How did the Domesday Book help William control England?

L/O – To explain why the Domesday Book was so important

Another Rebellion!• By 1070, William had

conquered England and had started to build castles to control the land.

• But in 1085 the King of Denmark planned another great invasion of England.

• How would William pay for an army to protect England?

Denmark

1085

How could he get money?• William wanted to get

the money from everyone living in England.

• But how much could each person afford to pay?

• William did not know. So he decided to ask everyone in England.

“I need money!”

1085

The Domesday Survey• William did not ask

everyone himself. He sent men all over England.

• They found out how many pigs, hens, cows, windmills and farm tools everyone had.

• All the answers were collected so William could work out how much money each person in England could afford to pay him. 1086

“My job is to find out how much the land is worth, before William invaded and now. But

no one seems to understand me!”

How many smallholders are

there?

What is the manor called?

Is there a priest and a

church? How much meadow is there?

How much ploughed land is

there?

How many cows, goats, oxen, horses, pigs,

beehives?

What did the Domesday Survey Ask?

The Domesday Book• All the answers were

put in a book called The Domesday Book.

• It still survives today in London.

• Historians can go in and use it.

• It tells historians a lot about England in 1086. 1086

“But why am I called

the Domesday

Book?”

The Domesday Book: Source Work