What English medieval book was used to keep track of animals people and land and for what purpose?

Answer 1

The Domesday Book, collected in 1086, was a record of the lands, people, and livestock. It was ordered by King William I (William the Conqueror), the Norman leader who conquered England in 1066.

Answer 2

This book is the Anglo saxon Chronicle. There is a link to an article on it below.

You may also be interested in reading about the Domesday Book. The Domesday Book was a survey completed by William the Conquerer in 1086. One of its main purposes was to determine who held what property and what taxes had been liable on that property. It consists of two independent works that survey the property in parts of England and Wales. It listed for each shire every person's land holdings, livestock, occupants, what lands the king owned, what lands were owned by the Church, types of land included in the holdings, mills, buildings, rivers, etc. It somewhat simplified the collection of taxes, permitted the value of rural estates, recorded the extent of a baron's holdings and tenants, and informed the king of where he could look to acquire funds.

It is considered to be the oldest public record in England and perhaps the most significant statistical document in existence. It remains an invaluable source for researchers.