The Conquest and its Aftermath

Page 14 of 16

• 1. Collaboration
• 2. Odo and the Bayeux Tapestry
• 3. Orderic Vitalis
• 4. Robert D'Oilly
• 5. Land seizure
• 6. The Sheriff of Cambridge
• 7. The Rebellion of 1069
• 8. Retribution
• 9. Consolidation in the north
• 10. Treachery of the Earls
• 11. Hereward and the Isle of Ely
• 12. The taking of Ely
• 13. English exiles: the Varangian story
• 14. Domesday Book
• 15. Defending the Conquest
• 16. Find out more
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Domesday Book

For many, the crowning glory of William's reign was Domesday Book, the great catalogue of land and ownership compiled in the final year of his life. It has generally been seen as the culmination of the Norman Conquest, in which William commissioned a great survey of all he now ruled and had it presented to him at a great convocation in Old Sarum at Salisbury, setting the final seal on the Conquest of England. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle certainly views it in these terms:

After this, the King had much thought and very deep discussion with his council about this country - how it was occupied or with what sort of people. Then he sent his men all over England into every shire and had them find out how many hundred hides there were in the shire, or what land and cattle the King himself had in the country, or what dues he ought to have in twelve months from the shire. Also he had a record made of how much land his archbishops had, and his bishops and his abbots and his earls - and though I relate it at too great length - what or how much everybody had who was occupying land in England, in land or in cattle, and how much money it was worth. So very narrowly did he have it investigated that there was no single virgate of land, nor indeed (it is a shame to relate but it seemed no shame to him to do) one ox nor one cow nor one pig which there was left out, and not put down in his record; and all those records were brought to him afterwards... Then he travelled about so as to come to Salisbury at Lammas; and there his councillors came to him, and all the people occupying land who were of any account over England, no matter whose vassals they might be; and they all submitted to him and became his vassals and swore oaths of allegiance to him, that they would be loyal to him against all other men.

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Published: 2001-05-01