8.4 Norman government and law

Question 1

After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, how did William reward the mercenaries?

Answer 1

With Land

Question 2

Define thegn?

Answer 2

Non-noble landowners; bailiffs; took care of the administration of the Hundreds and the local areas and the peasant workers.

Question 3

By the end of 1070s how many English earls are left in power?

Answer 3

2

Question 4

Describe the Feudal system and it’s purpose

Answer 4

Hierarchical Norman system introduced to England by William, land (goes down the pyramid) is provided through a promise of service or money (up the pyramid). Those on the top provide protection to those in the bottom.

Top

King

Tenants-in-chief (Earls and Barons)

Knights

Peasants

Bottom

Question 5

Describe the King’s role in the feudal system

Answer 5

• owns all the land officially
• can exchange it to other people for oaths of fealty
• paying homage to the King
• kneel and swear the oath
• William keeps 22% for himself/double Edward’s 12%

Question 6

Describe the tenant-in-chiefs role and knights in the feudal system

Answer 6

-receive land directly from the King
-tenants in chief held approximately half the land
-10 large tenants in chief who owns 25-30% of the land themselves
-1400 tenants in chief who owned smaller pockets of land recorded in domedays book
-Grant their land to follower through a process called subinfeudation
-The biggest change from Saxon times was that in return for land, military
service became a formal obligation
-Tenants-in-chief had to provide an agreed number of soldiers usually for 40 days per year. This was called servitium debitum.
-To fulfil this duty, many barons either granted land to knights (in return for
military service) or paid knights to be part of their own household army.
-These knights had to swear the oath of fealty (loyalty) to their lords.
-By 1100, the King could call on about 5000 knights.

Question 7

What is the idea of money replacing service in the feudal system?

Answer 7

Scutage in the ideology of Fiscal feudalism

Question 8

How does the new Norman feudal system change the Anglo-Saxon system?

Answer 8

• Thegns are gone
• All the landowners are known Norman
• All the peasants are Anglo-Saxon

Question 9

How is the Anglo-Norman class divide represented by food?

Answer 9

Words in English language for food on the table is Norman-French; beef, pork, capon, veal. The word for the animal when they’re in the field is anglo-Saxon. This tells us that those who are raising the animals are Anglo-Saxon and those eating the animals are Norman.

Question 10

What Norman role is excluded from the feudal systems?

Answer 10

Marcher Lords

Question 11

How are the Marcher Lords different from all?

Answer 11

William dealt with the Welsh border (called the Welsh Marches) by
granting the land to his most trusted supporters (Earls of Chester, Shrewsbury and Hereford). These Marcher Lords had special powers, such as building castles
without the King’s permission. They can hold their own courts, pass their laws and in effect rule their own baronies like a King.

Question 12

Briefly describe how the Norman law system and Anglo-Saxon law system differed?

Answer 12

Anglo-Saxon law system- based on community, village

Norman law system- based on society, accountable to the King

Question 13

What new laws were implemented involving forests?

Answer 13

A area put reserved for hunting for the King or in some circumstances the Marcher Lords.

Question 14

How did language in law change?

Answer 14

All laws now written in Latin, you have to be educated to access the law

Question 15

What punishments did the Normans use?

Answer 15

Mutiliation (removing an arm, hand, eye)

Capital punishment death

Question 16

What Anglo-Saxon law system did the Normans keep?

Answer 16

Saxon England had been efficiently run. William used this system. England
was divided into 134 shires just like in Saxon times, but the power of the
Shire Reeve (sheriff) increased.

Question 17

How did William provide the feeling of continuity with the courts?

Answer 17

-He issued a charter (a written royal order) guaranteeing the people of London the same liberties as under Edward.

-Royal orders (writs) were produced by the Chancery (a group of educated officials who served the King). This was the same as in Saxon England. He even continued to use English. However, the Normans
issued far more orders.

Question 18

Describe the Court System in Norman England?

Answer 18

Most severe crimes

Kings
Shires
Hundreds
Lords
Manor

Least severe crime

Church Court

Question 19

What new courts did the Normans introduce?

Answer 19

Lord’s Court

Church

Question 20

Explain the King’s court?

Answer 20

The King’s Court dealt with royal pleas, including the most serious offences: murder, treason, arson, robbery and rape. The king would also hear appeals from the lower courts.

Question 21

Explain the shire court?

Answer 21

The Shire Courts were supervised by the sheriff (or shire-reeve). These met regularly in each shire and made judgements on violent crime and theft. They also heard land disputes.

Question 22

Explain the Hundreds court?

Answer 22

The Hundred Courts were held monthly and supervised by a bailiff, who was appointed by the sheriff. These dealt with minor disputes that did not need to be heard by the sheriff himself.

Question 23

Explain the Lord’s court?

Answer 23

The Lord’s Court (or honorial court) was introduced by the Normans. Lords could deal with their tenants, hearing criminal cases and disputes and also dealing with property transactions.

Question 24

Explain the Manor court?

Answer 24

The Manor Courts were held at village level. Each lord of the manor would deal with cases arising from day-to-day life.

Question 25

Explain the Church court?

Answer 25

The Normans also introduced Church Courts. These dealt with religious and moral crimes, including adultery. Church courts were also reserved to try members of the Church for any crime.

Question 26

How was Law enforced in Villages?

Answer 26

• constables and watchmen
• hue and cry
• tithing

Question 27

How did constables and watchmen enforce the law?

Answer 27

Most villages had constables to arrest people and break up fights, and also watchmen to enforce the curfew (the time when villagers had to return to their houses)

Question 28

How did hue and cry help enforce the law?

Answer 28

After a crime took place, the hue and cry meant that everyone shared responsibility to alert people to a crime and help catch the suspect

Question 29

How did tithing help enforce the law?

Answer 29

In some places freemen joined groups of ten to twelve men in a tithing. They promised to stop each other committing crimes

Question 30

What are the different trials by ordeals and which one was newly introduced by Normans?

Answer 30

• Trial by fire
• trial by water
• trial by combat (Normans)

Question 31

Explain trial by fire?

Answer 31

1. Iron bar is heated until it is red hot/cauldron of boiling water containing a bar
2. Accused person pick it up
3. Walks 3 steps with it
4. Hand is bandaged
5. 3 days are waited until bandage is unwrapped by a priest
6. If the priest states the burns has miraculously healed they are innocent, otherwise they are guilty and sentenced to death

God is watching over you and has ensured you have not been burnt

Question 32

Explain trial by water?

Answer 32

1. Tie accused to a chair
2. Throw them into a body of water
3. If they sink, they are innocent (linked to Baptism and water accepting you for being free of original sin)
4. If they float, they are guilty

The problem is if you will probably sink.

Question 33

Explain trial by combat?

Answer 33

Accuser and accused stand in a battle of combat. If you are innocent, you will triumph as God’s will is with you- whereas the guilty party will be killed. In some cases you could appoint a champion to fight for you.

Question 34

Who replaces earls in the feudal system? How many were there?

Answer 34

The Barons (there were 6 earls replaced by 200 Barons and Bishops)

Question 35

What fine meant that if a Norman was killed by an English person, the local community had 5 days to hand over the killer or face a heavy fine?

Answer 35

Murdrum

Question 36

England’s 134 shires were divided into 7 regions and William’s commissioners visited every manor in under a year. How many places did they visit?

Answer 36

13,400

Question 37

What percentage of the population lived in Norman towns?

Answer 37

5%