Ælfheah 80
Ælfheah ‘of Wortham’ (Suff.), fl. 1066
Male
DWP
4 of 5
Summary
(Unknown Person) held a tiny manor in north Suffolk TRE assessed at 30 acres and with a TRW value of 5s; he was in both the commendation and the soke of Abbot Baldwin 5 of Bury St Edmunds.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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suffolk | 14,43 | Wortham | Alfahc | Ælfheah 'of Wortham' | Baldwin, abbot of Bury St Edmunds | Baldwin, abbot of Bury St Edmunds | - | 0.25 | 0.50 | 0.50 | C | Map |
| Totals | ||||||||||||
Profile
(Unknown Person)’s tiny manor was at Wortham, to the south of the River Waveney that separates Suffolk and Norfolk. He was in both the commendation and the soke of the abbot of Bury St Edmunds, Baldwin 5, yet does not appear to have been a dependent tenant of the abbey, although by 1086 his manor had been incorporated into the abbey’s main holding at Wortham. There is nothing in DB to suggest that Ælfheah himself was still present in 1086, however.Nevertheless, it is conceivable that (Unknown Person) was the same person as one or both of (Unknown Person) and Ælfheah 85, who were free men holding tiny parcels of land on the abbey’s estates in 1086 and possibly TRE also; the nearest of these tiny holdings was at Thorpe in Hinderclay, less than 4 miles from Wortham. The name Ælfheah was fairly common, however, and more evidence would be needed to press the identification. For similar reasons, although (Unknown Person)’s holding was only 22½ miles from that of (Unknown Person), both holdings were so small that there is no reason to consider him in connection with this estate or person.
Ælfheah’s manor at Wortham had a single plough to work the arable land, an acre of meadow (presumably for the oxen of the plough-team) and peasant population of four bordars and their households to provide the workforce, perhaps an unusually high figure for such a tiny estate.