1000-1500 Medieval England - ‘new’ Crimes In Norman England

Question 1

When was the Norman conquest

Answer 1

1066

Question 2

What did William I want after the Norman conquest

Answer 2

To establish his royal authority over his new kingdom

Question 3

How did William I establish his royal authority

Answer 3

adding new crimes to the existing Anglo-Saxon ones (eg = rebellion, ones covered by the forest laws & murdrum fine)

Question 4

What were William I’s forest laws

Answer 4

• about 30% of England became ‘royal forest’ - William I + Norman nobility used for hunting
• village communities + farms were evicted from this land - caused resentment
• royal forests were protected by new forest laws
• only people who paid for hunting rights could hunt in the royal forest
• in the royal forest it became illegal to graze animals, kill wild animals or take wood without a license
• forest laws were seen as unfair by ordinary people so those who broke these laws weren’t seen as criminals by most people in society

Question 5

How did the Anglo-Saxons feel about the Norman invasion

Answer 5

• they didn’t welcome them
• much resistance for the first few years (including large rebellions in York/East Asia)

Question 6

What were the crimeslaready made in Anglo-Saxon times that William I punished harshly to assert his authority

Answer 6

• betraying your lord
• inciting rebellion against a king

Question 7

What did William I order for the actual rebels

Answer 7

The death penalty - would have also been done in Anglo-Saxon times

Question 8

What did William I do differently about rebellions

Answer 8

He also punished those not directly involved in the rebellions

Question 9

What was the result of Williams actions to non-direct rebels

Answer 9

Estimated that 100,000 people starved to death due to the destruction of farmland + animals on William’s orders in the areas that saw rebellions

Question 10

What did the murdrum fine (a new law) help with

Answer 10

Helped with establishing control over the conquered population

Question 11

An Anglo-Saxon murders a Norman but the culprit wasnt caught. What happens now?

Answer 11

A large sum of money must be paid by the hundred (area of land) where the body was found

Question 12

What’s an example of how the ruling classes can make laws to benefit themselves

Answer 12

Murdering a Norman was a more serious crime than murdering an Anglo-Saxon