Source.—The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, ed. Thorpe, vol. i., p. 352. (Rolls Series.)

Then at Midwinter was the king at Gloucester with his witan and there held his court five days, and thereafter the archbishop and clergy had a synod three days.... After this the king had a great council and very deep speech with his witan touching this land, how it was peopled or with how many men. Then he sent his men over all England into every shire, and caused to be learned how many hundred hides were in the shire, or what land the king himself had and what cattle on that land, or what manner of dues he ought to have for twelve months from the shire. Also he caused to be written how much land his archbishops had, and his bishops and his abbots and his earls, and, though I take long to tell it, what or how much each man had, who was a land-holder in England, in land or in cattle, and how much money it was worth. So very straitly he caused it to be traced out that not a single hide nor a yard of land, nor even—it is a shame to tell, though he thought it no shame to do—an ox, nor a cow, nor a swine was left that was not set down in his writing. And all the writings were brought to him thereafter.