The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (1085–1086) and Domesday Book (1086–1087)

While the papacy was expanding its authority in the eleventh century, regional rulers were doing much the same. William I, duke of Normandy and king of England (r. 1066–1087), provides a case in point, and his efforts on this front helped to make his twelfth-century successors the mightiest kings in Europe. Upon conquering his rival to the throne in the battle of Hastings in 1066, William consolidated his rule by preserving existing institutions and establishing new ones. Below is a contemporary description of King William from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a year-by-year account of English history from the birth of Christ to 1154. As it recounts, among William’s many achievements was the commission of a comprehensive survey of England’s land, livestock, taxes, and population, which was conducted in 1086–1087. Later condensed into two volumes, known as Domesday, the report paints a detailed picture of England’s agricultural and urban landscape. An extract from the survey of the county of Norfolk follows. It bears witness not only to the minute level of record keeping the enterprise entailed but also to the king’s immense resources and power.

From The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, trans. Dorothy Whitelock (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1961), 161–65; and Translations and Reprints from the Original Sources of European History, vol. 3 (Philadelphia: Department of History, University of Pennsylvania, 1912), 6–7.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

In this year people said and declared for a fact, that Cnut, king of Denmark, son of King Swein, was setting out in this direction and meant to conquer this country with the help of Robert, count of Flanders, because Cnut was married to Robert’s daughter. When William, king of England, who was then in Normandy—for he was in possession of both England and Normandy—found out about this, he went to England with a larger force of mounted men and infantry from France and Brittany than had ever come to this country, so that people wondered how this country could maintain all that army. And the king had all the army dispersed all over the country among his vassals, and they provisioned the army each in proportion to his land. And people had much oppression that year, and the king had the land near the sea laid waste, so that if his enemies landed, they should have nothing to seize on so quickly. But when the king found out for a fact that his enemies had been hindered and could not carry out their expedition—then he let some of the army go to their own country, and some he kept in this country over winter.

Then at Christmas, the king was at Gloucester with his council, and held his court there for five days, and then the archbishop and clerics had a synod for three days. There Maurice was elected bishop of London, and William for Norfolk, and Robert for Cheshire—they were all clerics of the king.

After this, the king had much thought and very deep discussion with his council about this country—how it was occupied or with what sort of people. Then he sent his men over all England into every shire and had them find out how many hundred hides there were in the shire, or what land and cattle the king himself had in the country, or what dues he ought to have in twelve months from the shire.¹ Also he had a record made of how much land his archbishops had, and his bishops and his abbots and his earls—and though I relate it at too great length—what or how much everybody had who was occupying land in England, in land or cattle, and how much money it was worth. So very narrowly did he have it investigated, that there was no single hide nor virgate of land, nor indeed (it is a shame to relate but it seemed no shame to him to do) one ox nor one cow nor one pig which was there left out, and not put down in his record; and all these records were brought to him afterwards. . . .

This King William of whom we speak was a very wise man,² and very powerful and more worshipful and stronger than any predecessor of his had been. He was gentle to the good men who loved God, and stern beyond all measure to those people who resisted his will. In the same place where God permitted him to conquer England, he set up a famous monastery and appointed monks for it,³ and endowed it well. In his days the famous church at Canterbury was built,⁴ and also many another over all England. Also, this country was very full of monks, and they lived their life under the rule of St. Benedict, and Christianity was such in his day that each man who wished followed out whatever concerned his order. Also, he was very dignified: three times every year he wore his crown, as often as he was in England. At Easter he wore it at Winchester, at Whitsuntide at Westminster, and at Christmas at Gloucester, and then there were with him all the powerful men over all England, archbishops and bishops, abbots and earls, thegns and knights. Also, he was a very stern and violent man, so that no one dared do anything contrary to his will. He had earls in his fetters, who acted against his will. He expelled bishops from their sees, and abbots from their abbacies, and put thegns in prison, and finally he did not spare his own brother, who was called Odo; he was a very powerful bishop in Normandy (his cathedral church was at Bayeux) and was the foremost man next the king, and had an earldom in England. And when the king was in Normandy, then he was master in this country; and he [the king] put him in prison. Amongst other things the good security he made in this country is not to be forgotten—so that any honest man could travel over his kingdom without injury with his bosom full of gold; and no one dared strike⁵ another, however much wrong he had done him. And if any man had intercourse with a woman against her will, he was forthwith castrated.

He ruled over England, and by his cunning it was so investigated that there was not one hide of land in England that he did not know who owned it, and what it was worth, and then set it down in his record.⁶ Wales was in his power, and he built castles there, and he entirely controlled that race. In the same way, he also subdued Scotland to himself, because of his great strength. The land of Normandy was his by natural inheritance, and he ruled over the county called Maine; and if he could have lived two years more, he would have conquered Ireland by his prudence and without any weapons. Certainly in his time people had much oppression and very many injuries:

He had castles built

And poor men hard oppressed.

The king was so very stark

And deprived his underlings of many a mark

Of gold and more hundreds of pounds of silver,

That he took by weight and with great injustice

From his people with little need for such a deed.

Into avarice did he fall

And loved greediness above all.

He made great protection for the game

And imposed laws for the same,

That who so slew hart or hind

Should be made blind.

He preserved the harts and boars

And loved the stags as much

As if he were their father.

Moreover, for the hares did he decree that they should go free.

Powerful men complained of it and poor men lamented it,

But so fierce was he that he cared not for the rancour of them all,

But they had to follow out the king’s will entirely

If they wished to live or hold their land,

Property or estate, or his favour great.

Alas! woe, that any man so proud should go,

And exalt himself and reckon himself above all men!

May Almighty God show mercy to his soul

And grant unto him forgiveness for his sins.

These things we have written about him, both good and bad, that good men may imitate their good points, and entirely avoid the bad, and travel on the road that leads us to the kingdom of heaven.

Extract from Domesday Survey of the County of Norfolk

The land of Robert Malet.

Fredrebruge Hundred and half. Glorestorp. Godwin, a freeman, held it. Two carucates⁷ of land in the time of king Edward. Then and afterwards 8 villains⁸; now 3. Then and afterwards 3 bordars⁹; now 5. At all times 3 serfs, and 30 acres of meadow. At all times 2 carucates in demesne.¹⁰ Then half a carucate of the men, and now. Woods for 8 swine, and 2 mills. Here are located 13 socmen,¹¹ of 40 acres of land. When it was received there were 2 horses, now 1. At all times 8 swine, then 20 sheep, and it is worth 60 shillings.

There is situated there, in addition, one berewick,¹² as the manor of Heuseda. In the time of king Edward, 1 carucate of land; then and afterwards 7 villains, now 5. At all times 12 bordars, and 3 serfs, and 40 acres of meadow; 1 mill. Woods for 16 swine and 1 salt pond and a half. Then 1 horse and now and 14 swine, 30 sheep, and 50 goats. In this berewick are located 3 socmen, of 10 acres of land, and it is worth 30 shillings. The two manors have 2 leagues in length and 4 firlongs in breadth. Whosoever is tenant there, returns 12 pence of the twenty shillings of geld.¹³

Scerpham Hundred Culverstestun Edric held it in the time of king Edward. Two carucates of land. At all times there were 4 villains, and 1 bordar, and 4 serfs; 5 acres of meadow and two carucates in the demesne. Then and afterwards 1 carucate, now one-half. At all times 1 mill and one fish-pond. Here is located 1 socmen of the king, of 40 acres of land; which his predecessors held only as commended and he claims his land from the gift of the king. Then and afterwards there was one carucate, now 2 oxen, and 2 acres of meadow. At all times two horses, and 4 geese; then 300 sheep, now 300 less 12; then 16 swine now 3. Then and afterwards it was worth 60 shillings, now 80; and there could be one plow. Walter of Caen holds it from Robert.

Heinstede Hundred. In Sasilingaham Edric, the predecessor of Robert Malet, held 2 sokes¹⁴ and a half, of 66 acres of land, now Walter holds them. Then 9 bordars, now 13. At all times 3 carucates and a half among all, and 3 acres of meadow, and the eighth part of a mill; and under these 1 soke of 6 acres of land. At all times half a carucate. Then it was worth 30 shillings, now it returns 50 shillings.

In Scotessa Ulcetel was tenant, a free man commended to Edric, in the time of king Edward of 30 acres of land. At that time 1 bordar, afterward and now 2. Then half a carucate, none afterward nor now. It was at all times worth 5 shillings and 4 pence; the same.

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