Middle+Ages+Documents

|| The Domesday Book was commissioned by William the Conqueror to uncover the economic and martial resources of England. The survey that resulted in the book began in 1086 A.D. The Domesday Book provides valuable insight into the world of 11th-century England. The survey, which actually consists of two volumes—Great Domesday and Little Domesday—offer details on most of England, especially the land held by William and the aristocracy. The book also reveals the social hierarchy of England at that time, when most of the land belonged to the elite minority. The Domesday Book is an important tool for examining 11th-century England. William gained the crown after his forces killed Anglo-Saxon King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Following William's coronation, English politics remained turbulent, with rebellions breaking out in 1067, 1071, and 1075. William had hired a mercenary army as protection against such an invasion, and the soldiers needed to be paid, prompting William to commission a survey called “the description of England" to uncover the economic and martial resources linked to England's manors and boroughs. That survey would inform William about such details as land ownership and what taxes, military service, or rent was owed to the king. The land was divided into the standard measurements of "hides" and "virgates." A hide consisted of about 120 acres of land, an amount considered essential to support a manor, and a hide could then be separated into four virgates. England was thereupon divided into around seven circuits, comprising two or more counties. Three to four officials were given responsibility for each circuit, and they were tasked with collecting and verifying information about their specific circuit. The jurors confirmed such details as the names of manors, how much property was worth in 1066, how much it was worth in 1086, as well as how many slaves, villeins (serfs), and freemen lived on a property. Scholars analyzing the Domesday Book have found that terminology differs from county to county, and that not all Domesday entries have consistent answers (or full descriptions) or answers to all questions. Once the information was authenticated, the circuit summaries were edited and written in black ink in an abbreviated form of Latin. The scribes used red ink to highlight such items as county names. The information first listed landholders by name, beginning with the king, and was organized by the social status of the individual. The properties were then detailed, starting with the king's property. The Domesday Book was the first survey of England until the 19th century, so it was unique, even if it was not a full population census. Many copies of the Domesday Book have been published. ||
 * Domes Day Book! ||
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