Domesday Book

Also known as Book of Winchester, Liber de Wintonia, Great Domesday Book

manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086

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The Domesday Book is a manuscript record of a massive survey of England and parts of Wales that was completed in 1086, ordered by William the Conqueror to document the land, property, and resources across his realm. It remains one of the most important historical documents for understanding medieval England, providing detailed information about the people, economy, and geography of the time.

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Commons category: Domesday Book
Commons gallery: Domesday Book
inception: 1086-00-00
inventory number: E 31/2/2

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Domesday Book (/ˈduːmzdeɪ/ DOOMZ-day; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by the Latin name Liber de Wintonia, meaning "Book of Winchester", where it was originally kept in the royal treasury. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle states that in 1085 the king sent his agents to survey every shire in England, to list his holdings and dues owed to him.

Written in Medieval Latin, it was highly abbreviated and included some vernacular native terms without Latin equivalents. The survey's main purpose was to record the annual value of every piece of landed property to its lord, and the resources in land, labour force, and livestock from which the value derived.