THE KNIGHTS OF PETERBOROUGH In the introduction to the Domesday Survey mention will be found of the foreign knights brought with him and enfeoffed by Abbot Turold, to whose holdings in the shire Domesday Book devotes a special section.' We have not, unfortunately, in the case of Peterborough, the usual detailed return of knights in 1166, but there are several distinct lists of the Abbey's knights and their holdings, with which the historians of Northamptonshire were not fully acquainted, and which more than enable us to supply the lack of the above return. The earliest of these is (A) that which is found in the Peterborough Liber Niger," and which must belong to the first half of the reign of Henry I.' Next in order of date is (B) the bull of Pope Eugenius (i 146), confirming to the Abbey its possessions and naming all the knights' fees comprised in them/ Third is (C) a list belonging apparently to the last quarter of the 12th century, and relating only to Northamptonshire." Fourth is (D) a full return, apparently drawn up in 121 2, and doubtless intended as a substi- tute at the Exchequer for the missing carta of 1166.* Lastly, Hugh ' Candidus ' gives us, in his history of the Abbey, the state of the fiefs under Henry III., and their several descents.' In few, if any, cases have we such a wealth of material for tracing the descent of fiefs at so early a period ; for we have not only the names of the tenants, but the extent of their holdings and the locality of their fiefs.® As an example of the precision which we are thus enabled to attain, we may take the Thornhaugh fief, held, in 1086 and under Henry I., by Anschitel de St. Medard, and extending over Wittering, Thornhaugh, Siberton and Etton, with part of Walmesford.* From this fief there were due to the Abbey 4J- knights, and from Ansgotby, in Lincolnshire (which belonged to it), i|, making in all 6 knights. This estate, descended, as a whole, through heiresses to the Russells, gave to Lord Russell ' of Thornhaugh,' the name of his barony, and is held by his descendant the duke of Bedford, who thus inherits it from the days of the Conqueror and of Abbot Turold.'" From the ' Torpel ' (in Ufford) fief also there were due 6 knights. Roger ' Infans,' its first holder, held 2| hides of the Abbot in Pilton, but his full fief of 12 hides included lands in Maxey and Ufford, north ' 'Terra hominum ejus.lem ecclesie ' (pp. 314-17 above). ^ Society of Jntiquaries' MS. 6o.
- See Feudal England, p. 157. It was printed by Stapleton in Chronicon Petroburgense,
pp. 168-175.
- It is given by Hugh 'Candidus,' and printed in Sparke's Scriptores, pp. 80-81.
- It is found at the end of the Northamptonshire Survey in Cotton MS. Vesp. E. xxii.,
and has not been printed. ® It is printed in Liber Rubeus de Scaccario, pp. 618-19. ' See Sparke (as above), pp. 53-63.
- It will be convenient to refer to the above lists of fees under the letters (A, B, C, D)
assigned to them in the text. " See p. 315 above. "* See Bridges, II. 595-7, for the descent. 3QO
