The Domesday Book was commissioned by William I, King of England in 1085 as a vast and detailed survey of his conquered land of England and parts of Wales. As stated in a quote from The Anglo Saxon Chronicle, "After this had the king a large meeting, and very deep consultation with his council, about this land; how it was occupied, and by what sort of men. Then sent he his men over all England into each shire; commissioning them to find out 'How many hundreds of hides were in the shire, what land the king himself had, and what stock upon the land; or, what dues he ought to have by the year from the shire.' Also he commissioned them to record in writing, 'How much land his archbishops had, and his diocesan bishops, and his abbots, and his earls;' and though I may be prolix and tedious, 'What, or how much, each man had, who was an occupier of land in England, either in land or in stock, and how much money it was worth.' So very narrowly, indeed, did he commission them to trace it out, that there was not one single hide, nor a yard of land, nay, moreover (it is shameful to tell, though he thought it no shame to do it), not even an ox, nor a cow, nor a swine was there left, that was not set down in his writ. And all the recorded particulars were afterwards brought to him." The survey was completed in 1086, the same year my trilogy begins. The name is thought to have been used by the English people to denote the last judgement. 

 

My main character, Simon, nephew to the King, is actually based on a true man of the time, Simon D'Crepy, a foster son to William and one of his chief mediators. My Simon was a translator during the assessing of England. In return the King gifts him lands without telling Simon, and lists him in the book as a tenant-in-chief. When Simon discovers these gifts he uses them to bribe William Rufus, the King's son. In my first novel, Simon and Maura are chasing each other and Simon falls onto the table holding the Domesday Book, scattering the pages. They attempt to reassemble the book but fail miserably. There are parts of the true Domesday Book that don't appear to be in the correct order. I attribute this to Simon and Maura's playing.

 

The theme of the Domesday Book lurks throughout my novels, alluding to the suffering of my main characters, the people of England and parts of Wales, and the greed of its commissioner and his treacherous family.

 

The book still exists in pristine condition and is housed at The National Archives in Kew, England. I got to view it in Lincoln, England during my visit in 2017. What a wonder it is!