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. Domesday book, the original record or summary of william is survey of england. We know this from other evidence such as anglosaxon charters, architectural evidence or the origins of the placename itself. 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 fact that the domesday survey was a multilingual exercise involving the collection of information supplied orally and in writing in several vernaculars and written up in latin further complicates the records of personal names in domesday book. Many, for example colchester, lincoln and york, had their origins in roman britain. An ancient record made in the time of william the conqueror, and now remaining in the english exchequer, consisting of two volumes of unequal sizes, containing surveys of the lands in england. The domesday book recorded the names of traitors to be executed.
Virtually all of the place names decided on up to around the 14th century were due to the environment of the area. A common noun denotes a class of items with a set of shared characteristics that can be outlined in a dictionary definition, but a place name works more as a label, a way of referring in speech. The cities appear by domesdaybook to have been, at the conquest little better than villages. Slaves formed the fourth largest group among the peasantry, over 10% of the recorded population and significantly higher than this if allowance is made for their almost complete omission from the counties of circuit 6. Domesday book 1086 the middle ages encompass one of the most exciting periods in english history. In 1086, 10% of the population recorded in the domesday book a large census were slaves. Domesday book definition of domesday book by the free. Earnest and resourceful, william was not only one of the greatest of english monarchs but a pivotal figure in european history as well. Servus, translated as slave in the phillimore edition, is sometimes rendered as serf. This page simply lists all places mentioned in domesday book. In hampshire, the isle of wight and the new forest references begin with a letter code iow and nf, and in yorkshire the ridings are indicated by a letter in place of the comma between fief and entry numbers. By contemporaries the whole operation was known as the description of england, but the popular name domesday i. Information and translations of domesday in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web.
Domesday survey definition of domesday survey by the. There is no means of determining which from domesday book. Commercial site with extracts from domesday book domesday book entries including translations for each settlement. Studies in places and placenames, the sutton hoo shipburial, saints, mummies and crosses, domesday book and chronicles of bury abbey. The national archives is the home of domesday book, the oldest surviving public record. For example, doncaster would probably have originated as a roman fort on a hill, from the roman caster and celtic don. By contemporaries the whole operation was known as the description of england, but the popular name domesdayi. The written record of a census and survey of english landowners and their property made by order of william the conqueror in. Its a land survey, compiled in 1086, that covered much of england and parts of wales. Domesday book synonyms, domesday book pronunciation, domesday book translation, english dictionary definition of domesday book. For the lexicographer names in general, and place names in particular, pose all kinds of problems. When you read through the records contained in the domesday book, you run across a great many terms which may be confusing, such as bordars, geld, hundreds, and so on. A prosopography of persons occurring in english documents 10661166. Its name domesday, the book of the day of judgment, attests the awe with which the work has always been regarded.
Domesday book was a comprehensive survey and record of all the landowners, property, tenants and serfs of medieval norman england which was compiled in 10867 ce under the orders of william the conqueror r. To begin with, a place name cannot really be defined. Note that the same name is not necessarily the same person. The domesday book was a survey designed to record everything that people owned in england. Origins of place names virtually all of the place names decided on up to around the 14th century were due to the environment of the area. There are some 418 towns and villages recorded in the domesday book, covering 40 of the old counties of england. Domesday book definition of domesday book by merriamwebster. Domesday book definition and meaning collins english.
The domesday book online contents of the domesday book. This page simply records all owner names mentioned in domesday book. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. I have transcribed all names exactly as they appear in my sources with one exception. This page simply records all owner names mentioned in domesday. It acquired the name domesday book because of the huge amount of. Domesday book definition, a record of a survey of the lands of england made by order of william the conqueror about 1086, giving ownership, extent, value, etc. The precise purpose of the enterprise is not known but the most likely reason was to determine who legally owned what land, to settle disputes of ownership and to measure. You can also access the discover domesday exhibition.
The domesday book is actually not one book but two. The name domesday book was not adopted until the late 12th century. Domesday survey synonyms, domesday survey pronunciation, domesday survey translation, english dictionary definition of domesday survey. Abraham farleys edition 17731783 domesday book was an item of great interest to the antiquarian movement of the 18th century. The written record of a census and survey of english landowners and their property made by order of. There are some 418 towns and villages recorded in the domesday book. The first volume great domesday contains the final summarized record of all the counties surveyed except essex, norfolk, and suffolk.
The name, however, is a reference to montfitchett in calvados, normandy, the familys place of residence prior to the norman conquest of england in 1066. Domesday book article about domesday book by the free. This led the book to be compared to the last judgement, or doomsday, described in the bible, when the deeds of christians written in the book of life were to be placed before god for judgement. Domesday book place name forms all the original spellings of english place names in domesday book link to pdf file. Montfiquet is a name that came to england in the 11th century wave of migration that was set off by the norman conquest of 1066. 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 as the scribes went round england.
Click on a county name on the map to continue, or use the list of links below it. Domesday book is inconsistent in its treatment of towns providing a very. To see full names of counties hold your mouse over the name. It was ordered by william the conqueror the winner of the recent battle of hastings so that william could determine how much money in taxes he could raise and to give william a better sense of the territory he had continue reading domesday book. The domesday book provides extensive records of landholders. Domesday book definition is a record of a survey of english lands and landholdings made by order of william the conqueror about 1086. Achream akenham sf l352b achreham akenham sf l422b achum acomb y 303b achum whitely y 330b achum acomb y 379b acle ocle pychard he 184a acle oakley near alrewas st 249a. Domesday book, or simply domesday, the record of the great survey of england executed for william the conqueror. The earliest names accorded to it the kings book and the great book of winchester, where it was first kept, in the royal treasury, were displaced as early as the twelfth century by a title which recalled the wonder with which the subjugated english had seen their norman. Domesday definition and meaning collins english dictionary. While spending the christmas time of 1085 in gloucester, william had deep.
Use domesday in a sentence domesday sentence examples. Search by name, modern place name, domesday place name or folio number, using the formula your keyword and domesday. Female names in the domesday book nancys baby names. The survey was executed for william i of england william the conqueror.
An index of personal and place names in domesday book woodbridge, 1997 k. Montfiquet name meaning, family history, family crest. This omission was certainly a quirk of the return from the northern. Domesday book life in towns and villages the national archives. Even at the date of domesday book the abbey held no less than thirty manors. The domesday book, our earliest public record, is a unique survey of the value and ownership of lands and resources in late 11th century england.
The placenames found in the domesday book are township and estate names, and may include other villages and hamlets that receive no specific mention in. The majority of these still exist in some form today. One of the most important historical events of the medieval era is the domesday book. 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 record was compiled in 10861087, a mere twenty years after the norman conquest, at the order of william the conqueror. Surnames mentioned in the domesday book british surnames. Domesday is now available online, and you can search for your town or village, and download images of domesday along with an english translation of the entry. This was the age of the county history, with many accounts of the english shires being published at this time, and domesday book, as a property record of early date that happened to be arranged by county, was a major source for the. Uploaded by the open domesday project, released under ccbysa by professor john palmer and george slater. No surveys were made of the city of london, winchester, or some other towns, probably due to their taxexempt status. Use is known as in a sentence in england, the introduction of family names is generally attributed to the normans and the domesday book of 1086. The world of domesday exhibition depicts life in 11th century england. Pronunciation of domesday book with 3 audio pronunciations, 3 synonyms, 1 meaning, 5 translations, 6 sentences and more for domesday book. In both indexes the exact latin forms given in domesday book and all variant spellings have been retained. I have replaced the medial s with a short s to make the lists more readable. Domesday book definition, a record of a survey of the lands of england made by order of william the.
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