The
Unofficial WebsiteThe Domesday Book
The Middle Ages are often reckoned to begin with the arrival of William of Normandy in 1066 and all that. William gave the land around Rotherham to his half-brother Roger of Mortain, who subinfeudated (let) it to Nigel Fossard. In 1086 it was written in the Domesday (or Doomsday if you prefer) Book:-
"In Roderham, the Saxon Acun has one manor of five caracutes. Nigel Fossard has there one carucate, with eight villeins and three Borderes having two ploughs and a half and one mill of ten shillings. There is a priest and a church, four acres of meadow and pasture woods of seven acres. The whole manor ten quarentens in length and five quarentens in breadth. The value in Edward the Confessor's time was four pounds, now is thirty shilling."
Poor old Rotherham - fallen on hard times, not for the first time and certainly not for the last.
The Domesday Book also lists many other settlements within a few miles of the village, e.g. Rawmarsh, Whiston, Greasbrough, Kimberworth, Wickersley, which are all now part of the town of Rotherham.
In the Domesday Book the village of Laughton was reported to have 33 villeins, 6 smallholders and 15 plough teams, along with its church, castle and hall. There was a priest and a church, four acres of meadow and pasture woods of seven acres. Thus Laughton was a much more important settlement than Rotherham in the 11th Century. Ichabod, Ichabod, how are the mighty fallen!
In 1086 the Domesday Book records the following for Kimberworth:-
"In Chibereworde Alsige had six carucates of land taxable where three ploughs are possible. Roger now there has two ploughs. There are 8 villeins and 12 bordars. Meadow 6 acres; woodland pasture 13 furlongs long and one league wide. Value before 1066 £4 0s 0d: now 30s."