or DOOMSDAY, Book, a most ancient record, made in the time of William I. surnamed 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 across 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 column, and in a large but very fair character. It contains the counties of Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, part of the county of Rutland included in that of Northampton, and part of Lancashire in the counties of York and Chester.

This work, according to the red book in the exchequer, was begun by order of William the Conqueror, 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 homage in proportion to the lands they held. This appears very probable, as there was at that time extant Domesday, a general survey of the whole kingdom, made by order of king Alfred.

For the execution of the survey recorded in domesday 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 lowest 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 William, 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 tenants 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 inquiries 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 notwithstanding 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 particularly the case with the abbey of Croyland in Lincolnshire, the possessions of which were greatly underrated both with regard to quantity and value. Perhaps more of these pious frauds were discovered, as it is said Ralph Flambard, minister to William Rufus, proposed the making a fresh and more rigorous inquisition; 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 ancient 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 dominus 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 dominus Dei. From the great care formerly 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 (domesday) sigilli regis comes est individualis in thesauro." Until 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 exchequer. It is now deposited in the chapter-house at West- Besides the two volumes abovementioned, there is also 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 remembrancer'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 *domesday* having many pictures and gilt letters in the beginning relating to the time of king Edward the Confessor, this had led some into a false opinion that *domesday*-book was composed in the reign of king Edward.