Starter quiz
- What language did the ruling elite speak following the Norman conquest?
- 'French' ✓
- How did the Norman conquest affect the economy of England?
- It became entirely dependent on Normandy.
- It led to a permanent decline.
- It saw a brief dip but then recovered. ✓
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- What evidence is there of economic growth returning to England after the Norman conquest?
- the construction of towns, castles and churches ✓
- the decline of the agricultural sector
- the migration of skilled workers to France
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- Complete this sentence: An example of continuity in Norman England’s society was that the majority of the population remained ______.
- 'peasants' ✓
- Why was the introduction of Norman Forest laws unpopular?
- They allowed unrestricted hunting for all classes.
- They cleared villages to make way for the forests. ✓
- They increased taxes on the peasant population.
- They restricted hunting for the general population. ✓
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- Which statement best reflects the Normans’ approach to Anglo-Saxon government systems?
- They discarded all Anglo-Saxon government systems.
- They kept many Anglo-Saxon government institutions. ✓
- They reverted to Viking (Danish) systems of government.
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Exit quiz
- In which year did William order the survey that became Domesday Book?
- 1066
- 1075
- 1085 ✓
- 1087
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- Which of these were questions asked by the commissioners of the Great Survey?
- How many hides of land are there? ✓
- Who owned the manor in the time of Edward the Confessor? ✓
- How much is the land worth now (in 1085)? ✓
- How many enslaved people work the land? ✓
- How many knights does the land support?
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- Match the keywords to their correct definitions.
- survey⇔gathering specific details by asking people questions ✓
- manor⇔a unit of land overseen by a lord ✓
- geld⇔the name of a tax used to defend England against Viking attacks ✓
- Complete this sentence: in 1086 William summoned the tenants-in-chief to a grand ceremony where they paid ______.
- 'homage' ✓
- Domesday was commissioned at a time when England faced invasion from which country?
- 'Denmark' ✓
- Which of these do historians consider likely reasons why William ordered the Great Survey that became Domesday Book?
- to settle legal disputes over land ✓
- to confirm what his tenants owed him in return for their land ✓
- to show how much Norman rule had benefitted the English
- to help calculate the geld tax that could be raised to defend England ✓
- to replace the Anglo-Saxon way of gathering taxes with a new feudal system
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- In 1085, William ordered a survey to detail the possessions of his new kingdom of England.
- The survey was compiled in 1086, and the two volumes of records became known as Domesday Book.
- Historians do not fully agree on the purpose, but Domesday Book gave William a very detailed account of landholding.
- Domesday may also have provided William with an accurate account of the tax and soldiers his new kingdom could provide.
- Domesday increased William’s royal authority: the capacity to seize and distribute lands, and to charge accordingly.
Common misconception
People think the survey and Domesday Book are one and the same thing.
In fact, the survey was ordered in 1085, and later compiled into what became known as Domesday Book.
Keywords
Survey - a survey is an examination of specific details, opinions, behaviour, etc., made by asking people questions
Manor - a manor is a unit of land overseen by a lord - a lord’s large manor house is also a feature
Geld - geld is the name of a tax traditionally used to defend England against (Viking) invasions
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