Excerpt from The Lancashire Pipe Rolls of 31 Henry I., A. D. 1130, and of the Reigns of Henry II., A. D. 1155-1189; Richard I., A. D. 1189-1199; And King John, A. D. 1199-1216: The Latin d104 Extended and Notes Added

Briefly stated, the history of the county down to the reign of Henry the Third is as follows. In Saxon times the land between the rivers Mersey and Duddon formed part of the kingdom of N orthumhria. But in 923, King Edward took possession of the southern portion, lying between the Ribble and the Mersey, and incorporated it in the kingdom of Mercia. Sometime during the period which intervened before the Norman invasion, the northern portion, which still formed part of the kingdom of N orthumbria, lying between the Ribble, which parted it on the south from Mercia, and the Duddon, which parted it on the north from Jmnberland, was assessed to Danegcld at 500 ploughlands or caruwtes. Within this area was also included that part of Vl'estmorland which afterwards formed the Barony of Kendal. After the abolition of the royal dignity in N orthumberland in the year 952, that kingdom continued under the government of the Earls of that province. Thus we find that Earl Tostig or his thanes were lords of this territory before the Conquest. The Mercian portion was apparently assessed to the same levy, in conjunction with Cheshire, at ploughlands or carucates, of which 520 lay in Cheshire proper, and 480 between the Ribble and the Mersey, which latter for a long period before the Conquest formed part of the demesne of the Kings of England. Probably owing to this fact, the ancient assessment in carucates had been converted at some period into Mercian hides, in the proportion of six carucates to one hide; so that this territory was assessed before the Conquest at 80 hides, as against 520 in Cheshire.

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