Spotlight On: Domesday Book

The National Archives UK
13 Jul 202207:25
EducationalLearning
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TLDRJessica Nelson, head of Premodern Legal and Maps Collections at The National Archives, discusses the iconic Domesday Book, a record of medieval England's land and resources. Written in Latin, it details landholdings, resources, and customs, reflecting the societal structure post-Norman Conquest. Divided into Great and Little Domesday, it offers a snapshot of a transitioning society and is a unique document, crucial for understanding medieval England's transformation.

Takeaways
  • 📜 The Domesday Book is an iconic public record held within the Exchequer collection at The National Archives, which was the financial center of medieval and early modern government.
  • 🏛️ The Exchequer had a secure area called the Treasury of the Receipt, where important documents like Domesday were kept due to their significance to the kingdom.
  • 📚 Domesday is a detailed record of lands, landholding, and resources in medieval England, originally existing in two versions: Great Domesday and Little Domesday.
  • 🔍 Domesday was divided into parts in 1986 for better preservation, with Great Domesday in two parts and Little Domesday in three.
  • 📄 The script describes a facsimile edition of Domesday, which is a high-quality reproduction printed on paper, as the original is too fragile to be handled regularly.
  • 🖋️ Most of Great Domesday was written by a single scribe in neat and clear medieval Latin, a language used by educated people across Europe at the time.
  • 🏰 William the Conqueror commissioned the Domesday survey in 1085 to understand landholdings and resources in his kingdom, which was then written up in the Domesday Book.
  • 👑 The survey reflects the new societal structure imposed by William, with the king at the top, followed by tenants-in-chief and other landholders.
  • 📝 Domesday provides detailed accounts of manors, including their worth, tax obligations, population, and land use for agriculture and other purposes.
  • 🏙️ It also records customs, particularly of urban areas, such as fines for shedding blood at different times and penalties for brewing bad beer.
  • 👁️ The Domesday Book serves a deeper purpose by presenting William as the natural successor to King Edward the Confessor, omitting any mention of the conquest or King Harald.
  • 🗺️ Domesday offers a snapshot of medieval society in transition, showing changes due to the Norman Conquest and its lasting impact on England's language, society, and culture.
Q & A

  • Who is Jessica Nelson and what is her role?

    -Jessica Nelson is the head of Premodern Legal and Maps Collections at The National Archives.

  • What is Domesday and where is it held?

    -Domesday is an iconic public record of lands, landholding, and resources in medieval England, held within the Exchequer collection at The National Archives.

  • What was the Exchequer and its relation to Domesday?

    -The Exchequer was the financial center of medieval and early modern government, and its collection contains documents including Domesday, which was considered an important document to the kingdom.

  • How many Domesday books were originally there and what are they called?

    -Originally, there were two Domesday books: Great Domesday and Little Domesday.

  • Why were the Domesday books divided into parts in 1986?

    -The books were divided by the Collection Care department to help them be better preserved.

  • What is the current condition of the original Domesday and why isn't it displayed?

    -The original Domesday is old and fragile, so it stays in carefully controlled conditions in a secure repository, and a facsimile edition is displayed instead.

  • Who primarily wrote most of Great Domesday and how many words does it contain?

    -Most of Great Domesday was written by a single scribe and contains around 2 million words.

  • In what language is Domesday written and why was this choice made?

    -Domesday is written in Latin, the language of educated people in the medieval period, to ensure it was understood across Europe regardless of spoken language.

  • What was the purpose of the survey that led to the creation of Domesday?

    -The survey was ordered by William the Conqueror to find out who held land and what resources were on that land in his newly conquered kingdom.

  • What does Domesday record about the structure of society at the time?

    -Domesday records the new structure of society imposed by William, with the king at the top, followed by tenants-in-chief, and others holding land from them.

  • How does Domesday present William the Conqueror in relation to the previous rulers of England?

    -Domesday presents William as the natural successor to King Edward the Confessor, omitting any mention of the conquest or King Harald.

  • Why is Domesday significant for understanding medieval England and its transition?

    -Domesday provides information on land and resources before, during, and after the Norman Conquest, offering a snapshot of a society in transition and the lasting changes on language, society, and culture.

  • Is Domesday typical of the Exchequer records or unique?

    -Domesday is unique and not typical of the Exchequer records, but it is one of many medieval documents that shed light on various aspects of medieval society.

Outlines
00:00
📜 Domesday Book: England's Iconic Medieval Record

Jessica Nelson introduces the Domesday Book as the earliest and one of the most famous public records in England, housed within the Exchequer collection at The National Archives. The Domesday Book is a comprehensive record of landholding and resources in medieval England, originally existing in two versions: Great Domesday and Little Domesday. Due to its age and fragility, the original Domesday is preserved in controlled conditions, with a facsimile edition available for viewing. The book, written in medieval Latin by a single scribe, provides a detailed account of land values, taxes, population, and various resources, including arable land, woodland, vineyards, fisheries, and mills. It is organized by county and landowner, starting with King William and listing tenants-in-chief, serving as a contents page for each county. The script also mentions urban customs recorded in Domesday, such as fines for shedding blood and penalties for brewing bad beer.

05:01
🏰 The Purpose and Significance of Domesday

The second paragraph delves into the purpose and deeper significance of the Domesday Book. It was commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1085 to survey land and resources in his kingdom, with the survey conducted in 1086. The book not only recorded the current state of affairs but also provided historical context before and after the Norman Conquest. It aimed to establish the new societal structure with the king at the top and tenants-in-chief beneath him. The Domesday Book subtly omits the conquest's violent aspects, presenting William as the rightful heir rather than a conqueror. It offers a snapshot of medieval society in transition and is crucial for understanding the long-lasting changes in language, society, and culture post-conquest. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the uniqueness of the Domesday Book and its importance alongside other medieval records in shedding light on various aspects of medieval society.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Domesday
Domesday, also known as the Domesday Book, is a comprehensive record of lands, landholding, and resources in medieval England. It is a central theme of the video, representing a significant historical document that provides insight into the social and economic conditions of the time. The script mentions that Domesday was originally in two forms: Great Domesday and Little Domesday, and it was written by a single scribe in Latin, reflecting the language of the educated class in medieval Europe.
💡Exchequer
The Exchequer was the financial center of medieval and early modern government, responsible for recording financial transactions. In the context of the video, the Domesday Book is part of the Exchequer collection at The National Archives, emphasizing its importance as a historical financial record. The script explains that the Exchequer also had a secure area known as the Treasury of the Receipt, which housed important documents like Domesday.
💡Treasury of the Receipt
The Treasury of the Receipt was a secure area within the Exchequer, designed to store documents of paramount importance to the kingdom. The script mentions Domesday as one of the documents stored here, highlighting its significance among other historical records.
💡Facsimile
A facsimile is an exact copy or reproduction of an original document, often used for preservation purposes. The video script explains that the original Domesday is too fragile to be handled frequently, so a facsimile edition is used for display and study, which closely resembles the original but is printed on paper instead of being handwritten on animal skins.
💡Latin
Latin is an ancient Italic language that was the official language of the Roman Empire and later the scholarly language of medieval Europe. The Domesday Book was written in medieval Latin, as mentioned in the script, which was the common language of the educated class at the time, ensuring its comprehensibility across different European regions.
💡William the Conqueror
William the Conqueror was the first Norman King of England, having conquered the country in 1066. The script discusses how he commissioned the Domesday survey in 1085 to understand the landholdings and resources in his kingdom, which was then compiled into the Domesday Book.
💡Landholding
Landholding refers to the possession and control of land, a central concept in the Domesday Book. The script explains that the survey recorded not only who held the land but also the resources available on that land, reflecting the feudal system imposed by William the Conqueror where the king owned everything and granted land to his tenants-in-chief.
💡Manors
A manor is a feudal unit of land, typically under the control of a lord or noble. The Domesday Book provides detailed information about manors, including their value, tax obligations, and the amount of land designated for various uses such as arable farming or woodland. The script uses the example of manors to illustrate the level of detail in the Domesday Book.
💡Tenants-in-chief
Tenants-in-chief were the principal landholders in the feudal system of William the Conqueror's England. They held land directly from the king and were responsible for managing it and providing military service. The script mentions that the Domesday Book lists these tenants-in-chief, indicating their status and the lands they held.
💡Customs
Customs refer to the traditional practices or laws of a community. The Domesday Book records various customs, especially those of urban areas, providing a glimpse into the social norms and legal practices of the time. An example from the script is the custom in Chester, where the severity of a fine for shedding blood varied depending on the time of the week and whether it occurred on a religious holiday.
💡Norman Conquest
The Norman Conquest refers to the invasion and subsequent rule of England by the Normans, led by William the Conqueror. The script highlights the impact of the Norman Conquest on English society, language, and culture, and how the Domesday Book serves as a historical record of the changes that occurred during this period of transition.
Highlights

Domesday is an iconic public record held within the Exchequer collection at The National Archives.

The Exchequer was the financial center of medieval and early modern government.

Domesday was stored in the secure Treasury of the Receipt due to its importance.

Domesday is a record of medieval English lands, landholding, and resources.

Originally, Domesday existed in two forms: Great Domesday and Little Domesday.

In 1986, Domesday books were divided into parts for better preservation.

A facsimile edition of Domesday is used for display due to the original's fragility.

Domesday is written in neat and clear medieval Latin, by a single scribe for most of Great Domesday.

Latin was used to ensure the record's comprehensibility across Europe.

William the Conqueror commissioned the Domesday survey to understand landholdings in England.

The survey aimed to document who held the land and its resources, not who owned it.

Domesday helped establish the new social structure post-Norman Conquest.

The document provides detailed accounts of manors, including their worth and inhabitants.

Domesday is organized by county and lists landholdings by landowner.

It records urban customs, such as fines for shedding blood at different times.

Domesday's purpose was to maximize tax revenue and document landholdings.

The document subtly presents William as the rightful heir to England, not a conqueror.

Domesday provides a snapshot of medieval society in transition due to the Norman Conquest.

It is a unique document with no equivalent in the National Archives or worldwide.

Despite its uniqueness, Domesday is not the only valuable medieval record in the archives.

Transcripts

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Related Tags
Domesday BookMedieval EnglandLand RecordsWilliam ConquerorSociety StructureNorman ConquestHistorical SurveyLegal CollectionsNational ArchivesManorial Resources