Over a million people contributed to this digital snapshot of britain. Domesday book is thus our oldest public record and the true startingpoint of english administrative history. Jun 05, 1992 doomsday book is the first book in the oxford time travel series. The domesday book adds the final nail in the coffin to the dark ages myth. William, duke of normandy, as king of england wanted to determine who owns what and how much was. Along with a string of castles throughout england, the domesday book was to give william huge authority in england. The domesday book was commissioned in december 1085 by william the conqueror, who invaded england in 1066. Domesday book encompasses two independent works in, originally, two physical volumes.
History documentary hosted by stephen baxter, published by bbc in 2010 english narration cover informationin this programme on the domesday book, dr stephen baxter, medieval historian at kings college, london, reveals the human and political drama that lies within the parchment of englands earliest surviving public record. In 1983 peter armstrong a bbc television producer at the time considered the possibility of a modern version of domesday, initially as an interactive documentary. The bbc domesday project was a pair of interactive videodiscs made by the bbc in london to celebrate the 900th anniversary of the original domesday book and published in november 1986. The domesday book was a survey designed to record everything that people owned in england. The launch coincides with, and will be featured in, a onehour documentary on domesday book which will be broadcast on tuesday, 10 august. The first volume great domesday contains the final summarized record of all the counties surveyed except essex, norfolk, and suffolk. The example set by the conqueror was followed by his successors, and it is reasonable to suppose that the domesday inquest was the precedent and exemplar for those recurring special inquiries with which our history is punctuated to. The domesday book produced at amazing speed in the years after the conquest, the domesday book provides a vivid picture of late 11thcentury england. Rimswell was mentioned in the domesday book, but there are no really old buildings left, although some are of interest. Aug 11, 2010 prof baxter, the presenter of a onehour documentary on the domesday book on bbc2 tonight and medieval historian at kings college, london, said the document had been misunderstood as a tax register. Domesday book, the original record or summary of william is survey of england.
The domesday book is closely linked with william the conquerors attempt to dominate medieval england. Nov, 1986 domesday a search for the roots of england, by michael wood, 1999 reprint 1986 originally, 212 pgs usually anything by michael wood is worth a read. Volume i great domesday contains the final summarized record of all the counties surveyed except essex, norfolk, and suffolk. Domesday scholarship largely started in the 19th century with maitland and vinogradoff. Doomsday book is a 2012 south korean sciencefiction anthology film directed by kim jeewoon and yim pilsung. Society library knights of the crusade alea iacta est. William of normandy, having conquered england, decided in 1086 to take account of his new territory. Domesday book, therefore, provides a comprehensive view of the english counties landholdings in the eleventh century. The domesday book, earliest surviving public record. Earl roger of shrewsbury bishop g eoffrey of coutances. However, i could vaguely remember reading this 15 years or so ago, but couldnt recall any of the particulars, which generally isnt a good sign. The doomsday book starts with an intriguing idea, but misses the opportunity to truly entertain. Domesday book simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Domesday database launched online an online database which promises to change our understanding of english society on the eve and in the aftermath of the norman conquest has been launched online.
Domesday book is the most complete survey of a preindustrial society anywhere in the world. In this programme on the domesday book, dr stephen baxter, medieval historian at kings college, london, reveals the human and political drama that lies. 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. Oct 22, 2015 the domesday book is the first great national survey of england, a record of who owned every piece of land and property in the kingdom. The domesday book was an incredibly useful resource and for many years, centuries, it was the final word on the title to land. Its also historic for the country, because now people can go on the web and discover a snapshot of 11th century england. Still, for any historian of medieval england, the domesday book is an invaluable. Learn more about out why and how domesday was created, and how to interpret it, in discover domesday. The phillimore translation 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. F w maitland 1897 domesday book and beyond remains one of the seminal works. From these documents the kings clerks compiled a summary, which is domesday book. The name domesday was eventually adopted by the custodians of the book and was first found in official record in 1221. 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 also records the traumatic impact of the norman conquest.
These guys started using domesday book with the the but i can find no reference to why in their work. The domesday book for the county of derby, reprinted from. Domesday book, or, the great survey of england of william the conqueror a. 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. Mar 05, 2015 the domesday book is one of medieval englands greatest treasures. Its an historic day for the domesday book because its the first time its gone on the world wide web. Indeed this is the reason for its name domesday book. The record the chronicle spoke of is the domesday book, a great survey carried. It recorded the major landholders and their rights and obligations. It enables us to reconstruct the politics, government, society and economy of 11thcentury england with greater precision than is possible for almost any other premodern polity. Doomsday book is a 1992 science fiction novel by american author connie willis. To further extend his grip on england, william i ordered that a.
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. An engrossing look at the political drama and the stories. Domesday database launched online university of cambridge. Searchable historical themes and world events from the last two thousand years. The title of the book refers to the domesday book of 1086. Collecting the information includes film clips with actors. Domesday dr stephen baxter reveals the human and political drama that lies within the parchment of englands earliest surviving public record, the domesday book, commissioned in 1086. By contemporaries the whole operation was known as the description of england, but the popular name domesdayi.
The two and a half centuries extending from edward the confessors reign to the last years of edward i form a period of growth. Edward iii documentary biography of the life of edward iii. Domesday book in i833 sir henry ellis observed that another point on which the domesday book throws considerable light is the history of our ancient castles. This is extremely frustrating for a reader to encounter, over and over. Little domesday covering norfolk, suffolk, and essex, and great domesday covering much of the remainder of england except for lands in the north that later became westmorland, cumberland, northumberland, and the county palatine of durham and parts of wales bordering, and included within.
The national archives is the home of domesday book, the oldest surviving public record. Little domesday covering norfolk, suffolk, and essex, and great domesday covering much of the remainder of england except for lands in the north that later became westmorland, cumberland, northumberland, and the county palatine of durham and parts of wales bordering, and included. A complete translation domesday book is one of the most famous documents in english history. 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. An online database which promises to change our understanding of english society on the eve and in the aftermath of the norman conquest has been launched online. Click on a county name on the map to continue, or use the list of links below it. Studies of its figures reveal, amongst many others, such insights as. Domesday book which was the most comprehensive contemporary document in western europe set out the documentary basis for feudal britain. Domesday reloaded the story of the domesday project the bbcs domesday project launched in 1986, 900 years after william the conquerors original domesday book. They were handtyped on an ibm selectric typewriter, then photocopied for distribution. Dr stephen baxter reveals the human and political drama that lies within the parchment of englands earliest surviving public record, the domesday book. Domesday book covers all of england except the northern areas.
There are some 418 towns and villages recorded in the domesday book, covering 40 of the old counties of england. It is also the starting point for most local historians researching the history of their area. 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. Bbc domesday was an ambitious attempt to capture the essence of the united kingdom. Aug 04, 2006 domesday specialist adrian ailes, based at the national archives, said. Facsimile of the part relating to norfork by james, henry, sir, 18031877. This is an entry for dunwich, suffolk, in the domesday book.
The domesday book online contents of the domesday book. What does it say about the impact of the normans on england. He then catalogued fiftyone references from domesday book which he identified as recording the presence of fiftytwo individual castles. 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, they were protected. The majority of these still exist in some form today. Kivrin engle, the main character, says that her recording is a record of life in the middle ages, which is what william the conquerors survey turned out to be. 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. Essentially, its now possible for anyone to do in a few seconds what it has taken scholars weeks to achieve in the past. 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 world of domesday exhibition depicts life in 11th century england. A look at the human and political drama that lies within the parchment of englands earliest surviving public record the domesday book. Chichester, 19741992 the english translations for the great domesday counties, together with images of the latin text, are available in searchable form on cd, known as domesday explorer, published by phillimore and co. The normans, episode 4, domesday alexander street, a proquest. A handlist of castles recorded in the domesday book. Produced at amazing speed in the years after the conquest, the domesday book provides a vivid picture of late 11thcentury england. For these three counties the full, unabbreviated return sent in to winchester by the commissioners is preserved in the second volume little domesday, which. Domesday book is one of the most famous historical records held by the national. The novel won both the hugo and nebula awards, and was shortlisted for other awards.
It was one of the major interactive projects of its time, and it was undertaken on a scale not seen since. Find out how it was compiled, and what it reveals about life in. Though invariably called domesday book, in the singular, it in fact consists of two volumes quite different from each other. Timeline for the domesday book, the results of the domesday survey of england recording,418 settlements history through timelines by. For the bbc, the 900th anniversary in 1986 presented an opportunity to produce a television series, hosted by michael wood. Domesday book is a treasure trove of information for historians and reveals much about 11th century ce england. The result was the domesday book actually more than one, which now resides in the national archives. To see full names of counties hold your mouse over the name. Domesday book makes it clear that large areas were wooded and that waste and underused land was widespread in 1086. It has been cited as an example of digital obsolescence on account of the physical medium used for data storage. The bbc domesday project was a partnership between acorn computers, philips. The domesday book is actually not one book but two. Find out how to search for your town or village, and how to access images of domesday along with an english translation, using our research guide. 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.
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