▁inheritance ▁of ▁property ▁by ▁wid ows ▁and ▁daughters , ▁often ▁forcing ▁mar ri ages ▁to ▁Norm ans . ▁Some ▁Norman ▁l ords ▁used ▁England ▁as ▁a ▁launch ing ▁point ▁for ▁attacks ▁into ▁South ▁and ▁North ▁Wales , ▁spread ing ▁up ▁the ▁valle ys ▁to ▁create ▁new ▁Mar cher ▁territ ories . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁William ' s ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 0 8 7 , ▁England ▁formed ▁the ▁largest ▁part ▁of ▁an ▁Ang lo - N orm an ▁emp ire , ▁ruled ▁over ▁by ▁a ▁network ▁of ▁nobles ▁with ▁land hold ings ▁across ▁England , ▁Norm andy , ▁and ▁Wales . ▁England ' s ▁growing ▁wealth ▁was ▁critical ▁in ▁allowing ▁the ▁Norman ▁k ings ▁to ▁project ▁power ▁across ▁the ▁region , ▁including ▁fund ing ▁campaign s ▁along ▁the ▁front iers ▁of ▁Norm andy . ▁ ▁At ▁Christmas ▁ 1 0 8 5 , ▁William ▁ordered ▁the ▁compilation ▁of ▁a ▁survey ▁of ▁the ▁land hold ings ▁held ▁by ▁himself ▁and ▁by ▁his ▁v ass als ▁throughout ▁the ▁kingdom , ▁organ ised ▁by ▁count ies , ▁a ▁work ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Dom es day ▁Book . ▁The ▁listing ▁for ▁each ▁county ▁gives ▁the ▁hold ings ▁of ▁each ▁land holder , ▁grouped ▁by ▁own ers . ▁The ▁list ings ▁describe ▁the ▁holding , ▁who ▁owned ▁the ▁land ▁before ▁the ▁Con quest , ▁its ▁value , ▁what ▁the ▁tax ▁assess ment ▁was , ▁and ▁usually ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁pe as ants , ▁pl ough s , ▁and ▁any ▁other ▁resources ▁the ▁holding ▁had . ▁Town