In 1065, the Nuttalls were either thegns or freemen and held land under the king. In return they probably owed service to the king, Edward the Confessor. Edward died on January 5 1066 and was succeeded by Harold Godwinson, the son of  Earl Godwin of Essex. Earl Godwin was the father of Edward’s wife, Edith, and  Harold was therefore Edward’s brother-in-law.

The succession, however, was contested: by Harald Hardrada of Norway, and William, Duke of Normandy, who said that Harold promised to support his claim to the English throne after being shipwrecked at Ponthieu.

On 20 September 1066, Hardrada, who had landed his fleet at the mouth of the Tyne and marched his army inland, defeated the earls of Mercia and Northumbria at the battle of Fulford, near York. King Harold immediately marched his army north and defeated Hardrada at the Battle of Stamford Bridge on 25 September. There may well have been a Nuttall at one or both of these battles, since the Nuttalls would have owed allegiance and service to both Morcar, earl of Northumbria and then King Harold.

On 27 September, Duke William’s fleet sailed for England, landing at Pevensey. The following day. Harold marched his army, already tired after marching north and fighting the Battle of Stamford Bridge, south again and intercepted William, who had, perhaps 7,000 men, in Sussex. Harold established his army in hastily built earthworks near Hastings, and on 12 October fought a battle at Senlach Hill. After nine hours of hard fighting, Harold was killed along with his two brothers.

William was crowned king on Christmas Day 1066 in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey, and, soon after, began to allocate lands to his followers. Lancashire was targeted for having particularly rebellious locals whom the new King wished to subdue.

According to Baines, “he left no art untried to root out the ancient nobility, to curb the power of the established clergy and to reduce the commonality to the lowest state of penury and dependence”.

Roger de Poictou (Roger the Poitevin) was given control of all the lands lying between the Mersey and the Ribble (which included Salford Hundred) as well as the Craven district of what is now Yorkshire. In all, it is estimated he was in control of three hundred and ninety eight manors and Roger ranked among the so called ‘Capitales Barons’ holding land immediately from the crown of William.

Roger, by virtue of his semi-regal powers created a number of baronies which were given various privileges. One of these baronies was Rochdale and Tottington, which included Nuttall, and was held by Roger de Montbegone. Roger later granted the Manor of Bury to Adam de Bury for the fee of one knight “of ancient tenure”.

The King reclaimed the lands for the Crown around 1086, probably due to Roger’s ‘defection from the Royal cause’ but they were returned to Roger in around 1090 and were extended north of Morecambe Bay, an area in the southern lakes that would remain part of Lancashire until 1974.

Roger then consolidated his power and chose Lancaster as his base where he built the first castle.

However Roger’s participation in a disastrous rebellion against Henry I, led by Robert Duke of Normandy, led to the end of his lands and power in 1102 when he was forced to leave the country and return to Normandy. The lands, known as the Honour of Lancaster, were then regranted to Stephen de Blois, later to become King Stephen, by his uncle Henry I.

Under Stephen’s reign as King the two halves parted, the lands to the North granted to David, King of Scotland, the South to Randle Gernons, Earl of Chester.