Domesday Book

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Record of the survey of England carried out in 1086 by officials of William the Conqueror in order to assess land tax and other dues, find out the value of the crown lands, and enable the king to estimate the power of his vassal barons. The name is derived from the belief that its judgement was as final as that of Doomsday.

The commissioners' method was to hold formal sessions and to take sworn answers to a set list of questions, including a formalized description of the agriculture of each place, how much land there was, who held it, what it was worth in the time of King Edward the Confessor and in 1086, and the status and numbers of people who lived there. Domesday Book reflects the great changes which the Norman Conquest brought about in England, particularly feudal land tenure following the introduction of the feudal system.

Northumberland and Durham were omitted, and also London, Winchester, and certain other towns. The Domesday Book is preserved in two volumes at the Public Record Office, London.