The Domesday Book was a book written in 1086 in the Kingdom of England. Commissioned by King William the Conqueror, it was intended as a survey of all medieval property within the realm, including England and Wales, with the purpose of determining who owed taxes to the English crown and how much they owed. Royal officers appointed by the king were sent to carry on the survey. As many land owners had avoided paying taxes for the longest time, they feared retribution if and when this situation was discovered. Because of this, it was referred to as the "Domesday Book", domesday being an ancient spelling of "doomsday".
