Writing in 1928, Victor Strode Manley, as part of his Regional Survey Of Warminster And District, made the following notes concerning Upton Scudmore (Opetone) in the Domesday Book:
Half a hide is comprehended in this survey, which was assessed T.R.E. but when King William came into England it paid no tax. Within this land Ernulfus holds half a hide under William de Ow, and also as much of the King’s demesne as is valued at one hide. Radulfus holds Opetone of Alured. It was assessed T.R.E. at nine hides. Here are six plough lands, and five servants and nine villagers, and twenty-two borderers, with four plough lands.
The mill (at Smallbrook, Warminster?) pays twenty shillings. Here are five acres of meadow and thirty acres of pasture. The wood is three furlongs in length and one broad. It was valued at eight pounds, now at nine. Ansfridus holds Opetone of Wilemus de Ow. Toli held it T.R.E., and it was assessed at three hides. There are two plough lands and a half. Two hides are in demesne, where is one plough land and two villains, and five borderers, with one plough land. The mill pays five shillings. Here are four acres of meadow. The wood is a quarter of a mile long and a furlong broad. And there are twenty acres of pasture. It was valued at fifteen shillings, now at sixty. Half a hide was excused from assessments after King William came to England. And Ernulfus de Hesding unjustly retained half a hide in the same will.
Hoare states that the family of Ow or Ewe probably came from Eu in Normandy, and were styled de Auco. Robertus de Ewe was a chief counsellor to William of Normandy before the Conquest of England, and had great honours and lands bestowed upon him as a reward. His son, William, came to an untimely end and gruesome end. In 1088 he took part with Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, in advancing the cause of Robert Curthose to the Crown, but he tired of the work and fled to England. Here his adventurous spirit had to find some outlet, so he became one of the champions of the hated William Rufus. Proving himself false, however, he was seized by royal order and taken to Salisbury, where Rufus was holding a great council. There, in 1096, his eyes were put out and his body mutilated.