The Norman conqueror launches a great survey, aiming to compile a complete picture of all of his lands and subjects
GRAPHIC HISTORYA VISUAL GUIDE TO EVENTS FROM THE PAST
When, in December 1085, King William I gave orders to carry out a ‘Great Survey’, it felt to the people of England and parts of Wales like the biblical Day of Judgement was upon them. Every soul in the land was to be assessed, and no appeal would be heard. So this survey came to be known as Domesday Book.
The purpose of the survey was to determine who owned what, and how much the king was owed, be it cash or military service. More than 13,000 places were named, listing all landholders and the resources at their disposal, from ploughs to slaves and cows. At a time when the majority of the population was illiterate, and before the days of high-speed travel and communications, this was an incredible feat.
Although a first draft was completed during the Conqueror’s lifetime, the project was abandoned early in the reign of William II, who succeeded to the throne in 1087. But the surviving material collected for Domesday Book offers an unparalleled snapshot of life in Norman England, and has become the foundation of our national archives.
THE QUESTIONS
Commissioners were sent across the country to quiz major landowners and find out how things had changed under Norman rule
What is the manor called?
Who held it at the time of Edward [reigned 1042–66]?
Who holds it now?
How many hides are there [one hide equals 49 hectares of land]?
How many ploughs are held by the lord, and how many belong to the peasants?
How many villeins [the richest unfree peasants, who had to pay lords service and rent]
