Domesday book synonyms, domesday book pronunciation, domesday book translation, english dictionary definition of domesday book. The component elements of the name are the old english pre 7th century dema, a judge, plus daege, a servant, medieval english deme deye. The databases of names and domesday statistics have been updated to reflect these identifications. Driven from see by william ii rufus in 1088, he became a counsellor to duke robert curthose of normandy and was often at odds with the exiled odo of bayeux. The name domesday book, commonly applied from the 12th century ce, may derive from doom, the term for a customary law in anglosaxon england, or be a reference to the day of judgement, referred to in the bibles book of revelation, reminding that the records in domesday book were final and could not be disputed. I have transcribed the names from the phillimore domesday, which includes the original latin as well as a translation. This interesting and unusual name, with variant spelling domesday, originated as an occupational name for a judges clerk or attendant. Learn more about out why and how domesday was created, and how to interpret it, in discover domesday. Abraham farleys edition 17731783 domesday book was an item of great interest to the antiquarian movement of the 18th century.
Completed a mere seven months later, by 1 august 1086, the survey provided a detailed record of,418 settlements in england. The domesday book compiled in 10856 is one of the few historical records whose name is familiar to most people in this country. This short three minute video covers what the domesday book is. Ellis, general introduction to domesday book 1833, 2 vols. The hull domesday project was conceived as an electronic translation of domesday book, coded to identify different textual elements names, places, categories of data and linked to databases of domesday names and places, a facsimile of the manuscript, and mapping facilities, all these elements enclosed in a software package which could interpret the coding. The most substantial change in this revised version of the original dataset is the addition of a single file ids. Chief justice and domesday commissioner, one of his scribes wrote most of the great domesday book.
The domesday book of 1086 lists in the following order the tenantsinchief in devonshire of king william the conqueror. The name domesday book middle english for doomsday book came into use in the 12th century. Original latin version phillimore translation alecto translation notes. The original manuscript of the domesday book is in the pro. In 1986, the bbc released the bbc domesday project, the results of a project to create a survey to mark the 900th anniversary of the original domesday book. Personal names in the domesday book by constanza of thamesreach genny grim. Indeed, it was noted by an observer of the survey that. This page simply records all owner names mentioned in domesday book. 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. For a more detailed introduction to domesday, and england at the end of the 11th century, when domesday was compiled, consult our online domesday exhibition the original domesday book itself can no longer be consulted except in very rare. The domesday book, our earliest public record, is a unique survey of the value and.
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. It is the starting point of recorded history for the majority of english villages and towns which are organized by county. In august 2006 the contents of domesday went online. For these three counties the full, unabbreviated return sent in to winchester by the commissioners is preserved in the second volume little domesday, which. Surnames mentioned in the domesday book british surnames. 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 domesday book provides extensive records of landholders. To see full names of counties hold your mouse over the name. It acquired the name domesday book because of the huge amount of information that was contained in it.
The written record of a census and survey of english landowners and their property made by order of william the conqueror in. If yours is one of them, you have one of the earliest recorded surnames. Its a land survey, compiled in 1086, that covered much of england and parts of wales. The domesday book was commissioned in december 1085 by william the conqueror, who invaded england in 1066. This research guide explains how to access and understand the information within domesday book.
This would explain why he did not write up the return for the eastern circuit, which also survives in its original form and is known as little domesday book. Kent, leofwin, earl of son of countess gytha and earl godwin. Note that the same name is not necessarily the same person. 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. T he domesday book is the result of a record made at the time of william the conquerors survey of england in 1086. By contemporaries the whole operation was known as the description of england, but the popular name domesdayi. The majority of these still exist in some form today. Domesday book, the original record or summary of william is survey of england. One of the most important historical events of the medieval era is the domesday book.
The domesday book was a survey designed to record everything that people owned in england. The place names found in the domesday book are township and estate names, and may include other villages and hamlets that receive no specific mention in the text. The record was compiled in 10861087, a mere twenty years after the norman conquest, at the order of william the conqueror. The original 11th century ce name seems to have been more mundane. The national archives is the home of domesday book, the oldest surviving public record. Gender data is taken primarily from the pase database. The first volume great domesday contains the final summarized record of all the counties surveyed except essex, norfolk, and suffolk. 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.
By contrast, the original domesday book an inventory of eleventhcentury england compiled in 1086 by norman monks is in fine condition in the public record office, kew, and can be accessed by. Domesday book 1086 the middle ages encompass one of the most exciting periods in english history. Domesday book is one of the most famous documents in english historyand arguably in world history. 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. Sawyer, ma assistant in history in the university of edinburgh domesday book is important not only for historians but also for students of english placenames. 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. Kilpeck was then known as chipitee,but streton sugwas, shobdon, eardisley and castle frome all made famous by the magnificent kilpeck school of norman architecture are right there in the herefordshire county of domesday,and even their original 11c names except kilpeck have remained unchanged. Crossreferences to other counties have also been included.
Why it was written and what was involved in making it. Domesday book sources for research in english genealogy. This first english census, considered by some as the most remarkable administrative accomplishment of the middle ages, provides a record of. Domesday book, the original record or summary of william i s survey of england. William commissioned the book because his power was being threatened. Domesday book definition of domesday book by the free. The following are the more important works to be consulted. The name domesday book was not adopted until the late 12th century. It does not record names, nor does it give accurate population statistics, but it does give us an indication of the size of badsey, aldington and wickhamford. Female names in the domesday book nancys baby names. The text was written in an abbreviated and stylized clerical. Again, the latin form in the domesday text is given exactly.
Great domesday book is the incomplete, last draft of the information collected by the domesday survey, commissioned by william the conqueror at christmas 1085 and using a detailed list of questions to record who owned which estate. Today, domesday book is available in numerous editions, usually separated by county and available with other local history resources. Scandinavian elements found in the domesday book english. The domesday book english medieval legal documents. 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. As expected, the domesday book shows us that the areas where there is a greater number of occurrences of scandinavian place names elements are those within the danelaw, and, in general, where scandinavian settlement was the strongest, during the 8th, 9th and 10th century. Domesday book encompasses two independent works in, originally, two physical volumes. 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, english counties. Domesday book is the collective term for these two volumes. The anglosaxon chronicle states while spending the christmas time of 1085 in gloucester, william had deep speech with his.
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. Click on a county name on the map to continue, or use the list of links below it. Visitors to the domesday website will be able to search place names and see the index entry made for each village, town or city for free. There are some 418 towns and villages recorded in the domesday book, covering 40 of the old counties of england. Holdings in 10 counties in midlands and east anglia. Domesday book is a manuscript record of the great survey of much of england and parts of. 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. The domesday book records details of a survey of land ownership and. We looked at names from king henry iiis fine rolls th century a couple of weeks ago, so now lets go back a bit further and look at names from the domesday book 11th century what is the domesday book. 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.
Hamilton, inquisitio cantabrigiensis 1876, containing the only transcripts of the original returns and the. The original manuscript was destroyed in the second world war, but printed copies survive. Widow of earl waltheof of huntingdon and northumbria, whom she betrayed. The domesday book online contents of the domesday book. The domesday book is actually not one book but two.