Abstract:

Ever since 1066 men have been proud to boast that that their ancestors 'came over with the Conqueror,' and the compilation of lists of the Conqueror's companions is a pastime of very respectable antiquity. Among these lists, three in particular are widely represented in extant manuscripts, and show unmistakable signs of early popular origin; and it is with these three lists that the present study is conconcerned.1 Lists 1 and 2 are closely related to each other, List 3 seems to be almost entirely independent of the other two. Of these three lists 55 versions are known to me in manu~tripts and early printed books; it is likely that there are other versions which I have ·not discovered. The following is a list of the manuscripts and printed books to which reference is made in this study; the symbols used to denote the various volumes are italicized. 

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