At Christmas 1085, King William I ordered a survey of the whole of England to find out who owned what, how much land it was, and what it was worth. Commissioners visited every county and recorded 13,418 places in 1086, asking how many ploughs, mills, fishponds, and peasants each manor had. The result, written in Latin and called Domesday after the Last Judgement, is the most complete record of any medieval European state. It established ownership after the Conquest and allowed taxes to be collected. It is held in the National Archives at Kew.
Before and after
- from 1079 to 1318House of Hohenstaufen
- 1079Birth of Peter Abelard
- 1080Construction of Speyer Cathedral
- from 1081 to 1185Komnenos
- 1086William the Conqueror's survey: the Domesday Book
- 9 September 1087Death of William the Conqueror
- 1088Construction of Jameh Mosque of Isfahan
- 1088Founding of University of Bologna
- 1092Su Song completes his astronomical clock tower
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The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 11th century.