How did William I distribute land to Norman followers in England?

Following the Norman Conquest, William I fundamentally reorganized English society by establishing a system of feudal land tenure. He distributed land to his followers through the following methods:

• Tenants-in-Chief: William granted estates directly to fewer than 180 men, who became his tenants-in-chief. These individuals held their land in exchange for homage, fealty, and the obligation to provide a specific number of knights for the royal feudal host.12
• Piecemeal Distribution: Estates were likely distributed on a piecemeal basis as lands came into the king's possession. To prevent the consolidation of excessive regional power, these estates were often scattered across multiple shires, though compact blocks were sometimes formed in vulnerable regions around castles.1
• Subinfeudation: Tenants-in-chief often granted portions of their own lands to intermediate (mesne) tenants, who in turn provided the military service required by the king.12
• Administrative Oversight: The distribution was formalized and recorded in the Domesday Book, which organized landholdings by the king and his tenants-in-chief, reflecting a new social structure based on the honour or barony.3