This page simply records all owner names mentioned in domesday book. The national archives is the home of domesday book, the oldest surviving public record. The original 11th century ce name seems to have been more mundane. In 1086, king william i the conqueror wanted to find out. Tr introduction the first approach to a modern assessment roll or cataster is the well known. 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.
Indeed, it was noted by an observer of the survey that. The content and production of the original domesday book provide the basis for a wideranging exploration of the cultures origins. 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 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. Domesday book synonyms, domesday book pronunciation, domesday book translation, english dictionary definition of domesday book. Along with a string of castles throughout england, the domesday book was to give william huge authority in england. The basis of this electronic edition of the text is the translation published by phillimore and edited by john morris 35 volumes, chichester, 197386, with the following modifications. The domesday book is one of medieval englands greatest treasures. They were invited by the king of the franks whod promised them land in return for not engaging in the usual viking practice of invading and carrying of food and treasure. The original manuscript was destroyed in the second world war, but printed copies survive. Bbc domesday project being revamped child of the 1980s. A complete translation domesday book is one of the most famous documents in english history.
The world of domesday exhibition depicts life in 11th century england. As the anglosaxon chronicle indignantly declared, not a rood of land, not a peasants hut, not an ox, cow, pig, or even a hive of bees escaped. Domesday book discover domesday the national archives. 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. The english people said this name, domesday book, was given to it, because, like the day of doom, it spared no one. Domesday extracts online service offering high quality prints and pdfs of domesday book for your chosen settlement domesday 1986 now available online, after a long effort to save it from outdated videodiscs, the bbc domesday project aimed to record the state of britain 900 years after the original domesday survey. The place names 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. Stanningfield takes its name from the early english name stanfella or stansfelda meaning stony field. Apr 06, 2012 most of the names in the domesday book are male, as most landowners were men. It recorded every piece of property and every particular concerning it. Domesday was originally kept with the royal treasury at winchester. The first draft was completed in august 1086 and contained records for,418 settlements in the english counties south of the rivers ribble and tees the border with scotland at the time. The detailed picture of the english landscape it offers has no equal in any country, while it is valuable not only in the picture it allows local historians to construct of their area in the eleventh century but also as the foundation document of the national archives.
It is known that the area was occupied early in recorded british history as traces of roman occupation has been found on one local farm. Domesday book definition of domesday book by the free. The domesday book was compiled on the orders of william the conquerer to catalogue the ownership and value of land in the newly conquered territories of england. The listing is certainly wideranging, but it has only a little in common with the original domesday book, which was ordered by william i in 1085 to assess the wealth of england for possible taxation purposes. This is an entry for dunwich, suffolk, in the domesday book. Little domesday book ldb, which covers norfolk, suffolk and essex. Surnames mentioned in the domesday book british surnames. Though the domesday book is kept at the national archives tna, their search facility here in fact only searches a modern english translation, with both placenames and personal names modernized. The female names below appeared in the open domesday database just once, except where noted. It acquired the name domesday book because of the huge amount of information that was contained in it. Its original name was the winchester roll or kings roll, and sometimes as the book of the treasury. Commissioned by william the conqueror in the year 1085 and finished in 1086, the book is a superb example of thorough and speedy administration, unequaled by any other project undertaken during the middle ages. The domesday book compiled in 10856 is one of the few historical records whose name is familiar to most people in this country. Domesday book is one of the most famous documents in english historyand arguably in world history.
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. Domesday book simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. It consists of about 2 million words, written in black and red ink. The bbc domesday project was a partnership between acorn computers, philips, logica and the bbc with some funding from the european commissions esprit programme to mark the 900th anniversary of the original domesday book, an 11thcentury census of england. At over 900 years old, domesday is the earliest surviving public record and the foundation document of the national archives. The various inquiries instituted during the middle ages, such as the domesday book and the breviary of charlemagne, were so far on the roman model that they took little or no account of the population, the feudal system probably rendering information regarding it unnecessary for the purposes of taxa. This page simply lists all places mentioned in domesday book. The idea and name of the project came from the famous domesday book which had been compiled under order of william the conqueror back in 1086 to show which landowners owned what and therefore how much tax they needed to pay. It does follow the original domesday book, but is only written as an english text and is one book for both volumes. Domesday book, the original record or summary of william is survey of england. In 1986, the bbc released the bbc domesday project, the results of a project to create a survey to mark the 900th anniversary of the original domesday book.
Domesday book online simple to use directory with interactive map of england in norman times. It contains the results of a huge survey of land and landholding commissioned by william i in 1085. The information collected during the survey was written up in a fair copy, later known as domesday book, which in fact comprises two volumes. To further extend his grip on england, william i ordered that a. Female names in the domesday book nancys baby names. The first facsimile edition of the manuscripts was made in a project led by the cartographer henry james in the 186. A search for the roots of england reprint edition, first printing edition. William needed information about the country he had just conquered so he could administer it. What year was the domesday book written and what was it. All of the products sold by were researched and created by swyrich corp. Today, domesday book is available in numerous editions, usually separated by county and available with other local history resources.
Hallam, domesday book through nine centuries london, 1986 a survey of how the domesday book has been used since its composition, and how antiquarians and historians have viewed the record. Media in category domesday book the following 38 files are in this category, out of 38 total. The existing literature on this remarkable memorial is so extensive, that it has not appeared advisable to quote largely from it. The written record of a census and survey of english landowners and their property made by order of william the conqueror in. Domesday book place name forms all the original spellings of english placenames in domesday book link to pdf file. If you watched the tv series of the same name, then this book really is for you. When william secured control over england after defeating harold at the battle of hastings, he introduced new ways of running th. Note that the same name is not necessarily the same person. Galbraith, the making of domesday book oxford, 1961 e.
In august 2006 the contents of domesday went online. Commercial site with extracts from domesday book domesday book entries including translations for each settlement. Domesday book is the oldest government record held in the national archives. The text of domesday book, the record of the great survey of england completed in 1086 executed for william i of england, was first edited by abraham farley in the 1770s. The domesday book helped keep track of people in england during the middle ages. The first, called little domesday, covers essex, norfolk, and suffolk. The domesday book is closely linked with william the conquerors attempt to dominate medieval england.
Domesday book also known as domesday, or book of winchester was the record of the great survey of england completed in 1086, executed for william the conqueror. It is also the starting point for most local historians researching the history of their area. Bates, a bibliography of domesday book woodbridge, 1986 v. The domesday book was commissioned in december 1085 by william the conqueror, who invaded england in 1066. It appeared first as a hard back and then later as a paper back. Or the great survey of england of william the conqueror, 1086 1862 by h. What was the domesday book and how did it change england. In the 11th century, surnames were still in a state of flux and many people still did not have what we would consider a surname. The survey was similar to a census by a government of today.