The survey contained in the _Domesday Book_ extended to all England, with the exception of Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Durham. All the country between the Tees and the Tyne was held by the Bishop of Durham; and he was reputed a count palatine, having a separate government. The other three northern counties were probably so devastated that they were purposely omitted. Let us first see, from the information of _Domesday Book_, by "what men" the land was occupied. First, we have barons and we have thanes. The barons were the Norman nobles; the thanes, the Saxon. These were included under the general designation of _liberi homines_, free men; which term included all the freeholders of a manor. Many of these were tenants of the King "_in capite_"--that is, they held their possessions direct from the Crown. Others of these had placed themselves under the protection of some lord, as the defender of their persons and estates, they paying some stipend or performing some service. In the _Register_ there are also _liberae feminae_, free women. Next to the free class were the _sochemanni_ or "socmen," a class of inferior land-owners, who held lands under a lord, and owed suit and service in the lord's court, but whose tenure was permanent. They sometimes performed services in husbandry; but those services, as well as their payments, were defined. Descending in the scale, we come to the _villani_. These were allowed to occupy land at the will of the lord, upon the condition of performing services, uncertain in their amount and often of the meanest nature. But they could acquire no property in lands or goods; and they were subject to many exactions and oppressions. There are entries in _Domesday Book_ which show that the villani were not altogether bondmen, but represented the Saxon "churl." The lowest class were _servi_, slaves; the class corresponding with the Saxon _theow_. By a degradation in the condition of the villani, and the elevation of that of the servi, the two classes were brought gradually nearer together; till at last the military oppression of the Normans, thrusting down all degrees of tenants and servants into one common slavery, or at least into strict dependence, one name was adopted for both of them as a generic term, that of _villeins regardant_.