is
believed to have been written about 1135, and would give us grounds for
believing that the desolation continued for over sixty years. A vivid
light is thrown on the destruction wrought at Pickering by the record in
the Domesday Book, which is as follows:--

"In _Picheringa_ there are to be taxed thirty-seven carucates of land,
which twenty ploughs may till. Morcar held this for one manor, with its
berewicks _Bartune_ (Barton), _Neuuctune_ (Newton), _Blandebi_ (Blandsby)
and Estorp (Easthorp). It is now the king's. There is therein one plough
and twenty villanes with six ploughs; meadow half a mile long and as much
broad: but all the wood which belongs to the manor is sixteen miles long
and four broad. This manor in the time of King Edward was valued at
fourscore and eight pounds; now at twenty shillings and four-pence."[1]

[Footnote 1: "Dom Boc," the Yorkshire Domesday. The Rev. Wm. Bawdwen,
1809, p. 11]

This remarkable depreciation from L88 to L1 and 4d. need not be, as
Bawdwen thought, a mistake in the original, but an ample proof of the
vengeance of the Conqueror. All the lands belonging to the powerful Saxon
Earls Edwin and Morcar seem to have suffered much the same fate.

The Domesday account also mentions that "To this manor belongs the soke of
these lands, viz.: _Brunton_ (Brompton), _Odulfesmare_ ( ), _Edbriztune_
(Ebberston), _Alnestune_ (Allerston), _Wiltune_ (Wilton), _Farmanesbi_
(Farmanby), _Rozebi_ (Roxby), _Chinetorp_ (Kinthorp), _Chilnesmares_ ( ),
_Aschilesmares_ ( ), _Maxudesmares_ ( ), _Snechintune_ (Snainton),
_Chigogemers_ ( ), _Elreburne_ (Ellerburne), _Torentune_ (Thornton),
_Leuccen_ (Levisham), _Middeletun_ (Middleton) and _Bartune_ (Barton). In
the whole there are fifty carucates to be taxed, which twenty-seven
ploughs may till. There are now only ten villanes, having two ploughs: the
rest is waste; yet there are twenty acres of meadow. The whole length is
sixteen miles and the breadth four."

The unrecognisable names all end in mare, mares or mers, suggesting that
they were all on the marshes and Bawdwen is probably incorrect in calling
_Locte-mares_--Low-moors. Associated with each place the Domesday record
gives the names of the former landowners.

I give them in tabular form:--

Manor in Domesday Modern Name Held by

Bruntune Brompton Ulf
Truzstal Troutsdale Archil
Alurestan Allerston Gospatric
Loctema