Last night’s episode of Restoration Home featured an unusual reference for the series. It referred to a Domesday entry about a manor in Saham Toney, Norfolk.
Great and Little Domesday Books today bound in five parts: two (above) for Great Domesday and three (below) for Little Domesday; catalogue reference: E 31/2/1-2 and E 31/1/1-3
I hold up my hands to say that while I did a History A level, my specific subject knowledge is a bit hazy. Before I worked here, I only had a vague idea about the history of Domesday.
While we do hold Domesday here at The National Archives, it is too fragile to produce for filming. Luckily we have a few facsimiles.
After some confusion trying to find a facsimile for filming, I realised that I was getting tied up in knots because Domesday is not one document, it is technically two documents in five volumes. There is Great Domesday and Little Domesday and, for conservation reasons, Great Domesday was rebound in two parts, and Little Domesday in three parts.
If you would like to know more about Domesday you can visit our online exhibition. Domesday has been digitised and you can search for places you know and live in.
Who killed the princes in the Tower?
The advent of DNA means that numerous historical Conundrums could be answered, however MANY Historians seem MORE interested in making money!!