How many places are in the Domesday Book?
Domesday Book describes almost all of England and more than 13,000 places are mentioned in it. Most of them still survive today. London, Winchester, County Durham and Northumberland were not included in King William’s survey.
What does Domesday Book stand for?
Domesday Book ( / ˈduːmzdeɪ / or US: / ˈdoʊmzdeɪ /; Latin: Liber de Wintonia "Book of Winchester ") is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William the Conqueror. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle states:
When was the first Domesday Book survey?
No survey approaching the scope and extent of Domesday Book was attempted again in Britain until the 1873 Return of Owners of Land (sometimes termed the "Modern Domesday") which presented the first complete, post-Domesday picture of the distribution of landed property in the land that made up the then United Kingdom.
What happened to the Domesday Book?
Domesday Book was preserved from the late 11th to the beginning of the 13th centuries in the royal Treasury at Winchester (the Norman kings' capital). It was often referred to as the "Book" or "Roll" of Winchester. When the Treasury moved to the Palace of Westminster, probably under King John, the book went with it.
Is there a copy of the Domesday Book?
Alternatively, you can use the Alecto translation in Domesday Book: A Complete Translation (Penguin Books, 1992), which is indexed by place; or the printed transcript and translations produced by Alecto in 1986. Both are available in The National Archives' library.
Where is the original Domesday Book?
From the 1740s onwards, they were held, with other Exchequer records, in the chapter house of Westminster Abbey. In 1859, they were transferred to the new Public Record Office, London. They are now held at The National Archives at Kew.
How valuable is the Domesday Book for historians?
For someone looking back at the Middle Ages, Domesday Book is a very important source of information. Domesday Book gives us a 'snapshot' of what life was like in the Middle Ages. For family historians also, it provides a useful and fascinating resource for tracing family history!
How long did it take to make the Domesday Book?
This volume is now known as Great Domesday Book. The scribe probably began in late summer 1086 while results from the inquest were still coming in. Scholars estimate it would have taken at least a year to write.
Why is the Domesday Book called doomsday?
The word 'Domesday' does not appear in the book itself. A book written about the Exchequer in c. 1176 (the Dialogus de Sacarrio) states that the book was called 'Domesday' as a metaphor for the day of judgement, because its decisions, like those of the last judgement, were unalterable.
What did the Domesday Book not record?
individual buildings were not recorded in the Domesday Book. The survey was more concerned with assessing land values, however in certain towns trade buildings such as foundries were included.
What is unique about the Domesday Book?
Domesday is Britain's earliest public record. It contains the results of a huge survey of land and landholding commissioned by William I in 1085. Domesday is by the far the most complete record of pre-industrial society to survive anywhere in the world and provides a unique window on the medieval world.
Why is the Domesday Book so successful?
The Domesday Book was finished in 1086, a year before William's death. The detailed records made it possible for taxes to be raised and these helped William and future medieval monarchs administer and rule the country.
How reliable was the Domesday Book?
Introduction. The Domesday Book - compiled in 1085-6 - is one of the few historical records whose name is familiar to most people in this country. It is our earliest public record, the foundation document of the national archives and a legal document that is still valid as evidence of title to land.
Is the Domesday Book on display?
The Domesday Book has gone on public display as part of a summer exhibition at Lincoln Castle. It is on loan from its permanent home at The National Archives in London until September. The document is said to give a unique snapshot of life either side of the Norman conquest in 1066.
Where was the Domesday Book kept during ww2?
LancashireStored for 76 years in a government building in Lancashire, the files include metadata covering 41 million people.
Is the Domesday Book real?
Domesday is Britain's earliest public record. It contains the results of a huge survey of land and landholding commissioned by William I in 1085. Domesday is by the far the most complete record of pre-industrial society to survive anywhere in the world and provides a unique window on the medieval world.
What can we learn about England in the 11th century?
Domesday Book is the oldest government record held in The National Archives. 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.
Connections to Curriculum
Key stage 1 & 2 Lives of significant individuals: William the Conqueror; Significant historical events, people and places in their own locality: a study of an aspect of history or a site dating from a period beyond 1066 that is significant in the locality.
Sources
1. Illustration image: Page from Vol. 1 of Great Domesday, Catalogue ref: E 31/2/1, f.26b 2. Source 1: Extract of page from Vol. 1 of Great Domesday, showing survey entry of Preston Hundred in Sussex, Catalogue ref: E 31/2/1, f.26b.
How are the Great and Little Domesday books arranged?
Both Great and Little Domesday are arranged by county, and within each county, by landholder. Each new landholder is given a number, written in red in roman numerals at the start of their entry.
How many times was the Domesday survey asked?
For each property, each question was asked three times , to cover changes over time. The commissioners asked how land had been held:
What is the Domesday book?
Domesday Book is a detailed survey and valuation of landed property in England at the end of the 11th century. The survey was ordered by William the Conqueror at Christmas 1085 and undertaken the following year. It records who held the land and how it was used, and also includes information on how this had changed since the Norman Conquest in 1066. It is not a census of the population, and the individuals named in it are almost exclusively land-holders. Domesday is written in Latin, although excellent translations are available (see below).
What is the purpose of the Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England database?
It provides structured information on individual landholders in Domesday, and can be manipulated to provide statistical and geographical information.
Why is Norfolk called Little Domesday?
Most of the returns were entered into Great Domesday. Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex are in a separate volume, known as Little Domesday because of its smaller size. Little Domesday seems to be a survival of part of an earlier and fuller draft compiled from the original returns.
Where is the chapter number in the Phillimore edition?
The second number is the section number (found in the left hand margin of the translation – note that these section numbers are not original and are only found in the Phillimore editions).
Is the Domesday book a facsimile?
Editions Alecto has also produced a facsimile edition of Domesday which can be seen in printed form at The National Archives at Kew. This is purely a facsimile, not a translation. To find an entry within it consult the Phillimore volume for the relevant county (or the composite indexes of persons, subjects and places) or the (place) index in Domesday Book: A Complete Translation, and note the folio. Then simply turn to this folio in the facsimile. Note that each folio has two sides – the front (recto) and back (verso).
Why was it called the Domesday Book?
The book was given its title as it was meant to replicate a time for final judgment - dramatic, right?
Why is the Domesday Book so important?
As well as being of incredible historic importance for those studying William the Conqueror and post-Hastings history, the Domesday Book has proven to be extremely useful in tracing ancient family trees!
What book recorded every piece of property and every particular concerning it?
The Domesday Book recorded every piece of property and every particular concerning it. The “Anglo-Saxon Chronicle” indignantly declared, “not a rood of land, not a peasant’s hut, not an ox, cow, pig, or even a hive of bees escaped.”. The counties of England as recorded in 1086 in the Domesday Book.
What book did peasants claim their freedom on?
In the 14 th century, many peasants claimed their freedom on the basis of the Domesday Book.
Why did the King keep the Doomsday book?
The people indeed said bitterly that the King kept the Doomsday, or Domesday book constantly by him, in order “that he might be able to see at any time of how much more wool the English flock would bear fleecing.”
How many houses did the city of York have?
Some were nearly depopulated. In the reign of Edward the Confessor, the city of York had 1607 houses and at the date of the survey it had only 967, whilst Oxford, which had had 721 houses, had then only 243. The census and assessment with the Domesday Book proved of the highest importance to William the Conqueror and his successors.
What was the object of the Doomsday Book?
The object of the Doomsday, however, was not to extort money but to present a full and exact report of the financial and military resources of the kingdom which might be directly available for revenue and defence. Exert from the Doomsday Book for Barmy Moor.
What Is Domesday Book?
Great Domesday, Little Domesday and The Areas Covered
- The survey does not cover London (city), Winchester, Northumberland and Durham or much of north-west England; the only parts of Wales included are certain border areas. Most of the returns were entered into Great Domesday. Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex are in a separate volume, known as Little Domesday because of its smaller size. Little Domesday seems to be a survival of part o…
The Information Recorded in Domesday
- The Domesday survey was carried out by commissioners holding sworn inquests in local courts, where they asked fixed questions of local men. For each property, each question was asked three times, to cover changes over time. The commissioners asked how land had been held: 1. as it had been on the last day of the reign of Edward the Confessor (5 January 1066) – this is abbreviate…
How The Original Domesday Book Is Arranged
- Both Great and Little Domesday are arranged by county, and within each county, by landholder. Each new landholder is given a number, written in red in roman numerals at the start of their entry. There is a table of contents at the beginning of each county, which lists the landholders with their numbers, starting with the king, but no index. However, later editors have produced excelle…
Accessing Domesday Online
- 6.1 The Editions Alecto edition on The National Archives catalogue
Use the box below to search and download (charges apply) colour facsimiles of Domesday, published by Editions Alecto, from our catalogue. Search by name, modern place name, Domesday place name or folio number, using the formula ‘[your keyword] AND Domesday’. For … - 6.2 Open Domesday
Search for images of Domesday by town or postcode on Open Domesday.
Citing References from Domesday
- If you are citing entries in Domesday from our catalogue you will need to follow these steps: 1. Look up the relevant Domesday folio on our catalogue 2. From the search results page note the catalogue reference, the folio number and whether the entry appears on the front (recto – marked by an r) or back (verso – marked by a v) of the folio. For example, E 31/2/1/139is the full catalog…
Related Documents Held Elsewhere
- Some early drafts of the questions that were asked by the Domesday commissioners as well as some Domesday returns survive and are held in other archives and libraries. They are: 1. the Liber Exoniensis, covering Somerset, Cornwall and most of Devon, held in the library of Exeter Cathedral 2. the Inquisitio Eliensis, covering Ely Abbey estates, held in Trinity College, Cambrid…
Further Reading
- There is an enormous amount of secondary material on Domesday, and the list below is not exhaustive. Some or all of the recommended publications below may be available to buy from The National Archives’ shop. Alternatively, search The National Archives’ Libraryto see what is available to consult at Kew. A J Camp, My Ancestors came with the Conqueror (Society of Gene…