Manors at the time of Domesday?

The History of Sydenham from Cippenham to present day. Links to photos especially welcome!
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Falkor
Posts: 1371
Joined: 10 Feb 2006 17:45
Location: Surrey Quays

Manors at the time of Domesday?

Post by Falkor »

Was Lewisham the only manor in the area that existed at the time of Domesday or did they not bother to include Sydenham and Brockley in their survey? I know they at least existed as hamlets, but after sub-manors of Lewisham were created in the 1200s, does that mean Sydenham and Brockley never existed before as manors? If a crime were committed by peasants in 11th century Sydenham or Brockley I would expect them to face the manorial court of Lewisham Priory (even after the 1200s as well), but what I want to know is if there could have been separate landowners who held Brockley Farm and Place House independent in some way of the Lord of the Manor of Lewisham in 1066?
Falkor
Posts: 1371
Joined: 10 Feb 2006 17:45
Location: Surrey Quays

Re: Manors at the time of Domesday?

Post by Falkor »

To answer my own question, it would seem that the manor of Lewisham was all there was in 1086, as the manorial boundaries would have taken the same shape as the parish boundaries. One thing I'm extremely confused about after reading:
*Lewisham History and Guide by John Coulter
*History of the Borough of Lewisham by Leland Duncan
*Hither Green The Forgotten Hamlet by Godfrey Smith
The manor of Lewisham--at least 3/4--was divided into at least 7 subsidiary manors by 1290 when a new law put a stop to this trend. At least 2 of the these sub-manors had their own law courts. The manor of Lewisham continued to hold manorial courts in different locations until the last one was held in 1922 at the Green Man (in Greenwich I think).

From studying the boundaries of the 7 sub-manors (including Sydenham) there doesn't appear to have been anything left of the original manor, and all land would seem to be accounted for. Therefore, what essentially was the manor of Lewisham in 1922; what exactly was this last court representing? They were no longer even in possession of a manor house, as the Priory disappeared by the 16th-17th century, but I have good reason to believe it was linked to the Bridge House estate in Ladywell with the Priory being located just southwest of the church, which would have come under one of the sub-manors.

I've been studying Subinfeudation, but haven't got the foggiest idea re: the above! Is anyone able to shed some light on this?
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