Anglo Saxon and Norman England III Flashcards
List the four positions of the feudal hierarchy and what they do
King - granted land, tax and provided peace
Tenants in chief - granted land and other privileges but also does knight services
Under tenants (vassals) provided land, but does military service in return for land Peasants - did land service
List the four features of a tenant in chief
Military - fought for the king and led their knights
Social - goes in law courts to deal barony law disputes
Economic - paid the king taxes from their large revenues
Political - Often served on the royal court as advisors
What was knight service?
The duty to protect knights for the king for up to 40 days a year
What is fief?
Land held by a vassal in exchange for service to a lord
What is homage?
A public display of allegiance to the king
What was the military power the feudal system gave William?
- The feudal system was a way of ensuring that the king had military power without paying for it
- Knights were extremely expensive to maintain, but William needed lots
- Received knight service in return for grants of land - and that gave him knights to fight in battle and knights to garrison the castles
What was the political power the feudal system gave to William?
- He could control his barons through grants of land, reliefs and forfeiture - had to or they would get too powerful
- Forfeiture - William had the power to punish someone by taking away their land, and granting them for someone else as loyalty
What happened to the peasants in the feudal system?
- It was a social system that made sure the nobility stayed rich
- Peasants provided labour service for their lord in return for land and protection, but they were bound to their lord
WHAT was the importance of the Church in society?
- Helped control society by praising the king and teaching the people about her role in society
- Major landholder, church tenants worked for the church, and the church paid taxes to the king
- Church leaders involved in shire courts and other legal processes where God’s will was needed to be interpreted.
WHAT was the importance of the Church in government?
- Taught reading and writing and government depended on church officials. Clerks issued writs
- Church able to advise on legal matters
- Bishops and abbots were good advisors - they were literate
What were the criticisms of Stigand?
CORRUPTION
- He was a pluralist - bishop for more than one area, increased land and area
- Accused of simony - giving out jobs at Church in return for money
- Stigand got the job because of the Godwins, but Lanfranc believed only the church or the king should appoint popes
- Stigand had no discipline over archbishops and bishops.
Name the features of the normanisation of the church
- Stigand removed in 1070
- Only Wulfstan stayed - LAST AS BISHOP
- Churches rebuilt norman style
- New bishops
- King controlled communication between the pope and the english church
Lanfranc’s reforms - LIST THEM
- Wanted a strict hierarchy
- Convinced the king to put the Archbishop of Canterbury (only answer to king and pope in rome) in charge of the whole church of england
- Organised church councils, held them more frequently, used them to push his reforms
- Archdeacons were brought to control parish priests
- Priests should be celibate and marriage was banned (should be devoted to God)
- Church only courts to try clergy
- Number of monasteries so monks and nuns were no longer mixed with ordinary people
Changes in Norman society
- Trade with Scandanavia was reduced
- Military - castles dominated, houses cleared in burhs to make space
- Lanfranc dragged the english church with his changes (YOU KNOW THEM)
- Feudal hierachy (YOU KNOW THEM TOO) - Social change
- AS removed from powers of influence - Stigand and stuff
Continuity in Norman society
- Farming life stayed similar, norman landlords were stricter
- Government PROCESSES continued (writs)
- Geld tax - biggest source of revenue - levied HEAVY to extract money from his kingdom
- Towns kept their trading rights and privileges
