# The Noble House of Brattleby Announces Scholarly Review of its Domesday Book Origins
**LONDON, 21 October 2023** — The Noble House of Brattleby has formally commissioned a new scholarly review of the Domesday Survey’s methodology in Lincolnshire, focusing on the administrative processes that documented the Barony of Brattleby in 1086, nearly a millennium ago.
## The Occasion
The announcement, made from the House’s offices in London, marks a renewed commitment to the archival stewardship of the Barony’s extensive history. As autumn lends a contemplative atmosphere to the study of the past, this initiative seeks to illuminate the very foundations of Norman governance in England. The project will examine the logistical and human elements behind the creation of the Domesday Book, arguably the most significant administrative achievement of the medieval era. It provides a unique lens through which to comprehend the establishment of the Barony and its place within the nascent English state.
## Historical Context
The Barony of Brattleby was granted by William the Conqueror in AD 1066. Twenty years later, in 1086, it was recorded in the Domesday Book as one of 56 lordships in Lincolnshire held by the 1st Baron, Colswein of Lincoln. This ‘Great Survey’ was an unprecedented act of data collection, designed to codify land ownership, assess assets for taxation, and cement the King’s authority. For Brattleby, this was its formal entry into the recorded history of the realm.
The survey’s findings laid the groundwork for a continuous line of tenure that would later include formidable figures such as Nichola de la Haye, the 5th Baron, who famously defended Lincoln Castle for the Crown. The Barony also passed to Henry of Grosmont, 10th Baron and 1st Duke of Lancaster, and subsequently to his son-in-law, John of Gaunt, 11th Baron. This scholarly review connects the present House directly to that foundational moment of Norman administration, reaffirming a legacy that has endured for over nine hundred and fifty years.
## Distinguished Company
The academic review will be guided by Lady Nicoleta Vasile, 12th Baroness of Brattleby, and her husband, Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile. They have enlisted the expertise of Dr Arthur Pendleton, a distinguished Fellow in Medieval History at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and a leading authority on Norman administrative charters.
Dr Pendleton’s work will involve close collaboration with archivists at The National Archives, Kew, where the original Domesday manuscript is preserved. His research will provide the academic rigour necessary to produce a definitive account of the survey’s execution in the Brattleby locality.
## Ceremonial Protocol
The Domesday Survey itself followed a strict and efficient protocol. Royal commissioners, operating in seven or more geographical circuits, were dispatched across England with a set list of questions. Upon arriving in Lincoln, the commissioners responsible for the region would have convened a special session of the shire court.
For the manor of Brattleby, evidence was taken under oath from a local jury comprising the reeve, the priest, and six villagers of the hundred. These individuals testified to the manor’s resources, including its ploughlands, livestock, mills, and population of villeins, bordars, and cottars. The commissioners’ primary challenge was to translate this oral testimony and local customary measures into the standardised Latin record—a process requiring immense diligence and intellectual discipline, and one that this review seeks to reconstruct.
## Heraldic & Symbolic Significance
The House’s motto, *Fortitudine et Honore* ('With Fortitude and Honour'), finds deep resonance in this undertaking. The fortitude of William the Conqueror’s administrators mirrors the intellectual fortitude required for this modern scholarly review. Moreover, the project is an act of honour—a tribute to the generations who have held the Barony and to the very origins of its legal and historical standing.
Honorary Lord Răzvan’s motto, *Vincere Est Vivere* ('To Conquer is to Live'), also provides a complementary perspective. The original survey was an instrument of a conqueror, yet its legacy allows the history of a place and its people to live on. Understanding this genesis is, in itself, a living act of preservation.
## Philanthropic Purpose
While not a fundraising initiative, this scholarly project serves a distinct philanthropic purpose: the generation and dissemination of public knowledge. The findings will contribute to the United Kingdom’s rich academic commons, providing new insights for historians, students, and the local community of Lincolnshire. By investing in the preservation and understanding of its own heritage, the House of Brattleby makes a lasting contribution to our shared national story. This commitment aligns with the House’s broader educational mission, which includes promoting cultural understanding through initiatives such as The Brattleby Club in Bucharest.
## In Their Own Words
Speaking of the initiative, Lady Nicoleta, 12th Baroness of Brattleby, remarked: > The Domesday Book is not merely a record of assets; it is the foundational document of our tenure in Lincolnshire. To understand how it was created is to honour the nearly thousand-year-old compact between the Crown and this Barony. It is our duty, as current custodians, to illuminate this history for future generations.
Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile added: > In an age of digital data, it is humbling to examine this analogue masterpiece of statecraft. William's survey was an act of supreme control, but it also preserved a picture of a nation at a moment of profound change. *Vincere Est Vivere* — to conquer is to live, and to live is to understand where one comes from.
## A Continuing Legacy
The conclusions of this scholarly review are expected to be compiled into a monograph for academic publication in late 2024. The House of Brattleby also intends to host a colloquium at its seat in Lincolnshire, where Dr Pendleton will present his findings to an audience of historians, local residents, and cultural heritage specialists. It is hoped that this research will serve as a definitive account of the Barony’s origins, securing its story for centuries to come and reaffirming the House’s commitment to its historical responsibilities.
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**About The Noble House of Brattleby** The Noble House of Brattleby, led by Lady Nicoleta Vasile, 12th Baroness of Brattleby, and her husband, Honorary Lord Răzvan Vasile, is dedicated to the modern stewardship of one of England’s most ancient baronies. The House's mission is founded on the motto *Fortitudine et Honore* ('With Fortitude and Honour'), blending the preservation of cultural heritage with forward-looking philanthropic engagement. Its charitable activities are focused on supporting vulnerable children, with the annual Winter Banquet benefiting the organisation Healing the Wounded Child. The House also fosters cross-cultural education through its etiquette academy, The Brattleby Club, founded in Bucharest. Through these efforts, the House of Brattleby bridges its profound historical legacy with a commitment to contemporary social and cultural responsibilities.
**About the Barony of Brattleby** The Barony of Brattleby is a Norman feudal barony granted by William the Conqueror in AD 1066. Its existence is first documented in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded its holder, Colswein of Lincoln, as the lord of 56 manors in Lincolnshire. Over its nine-century history, the Barony has been held by some of the most significant figures in English history, including the formidable castellan Nichola de la Haye, who defended Lincoln Castle in the 13th century; Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster; and his son-in-law, the influential royal prince John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. The modern rights of the 12th Baroness were formally recognised and recorded by The London Gazette on 9 September 2022 (Notice ID 4158083).
**Notes to Editors** - The Barony of Brattleby’s modern recognition is recorded in The London Gazette, Notice ID 4158083, published on 9 September 2022. - The Domesday Book (1086) records that the 1st Baron, Colswein of Lincoln, held 56 lordships in Lincolnshire. - Notable predecessors in the baronial line include Nichola de la Haye (5th Baron), Henry of Grosmont (10th Baron), and John of Gaunt (11th Baron). - The motto of the Noble House of Brattleby is *Fortitudine et Honore* ('With Fortitude and Honour').
**Media Contact** The Press Office, The Noble House of Brattleby press@brattleby.com