1.3.5 Revolts (1070-1075)

Question 1

What rebellion was the last major Anglo-Saxon rebellion against William?

Answer 1

Hereward the Wake’s rebellion at Ely in 1070

Question 2

Who was Hereward the Wake? (2)

Answer 2

• Hereward was a member of the nobility who was banished by Edward the Confessor as a troublemaker
• He returned to his home in Ely after exile and found that his land and the local town had been overrun by Normans. They owned his land, ruled over his people, and as suggested by the fact he had been banished previously, probably had some anger management issues

Question 3

The revolt of 1069-1071

Answer 3

In 1069, Hereward began to rebel against the Normans in charge in Ely. Somehow, Hereward managed to join up with some of King Sweyn’s Danish soldiers. They raided Peterborough Abbey, which was a local monastery, to either save or steal the treasure contained there. Nobody knows what happened for sure to the treasure. Morcar joined forces with Hereward and the Danes, where they resisted until 1071. However, they lost the battle and this was the final real insurrection against the Normans.

Question 4

Where was the Hereward the Wake rebellion?

Answer 4

Ely (near Cambridge)

Question 5

Who were the three senior earls who rebelled against William?

Answer 5

• Roger de Breteuil, who was the Earl of Hereford. Hereford was one of the Marcher Earldoms created after the Battle of Hastings
• Ralph de Gael, who was the Earl of East Anglia
• Waltheof was the third earl to rebel. He was not a Norman, but he did control the earldom of Northumbria. He was an Anglo-Saxon.

Question 6

Why did the three senior earls rebel? (4)

Answer 6

• A desire for power - Earls were seeing their families lose land to William as generations died. The Earls were losing power. Also, they believed that if they could remove William from power, they and their families would be even more important.
• Unfair inheritance laws - the Earls viewed English inheritance laws as unfair. The Normans had earned their land by William confiscating it from Anglo-Saxons after their fathers’ deaths. However, he commandeered back some land from Norman nobles as part of his inheritance laws.
• Changes in the Marcher Earldoms - This reason mainly applies to Roger de Breteuil (as he ruled Hereford). However, power had shifted from the Earls of the Marcher Earldoms towards the king.
• Ralph de Gael’s anger - Ralph de Gael was angry with William because he didn’t support Ralph’s latest marriage.

Question 7

What happened at the start of the revolt of the Norman earls? (5)

Answer 7

• King Sweyn of Denmark agreed to invade England, at the request of Ralph de Gael.
• Waltheof and a man named de Gael decided to rebel against William.
• Waltheof, who was the Earl of Northumbria, changed his mind. He told the Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop Lanfranc, who was in charge of England whilst William was out of the country travelling.
• This advance warning allowed Lanfranc to put down the rebellion.
• Roger and Ralph had expected Anglo-Saxon soldiers and local people to rise up against William. Most people didn’t care and lots of Anglo Saxons actually fought alongside Norman soldiers.

Question 8

What happened at the end of the revolt of the Norman earls? (3)

Answer 8

• The revolt was failing, with most Anglo Saxons trying to stop the revolt alongside the Normans.
• The Danish ships that King Sweyn had committed to an invasion saw the failing revolt and decided not to invade. They landed and then returned to Denmark.
• William travelled from France to England and captured the culprits. However, Ralph managed to flee to France.

Question 9

Conclusions of the revolt of the Norman earls (4)

Answer 9

• Roger de Breteuil and Ralph de Gael had all their land taken away.
• Ralph de Gael ran away to France.
• Roger de Breteuil was put in prison.
• Waltheof was executed on the 31st of May 1076.

Question 10

Who was the revolt of the Norman earls encouraged by?

Answer 10

The King of France who was keen to distract William from Normandy in order to increase his own influence there.

Question 11

Which two people put down the revolt of the Norman earls with brutal force?

Answer 11

• Bishops Odo
• Lanfranc

Question 12

Why was Roger de Breteuil perhaps spared more serious punishment?

Answer 12

Perhaps because of the king’s friendship with his father

Question 13

Why did the Earls rebel? (4 - summarised points)

Answer 13

• A desire for power
• Unfair inheritance laws
• Changes in the Marcher Earldoms
• de Gael’s marriage anger

Question 14

Which church did Hereward raid in 1070?

Answer 14

Peterborough Abbey

Question 15

When was Waltheof executed?

Answer 15

Waltheof was executed on the 31st of May 1076

Question 16

Why was Hereward angry?

Answer 16

He was angry that William and the Normans had confiscated land from his father and killed his brother.

Question 17

The rebellion of Hereward the Wake (6)

Answer 17

• Hereward’s father was believed to be Leofric, Earl of Mercia
• He was angry that William and the Normans had confiscated land from his father and killed his brother.
• With the support of King Sweyn of Denmark and Morcar (Edwin had been killed), Hereward began a campaign of guerrilla-style attacks on Norman settlers in the marshes and fenlands of East Anglia. His men fought in small groups and hid to take the enemy by surprise.
• Hereward’s supporters were able to use their knowledge of the land to avoid capture and frustrate William’s attempts to end the rebellion in the way he had others.
• Their most famous attack was the looting and burning of Peterborough Abbey in 1070.
• The rebels were based at the abbey on the Isle of Ely, which was well defended and surrounded by marshland.

Question 18

The rebellion of Hereward the Wake (6)

Answer 18

• Hereward’s father was believed to be Leofric, Earl of Mercia.
• He was angry that William and the Normans had confiscated land from his father and killed his brother.
• With the support of King Sweyn of Denmark and Morcar (Edwin had been killed), Hereward began a campaign of guerrilla-style attacks on Norman settlers in the marshes and fenlands of East Anglia. His men fought in small groups and hid to take the enemy by surprise.
• Hereward’s supporters were able to use their knowledge of the land to avoid capture and frustrate William’s attempts to end the rebellion in the way he had others.
• Their most famous attack was the looting and burning of Peterborough Abbey in 1070.
• The rebels were based at the abbey on the Isle of Ely, which was well defended and surrounded by marshland.

Question 19

How did William get King Sweyn to leave England?

Answer 19

He paid him

Question 20

How did William try to get to the marshland in the rebellion of Hereward the Wake?

Answer 20

Unable to attack directly, he besieged the Isle of Ely and made several attempts to cross the marshland.

Question 21

Describe William’s first attempt to cross the marshland during the rebellion of Hereward the Wake

Answer 21

William ordered the building of a 3km (2 miles) wooden causeway to cross the marshland. The structure was strong and impressive.

Question 22

Why was William’s first attempt at crossing the marshland during the rebellion of Hereward the Wake a failure?

Answer 22

The causeway was not strong enough for the sheer number of Norman soldiers who tried to cross it and it collapsed.

Question 23

Describe William’s second attempt to cross the marshland during the rebellion of Hereward the Wake

Answer 23

William built a siege tower and, according to some accounts, found a local witch to stand at the top of the tower and shout abuse and curses at the rebels.

Question 24

Why was William’s second attempt at crossing the marshland during the rebellion of Hereward the Wake a failure?

Answer 24

Hereward set fire to the area and the tower burnt down

Question 25

Describe William’s third attempt to cross the marshland during the rebellion of Hereward the Wake

Answer 25

William convinced the monks of Ely Abbey to reveal a secret route to Hereward’s base

Question 26

Why was William’s third attempt at crossing the marshland during the rebellion of Hereward the Wake a success?

Answer 26

William reached the abbey and arrested most of the rebels, including Morcar. Hereward, however, escaped