Mærwynn 4

Mærwynn ‘of Burgh’ (Norf.), fl. 1066
Female
DWP
4 of 5

Name

Mærwynn
Mærwynn 3
Mærwynn 5

Summary

Mærwynn 4 held an estate in north-east Norfolk TRE assessed at 3 carucates and with a value of 40s; she was a free woman, although the soke of her land belonged to the king and the earl.

Distribution map of property and lordships associated with this name in DB

List of property and lordships associated with this name in DB

Holder 1066

Shire Phil. ref. Vill DB Spelling Holder 1066 Lord 1066 Tenant-in-Chief 1086 1086 Subtenant Fiscal Value 1066 Value 1086 Value Conf. Show on Map
Norfolk 30,5 Burgh next Aylsham Maruuen Mærwynn 'of Burgh' Edward, king Drew de la Beuvrière - 3.00 2.00 3.00 B Map
Totals

Profile

Mærwynn 4’s estate was the larger of two at Burgh-next-Aylsham, in the rich peat beds of north-east Norfolk and on the River Bure, a tributary of the Yare. The name of her estate derives from Old English burh ‘fortified place’ and may refer to the remains of the Roman fortified town on the other side of the river (Sandred 2002: 66).

The DB entry records that Mærwynn was a free woman, although the king and the earl (presumably Edward 15 and Gyrth 1) had the soke of her estate and would have been her lords in that respect; her commended lord is not known.

DB also provides a few details of the resources of Mærwynn’s estate as well as what they were in 1086, revealing a mix of arable and pig-farming along with a mill and a small amount of woodland.

Although the name Mærwynn was uncommon and Mærwynn 4’s estate was of moderate size, it lay at least 75 miles from any other held TRE by a woman of that name and there is no reason for a connection between them to be considered.

Bibliography


Sandred 2002: K. I. Sandred, The Place-Names of Norfolk: Part Three: The Hundreds of North and South Erpingham and Holt (Nottingham, 2002)