A Study of the Strood by W.E. Duane. Chapter 4. Page 19.

The Early Settlement of Mersea Island contd.

As the Strood lies within the boundary of West Mersea, the details for West Mersea only will be quoted, so that a comparison can be made with the figures for the present day.

West Mersea is described in the Domesday Book as follows:-

"MERESAI (West Mersea) [Note 1][Note 4] (including the manors of Fingringhoe and Peete on the mainland) was held by St. Ouen (Andaenus) in King Edwards time as 20 hides. Then 4 ploughs on the demense, now 6. Then as now (semper) 16 ploughs belonging to the men. (These are) 36 Villeins and 62 borders. Then 10 serfs now 3 (there are) 11 rounceys 2 colts, 16 beasts 34 swine 300 sheep. To this manor belongs half a hide which is held now as then (simper) by 1 priest and is worth 10 shillings, wood (land) for 200 swine, and 1 pasture for 300 sheep. (There was) then 1 fishery. It was then worth 26 pounds: now 22. There is also in Colchester 1 house which belonged to this estate, but Walcram took it away. And in the hundred of Winisistreau there are 8 sokemen of the King holding 107 acres worth 10 shillings, of these St.Ouen has two thirds (11partes) and 2 sokemen, with (de) half a hide and 30 acres were taken (away) by Ingleric: Count E(ustace) has them now And (there were) 2 sokemen who have been added to LEGRA (Layer) a manor of a King in Hundret. And all of this soke St.Ouen has now as then (semper) two thirds (partes) and the King a third. And (St. Ouen has) now as then two thirds of the forfeitures of the Hundret (i.e. the penalties imposed on it.)"

It is interesting to note that the present day boundary dividing East and West Mersea has not deviated far from the one described above. The present boundary is shewn on Sheet TM10 Ordnance Survey Map [ SOS_007_001_001 ].

The population at the time of the Domesday Book was 109 and the total value of the manor £27. The latest figures on population, given by West Mersea, U.D.C. [Note 3] are 3,200 with the ...

Note 1 Page 488 V.C.H.
Note 2 Oxford English Dictionary. Rounceys - Donkeys.
Note 3 Page 18. Official Guide to West Mersea.

Date: 1965