Domesday book facts, summary, composition, creation. Domesday book is the oldest government record held in the national archives. Stephen baxter is clarendon associate professor and barron fellow in medieval history at st peters college, university of oxford. I find that many of my students share my fascination with the historical background behind the etymology of our modernday languages. Now available in one volume, here is the complete, authoritative translation from the original latin, together with an index of places and a glossary of terms used. Visit milwaukees most unique destination every day of the year. In fact there are two domesday books little domesday and great domesday, which together contain a great deal of information about england in the 11th century. The middle english spelling of domesday is doomsday. Though invariably called domesday book, in the singular, it in fact consists of two volumes quite different from each other.
The original domesday book, which is more than 900 years old, can still be seen today in the national archives in kew. The domesday book, our earliest public record, is a unique survey of the value and ownership of lands and resources in late 11th century england. You can find the native terms and abbreviated works. The feudal system was a way of organising society into different groups based on their roles. Domesday is our most famous and earliest surviving public record. The second survey is often called modern domesday book. Domesday book was ordered by william the conqueror william i in 1085. Cornwall, devon, dorset, somerset, wiltshire exon domesday bedfordshire, buckinghamshire, cambridgeshire, hertfordshire, middlesex. 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. Under the feudal system all manors had to provide taxes and soldiers to the king. The domesday book online frequently asked questions. The results were compiled into two books which are called the domesday book. Domesday book contains fascinating information such as land ownership, livestock and even local customs.
The domesday book compiled in 10856 is one of the few historical. The royal treasury at winchester preserved the book in the end of 11th. Whatever was recorded in domesday book was legally binding. While the certainty of death is universally accepted, the question of what. The placenames found in the domesday book are township and estate names, and may include other villages and hamlets that receive no specific mention in the text. In the name of god, the most gracious, the most merciful. Domesday book is an example of survey, which covered much areas of britain. Return of owners of lands conducted in 1873 was the only one, which beat the domesday book. When william secured control over england after defeating harold at the battle of hastings, he introduced new ways of running th. 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 written record of a census and survey of english landowners and their property made by order of william the conqueror in. The domesday book is one of medieval englands greatest treasures. Domesday book is one of the most famous documents in english historyand arguably in world history. The record was compiled in 10861087, a mere twenty years after the norman conquest, at the order of william the conqueror.
Here are some facts about domesday book, the great norman survey of the wealth of england. It took two years to collect all the information for this survey. The domesday book is a record of an enormous survey carried out in england for king william i the conqueror, and it was completed in the year 1086. A summary of the feudal system and the domesday book the. To further extend his grip on england, william i ordered that a. 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. He was a great a man who dominated england in middle ages, but vast sums of money were needed to rule such enormous lands. The domesday book records details of a survey of land ownership and taxation that was completed in 1086 under the direction of william the conqueror. Below are some of the most commonly asked questions about the domesday book please read the information before you contact us with a. By contemporaries the whole operation was known as the description of england, but the popular name domesdayi.
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. Domesday, the earliest public record and perhaps the most famous book in english history, is to be lent to the british library for a landmark exhibition on. Find out where in the world your surname originated, what it originally meant and how many other people you share it with. It has 9 pages in it and two million latin words and it. Domesday book, the original record or summary of william is survey of england. The domesday book was incredibly informative for the time, but it has also provided a huge amount of insights into britain in the middle ages for modern historians. The mitchell park horticultural conservatory, better known as the domes, is a living museum filled with plants from across the globe. How many plough teams on the demesne local lords own land and among the men rest. After compiling the domesday book, william knew how many manors there were. Leicestershire, northamptonshire, oxfordshire, staffordshire, warwickshire. How many hides are there what is its tax assessment.
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. Lordship and power in late anglosaxon england oup, 2007. Death is one of the few indisputable facts of life. The first, called little domesday, covers essex, norfolk, and suffolk.
Domesday book definition of domesday book by the free. All exhibitions are included in admission and free for members. The document was first held in winchester and then moved to westminster. Unabridged based on the random house unabridged dictionary, random house, inc. Im a big fan of young adult historical fiction, especially books about medieval times. In 1086 william the conquerer commanded a survey of the country for taxation purposes. Let me show you the interesting information about the manuscript record of great survey which covered parts of wales and england on the domesday book facts. Domesday book synonyms, domesday book pronunciation, domesday book translation, english dictionary definition of domesday book.
The questions found in the ely inquest are as follows. 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. Domesday book was a comprehensive survey and record of all the landowners, property, tenants and serfs of medieval norman england which was compiled in 10867 ce under the orders of william the conqueror r. The following pages include domesday placenames and landowners, and beneath some are links to websites containing the local history of that place. Domesday book the domesday book was a survey designed to record everything that people owned in england. It was ordered by william the conqueror the winner of the recent battle of hastings so that william could determine how much money in taxes he could raise and to give william a better sense of the territory he had just conquered. The survey was a massive enterprise, and the record of that survey, domesday book, was a. Nicknamed the domesday book by the native english, after gods final day of judgement, when every soul would be assessed and against which there could be no appeal, this title was eventually. 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. Domesday book is a manuscript that collects the results of a large census carried out in england and in wales in 1086. Domesday book lent to british library for anglosaxon. The domes host special events and educational programs throughout the year. It is a highly detailed survey and valuation of land holding and resources in late 11th century england. It had the king at the top with all of the control, and the.
Domesday book covers all of england except the northern areas. 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. The domesday book one of the most valuable records of the uks past history. While i do not use this book directly in the foreign language classroom it is an expository text, i have found it very helpful to give me a solid. Hampstead is a pigsty residents of hampstead might not be too pleased to learn that their exclusive london village.
This led the book to be compared to the last judgement, or doomsday, described in the bible, when the deeds of christians written in the book of life were to be placed before god for judgement. Other areas of modern london were then in middlesex, kent, essex, etc. Arable land was recorded in different units, including. A ploughland terra carucis or carucata was the area that could be ploughed by eight oxen in a year. King william the conqueror ordered the creation of domesday book.
If ownership of property was disputed, whatever was recorded in domesday was the final. Generally around 120 acres, though the area varied depending on the quality of the land. Record the pronunciation of this word in your own voice and play it to listen to how you have pronounced it. A comprehensive guide to the origins, meanings, etymologies and distribution of thousands of british surnames. Volume i great domesday contains the final summarized record of all the counties surveyed except essex, norfolk, and suffolk. Surnames mentioned in the domesday book british surnames.
Horrible histories measly middle ages new census for the. York was a settlement in domesday book, in the hundred of york, mentioned in the chapters for devon, nottinghamshire, yorkshire and lincolnshire it had no recorded population sometimes the case for large towns, as well as abandoned settlements, and is listed under 12 owners in domesday book. The domesday book is closely linked with william the conquerors attempt to dominate medieval england. Along with a string of castles throughout england, the domesday book was to give william huge authority in england. 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. Sutherland the domesday book is closely related to william the conqueror or william the bastard, king of england and duke of normandy, ca.
Domesday books own day of judgment still lies in the future. The document is also known as the doomsday book, the book of winchester and the great survey. Formal sessions were apparently held in the chief county town, and the facts. The name domesday book was not adopted until the late 12th century. Important facts about the domesday book 1086 interesting information and important facts about the domesday book.
The second, called great domesday, covers a further. It is interesting to note that the domesday book compiled by the commissioners of william the conqueror in 1086, is named from the old english domes daeg i. Produced under the supervision of the most renowned domesday scholars, this authoritative translation of the complete domesday offers a. Its main purpose was to assess the wealth of england to aid the system of taxation. In 1085, king william i of england ordered a complete survey of all the land and property in the country. They were handtyped on an ibm selectric typewriter, then photocopied for distribution. There are actually two separate domesday books, the little domesday and the great domesday book. So ive put together a short list of the best medieval fiction books for kids and young adults plus a couple set in the. The domesday book recorded who owned the land the landowners as well as the size of the land that they owned.