After two warnings, in 1069 William the conquerer seriously curtailed the health and strength of those in York up to Durham, leaving 100,000 rotting corpses because they were against him. (The Harrying of the north.) Having got the support of those who were left, from a national population around two million, he set about, in 1086, updating the register of their lands and possessions, which the Saxon Kings had recorded before him, and he called his new version ‘The Doomsday Book’. This indicated what could happen if they didn’t join in the spirit of the exercise. It told him what they had and how much he could extract from them (without stealth). It also gave him a figure from which he could calculate any future added value. Does this sound familiar?

They have discovered now, that half the land in Britain is not registered and they know 40% of the total belongs to Monarchy and direct heirs of William (the landed gentry). That situation is being put right; the registers are being updated as we speak. The objective to have all land and possessions registered and valued.

If Gordon was a present day Robin Hood, with all this information and power in his hands, he would use it to rob the rich and give to the poor. He has discovered though, that he is better off doing the exact opposite. There are more of the poor and the old and, if he squeezes them till they scream, the rich get richer and he gets more from them too.

It’s funny how history repeats itself!!