16 August 2010

Essex Man was alive and well in Norman Britain

The not-wife and I finally got around to watching one of those many programmes that get recorded on V+ in the hope that we eventually eign to view them. The programme in question was Domesday which, unsurprisingly, dealt with the subject of the Domesday Book

It was a programme well worth watching if for no other reason that it introduced me to a resident of late 11th Century Essex - he being Humphrey Goldenbollocks!

According to this site the Domesday books makes this reference in its account of the holdings in the Hundred of Dunmow in Essex: 1.hid.træ.qm.humfrid. aurei.testiculi.inuasit.sup.rege, which is translated as "1 hide of land, which Humphrey Goldenbollocks annexed in the King's despite".

Mr Goldenballs was not alone - in Chafford (also in Essex) there was Rob.inuesrat also known, apparently as rob.lasciuus which is translated as Robert the Perverted and Robert the Lascivious respectively.

One can only wonder how Humphrey Goldenbollocks got his name. It the days before Argos jewellery and sovereign rings perhaps he was held on to his bling by pinning it to his nuts....

6 comments:

Roger B. said...

I bet Humphrey Goldenbollocks' wife was a bit posh.

jams o donnell said...

Haha perhaps she was Delia Diamondnipples!

James Higham said...

Is it silly week?

Mojo said...

Is anyone else flashing on Austin Powers: Goldmember?

NO? Okay, so it's just me then.

CherryPie said...

The mind boggles!

jams o donnell said...

Ah no James this is standard blog fodder for me!

Haha Mojo, I had not thought of that!

It doies indeed Cherie!