Where to find Stories of your Ancestors

How far has mankind really come in learning about the past? So much has been lost and continues to be lost in the present generation. The only reliable source is the tax book ordered by William the Conqueror in 1066 A. D., viz. The Domesday Book. This new tax system enabled the conqueror to lay claim to all of the land in a given territory, first, dividing it among his lieutenants and supporters, who would pay him in money or services to keep the land. And, for the first time in the historical reckoning of families, even the poorest of farmers would pay a tax to the king.