DOMESDAY, or DOOMSDAY, BOOK, a most an-
cient record, made in the time of William I. furnished
the Conqueror, and containing a survey of all the lands
of England. It consists of two volumes, a greater and
a less. The first is a large folio, written on 382 double
pages of vellum, in a small but plain character; each
page having a double column. Some of the capital
letters and principal passages are touched with red ink;
and some have strokes of red ink run cross them, as if
scratched out. This volume contains the description of
31 counties. The other volume is in quarto, written
upon 450 double pages of vellum, but in a single col-
umn, and in a large but very fair character. It con-
tains the counties of Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, part of
the county of Rutland included in that of Northamp-
ton, and part of Lancashire in the counties of York
and Chester.
This work, according to the red book in the ex-
chequer, was begun by order of William the Con-
queror, with the advice of his parliament, in the year
of our Lord 1080, and completed in the year 1086.
The reason given for taking this survey, as assigned by
several ancient records and historians, was, that every
man should be satisfied with his own right, and not
usurp with impunity what belonged to another. But,
besides this, it is said by others, that now all those
who possessed landed estates became vassals to the king,
and paid him so much money by way of fee or ho-
mage in proportion to the lands they held. This ap-
pears very probable, as there was at that time extant
a general survey of the whole kingdom, made by order
of king Alfred.
For the execution of the survey recorded in domes-
day book, commissioners were sent into every county
and shire; and juries summoned in each hundred, out
of all orders of freemen, from barons down to the low-
est farmers. These commissioners were to be informed
by the inhabitants, upon oath, of the name of each
manor, and that of its owner; also by whom it was
held in the time of Edward the Confessor; the number
of hides; the quantity of wood, of pasture, and of
meadow-land; how many ploughs were in the demesne,
and how many in the tenanted part of it; how many
mills, how many fish-ponds or fisheries belonged to it;
with the value of the whole together in the time of
king Edward, as well as when granted by king Wil-
liam, and at the time of this survey; also whether it
was capable of improvement, or of being advanced in
its value: they were likewise directed to return the ten-
ants of every degree, the quantity of lands then and
formerly held by each of them, what was the number
of villains or slaves, and also the number and kinds of
their cattle and live stock. These inquisitions being first
methodized in the county, were afterwards sent up
to the king's exchequer.
This survey, at the time it was made, gave great
offence to the people; and occasioned a jealousy that it
was intended for some new imposition. But notwith-
standing all the precaution taken by the conqueror to
have this survey faithfully and impartially executed, it
appears from indisputable authority, that a false return
was given in by some of the commissioners; and that,
as it is said, out of a pious motive. This was particu-
larly the case with the abbey of Croyland in Lincoln-
shire, the possessions of which were greatly under-
rated both with regard to quantity and value. Per-
haps more of these pious frauds were discovered, as it
is said Ralph Flambard, minister to William Rufus,
proposed the making a fresh and more vigorous in-
quisition; but this was never executed.
Notwithstanding this proof of its falsehood in some
instances, which must throw a suspicion on all others,
the authority of domesday-book was never permitted
to be called in question; and always, when it hath been
necessary to distinguish whether lands were held in an-
cient demesne, or in any other manner, recourse was
had to domesday-book, and to that only, to determine
the doubt. From this definitive authority, from which,
as from the sentence pronounced at domesday, or the
day of judgment, there could be no appeal, the name
of the book is said to have been derived. But Stowe
assigns another reason for this appellation; namely,
that domesday-book is a corruption of domus Dei book;
a title given it because heretofore deposited in the king's
treasury, in a place of the church of Westminster or
Winchester, called domus Dei. From the great care for-
merly taken for the preservation of this survey, we may
learn the estimation in which its importance was held.
The dialogue de Scaccariis says, "Liber ille (domes-
day) figilli regis comes est individuum in thesauris." Un-
til lately it has been kept under three different locks
and keys; one in the custody of the treasurer, and the
others in that of the two chamberlains of the exche-
quer. It is now deposited in the chapter-house at Wel-
minster, where it may be consulted on paying to the
proper officers a fee of 6s. 8d. for a search, and four-
pence per line for a transcript.
Besides the two volumes above mentioned, there is al-
so a third made by order of the same king; and which
differs from the others in form more than matter.
There is also a fourth called domesday, which is kept
in the exchequer; which, though a very large volume,
is only an abridgement of the others. In the remem-
brancer's office in the exchequer is kept a fifth book,
likewise called domesday, which is the same with the
fourth book already mentioned. King Alfred had a
roll which he called domesday; and the domesday-book
made by William the Conqueror referred to the time
of Edward the Confessor, as that of king Alfred did
to the time of Ethelred. The fourth book of domes-
day having many pictures and gilt letters in the begin-
ning
Domestic. ning relating to the time of king Edward the Confessor, this had led some into a false opinion that domestic-day-book was composed in the reign of king Edward.