The great survey — why William counted every pig and plough in England

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The great survey — why William counted every pig and plough in England

GCSE History

In 1086, William sent commissioners across England to record every landholding, every tenant, and every taxable asset. The Domesday Book was the most ambitious act of royal administration in medieval European history - and a powerful statement of who owned what after the Conquest. This page covers the survey, its purpose, and how Norman justice worked alongside it.

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