By
the 11th century, the settlement was known as Halesuworde and had
moved to the top of the ridge, east of the Parish Church. It is also
possible that Halesworth became a strategic crossing place over the
river and its northern tributary, where the people crossing to the
hinterland could be controlled. Perhaps Halesworth was also a
collecting place for the produce from the surrounding countryside,
with goods moving up and down the river between Halesworth, the royal
estates and market of Blythburgh and the coastal port of Dunwich. It
may also have been a dependent settlement of the Royal Manor of
Blythburgh.
At
the time of the Norman Conquest, Halesworth consisted of 3 manors,
which include a rural estate held by Aelfric and 2 smaller manors
held by Ulf the Priest and by Gunner. These were under the protection
of Ralph the Constable and Edric of Laxfield, two of the more
important landowners in Suffolk. Ralph the Constable also held lands
in Wissett and Spexhall.
According
to the Domesday Book, the recorded population of Halesworth in the
time of Edward the Confessor, just before the Conquest consisted of
six freemen, four villagers, eleven small-holders and two slaves. If
each is considered to be the head or representative of a family, we
find that using an average family group of five, which was usual at
that time, an estimate of Halesworth population was about 115 persons
in all.