These pages cover a collection of local historical facts. During the 1980's a small pamphlet was produced by some of the inhabitants of Fairburn. Sadly many of the contributors are no longer with us, but their recollections and memories continue to live on.

Picture showing The Cross, Silver Street and Gauk Street, Fairburn School and Chapel Yard. The Farm, fields and barn shown in the centre have all been developed into a housing estate

Farenburne (c. 1030) - Fareburne (c. 1086) - Fairburn

Doomsday book entery for Fairburn reads as follows:

©Domesday Extract reproduced by permission of www.Domesdayextracts.co.uk

The National Archives translates this as:

In FAIRBURN, Ligulf had 2½ carucates of land to the geld, and there could be 2 ploughs. Now the
same man has it of Ilbert. In demesne [is] 1 plough; and 4 villans and 3 bordars with 1 plough, and 5
acres of meadow. TRE worth 20s; now the same. To this manor belongs Ledsham, where there are 2
carucates of land to the geld, and there could be 1 plough. Now there are 2 villans and 3 bordars with 2 ploughs.

People mentioned in Fairburn at the time were:

Adelo; Aelfric; Alfkil; Alsige; Alvred; Alweard; Arnketil; Asmund; Barth; Church of Burton Hall; Earnwig; Forne; Gamal

Acre acra, agra, ager Measurement of land used in Domesday mainly for pasture,
meadowland and woodland, which varied from region to region.

Carucate carucata, carrucata Measurement of land in Danish counties, the equivalent of a hide

Tax Geldum Periodic tax, first raised for the Danish wars, at a number of pence per
hide, carucate or sulung.

Hide hida 120 acres, although this could vary, and sometimes was apparently
around 240 acres. Domesday hide values were not real measurements of land, but
figures on which tax (geld) was based (used in English areas, equivalent to a
carucate).

TRE tempora regis Eduardis In the time of King Edward the Confessor; by
implication, when all in the realm was legally correct and ownership would have
been rightfully secured.