Domesday book, or, the great survey of england of william the conqueror a. The questions found in the ely inquest are as follows. Learn more about out why and how domesday was created, and how to interpret it, in discover domesday. Domesday book of 1085 badequella bakewell, derbyshire. If you also leave out the churches as tenants and the surviving english tenants, fewer than 20,000 names remain, and about 8,000 of those are identified by forename alone. Domesday book county edition enquire about this book. It arose from the desire of the victorian governing landed classes, many of whom sat in the house of lords, to counter rising public clamour encouraged by the press about what was. The domesday book is closely linked with william the conquerors attempt to dominate medieval england.
Domesday book county edition enquire about this book for anyone interested in where they live now or where they come from, domesday reveals fascinating facts about customs, value and ownership of their village, town and county more than 900 years ago. It was probably for the purpose of recording taxes and determining military service in a feudal system. If you went to school in the uk, chances are you spent hours of class time learning about. At over 900 years old, domesday is the earliest surviving public record and the foundation document of the national archives. Produced at amazing speed in the years after the conquest, the domesday book provides a vivid picture of late 11thcentury england. Domesday book also known as domesday, or book of winchester was the record of the great survey of england completed in 1086, executed for william the conqueror. Domesday book, compiled in 1086 at the behest of william the conqueror, has been described as the most valuable piece of antiquity possessed by any nation david hume and viewed by historians as the final act of the norman conquest. The domesday book county edition addison publications. How many hides are there what is its tax assessment.
William needed information about the country he had just conquered so he could administer it. Produced under the supervision of the most renowned domesday scholars, this authoritative translation of the complete domesday offers a. The domesday book is actually not one book but two. Domesday book is an example of survey, which covered much areas of britain.
Contents explore records for towns and villages from the domesday book. Known as the domesday book, this survey contained all the details of the names of places, the number of people, goods, and animals, and the use and the owners of the land. For these three counties the full, unabbreviated return sent in to winchester by the commissioners is preserved in the second volume little domesday, which. Sussex the following pages include domesday placenames and landowners, and beneath some are links to websites containing the local history of that place. Domesday book was produced for william the conqueror. The survey was similar to a census by a government of today. Though invariably called domesday book, in the singular, it in fact consists of.
These pages can be accessed from the links in the bar above as you move around them. While spending the christmas of 1085 in gloucester, william had deep speech. The domesday book is the record of the great survey of much of england, and parts of wales, completed in 1086, done for william i of england, or william the conqueror the domesday book also known as domesday, or book of winchester was a record of all taxable land in england, together with such information as would indicate its worth. The existing literature on this remarkable memorial is so extensive, that it has not appeared advisable to quote largely from it. The domesday book also known as domesday, or book of winchester was a record of all taxable land in england, together with such information as would indicate its worth.
The domesday survey and domesday book have generally been seen as the culmination of the norman conquest, and show the results of a great investigation, commissioned by william the conqueror, of. The domesday book was a survey, or census, commissioned by the norman conqueror king william i, of his newly conquered lands and possessions in england. Compiling the domesday book how the information was gathered and what can be found in the domesday volumes. It took two years to collect all the information for this survey. The domesday book is the record of the great survey of much of england, and parts of wales, completed in 1086, done for william i of england, or william the conqueror the domesday book also known as domesday, or book of winchester was a record of all taxable land in england, together with such information as would indicate its worth as the scribes went round england, they were protected. What is known as domesday book is in fact a composite work in two volumes. In fact there are two domesday books little domesday and great. Domesday book domesday book is the oldest government record held in the national archives. In fact there are two domesday books little domesday and about england in the 11th century. Facsimile of the part relating to norfork by james, henry, sir. Here are some facts about domesday book, the great norman survey of the wealth of england. The information collected was recorded by hand in two huge books, in the space of around a year.
Since they are only normally enumerated for 1086, this evidence is patchy and open to different interpretations. Chichester, 19741992 the english translations for the great domesday counties, together with images of the latin text, are available in searchable form on cd, known as domesday explorer, published by phillimore and co. Michael jai white provides the voice of doomsday in the justice league animated series. At christmas, 1085, whilst staying at goucester, william the conqueror decided to conduct a far ranging survey of his kingdom, its boroughs and manors, for tax purposes, becoming known as the domesday book, from the old english dom, meaning reckoning, due to the exacting and invasive nature of its questions, the survey was completed in 1086. The bbc domesday project was a partnership between acorn computers, philips, logica and the bbc with some funding from the european commissions esprit programme to mark the 900th anniversary of the original domesday book, an 11thcentury census of england. The new king was responsible for the domesday book. The basis of this electronic edition of the text is the translation published by phillimore and edited by john morris 35 volumes, chichester, 197386, with the following modifications. The domesday book is the national archives oldest and most famous public record. At the bottom of the social pile came the servi or slaves, about 10% of the total. Find out how to search for your town or village, and how to access images of domesday along with an english translation, using our research guide.
The domesday book is one of medieval englands greatest treasures. How many plough teams on the demesne local lords own land and among the men rest. It is also the starting point for most local historians researching the history of their area. Domesday book simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. In 1085, king william i of england ordered a complete survey of all the land and property in the country. Domesday book domesday book was unique in western europe and it set a standard.
In 1086, king william i the conqueror wanted to find out about all the land in his new kingdom. The document was first held in winchester and then moved to westminster. Domesday book money is a crossword puzzle clue that we have spotted 16 times. Uploaded by the open domesday project, released under ccbysa by professor john palmer and george slater. The returns themselves were written up into domesday book. Domesday doomsday, judgment day received its name in the 12th century, for it was regarded as the ultimate authority, the last word on matters of property. It in fact comprises two volumes, now preserved at the national. Contents explore records for towns and villages from the domesday book landowners information about the landowners featured in the records of the domesday book domesday history events in the domesday book s history through the past 900 years. The domesday book was an incredibly useful resource and for many years, centuries, it was the final word on the title to land.
Tr introduction the first approach to a modern assessment roll or cataster is the well known. Could be followed by a brief q and a on the experiences of the roleplaya small worksheet to discuss the different conversations and meetings had during the roleplay. It was intended to document what, or how much, each man had, who was an occupier of land in england, either in land or in stock, and how much money it were worth. The second survey is often called modern domesday book. Pase domesday forms part of a longterm research initiative which aims in due course to identify all the landholders named in domesday book and to produce a major study of landed society in england in 1066 and 1086. The twovolume return of owners of land, 1873 is the first complete picture of the distribution of land in great britain since the 1086 domesday book.
Domesday is a most remarkable and valuable record, created in 10851086 by order of william the conqueror, so that he might fully know and understand the nation he. Domesday book is the product of an extraordinary survey of england commissioned by king william the. The domesday book online frequently asked questions. Indeed this is the reason for its name domesday book. The middle english spelling of domesday is doomsday. Domesday book contains some 45,000 personal names, many of them duplications since tenantsinchief held land in several counties. It has been cited as an example of digital obsolescence on account of the physical medium used for data storage. You can find the native terms and abbreviated works. Doomsday book quotes showing 114 of 14 i wanted to come, and if i hadnt, they would have been all alone, and nobody would have ever known how frightened and brave and irreplaceable they were. Censuses, being expensive, are taken only at infrequent intervals. Despite its many imperfections, therefore, domesday book is an indispensable source for the social structure of early english society. There were 304 places in the county of worcestershire in domesday book.
The king wanted to know the amount of taxes received when king edward the confessor was on the throne. Facsimile of the part relating to norfork by james, henry, sir, 18031877. Find out how it was compiled, and what it reveals about life in. The national archives is the home of domesday book, the oldest surviving public record.
The royal treasury at winchester preserved the book in the end of 11th. It became known as domesday because to the subject anglosaxons it resembled gods final day of judgment. Whatever was recorded in domesday book was legally binding. It arose from the desire of the victorian governing landed classes, many of whom sat in the house of lords, to counter rising public. The document is also known as the doomsday book, the book of winchester and the great survey. Mar 05, 2015 the domesday book is one of medieval englands greatest treasures. Produced under the supervision of the most renowned domesday scholars, this authoritative translation of the complete domesdayoffers a remarkable portrait of. The detailed picture of the english landscape it offers has no equal in any country, while it is valuable not only in the picture it allows local historians to construct of their area in the eleventh century but also as the foundation document of the national archives.
Along with a string of castles throughout england, the domesday book was to give william huge authority in england. Landowners information about the landowners featured in the records of the domesday book. Having won the battle ol hastings in 1066, and then occupied the whole of england, william governed the country by giving large estates to his most trusted followers, who were called tenants in chief, holding lands directly from the king. The information collected during the survey was written up in a fair copy, later known as domesday book, which in fact comprises two volumes. Domesday history events in the domesday books history through. If you have a local history site that you would like to be included on these pages please get in touch via the contact page. Little domesday book ldb, which covers norfolk, suffolk and essex. Domesday book, the original record or summary of william is survey of england. Jan 12, 2015 a ks3 roleplay covering the domesday book. The domesday book provides extensive records of landholders, their tenants, the amount of land they owned, how many people occupied the land villagers, smallholders, free men, slaves, etc. A complete translation domesday book is one of the most famous documents in english history. Doomsday is an animated direct to video movie released in 2007.
It is principally, therefore, a research tool, but it has been published online in the belief that it will also prove useful to anyone who may be interested in. The 1873 return is sometimes called the modern domesday. The phillimore translation the basis of this electronic edition of the text is the translation published by phillimore and edited by john morris 35 volumes, chichester, 197386, with the following modifications. To further extend his grip on england, william i ordered that a. If ownership of property was disputed, whatever was recorded in domesday was the final. Domesday book is a manuscript record of the great survey of much of england and parts of. It can be incorporated in to a lesson on the domesday book as an opportunity for pupils to see how it may have worked in practice. They recorded who owned the land, who lived on it, the type of livestock, the value and taxes. For anyone interested in where they live now or where they come from, domesday reveals fascinating facts about customs, value and ownership of their village, town and county more than 900 years ago. As the scribes went round england, they were protected by williams armed men. The first volume great domesday contains the final summarized record of all the counties surveyed except essex, norfolk, and suffolk. The domesday book is a great land survey from 1086, commissioned by william the conqueror to assess the extent of the land and resources being owned in england at the time, and the extent of the taxes he could raise. By contemporaries the whole operation was known as the description of england, but the popular name domesdayi. In the comic, the origin of doomsday was elaborated.
Domesday book was mainly about the great survey which applied on parts of wales and england. Like none of the things one frets about ever happen. The domesday book compiled in 10856 is one of the few historical. Volume one, known as great or exchequer domesday, is an abbreviated version of the returns from 32 counties. Domesday book also provides some evidence for the impact of the conquest on the peasant classes. It is a highly detailed survey and valuation of all the land held by the king, william the conqueror, and his. The national archives education service domesday book. Important facts about the domesday book 1086 interesting information and important facts about the domesday book. This is an entry for dunwich, suffolk, in the domesday book. Return of owners of lands conducted in 1873 was the only one, which beat the domesday book.
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