de SYNOT Somerset Doomesday?

[sue alderton]

Hi

I was wondering if anyone has done some serious research into the Somerset Doomesday? I am researching my family history and it is claimed that my relative a Flemish knight "de Synot" came with William the Conqueror in 1066 to invade England. As a reward he received land in Somerset and Lincolnshire and it is reported that this was mentioned in the Somerset and Lincolnshire Doomesday records. I have searched the Doomesday Online but it only records the greater landowners, earls and barons and probably these are Normans. Is there anyone out there who has come across this surname attached to anyone in this part of the Doomesday Book?

Unfortunately the spelling can vary greatly, Synot may come from the swan which is on their Coat of Arms and the surname could be Cygnet, Sinet, Synnot, Synott, Sinnett, Sennatt, Sinay and so on.

Any help would be appreciated,

Sue

[Mort29]

can't see him on any of the lists mentioned in this site.

http://www.robertsewell.ca/conquest.html#companions

[sue alderton]

 Thanks for the reply unfortunately he was only a minor knight  bound to Richard fitz Gilbert (Le Clare) and does not rate a mention on any of the Battle rolls but he was one of the 4 or so thousand lesser knights that accompanied William the Conqueror.

I am trying to find the reference to him in the Somerset or Linconshire Doomesday book, so if anyone out there who can check this out on the full version of the Doomesday book for Somerset or Lincolnshire I would greatly appreciate it.

As I said before he is not on the shorter version of the Doomesday Online put out by the British Archives.

Sue

[stanmapstone]

There is no mention of anyone of that name in the names index of Phillimore's publication of the Domesday Book of Somerset

Stan

[Mort29]

another point for consideration is that sub-tenants (if relevant to your man) were only shown as forenames in the DB itself.

[sue alderton]

Thanks Stan and Mort for the help, is there any possibbility of the variation in spelling? Synott/Sennett/Synnott/Sinet/Sinnett/Sinay or the like. Even Cygnet for swan which is their Coat of Arms.

Could you tell me what you mean by the forenames of the sub tenants, is this just their christian name? I think his christian name was Sir Walter de Synot? not sure of the spelling of Synot?

Where would I get a copy of this list of sub tenants, I think he was bound to the de Roch family who were bound to their greater lord Richard fitz Gilbert (de La Clare)

Thanks for any help Sue

[Mort29]

Could you tell me what you mean by the forenames of the sub tenants, is this just their christian name?

Yes.

I dont have access to the actual info, I was reading about Great Domesday in the Nat Archives website and noticed that comment about names and how they were shown.


Here is more from the Nat Archives site

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=266&j=1

and a CD

http://www.phillimore.co.uk/acatalog/Bookshop_Domesday_Book_15.html
 

[stanmapstone]

There are no names like  Synott/Sennett/Synnott/Sinet/Sinnett/Sinay or Cygnet

In the list of landholders in Somerset is "Gilbert son of Thorold"

Stan

[sue alderton]

Thanks again Stan and Mort.

I am just trying to confirm information that has been passed on down to me. I have done a lot of research into a lot of the family histories of the de La Clares, the La Rochs, families which the Synots were feudally bound to. I have read excerpts of the work by Richard Roch and the Camden Britannia 1610,  looked at Battel Abbey Rolls,  Dives Rolls, Falaise Rolls even the Pipe Rolls of much later. There are works by Nigel Sinnett and Rev Sinnett in the early 1900s that make these statements but I am yet to find any verification in any printed work. I do not require any of the 12th century history confirmed it is more the statements that the de Synots were Flemish knights who came to England with William the Conqueror and received lands in the Doomesday "handouts." if I could get a christian name that would help I only know the common names used in the 12th century, Walter, David and Richard, I am only guessing these might have come through from their Flemish origins.

I do not have a copy of the complete Somerset or Lincolnshire Doomesday only the excerpts Online, so I do appreciate the trouble you both have gone to for me. I will look on the websites you have supplied if by any chance you have any other suggestions please let me know.

Thanks again Sue