The original domesday book has survived over 900 years of english history and is currently housed in a specially made chest at the national archives in kew, london. The national archives is the home of domesday book, the oldest surviving public record. Domesday was released on two laserdiscs the cutting edge of video storage in a precd, predvd world. Then, at the midwinter, was the king in gloucester with his council after this had the king a large meeting, and very deep consultation with his council, about this land. 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.
About pase domesday prosopography of anglosaxon england. War memorial for both world wars at st peter s church in old woking surrey england the church is a grade 1 listed building. Catholic answers is pleased to provide this unabridged entry from the original catholic encyclopedia, published between 1907 and 1912. In the last quarter of the twentieth century domesday book was edited and. Domesday book online the domesday book was commissioned in december 1085 by william the conqueror, who invaded england in 1066. By contemporaries the whole operation was known as the description of england, but the popular name domesdayi. The survey was similar to a census by a government of today.
The domesday book does not cover certain important cities, such as london, winchester, bristol and the borough of tamworth. By contemporaries the whole operation was known as the description of england, but the popular name domesday i. The domesday book was a taxation survey of most of england and wales, completed in 1086. You can also access the discover domesday exhibition, explaining why domesday. Domesday book is our oldest and most famous public record. Domesday book is a detailed survey and valuation of landed property in. Domesday book is the oldest government record held in the national archives.
But the three manors of woking, stoke,2 and kingston3 are stated to. The domesday book was commissioned in december 1085 by william the conqueror, who invaded england in 1066. The great war monument, jubilee square, woking england. Woking online is a business directory and guide for woking, uk. The first draft was completed in august 1086 and contained records for,418 settlements in the english counties now turn to your handout sheet using highlighters 15. Domesday was not for this span of time to pass between issues. The domesday book was also a clear message that signalled the power and strength of the government and its commitment to the hunt for useable data. It was written in medieval latin, which was the form of latin used in. Find out how it was compiled, and what it reveals about life in. For wales, only parts of certain border areas are included.
Archaeology, charters, domesday book, history, merton, salt, sarf, sherf leave a comment. It confirms that england possessed a sophisticated system of coinage, an effective system of taxation, a hierarchy of public courts and a robust system of justice. 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. The exhibition, a joint venture by business in the community and the british.
Consisting of 9 pages, and 2 million words, the book mentions more than,000 place names in england and some parts of wales. It is an outlying suburban town within the greater london urban area, situated 7 miles 11 km northeast of woking and 16 miles 25 km southwest of central london. William needed to raise taxes to pay for his army and so a survey was set in motion to assess the wealth and and assets of his subjects throughout the land. It surveys england south of the river tees, recording data for both 1066 and 1086, thus documenting the norman conquest, one of the greatest upheavals in english history. The mimmine domesday book entry continues with more detail, recording that. It had a recorded population of 71 households in 1086, putting it in the largest 20% of settlements recorded in domesday, and is listed under 2 owners in domesday book. Domesday explorer uses the same metaphor as windows explorer. Woking is a vibrant modern community in surrey, england. Woking online features thousands of shop listings, a pubs and restaurants guide, and web directory of woking websites. The modern architecture and easy commuter access to london could lead one to assume that it is a completely modern city built for convenience. Whitford wisley witley woking woldingham woodmansterne worplesdon wotton.
While spending the christmas time of 1085 in gloucester, william had deep speech with his counsellors and sent men all over england to each shire to find. For a more detailed introduction to domesday, and england at the end of the 11th century. This site has been set up to enable visitors to discover the history of the domesday book, to give an insight into life at the time of its compilation, and provide information and links on related topics. Domesday book the name given to the record of the great survey of england made by order of william the conqueror in 108586. Domesday book domesday doomsday, judgment day received its name in the 12th century, for it was regarded as the ultimate authority, the last word on matters of property. The canterbury entry in the domesday book landholding in kent was a major feature of the later section of his lecture and richard noted the level of church ownership and its continuity from anglosaxon times and into the period of the norman kings, something that makes kent different from many other regions. It is a valuable resource for subjects related to theology, philosophy.
River wey is a medieval church mentioned in the domesday book in 1086. The domesday book was called domesday because the book was invented in the time of the war and it was doom. The domesday book offers great insight into life at the time of the norman conquest. The farm of one night and the organization of king. Domesday project reborn online after 25 years bbc news.
Open domesday is the first free online copy of the domesday book and ampney crucis has its own entry below are the entries and translations. The domesday book early englands most important document. Produced under the supervision of the most renowned domesday scholars, this authoritative translation of the complete domesday offers a. 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. It was nicknamed domesday book because, when it was made people thought it contained even more details than there would be in the book where each mans life and doings would be found written on dooms day, the day of judgment. The survey could not have been made without the machinery of government that the anglosaxons bequeathed to the normans. It is bounded to the north by the river thames at the mouth of the wey, from which it gets its name. Then sent he his men over all england into each shire. The domesday book portrays a fascinating account of the landholdings and resources of the people living in late 11thcentury england. Society day school, surrey history centre, woking, 16 march 20. Domesday book is a manuscript record of the great survey of much of england and parts of wales completed in 1086 by order of king william the conqueror.
The following pages include domesday placenames and landowners, and beneath some are links to websites containing the local history of that place. 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. This is the first of two volumes offering for the first time an authoritative and complete prosopography of postconquest england, 10661166. What can we learn about england in the 11th century. Surreys largest town and a prominent shopping, office and cultural centre. Think about it and if you still disagree, see my proof that the text of domesday. Domesday book gloucestershire entry for lasborough the main unit of measurement used in the domesday book as a whole was the hide. Domesday book, compiled in 1086 at the behest of william the conqueror, has been described as the most valuable piece of antiquity possessed by any nation david hume and viewed by historians as the final act of the norman conquest. For a while, it seemed that domesday was dead and had passed into history. It was the seat of the archbishops of canterbury from the 11th to 19th century and a large medieval market town. There is evidence of a roman settlement to the east of old woking.
The original folios of domesday book, a complete survey of england written in ad 1086. If you have a local history site that you would like to be included on these pages please get in touch via the contact page. 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. Produced at amazing speed in the years after the conquest, the domesday book provides a vivid picture of late 11thcentury england. Smsw 3 a statistical perspective on surreys early medieval coin corpus. The domesday book records that mimmine had land for ploughs. The medieval period and beyond, in surrey and beyond. Woking means settlement belonging to the followers of wocc or wocca. After the norman invasion and conquest of england in 1066, the domesday book was commissioned in december 1085 by order of william the conqueror.
What is the significance about the domesday book answers. It had a recorded population of 71 households in 1086, putting. Though wokings earliest written appearance is in the domesday book, it is mentioned. In the book, woking is obliterated soon after the martians arrive on horsell common.
I am honored to be here looking at the newest issue. Domesday book centre for kent history and heritage. The saxon hide was a theoretical unit of land required to support a family farmstead, but by the late saxon period, it had become a unit of taxation and hence was a fiscal unit rather than signifying a specific area. The buildings in the city centre are modern, and there is no real sign of great age at first glance. Woking was a settlement in domesday book, in the hundred of woking and the county of surrey. Residents of hampstead might not be too pleased to learn that their exclusive london village once housed more pigs than people but this is just one of the fascinating insights to be gained from reading the domesday book. Also known as the carucate or carrucate, the term plough was a medieval unit of land area approximating the land a plough team of eight oxen could till in a single annual season. Domesday is a most remarkable and valuable record, created in 10851086 by order of william the conqueror, so that he might fully know and understand the nation he. Users needed a bbc master computer running special software to access the domesday. Uploaded by the open domesday project, released under ccbysa by professor john palmer and george slater.
Though wokings earliest written appearance is in the domesday book, it is mentioned as the site of a. After the norman invasion and conquest of england in 1066, the domesday book. The record was compiled in 10861087, a mere twenty years after the norman conquest, at the order of william the conqueror. The world of domesday exhibition depicts life in 11th century england. Ampney crucis is mentioned several times in the domesday book when known as omenie. The screen is divided into two main panes, the left for browsing, the right for viewing. Domesday book, the original record or summary of william is survey of england. Woking appears in the domesday book of 1086 as wochinges. Domesday book is one of the most famous documents in english historyand arguably in world history. Domesday definition is archaic variant of doomsday. Based on extensive and wideranging research, the two volumes contain over eight thousand entries on persons occurring in the principal english administrative sources for the postconquest period domesday book, the pipe rolls, and cartae baronum. Over time, i have grown to not see this as issue number five of the old domesday book but, the first issue of a new. 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.
Today you can see the domesday book in a glass case at the public records office in london. John the baptist, founded in the 10th century, was rebuilt in the 19th. Highresolution scans of domesday book available for the first time at open domesday. Its description there is complex, since it was then held as three estates, by king william the conqueror, walter fitzother, constable of windsor castle, and ansgot and godfrey from osbern fitzosbern, then bishop of exeter. The same logic could be applied to the famous colophon at the end of the ldb. Baptismal font at st peter s church old woking surrey presented by rev c w arnold may 22 1881 a grade 1 listed building within.
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