How did William I use juries and sworn inquests in English justice?

Under the reign of William I, the administration of justice and governance saw the increased use of juries and the implementation of the sworn inquest as a formal administrative tool.12

The Sworn Inquest

William I utilized the sworn inquest to gather precise information for his administration, most notably during the compilation of the Domesday Book in 1086. Commissioners held formal sessions in county towns where they required local representatives—including sheriffs, barons, subtenants, and delegates from every hundred and village—to provide answers under oath to a specific list of questions. This geographic, systematic approach allowed the crown to document landholdings, resources, and values across England with remarkable speed and detail.2

Juries in Justice

While the exact origins of the jury remain a subject of historical debate—potentially stemming from either Anglo-Saxon custom or Norman practice—it is clear that their use became more frequent under the Normans. In the context of William’s courts, jurors were occasionally summoned to provide a collective verdict under oath to resolve disputes. Unlike modern juries that weigh external evidence, these early jurors acted as neighborhood witnesses who rendered judgments based on their own local knowledge.13