Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. In this lesson, we will begin to unpick the difficulties surrounding medieval peasants and their source record. We will examine what the Domesday Book can reveal about peasants' lives.

Licence

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4 Questions

Q1.
Domesday demonstrates that England's peasants lived in an agricultural system. This means...
Correct answer: They spent most of their working time farming
They spent most of their working time fighting wars abroad
They spent most of their working time writing record books
Q2.
Why might a meadow potentially make peasants' lives difficult?
Lords would build fences around them, banning all peasants from entering
They were owned by the king as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Correct answer: They would often flood, meaning that crops and animals were at risk
Q3.
How frequently were women mentioned in Domesday Book?
Frequently, so we do not need to look at other sources to learn about their lives.
Never, so we must look at other sources to learn about their lives.
Correct answer: Rarely, so we should look at other sources to learn about their lives.
Q4.
Which of these was NOT a possible reason why William had Domesday Book made?
He wanted to demonstrate how valuable the kingdom was, and therefore prove he was a powerful king
He wanted to know the value of all the land in England, so he could tax it appropriately
Correct answer: He wanted to make sure that twenty years of surveys were kept somewhere safe

Lesson appears in

UnitHistory / Which sources reveal the most about medieval peasants?

History