Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2016
Last exams 2025
The Domesday Book (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Why did William Create the Domesday Book? - Summary
There are many reasons why William commissioned the most detailed survey of landowning in Medieval Europe in 1085. A significant reason was controlling his nobility. In 1075, he faced an uprising from Norman nobles. The nobles were unhappy. Upon the deaths of their fathers, William had reduced the landholding that they inherited. The Domesday Book gained this name as the decisions made in the survey were as final as those made on the Day of Judgement. Therefore, William used the survey to reinforce his power over England and his subjects.
The Domesday Book had important financial motivations. At the beginning of the Norman Conquest, William had given some of his tenants-in-chief tax benefits, such as the Marcher earldoms. William wanted to end these privileges to increase his royal income. The Domesday Book detailed exactly what each subject owned in England and how much that land was worth. This enabled William to calculate tax much more accurately than previous Anglo-Saxon kings of England.
What was the Domesday Book?
The Domesday Book was a written survey of England. It aimed to discover:
Who owned land in England
If any land had multiple people claiming ownership
Who lived in each area of land
How much the land was worth
The function of areas of land, for example, woodland or arable
How much tax landowners needed to pay the king
William ordered the creation of the Domesday Book at Christmas 1085
The written survey was completed in August 1086
Worked Example
Describe one feature of the Domesday Book
2 marks
Answer:
One feature of the Domesday Book was to identify how people used the land in England (1). The survey identified if each section of land was woodland or arable (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
When answering ‘Describe one feature of…’ questions, the two marks are given to you for:
Identify - write a relevant point based on the question topic (1)
Describe - add some specific own knowledge about the point you have made (1)
This question previously asked students to describe two features of a given event. This question was out of four marks. However, as of 2025, Edexcel will split this question into two subsections, asking you to describe a feature of two different events. Each subsection is worth two marks.
The Significance of the Domesday Book on Norman Government
Military | Legal | Financial |
|---|---|---|
In 1085, William feared a Viking invasion from Denmark. The Domesday Book does not list knight service. It did show how many men each tenant-in-chief could provide as soldiers to William | The Norman Conquest caused land disputes. The surveyors listened to each person's claim to the land. They interviewed key people in the hundred to determine who owned the land | William used the Domesday Book to increase his revenue. William imposed large geld taxes in 1084 and 1086. The Domesday Book also identified opportunities to increase William's land through the death of a tenant-in-chief or by forfeit |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
An exam question may ask you how far you agree that the Domesday Book was financially significant. When approaching this style of question, consider:
The extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement. Use words like 'partially' or 'fully' to explain this
The strength of both sides of the argument. William wanted to discover how much tax he could raise and which land he could make his own. However, William faced a potential military threat, which triggered the meeting in 1085. This showed the Domesday Book had important military purposes
Concluding your thoughts with a reflection on key concepts. You should consider short- and long-term consequences, importance and impact. For example, the Domesday Book was the most detailed survey of landholding in Europe for centuries. This had long-term consequences on how English medieval kings calculated tax, showing its financial significance
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