3.21 Towns

Question 1

Which towns/cities became more important? (2)

Answer 1

• London
• Nor wich

Question 2

What happened to the importance of Winchester? (3)

Answer 2

• Had been one of England’s largest and most important towns in AS times.
• Started to decline in importance.
• W built new cathedral there so religious importance increased.

Question 3

Why did smaller towns grow?

Answer 3

Due to markets, e.g. Bury St Edmunds

Question 4

Why did Norman nobles encourage local towns to develop?

Answer 4

As this would increase trade; especially the case for towns in south as they had more links with Normandy and the continent.

Question 5

How many new towns were created between 1066 and 1100?

Answer 5

21

Question 6

What evidence is there of growth of towns?

Answer 6

• Found in Domesday Survey of 1086.
• 2 largest towns = London (10,000 inhabitants) and Winchester (6000)
• Norwich, York and Lincoln had between 4000 and 5000 people.

Question 7

What did many new towns develop around?

Answer 7

New cathedrals, so became important religious centres, e.g. Durham, Ely, Salisbury, Winchester and Lincoln.

Question 8

What other purpose did castles have?

Answer 8

As a trade centre.

Question 9

What happened to houses in order to make castles?

Answer 9

Houses were destroyed to make room for castles. However, by 1086 the Domesday Book also recorded that new houses had been built, e.g. 300 in Bury St Edmunds.

Question 10

What does the number of burgesses living in a town indicate?

Answer 10

The size and development of the town.

Question 11

What was a burgess? (4)

Answer 11

• A town dweller from the upper ranks of townspeople.
• Owed services and taxes to a lord and could buy and sell property.
• Had legal and administrative responsibilities but amount of power varied town to town.
• In some towns => handled legal issues for shire/ the hundred.

Question 12

How many burgesses did Lincoln have?

Answer 12

970

Question 13

What did Norman towns look like?

Answer 13

Houses were built closely together and conditions were cramped.

Question 14

How did trade affect the growth of towns? (3)

Answer 14

• Played important role in growth of towns.
• Trade links with France were strengthened at expense of Scandinavian links.
• Normans brought stability in trade => led to development of many towns.

Question 15

How did the salt trade affect the growth of towns? (3)

Answer 15

• Salt = important product as used for cooking and food preservation.
  *Droitwich, for example, grew rapidly due to production and sale of salt.
• Domesday Book shows that there were 13 salt houses in Droitwich and 3 salt workers paid tax to King in form of salt.

Question 16

How did metalwork affect the growth of towns? (3)

Answer 16

• Production of iron and lead => important for building houses and making weapons.
• Towns specialising in metalwork often near woodlands as wood was used in furnaces needed to melt/shape the metal.
• E.g, Gloucester sourced wood from Forest of Dean.

Question 17

How did the wool trade affect the growth of towns? (4)

Answer 17

• Used for making clothes => great demand.
• Produced in countryside but brought along major rivers to markets in towns like Lincoln and York.
• Often exported abroad to towns like Flanders in Belgium => some English coastal towns grew as centres of international trade e.g, Boston, London, Sandwich and Southampton.
• Wool trade created links for trading fine cloth and wine => so towns like Bristol grew as a result of trade in wine from Gascony, France.

Question 18

How Guilds affect the growth of towns? (3)

Answer 18

• Burgesses might be craftspeople, such as weavers, goldsmiths or leatherworkers, or conduct trade as bakers, butchers, fishmongers and merchants.
• Each of these groups joined together to form specialist associations called guilds.
• The guilds began to grow and often had considerable power.

Question 19

How did markets and fairs affect the growth of towns? (6)

Answer 19

• Markets and fairs could only be held if a franchise was given in form of a grant from King of his government.
• After n conquest 2800 grants were given.
• First grant given by W to Bishop of Winchester to hold a ‘free fair’ at St Giles Hill.
• Markets gave traders place to buy/sell products, and fairs marked religious events => occasion for celebration.
• Fairs = economically important. Sponsored by church, which made money from them.
• Traders bought and sold products there, and there were also entertainers such as stilt walkers, musicians and singers.

Question 20

What is a franchise?

Answer 20

Authorisation for a group of townspeople to carry out business activity.