What is the name of the famous survey of England ordered by William the Conqueror in 1086?

The story behind the answer

William I ordered a kingdom-wide inquest in 1086 to catalogue who held which lands, what they were worth, and what taxes and services were owed. The resulting compilation provided a definitive basis for royal taxation and control after the Norman Conquest, recording holdings both before and after 1066 to resolve disputes and assert feudal rights.

Compiled in Latin by royal commissioners using sworn local juries, it was arranged by shire and produced in two volumes (often called Great and Little). Its nickname evoked the Last Judgment because its findings were treated as final. Beyond landowners, it lists mills, plough teams, fisheries, and woodlands, offering an unparalleled snapshot of 11th‑century England—not to be confused with the later Hundred Rolls of Edward I.