The domesday book is actually not one book but two. 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. 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. Find out where in the world your surname originated, what it originally meant and how many other people you share it with. Roll your mouse over the highlighted words to reveal the meaning. The name domesday book was not adopted until the late 12th century. Domesday book, the meaning of domesday book, the in. Proper usage and audio pronunciation of the word domesday book. To further extend his grip on england, william i ordered that a.
The world of domesday exhibition depicts life in 11th century england. 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. Domesday book synonyms, domesday book pronunciation, domesday book translation, english dictionary definition of domesday book. A comprehensive guide to the origins, meanings, etymologies and distribution of thousands of british surnames. Domesday is now available online, and you can search for your town or village, and download images of domesday along with an. 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.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. For example, doncaster would probably have originated as a. Domesday article about domesday by the free dictionary. The domesday book offers great insight into life at the time of the norman conquest. From longman dictionary of contemporary english domesday book, the the domesday book domes. Domesday book records large numbers of such manors, the great majority of which had no recorded value or human or animal resources. Domesday book in american english the record of a survey of england made under william the conqueror in 1086, listing all landowners and showing the value and extent of their holdings websters new world college dictionary, 4th edition.
Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples log in dictionary. World wide words tries to record at least a part of this shifting wordscape by featuring new words, word histories, words in the news, and the curiosities of native english speech. Domesday definition is archaic variant of doomsday. The national archives is the home of domesday book, the oldest surviving public record. This page simply records all owner names mentioned in domesday book. The domesday book is closely linked with william the conquerors attempt to dominate medieval england. The domesday book was called domesday because the book was invented in the time of the war and it was doom. Given that historians must piece together the past from surviving primary sources, domesday book is a nearly exhaustive trove of verifiable facts about england in the year 1086. The feudal system was a way of organising society into different groups based on their roles. 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 is interesting to note that the domesday book compiled by the commissioners of william the conqueror in 1086, is named from the old english domes daeg i. The first volume great domesday contains the final summarized record of all the counties surveyed except essex, norfolk, and suffolk. M abbreviation occurring in the margin in domesday, meaning manor.
The site was built as a nonprofit project by me, anna powellsmith, using data created by professor j. Virtually all of the place names decided on up to around the 14th century were due to the environment of the area. Surnames became necessary when governments began demanding personal taxes from its citizens. Domesday book dictionary definition domesday book defined. Information and translations of domesday in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. If these manors were, in fact, untaxed because they were uninhabited and uncultivated, then the destruction wrought by the norman conquest, particularly in the infamous harrying of the north in 1069, was on a. Information about domesday book in the dictionary, synonyms and antonyms. After the death of edward the confessor, there was a bloody fourway battle for the throne.
The domesday book was a survey designed to record everything that people owned in england. Domesday definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Definition of domesday from the collins english dictionary. 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. All english words that begin with d related terms of domesday. 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.
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. Domesday book definition and meaning collins english. To the english, who held the book in awe, it became known as domesday book, in allusion to the last judgement and in specific reference to the definitive character of the record. Information and translations of domesday book in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. 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. Domesday book is one of the most famous documents in english historyand arguably in world history. Domesday book, the original record or summary of william i s survey of england. Along with a string of castles throughout england, the domesday book was to give william huge authority in england. The domesday book recorded the names of traitors to be. It had the king at the top with all of the control, and the.
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 word doom was the usual old english term for a law or judgment. From longman dictionary of contemporary englishdomesday book, thethe domesday bookdomes. 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. Domesday book, the original record or summary of william is survey of england.
Domesday book definition of domesday book by the free. Domesday is defined by the lexicographers at oxford dictionaries as a comprehensive record of the extent, value, ownership, and liabilities of. This is the first free online copy of domesday book. B an abbreviation of berewic in domesday see below. Even at the date of domesday book the abbey held no less than thirty manors. A summary of the feudal system and the domesday book the. The domesday book is one of medieval englands greatest treasures. Domesday survey synonyms, domesday survey pronunciation, domesday survey translation, english dictionary definition of domesday survey. An old french measurement used in domesday in relation to the vineyards. You may also link directly to the word entry on the glossary page. The domesday book is a detailed survey of the land held by william the conquerer and his people, published in 1806. Domesday book is a manuscript record of the great survey of much of england and parts of. The written record of a census and survey of english landowners and their property made by order of william the conqueror in.
The hide was an english unit of land measurement originally intended to represent the amount of land sufficient to support a household. Domesday book definition is a record of a survey of english lands and landholdings made by order of william the conqueror about 1086. It was traditionally taken to be 120 acres 49 hectares, but was in fact a measure of value and tax assessment, including obligations for foodrent feorm, maintenance and repair of bridges and fortifications, manpower for the army, and eventually the. The record was compiled in 10861087, a mere twenty years after the norman conquest, at the order of william the conqueror. No survey approaching the scope and extent of domesday book was attempted again in britain until the 1873 return of owners of land sometimes termed. Part of domesday book s significance is its singularityno other document like it existed before it was commissioned. Earnest and resourceful, william was not only one of the greatest of english monarchs but.
Domesday survey definition of domesday survey by the. Before 1066 refers to information used in domesday from records originating from the reign of king edward the confessor. By contemporaries the whole operation was known as the description of england, but the popular name domesdayi. There are some surnames listed in the domesday book such as robertus willelmi. 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. 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. Domesday records list property and land values before the conquest, after it and contemporary values. Domesday book definition of domesday book by merriamwebster.
The national archives learning curve focus on domesday. Surnames mentioned in the domesday book british surnames. For example, doncaster would probably have originated as a roman fort on a hill, from the roman caster and celtic don. Look closely at this extract from domesday book, and see if any words look familiar, then read the translation below. Type the prefix or suffix of the following word and the meaning of the prefix or suffix, as it is used in this word, based on the charts above. Below are some of the terms that appear regularly throughout the domesday book, their 11th century translations and their meanings. Domesday survey legal definition of domesday survey. Pronunciation of domesday book with 3 audio pronunciations, 3 synonyms, 1 meaning, 5 translations, 6 sentences and more for domesday book.
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