Aug 07, 2006 i know, we usually focus on us documents, but i thought this was pretty cool. Detail of the day of judgement or doomsday after which. Domesday book world of domesday the national archives. Domesday book the name usually appears without an article reveals exactly what happened to the anglosaxon nobility of england in the two decades following the battle of hastings in 1066 ce and the subsequent norman conquest. Wartime domesday book showing life in 1939 to be made publicly available online. The world of domesday exhibition depicts life in 11th century england. Domesday book discover domesday the national archives. By contemporaries the whole operation was known as the description of england, but the popular name domesdayi. The national archives recently announced that we are going to be loaning our earliest public record, domesday book, to the british library for the librarys forthcoming anglosaxon kingdoms exhibition. Domesday book is a detailed survey and valuation of landed property in england.
It records who held the land and how it was used, and also includes information on how this had changed since the norman conquest in. 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. At over 900 years old, domesday is the earliest surviving public record and the foundation document of the national archives. The survey was ordered by william the conqueror at christmas 1085 and undertaken the following year. We help government departments manage their information more effectively and promote the reuse of public sector information. Our main duties are to preserve government records and to set standards in information management and reuse. A hide, adrian ailes, a domesday specialist at the national archives, tells me, is about 120 acres, though as with most measurements c 1086 it wasnt cut and dried. Uks domesday book now online free government information fgi.
The national archives is the official archive of the uk government for england and wales and the sector leader for archives in england. 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. The national archives is the home of domesday book, the oldest surviving public record. You can also access the discover domesday exhibition, explaining why domesday. The domesday book, the uk s oldest surviving public record, has been made available online by the uk national archives.
The domesday book, the oldest public record in britain, has been placed on the internet by the national archives, enabling readers to browse the 920yearold census online. This work helps inform todays decisions and ensures that they become tomorrows permanent record. The record was compiled in 10861087, a mere twenty years after the norman conquest, at the order of william the conqueror. It is a highly detailed survey and valuation of all the land held by the king, william the conqueror, and his. Domesday, the earliest public record and perhaps the most famous book in english history, is to be lent to the british library for a landmark exhibition on the anglosaxons the national archives. The public can now search the 920year old book by name of town, city or village. Mar, 2019 from the domesday book to the dark archive, the tudors to the titanic, and victorian prisons to propaganda, holding history explores many moments in history. In 2005 it was voted the nations finest treasure, yet a recent survey conducted in conjunction with todaya. In 1086, king william i the conqueror wanted to find out. Domesday book lent to british library for anglosaxon exhibition.
Domesday book is the oldest government record held in the national archives. 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 domesday book has gone on public display as part of a summer exhibition at lincoln castle. You can also see this iconic document in the first episode of cunk on britain, the new series on bbc2. 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.
It contains the results of a huge survey of land and landholding commissioned by william i in 1085. Domesday book, the original record or summary of william is survey of england. 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. Domesday book domesday legacy the national archives. Aug 19, 2009 the national archives is the official archive of the uk government. Stored for 76 years in a government building in lancashire, the files include.
It is a wellillustrated overview of the domesday book and perfec. It is also the starting point for most local historians researching the history of their area. We are the governments knowledge and information champions. What can we learn about england in the 11th century.
From the domesday book to the dark archive, the tudors to the titanic, and victorian prisons to propaganda, holding history explores many moments in history. As the governments national archive for england, wales and the united kingdom, the national archives hold over 1,000 years of the nations records for everyone to discover and use. Mar 07, 2008 actor chris bailey puts the government view of the 11th century domesday survey in the character of a domesday commissioner. A complete translation domesday book is one of the most famous documents in english history. 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. Find out how it was compiled, and what it reveals about life in. Domesday book national archives information leaflet internet archive copy from august 2004 exchequer. The national archives is the uk governments official archive, containing years of history from domesday book to the present, with records from parchment and paper scrolls through to digital files and archived websites. Domesday book is a detailed survey and valuation of landed property in england at the end of the 11th century. Domesday book lent to british library for anglosaxon.
Public record office now the national archives to undertake a facsimile of the domesday book while it was unbound for restoration. The domesday book online frequently asked questions. Focus on domesday the national archives learning curve. It is on loan from its permanent home at the national archives in london until september. The first volume great domesday contains the final summarized record of all the counties surveyed except essex, norfolk, and suffolk. Domesday book etc description of class e 31 in the national archives online catalogue the domesday book alan stanier see the internet archives copy of this page, from november 2004. Aug 04, 2006 domesday specialist adrian ailes, based at the national archives, said. The domesday book is the national archives oldest and most famous public record. Its an historic day for the domesday book because its the first time its gone on the world wide web. May 27, 2017 the domesday book has gone on public display as part of a summer exhibition at lincoln castle. E records of the exchequer, and its related bodies, with those of the office of first fruits and tenths, and the court of augmentations. Its also historic for the country, because now people can go on the web and discover a snapshot of 11th century england. Division within e records of the treasury of the receipt. Domesday book goes digital technology the guardian.
Wales and the united kingdom, the national archives hold over 1,000 years of the nations records for everyone to discover and use. Every purchase supports the work of the national archives. Completed a mere seven months later, by 1 august 1086, the survey provided a detailed record of,418 settlements. Learn more about out why and how domesday was created, and how to interpret it, in discover domesday. The national archives is the official archive and publisher for the uk government and for england and wales.
Domesday book is one of the most famous historical records held by the. Treasures from the national archives, collected over years of british history. For these three counties the full, unabbreviated return sent in to winchester by the commissioners is preserved in the second volume little domesday, which. It is the guardian of some of our most iconic national documents, dating back over. This is an entry for dunwich, suffolk, in the domesday book. In 1086, king william i the conqueror wanted to find out about all the land in his new kingdom. World of domesday looks at what life was like in later 11th century england. Domesday book on public display at lincoln castle bbc news. The domesday book is actually not one book but two. Nov 19, 2018 the twovolumed domesday book is currently housed in the uk national archives, london. Explore the history of the archival crown jewel that is domesday book the national archives is the uk governments official archive.
The national archives is the uk governments official archive. The alecto great domesday is published as great domesday. Free digital downloads while our kew site is closed, signedin users can download digital records for free. 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. The domesday book or, colloquially, domesday is the expression used since the late twelfth century to refer to the record of the great inquisition or survey of the lands of england, their extent, value, ownership, and liabilities, made by order of william the conqueror in 1086. The original domesday book is deemed too valuable and fragile to be exhibited in public and so is kept in private at the national archives formerly the public records office in kew, london though it is still used on occasions by students and academics interested in its study. Produced at amazing speed in the years after the conquest, the domesday book provides a vivid picture of late 11thcentury england.