Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Maps
- Preface
- List of Abbreviations
- Chapter I THE DOMESDAY INQUEST
- Chapter II RURAL SETTLEMENTS
- Chapter III POPULATION
- Chapter IV ARABLE LAND
- Chapter V GRASSLAND, MARSH AND LIVESTOCK
- Chapter VI WOODLAND AND FOREST
- Chapter VII ANNUAL VALUES
- Chapter VIII DEVASTATED LAND
- Chapter IX INDUSTRY
- Chapter X BOROUGHS AND TOWNS
- Chapter XI THE WELSH MARCH
- Appendix 1 General Statistical Summary by Domesday Counties
- Appendix 2 Summary of Categories of Rural Population
- Appendix 3 Categories of Rural Population by Domesday Counties
- Appendix 4 Churches and Priests by Domesday Counties
- Appendix 5 The Shropshire Ploughland Formulae
- Appendix 6 The Leicestershire Ploughland Formulae
- Appendix 7 The Yorkshire Ploughland Formulae
- Appendix 8 References to Marsh
- Appendix 9 References to Forests
- Appendix 10 References to Hawks and Renders of Hawks
- Appendix 11 References to firma unius noctis/diei
- Appendix 12 Annual Values for Rural Holdings in 1086 by Domesday Counties
- Appendix 13 References to Iron and Renders of Iron
- Appendix 14 Statistical Summary of Mills by Domesday Counties
- Appendix 15 References to Vineyards
- Appendix 16 Statistical Summary of Boroughs
- Appendix 17 References to Markets
- Appendix 18 References to Mints
- Appendix 19 Extension and Translation of examples of Domesday entries
- Appendix 20 The Domesday Geography of England: Editors and Contributors
- Appendix 21 On the Writing of Domesday Geography
- Index
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Maps
- Preface
- List of Abbreviations
- Chapter I THE DOMESDAY INQUEST
- Chapter II RURAL SETTLEMENTS
- Chapter III POPULATION
- Chapter IV ARABLE LAND
- Chapter V GRASSLAND, MARSH AND LIVESTOCK
- Chapter VI WOODLAND AND FOREST
- Chapter VII ANNUAL VALUES
- Chapter VIII DEVASTATED LAND
- Chapter IX INDUSTRY
- Chapter X BOROUGHS AND TOWNS
- Chapter XI THE WELSH MARCH
- Appendix 1 General Statistical Summary by Domesday Counties
- Appendix 2 Summary of Categories of Rural Population
- Appendix 3 Categories of Rural Population by Domesday Counties
- Appendix 4 Churches and Priests by Domesday Counties
- Appendix 5 The Shropshire Ploughland Formulae
- Appendix 6 The Leicestershire Ploughland Formulae
- Appendix 7 The Yorkshire Ploughland Formulae
- Appendix 8 References to Marsh
- Appendix 9 References to Forests
- Appendix 10 References to Hawks and Renders of Hawks
- Appendix 11 References to firma unius noctis/diei
- Appendix 12 Annual Values for Rural Holdings in 1086 by Domesday Counties
- Appendix 13 References to Iron and Renders of Iron
- Appendix 14 Statistical Summary of Mills by Domesday Counties
- Appendix 15 References to Vineyards
- Appendix 16 Statistical Summary of Boroughs
- Appendix 17 References to Markets
- Appendix 18 References to Mints
- Appendix 19 Extension and Translation of examples of Domesday entries
- Appendix 20 The Domesday Geography of England: Editors and Contributors
- Appendix 21 On the Writing of Domesday Geography
- Index
Summary
Although industry was not important in eleventh-century England, we might expect to hear more of it than we do. Even so, the fragments of information that are available provide hints of that fuller picture we can never have. In the first place, there were the extractive industries providing raw material for salt-making, iron-working and lead-working. There were also the ‘agricultural industries’ of grain-milling and the making of wine and honey. Then there was fishing both in rivers and at sea. Finally some other non-agricultural activities are revealed by a few miscellaneous references.
SALT-MAKING
Salt was an indispensable item in the economy of the Middle Ages, especially for the preservation of meat and fish to be eaten during the winter. Rock salt was not discovered in Britain until 1670 during explorations for coal at a depth of about 100 feet near Northwich in Cheshire. Before then, salt was obtained by evaporation either from inland brine springs or from sea water.
Inland brine springs
The inland centres of production were in Worcestershire and Cheshire, and the brine springs were derived from the Keuper Marl beds of the Triassic system. The Worcestershire industry was centred on the borough of Droitwich for which brine-pits (putei) and salt-pans (salinae) are recorded; we also hear of mysterious hocci, the meaning of which is not clear.
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- Domesday England , pp. 260 - 288Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1977