The Cottage Smallholder

Some history of didcot were i live, my fame.

After the Norman Conquest the manor passed to Henry de Ferrers, one of William the Conqueror's chief barons. He, in turn, gave Didcot to Nigel de Albini, his son in law, who was Lord of the Honour of Cainhoe, in Bedfordshire. Nigel held this great Honour, which was centred on the castle at Cainhoe. Nigel's grandson, Robert, who held the Honour in 1140, became a supporter of King Stephen during that most bloody and ferocious civil war between Queen Matilda and the latter. The Upper Thames valley, owing to the strategic value of the castles at Wallingford and Oxford, became an important military centre. Didcot, and most other local villages, suffered heavily during the course of this war. One authority dates the nave walls of All Saints’ church to circa 1160; and it may well be that the church mentioned in Domesday, and the village were destroyed during the course of the war. The explanation lies in the military situation of the area: Wallingford Castle was held by Brien Fitzcount for Queen Matilda, and to maintain the castle in a position of strength the surrounding countryside had to be raided for supplies. The castle was also besieged several times - living at Didcot before 1300 could be hazardous!

Also my surname has a lot of history.would be cool is there was some link from the past.