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Eardisley 

Eardisley
Herefordshire

 
   

Eardisley Primary School
Oakwood
Upper House Farm

     
   

 St Mary Magdelene Church, Eardisley by Mark White

 

There are three Domesday entries for Eardisley.  Listed under the lands of the king in Elsdon hundred is the entry ‘Harold also held Herdeslege. 2½ hides waste’.  Harold is Harold Godwinson, King of England in 1066, who had held the land in the reign of Edward the Confessor.  Harold’s right to the crown was never accepted by William the Conqueror and when mentioned in Domesday he is always ‘comes’ - count, the Norman-French equivalent of the English title, earl.

Another part of Eardisley was held by Roger de Lacy who had subinfeudated it to Robert de Baskerville.  This land was not in any hundred and lay in the middle of a wood and there was a fortified house, ‘dom una defensabil’ there. This fortified house was presumably the origin of Eardisley castle and the status of this land as a ‘castlery’ could explain its extra-hundred status.

The third entry for Eardisley is under the lands of Hugh d’Asne. This was half a hide in Elsdon hundred which had also been held by Harold.

Eardisley seems to have become a borough in the early 13th century. The right to hold an annual fair there was granted to Walter de Baskerville by Henry III in 1225.

Overgrown Eardisley Castle above

   

Archaeological records from Eardisley are held by Historic Herefordshire On Line   

See also www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/HEF/Eardisley/

 

 

 

 
 
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series - Herefordshire archaeology and history - Eardisley

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