urban area, metropolitan borough of Knowsley, metropolitan county of Merseyside, historic county of Lancashire, England. It lies on the eastern periphery of Liverpool. Although mentioned (as Hitune and Rabil) in Domesday Book (1086), the record of William the Conqueror's land survey of England, the town was not important until its rapid development as a suburban area for Liverpool. Although primarily residential in character, it has engineering, metal, and food-processing industries. Pop. (2001) 54,766.