchise of Wenlock").[85]
Somerset edit
From the National Gazetteer of Britain and Ireland
Staffordshire edit
From GENUKI[86]
Suffolk edit
Surrey edit
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There are thirteen hundreds and a half-hundred:
Sussex edit
Sussex was divided into rapes, and then hundreds.
Arundel Rape edit
The Arundel Rape covered nearly all of what is now West Sussex until about 1250, when it was split into two rapes the Arundel Rape and the Chichester Rape.[88] In 1834 it contained five hundreds sub-divided into fifty six parishes.[89]
Bramber Rape edit
The Bramber Rape lies between the Rape of Arundel in the west and Lewes in the east. In 1834 it contained 40 parishes[90] in the following hundreds:
- Brightford
- Burbeach
- West Grinstead (Grensted in the Domesday Survey)
- Poling (once known as Rieberge)
- Singlecross
- Steyning
- Tarring (a peculier of the Archbishop of Canterbury)
- Tipnoak
as well as 3 half hundreds
- East Easwrith
- Fishersgate
- Wyndham
Chichester Rape edit
The combined Chichester and Arundel Rape covered nearly all of what is now West Sussex until about 1250, when it was split into two rapes the Arundel Rape and the Chichester Rape.[88] In 1834 it contained seven hundreds and seventy-four parishes.[91]
Hastings Rape edit
Medieval sources talk of a group of people who were separate to that of the South Saxons they were known as the Haestingas. The area of Sussex they occupied became the Rape of Hastings.[92]It encompassed the easternmost part of Sussex, with the county of Kent to its east and the Rape of Pevensey to its west. The Anglo-Saxon hundred of Hailesaltede[93] was later partitioned into Battle Hundred and Netherfield Hundred. In 1833, the Rape of Hastings had 13 hundreds giving a total of about 154,060 acres.[94]
- Baldstrow
- Battle
- Bexhill
- Foxearle
- Goldspur
- Gostrow
- Guestling
- Hawkesborough
- Henhurst
- Netherfield
- Ninfield
- Shoyswell
- Staple
Lewes Rape edit
The Rape of Lewes is bounded by the Rape of Bramber on its west and the Rape of Pevensey on its east. Although it had the same amount of hundreds in 1833 as in the Domesday survey, there had been some cases of manors and parishes been taken from one and added to another hundred, and in other cases the hundreds had been divided and lost.[95]
- Barcombe
- Buttinghill
- Dean
- Fishergate
- Holmestrow
- Poynings
- Preston
- Street
- Swanborough
- Whalesbourne
- Younsmere (also Falmer)
Pevensey Rape edit
The Pevensey Rape lies between the Rapes of Lewes and Hastings. In 1833 it contained 19 hundreds and 52 parishes[96]
- Alciston
- Bishopstone
- Danehill Horsted
- Dill
- Eastbourne
- East Grinstead (Grinsted in the Domesday survey)
- Flexborough
- Hartfield
- Lindfield Burley-Arches (also Burarches)
- Lowey or Liberty of Pevensey – Part of Port of Hastings, so having the immunities and privileges of the Cinque Ports.
- Loxfield Camden
- Loxfield Dorset
- Longbridge
- Ringmer
- Rotherfield
- Rushmonden
- Shiplake
- Totnore
- Willingdon
Warwickshire edit
Warwickshire was divided into four hundreds, with each hundred consisting of a number of divisions.
- Barlinchway (also Barlichway)
- Alcester
- Henley
- Snitterfield
- Stratford
- Hemlingford, formerly named Coleshill
- Atherstone
- Birmingham
- Solihull
- Tamworth
- Kington (also Kineton)
- Brailes
- Burton Dassett
- Kington
- Warwick
- Knightlow
- Kenilworth
- Kirby
- Rugby
- Southam
Westmorland edit
Westmorland was divided into four wards, analogous to hundreds. Pairs of wards made up the two Baronies. From Magna Britannica et Hibernia (1736) Genuki: Westmorland, Westmorland
Barony of Kendal edit
The Barony of Kendal had two wards:
Barony of Westmorland edit
The Barony of Westmorland had two wards:
Wiltshire edit
There were 40 hundreds in Wiltshire at the time of the Domesday Survey.Hundreds in 1835 were:
Worcestershire edit
The ancient hundreds in 1086 at the time of the Domesday survey were:[97]Ash, Came,[98] Celfledetorn, Clent, Cresslow, Cutestornes, Doddingtree, Dudstone, Fernecumbe, Fishborough, Greston, Ossulstone, Oswaldslow, Pershore, Plegelgete, Seisdon, Tewkesbury, Tibblestone, Wolfhay.Some of the parishes within these hundreds, such as Feckenham in Ash Hundred, or Gloucester in Dudstone Hundred, may have partially been in other counties or were transferred between counties in the intervening years.
Over the centuries, some of the hundreds were amalgamated and appear in many useful statistical records. The hundreds that continued their courts until disuse include:
- Blackenhurst
- Doddingtree
- Halfshire[99][100] – combined the Domesday hundreds of Clent[101] and Cresslow[102]
- Oswaldslow – combined three ancient hundreds
- Pershore[103]
Yorkshire edit
Yorkshire has three Ridings,[104] East, North and West. Each of these was divided into wapentakes, analogous to hundreds.
The Ainsty wapentake, first associated with the West Riding, became associated in the fifteenth century with the City of York, outside the Riding system.
The hundreds of Amounderness and Lonsdale in Lancashire plus part of Westmorland were considered as part of Yorkshire in the Domesday Book.
East Riding edit
From GENUKI GENUKI: Definitions of the terms used to describe areas of land and habitation in the county of Yorkshire.
- Buckrose
- Dickering Wapentake
- Harthill Wapentake (Bainton Beacon, Holme Beacon, Hunsley Beacon and Wilton Beacon divisions)
- Holderness Wapentake (North, Middle and South divisions)
- Howdenshire
- Ouse and Derwent
The other division of the riding was Hullshire.
North Riding edit
- Allerton
- Birdforth[105] – Formed from at least some parishes of the Domesday wapentake of Yarlestre.[106]
- Bulmer
- Gilling East
- Gilling West
- Hallikeld
- Hang East
- Hang West
- Langbaurgh (West and East divisions)
- Pickering Lythe – Formed from the Domesday wapentake of Dic, and additionally by 1284–85 the parish of Sinnington and by (circa 15th–16th century) the parish of Kirkby Misperton, both from the Domesday wapentake of Maneshou.[107]
- Ryedale – First mentioned by name in 1165–66, probably when its court was relocated there. Formed from the Domesday wapentake of Maneshou minus Sinnington and Kirkby Misperton parishes, plus the additional parish of Lastingham from the Domesday wapentake of Dic.[107] In the 19th century, Ryedale contained the parishes of Ampleforth; Appleton-Le-Street; Barton-Le-Street; Great Edston; Gilling; Helmsley; Hovingham; Kirkby Moorside; Kirkdale; Lastingham; New Malton, including the parishes of St. Leonard and St. Michael; Old Malton; Normanby; Nunnington; Oswaldkirk; Salton; Scawton; Slingsby; Stonegrave.[107]
- Whitby Strand
West Riding edit
From GENUKI GENUKI: Definitions of the terms used to describe areas of land and habitation in the county of Yorkshire.
- Agbrigg and Morley (Agbrigg and Morley divisions)
- Ainsty wapentake (___ and ___ divisions) (became a district named Ainsty of York in the 15th century)
- Barkston Ash Wapentake
- Claro Wapentake (Upper and Lower divisions) (Burghshire wapentake was renamed in the 12th century)
- Ewcross
- Osgoldcross Wapentake
- Skyrack (Upper and Lower divisions)
- Staincliffe Wapentake (East and West divisions)
- Staincross Wapentake
- Strafforth and Tickhill (Upper and Lower divisions)
See also edit
References edit
- Bibliography
- Brandon, Peter, ed. (1978). The South Saxons. Chichester: Phillimore. ISBN 0-85033-240-0.
- Notes on Wapentakes in Lincolnshire, from 'Introduction: Lost vills and other forgotten places', Final Concords of the County of Lincoln: 1244–1272 (1920), pp. L-LXV
- Horsfield, Thomas Walker (1834). The History, Antiquities and Topography of the County of Sussex. Bakewell: Country Books. ISBN 978-1-906789-16-9.