The term "Hundred' was used originally to describe the areas
into which England was divided for the purposes of calculating
Danegeld that is, the "protection" money paid by the
Saxon kings to the Danish invaders. It then came to mean an area
generally administered as one unit, and in which a court was held.
Later still it became an electoral constituency area, and finally
a local authority area - the old "Rural District Council".
In 1086, William the Conqueror had an inventory made of the entire
country. County by county, landholder by landholder and manor
by manor, a list was drawn up of everything of interest or value
to the Crown. It detailed which lands belonged to which estates,
who was responsible for what areas, and what revenues were due
and to whom. It is a unique record of the political, economic
and social structure of an entire country, and it is known as
the Domesday Book.
In 1086, at the time of the Domesday census, the Hundred of Wayland
(WANELUND - marshy place) consisted of the following villages
(Saxon names in brackets):
| Ashill (Asscelea) | Breckles (Brecchles) | Carbrooke (Cherebroc) |
| Caston (Castetuna) | Griston (Grestuna) | Little Ellingham (Ailincham) |
| Merton (Meretuna) | Panworth (Pennewerde) | Rockland St Peter (Toffies) |
| Saham Toney (Saham) | Scoulton (Sculetuna) | Stow Bedon (Stou) |
| Thompson (Tomestuna) | Threxton (Trecstuna) | Tottington (Totintuna) |
| Watton (Wadetuna) | West Carbrooke (Weskerebroc) |
Panworth no longer exists as a separate community, and West
Carbrooke is now part of Carbrooke. Tottington is one of the 'lost"
villages on the Stanford Training Area.
The entries for the various villages in the Domesday Book are
listed by landowner; therefore each place name may appear several
times in each county, since parts of some villages were owned
by different people. For instance, landowners in Griston included
the King; Godric; William de Warenne; Roger Bigot; Ralph Baynard;
and Osbert, a tenant of John the nephew of Waleran.