What Was the Domesday Book?

As is still the case these days, the so called ‘leaders’ of a country whether they be kings and queens, politicians, dictators, presidents, chancellors or premiers think up as many ways as they can to take taxes from the rest of the population. Whilst an element of taxation is a good thing as it pays for the infrastructure required to progress, all governments abuse their positions and spend money on things that suit them rather than the population. The Domesday book was one of the first organised on a large scale to extract finances from the plebs. It was: • A detailed record of who owned what land in England, how much it was worth and what resources it contained (e.g., ploughs, animals, mills, fisheries). • Used to determine how much tax landowners owed to the Crown. • It covers about 13,000 places, including towns, villages and manors.

Why Was It Made?

England at the time was split into small local areas called Hundreds which were ruled by various kings until the Anglo Saxons united the nation and these areas were still largely recognised along with the Shires which many were formally organised into counties by the kings of Wessex. The Shires were simply the areas often centred on important fortified towns such as Northamptonshire = shire of Northampton, Staffordshire = shire of Stafford or Derbyshire = shire of Derby. This would have been a little confusing to King William. • After the Norman Conquest (1066), William wanted to assess the value of his new kingdom. • He needed to raise taxes to fund his military and rule effectively. • It helped identify which Anglo-Saxon nobles had lost lands and which Norman lords had been given them.

What’s in It?

Each entry typically includes: • The name of the landholder (before and after the Norman Conquest). • The size of the land and how many plough teams it supported. • Numbers of villagers, slaves, freemen and other workers. • Details on mills, fisheries, woodland and livestock. • The value of the land in King Edward the Confessor’s time (before 1066) and in 1086.

Two Main Volumes

Great Domesday

• Covers most of England.

Little Domesday

• Covers Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex in more detail.

Where Is It Now?

• The original Domesday Book is kept at The National Archives in Kew, London. • It has been digitised and is available online.

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Why Is It Important?

• Provides an unmatched picture of medieval England — social structure, economy, land use. • It’s considered one of the greatest administrative achievements of the Middle Ages. • Historians use it to study the impact of the Norman Conquest, feudalism and medieval society.
The Domesday Book is one of the most important historical records in English history. It was commissioned in 1085 by William the Conqueror, the first Norman king of England, and completed in 1086. It was essentially a massive survey and inventory of land, resources, and wealth across much of England and parts of Wales.
Domesday Book

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