5. William II ‘Rufus’ and the consolidation of power and government Flashcards
1
Q
William’s succession
A
- Prior to his death, William I had written to Lanfranc outlining his succession plan
- Tumultuous past relationship with Robert (Robert and William had fought in the past 1077-1079 as Robert believed that Normandy should be ruled independently) contributed toward William’s decision to split the land rather than giving it all to his eldest son
- Robert was to gain Normandy, Rufus England and Henry was to be given ‘substantial treasures’
2
Q
What were the causes of the 1088 rebellion?
A
- Succession of Rufus to the throne of England caused division as many powerful barons in the country supported the claim of Robert
- 6/10 of the most important barons in England support the revolt against the King
- “Rufus faced a nationwide coalition of leading magnates determined to fight for Robert’s claim to the English throne” - Huscroft
3
Q
Key events of the 1088 rebellion
A
- Toward end of William I’s reign, Odo (his half brother) had been exiled, however upon his death he was released and gave his support to Robert, Odo became the figurehead of the rebellion
- A rebel court was held at Winchester and during Lent 1088 he rebel leaders attempted to win increased support
- Rufus was altered to what the rebels were planning by William of Saint-Calais who later deserted the king and was placed on trial
- William responded to the planned rebellion by encouraging bishop Wulfstan to excommunicate any insurgents, this was an attempt to scare them into surrender
- He also created divisions in the ranks of the rebel leaders by making promises to them
- Odo went into hiding at Pevensey, however the King tracked him down and besieged the castle
- The siege was successful and Odo was taken back to Rochester, however he had support within he castle and Rufus was forced to order another raid, by the end of summer Odo had surrendered
4
Q
Consequences of the 1088 rebellion
A
- Rufus assembled the English people and restored the rights of ‘hunting and forests and promised them desirable laws’, this was an attempt t appease those who still opposed his rule and succession
- The rebellion showed William that his position was not totally secured, he responded by confiscated land and banishing those involved in the rebellion
- “The revolt of 1088 would leave the king with a great sense of betrayal” Mason
- Rebellion also showed that William’s as a strong leader who had military prowess, in particular in attacking castles
5
Q
Rufus’s attack on Normandy
A
- Following 1088 rebellion, William II planned an attack on Normandy, this was prompted out of revenge for his brother’s involvement in the 1088 rebellion
- Also, the neighbouring area of Maine had been in a state of unrest since William I’s death and William II wanted to establish control
- William II tried to buy support from the Norman barons which failed, so he set sail with a large army
- Upon his arrival in 1091, Robert asked for peace terms to be agreed at Rouen, which included:
1. Rufus was to support Robert’s claim to Maine
2. Robert was to receive land in England
3. Rufus was to gain the whole of Normandy if Robert died and vice versa - After the treaty was agreed, both Robert and Rufus travelled to England to deal with a rebellion from the Scots, led by King Malcom
- This demonstrated an act of union, Robert negotiated on behalf of Rufus with Edgar (who was negotiating on behalf of Malcom)
- However, Rufus returned in 1094 and was accused of breaking the terms of the treaty
- He ordered Ranulf Flambard to raise an army of 20,000 men but an expedition never took off
- Robert disappeared as a problem follows his response to the call for the First Crusade, which William II funded in return for Normandy
6
Q
Causes of 1095 rebellion
A
- “The chroniclers attributed unrest to William’s tyranny and excessive taxation”, “the continuing war with Robert doubtless produced enemies among the nobility” Barlow
- In late 1094, Robert de Mowbray (Earl of Northumberland) plundered some Scandinavian ships
7
Q
Key events during the 1095 rebellion
A
- The merchants complained to Rufus who ordered Mowbray to pay back what was stolen, Mowbray refused
- Rufus paid the money out of only funds and summoned Mowbray to court, however he refused to attend at Easter
- It has been claimed that he had a grievance with Rufus over land, castles and power in Northumbria
- He was joined in the plot by William of Eu
- At the end of May, William marched his army north, rapidly taking Mowbray by surprise however he managed to flee to Bamburgh which had supreme defences as it was built on a rock
- Rufus ordered another castle to be built next to it known as Malveisin (bad neighbour), the intention was to cause a blockade and stave those inside
- With supplies low, Mowbray boarded a boat and planned an escape, the knights at Malveisin heard of this and captured Mowbray after a battle on route to Newcastle
8
Q
Consequences of the 1095 rebellion
A
- Earl Robert was dragged to Bamburgh and William threatened to blind him unless the fortress surrendered
- William of Eu was ordered to fight a duel and was then blinded and castrated
- As a result of the rebellion, Mowbray had his lands confiscated and spent the rest of his life in prison
- Following the rebellion, Rufus held his next court at Windsor where Mowbray was being held as reminder of what would happen to those who defied him
9
Q
Dealing with Scotland
A
- Malcom invaded when Rufus succeeded to the throne and Rufus sent a large army led by himself and his brother in 1091
- Malcom was forced to do homage to Rufus after negotiations conducted by Robert and Edgar
- The Treaty of 1091showed a high level of diplomacy from Rufus
- However, following this Malcom invaded again, appearing to be unhappy with the money Rufus had paid him as a result of the treaty
- King Malcom died in 1093 and he was succeeded by his brother Donald Bane becoming king, Rufus never recognised Donald as king but instead supported Edgar, Malcom’s son
10
Q
Dealing with Northumbria
A
- The problems with Malcom made Rufus realise that he needed to deal with Northumbria
- 1092, William took a large army and drove out the leader of this area, Dolfin
- William then built a castle at Carlisle and appointed a sheriff and the Bishop of Durham
11
Q
Dealing with Wales
A
- 1093, the leader of Pembrokeshire Rhys ap Twedwr was killed in a battle with ‘Frenchmen’, this inspired a land grab by the Normans and by the end of 1093 the Normans had control over most of Wales
- The Welsh reacted by attacking Norman barons, with morale being boasted by the death of Roger of Montgomery, by 1095 a full rebellion by the Welsh was underway
- At the time of the rebellion, Rufus was dealing with the rebellion by Mowbray so he didn’t react straight away, however when he did attack he quickly became frustrated by the guerrilla tactics that the Welsh were using, so left
- In 1097, Rufus launched a bigger invasion where considerable men and resources were lost, after capturing Pembroke, William again returned to England, leaving Wales under the control of Gruffudd
12
Q
Who was Ranulf Flambard?
A
- Had risen to the position of keeper of the royal seal under William I and became a prominent figure in William II’s administration
- Under Rufus, Ranulf was responsible for raising revenue, his methods were seen as being cruel and oppressive which contributed to the poor relationship Rufus had with the Church
- Rufus even gave him the title of regent whilst he was overseas
- In 1091, Ranulf paid £1000 for the Bishopric of Durham, which was an example of Rufus encouraging simony
- Shortly after Rufus’s death he was imprisoned, he escaped in 1101 and fled to Normandy, taking refuge with Robert
13
Q
What were the differing roles of Edgar the Atheling?
A
Before William I: Claimant to the throne, Edgar was the great nephew of Edward the Confessor and therefore was the closest blood link to the Anglo-Saxon monarchy
Rebel: Although he had submitted to William I after his victory at Hastings and received land as a result, Edgar joined with Malcom, Edwin and Morcar in rebellions against William I in 1069 and 1070
Coronation: Although he had supported the claim of Robert who he had a positive personal relationship with, Edgar had a role in the coronation of William II as he carried the sacred sword
Negotiator: Negotiated the Treaty of 1091 on behalf of Malcom who was married to his sister Margaret
Robert and Crusade: Joined Robert in fighting the First Crusade in 1095, proving himself as a warrior
