West Mersea, 1086 Domesday Book entry

Land of St Ouen's: Hundred of Winstree
St Ouen's [Note 1] held [West] MERSEA before 1066 for 20 hides. Then 4 ploughs in lordship, now 6. Always 16 men's ploughs.
36 villans [villeins, unfree peasants], 62 bordars [unfree, less land]. Then 10 slaves, now 3.
11 cobs [small horses], 2 foals, 16 cattle, 34 pigs, 300 sheep.
To this manor is attached ½ hide which 1 priest has always held; value 10s.
Woodland, 200 pigs; pasture, 300 sheep; then 1 fishery.
Value then [1066] £26; now [1086] [£]22.
There is also 1 house in Colchester which belonged to this land, but Waleran [Note 2] took it away.

Note 1 The Abbey of St Ouen (sometimes spelt as Audoen) at Rouen, Normandy. It had been given the estates of West Mersea, Peete and Fingringho by King Edward the Confessor in 1046
Note 2 Waleran was a royal official, whose duties included the confiscation of land, for example in Norwich, see www.stedmundsburychronicle.co.uk/domesday/abbeyowned.htm

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Date: 1086