At his Christmas court at Gloucester in 1085 William asked that a great survey be taken in every part of England. The king wanted to know how many people lived in his realm. He wanted to know the size of every property, what each was worth, and how much income it brought in. No such survey had ever been made in England before. It was unique in its details and its contribution to English history. The Domesday Book was the first public record in England.