William the Conqueror

Aftermath: The Domesday Book

After the conquest, William decided on another ambitious underaking--nothing less than a general inventory of his new realm. He appointed surveyors, inspectors who were empowered to visit every fief and village in England, there to record in detail the wealth and legal obligations of each.

The resulting collection of records is known as the Domesday Book, a veritable treasure for historians. It records how much land a knight held, how many villages were there, how many buildings in the village, even the number of cattle and yield of grain. Historians have long used this source to understand the social and economic structure of 11th century England. William used it to assess nicely the wealth and military strength he had at his command as king of England.

The Domesday Book is unique in the Middle Ages. No other king attempted such an inventory. No other king possessed the great authority needed to force reluctant vassals to divulge such information. The Book shows William's keen mind and powerful will at work. The fact that there were no others shows how little medieval monarchs knew of their own power.

History of Western Civilization

E.L. Skip Knox
Boise State University

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