anglo saxons Flashcards
Name the five main features of the Anglo-Saxon social system.
king, earls, thegns, peasants (ceorls + unfree peasants) , slaves
What % were slaves in Anglo-Saxon society?
10%
Who were the thegns?
They were minor landowners and were the warrior class (equivalent to knights).
How many thegns were there in in England 1060?
5,000
What is an earl?
They were major landowners.
What was an earls role in society?
They would advise the king on matters of state and govern large areas of England for the King.
What was the main role of the Anglo-Saxon king?
To protect his people from attack and to give the people laws to maintain safety.
What did every boy have to do at the age of 12 in Anglo-Saxon England?
Swear an oath of allegiance to the King.
What power did Anglo-Saxon kings have?
They could make laws. Control the production of silver pennies. Owned huge land estates that brought in money for him and provided him with land to give to his followers. He could raise armies and command them. He decided when and how much tax was to be paid, e.g. the geld tax.
What was Danelaw?
The North of England. It was called Danelaw because the North was settled by Danes (Vikings).
Why did Danelaw limit the power of King Edward the Confessor?
Danelaw had a different culture to that of the South, they were prone to ignore the orders of King Edward.
What limited Edward the Confessors’ power?
Danelaw and the earls
Who was the most powerful earl in the early part of Edward’s reign?
Earl Godwin
What was the Witan?
A council of nobles that advised the king.
As well as advising the King, what was the Witan responsible for?
Advising the king and selecting a new one
Who else were an important part of national/central government?
Earls
What was the economic role the earls had in governance?
Responsible for collecting taxes
What was the justice role the earls had in governance?
They oversaw justice and legal punishments in their earldoms.
How did the earls have a strong military power?
They had hundreds of thegns who could fight for them.
What were the earldoms divided up into?
Shires
The shires had a social role. What was it?
It had a court to trying cases and giving out punishment.
The shires had a political role. What was it?
Each shire had a shire reeve, who was the King’s representative.
The shires had a economic role. What was it?
Each shire had a burh (fortified town) which was the centre of trade.
The shires had a military role. What was it?
Each shire provided troops for the fyrd (military).
What was the role of a shire reeve?
Collected taxes and administered justice within his shire
What was the general fyrd?
The general fyrd gathered men to fight who didn’t travel outside their local area
What was the select fyrd?
The select fyrd gathered men to fight anywhere in England for the king.
Who made the laws for the people’s protection?
The king and his representatives.
What is a wergild?
This was a payment to the family of a murder victim from the criminal.
How much was the wergild to be paid for the death of a thegn?
1,200 shillings was paid to the family of a thegn.
The wergild was introduced to prevent what?
Blood feuds (a domino effect of endless revenge).
Another part of the legal system was ‘collective responsibility’. What was collective responsibility?
Every man was responsible for each others actions within their tithing (small community).
What was the ‘Hue and the Cry’?
The members of the tithing (small community) would be responsible to hunt down a criminal within their community.
What would happen to the tithing (10 households) if they did not capture the criminal?
Everyone would be fined.
Name four features of the Anglo-Saxon economy?
Tax, towns, overseas trade, stable currency.
Who controlled the minting of coins?
The King
How often were coins recalled for minting?
Every 5 years
Why did minting empower the king?
He could control and regulate the economy.
Taxes were raised by the geld tax. What was the geld tax?
Geld tax was a tax paid to defend against the Danes.
How much money was usually raised from the geld tax across the country?
£6,000 (3.4 million today).
What % of the population lived in towns?
10%
What two cities had more than 10,000 people living in them?
London and York
Anglo-Saxon England traded with lots of countries in Europe. what was the most common export?
Wool
How were Anglo-Saxon Churches different to European churches?
there was a focus on Celtic Saints, priests could marry, monasteries took more of a community role.
How did the Godwins gain/maintain so much power?
They gained earldoms around the country.
What earldom did Harold Godwinson control?
Harold Godwinson controlled the Earldom of Wessex.
What earldom did Harold’s brother Tostig Godwinson control?
Tostig controlled the Earldom of Nothumbria.
What earldom did Harold’s brother older brother Gyrth Godwinson control?
Gyrth Godwinson controlled the Earldom of East Anglia.
How did so many earldoms allow the Godwin family maintain so much power?
The rents for the lands they owned gave them lots of money.
The Godwins had a large army which helped them maintain power. Why did they have such a large army?
They had hundreds of thegns working for them.
Who did Harold Godwinson’s sister Edith marry?
Edith Godwinson married King Edward the confessor.
The Godwin family was also powerful due to military successes. Where were they successful in battle?
Wales
Who did the Godwins defeat in Wales?
Gruffudd ap Llywelyn.
How did the military success give the Godwin family more power?
It massively increased their reputation and made potential rivals scared to challenge their power.
There was a massive rebellion against Tostig Godwinson in Northumbria. What was the economic causes?
Too much taxation
What was the political causes?
Tostig was friendly with the king of Scotland, an enemy of the North. Tostig’s was a southerner and Tostig assassinated high-ranking Northumbrian nobles.
What were the social causes?
The north was ‘Danelaw’ and were no used Tostigs southern, Saxon ways.
How did Harold Godwinson, react to the rebellion against his brother Tostig in the North?
Harold and Edward the Confessor did not support Tostig. They blamed him for the rebellion and Tostig fled to Europe in exile.
How did Tostig react to his brother not supporting him?
He was furious and joined up with the King of Norway, Harald Hardrada.
Before Edward the Confessor died, Harold was shipwrecked in Normandy. who did he befriend?
William of Normandy.
In Normandy Harold swore an oath. what was this oath?
Harold promised to support William as the next King of England when Edward dies.
What did Harold swear his oath on?
Holy relics.
Who were the four Claimants to the throne?
Harold Godwinson, Harald Hardrada, William of Normandy, Edgar the Aethling.
What was Harold Godwinson’s claim to the throne?
He was ‘promised the throne’ by Edward the Confessor on his deathbed. The Witan also voted for him to be king.
What was William’s claim to the throne?
He was Edward the Confessors cousin and he was promised the throne by William years before.
What was Harald Hardrada’s claim to the throne?
Harald Hardrada claimed that his father was promised the throne.
Did anyone believe Harald Hardrada’s claim to the throne?
No one believes him.
What was Edgar the Aethlings claim?
He was Edward’s nephew.
Which one has been considered least significant?
Edgar the Aethling.
Who became king after Edward died?
Harold Godwinson
Who elected Harold Godwinson King?
The Witan
After Harold became King, who tried (but was unsuccessful) to invade first?
William of Normandy
Why could he not invade at this point?
The winds were blowing in the wrong direction.
Who actually invaded first?
Harald Hardrada
What was the battle that took place in 1066?
Battle of Gate Fulford
Who was Gate Fulford fought between?
EnglishEarls Edwin and Morcar vs Harald Hardrad and Tostig
How many troops did Edwin and Morcar have?
6,000
How many troops did Harald Hardrada and Tostig have?
9,000
Who won the battle?
Harald Hardrada and Tostig
How did Harald Hardrada win the battle?
Harald used his best troops to attack Edwin and Morcar’s troop from the side. The English were then forced onto a marsh and were cut down.
The next battle was at Stamford Bridge. Who was it fought between?
Harold Godwinson vs Harald Hardrada and Tostig.
How did the Battle of Gate Fulford contribute to Harald Hardrada losing the Battle of Stamford Bridge?
Harald Hardrada’s army was exhausted from the Battle of Gate Fulford.
Who won the battle?
Harold Godwinson
What was Harald Hardrada’s army doing when they were attacked by Harold Godwinson?
Celebrating their victory at Gate Fulford.
What did Hardrada’s army not have with them when they were attacked?
Their Armour
How much of Hardrada’s army was left behind in the ships at the time of Stamford Bridge?
A third
Which army was larger, Godwinson’s or Hardrada’s?
Godwinson’s
How did Godwinson’s get so big?
Godwinson collected troops when travelling North from London.
Harold Godwinson had housecarl soldiers with him. Who were they?
England’s elite, best troops.
How did they help Harold Godwinson win the Battle of Stamford Bridge?
They were extremely skilful and experienced troops. They were able to break through Hardrada’s lines.
After the Battle of Stamford ended, what happened in the South of England?
William of Normandy invaded the South of England.
What did William of Normandy do when he first arrived in southern England?
Plunder the South of England and built a motte and bailey castle.
Why were the battles of Gate of Fulford and Stamford Bridge significant? (think effect on the Battle of Hastings)
The battle exhausted the Saxons and reduced their numbers.
What did Harold not have enough time to collect due to his speedy and exhausting march south to fight William?
Archers
What was the name of the battle were Harold Godwinson and William of Normandy met?
Battle of Hastings
Who were William of Normandy’s elite? (best troops)
Heavy Calvary (knights)
Who were Harold Godwinson’s Elite? (best troops)
Housecarls (heavy infantry)
Who were William of Normandy’s basic troops?
Archers and foot soldiers
Who were Harold Godwinson’s basic troops?
Foot soldiers (fyrd)
How did the Battle of Stamford Bridge help William win the Battle of Hastings?
It exhausted the English troops before the battle and gave William time to prepare for the battle, raid the South of England and build a castle.
What battle strategy did Harold use and did it work?
Harold built a shield wall at the top of the hill. This was very successful as Williams calvary could not break through it.
What was the rumour that was going around during the battle?
That William had died. He lifted his helmet to show he was alive.
What tactic did William deploy to win the battle?
He pretended to run away with his calvary. The shield wall broke to chase the calvary, but they simply turned around and cut them down.
How did Harold die?
Arrow through the eye.
After the Battle of Hastings was William in complete control of the country?
No
Why did he not attempt to take London straight away?
It was heavily fortified.
What did William do instead of marching on London immediately after Hastings?
He raided and attacked towns and villages all around the south of England.
How did this help William’s chances of taking London and the rest of the country?
It was frightening and it intimidated the English.
Eventually the Anglo-Saxon Earls agreed to meet William. Where did they meet him?
Berkhamstead
Which three importannt earls met William at Berkhamstead?
Edwin, Morcar, Edgar the Aethling
What did the earls do at Berkhamstead?
They swore allegiance (loyalty) to William of Normandy.
Why did the Earls submit to William? (LEARN ALL)
The Earls were frightened of the consequences if they didn’t. William was also a very strong military leader and they had seen what had happened after the battle of Hastings with William raiding villages etc. Edgar the Aethling was the only other alternative and he was unsure how to go about becoming king.
Why was William generous to them allowing the Earls to keep their titles?
He only had 5,000 men left and the English could raise men at the fyrd. William might not win the next battel.
In return to the oath of allegiance, what did William promise in return?
William allowed them to keep their titles and promised to be a gracious Lord to them
When was William crowned King of England?
Christmas day 1066
What were the Marcher Earldoms?
The Marcher Earldoms were Earldoms set up along the borderlands with Wales. “March” means border in Welsh
What were the defensive reasons behind the establishment of the Marcher Earldoms?
Defence against Welsh invasions into England.
The Marcher earldoms were established for colonisation. Who did William want to colonise these areas?
Normans in France
Why did William want colonisation of Normans?
To ensure the areas remain loyal to him as King.
What were the Marcher Earls allowed to build freely in their Earldoms?
Castles
Why did William want castles built there?
To help control the people there.
What was another important reason why William established the Marcher Earldoms?
To reward his powerful supporters who fought with him at Hastings.
What was the name of the type of castle that William and the Normans constructed after the conquest?
Motte and Bailey
Why was it important William did this?
To make sure they stay loyal to him and do not go home to Normandy and leave William in England without support.
What were they made of?
Wood
Which castle was the exception and was made out of stone?
The Tower of London
What was the motte?
A man-made hill
What was on top of the motte?
The keep, where the Lord live. It was the best protected part of the castle
What was the bailey?
The courtyard where soldiers, horses and servants lived.
What wooded structure surrounded the bailey to protect it?
A palisade (a wooden wall)
What further surrounded the entire castle for additional protection?
A ditch which was sometimes filled the water
Why did William order the castles’ construction?
To provide a defence against the Saxon rebels, to intimidate Saxons to ensure they are controlled.
What did the Anglo-Saxon English think of the castles and why?
They hated them as they were seen as a symbol of their opression.
What did Edwin and Morcar do in 1068?
Started a rebellion against William’s rule
Who were Edwin and Morcar?
Edwin and Morcar were brothers and Anglo-Saxon Earls
What were the political causes of the Edwin and Morcar rebellion?
William promised Edwin his daughter’s hand in marriage. He did not follow through with this and Edwin was furious. Morcar’s earldom was reduced in size and given to Copsi an ally of William who had swore loyalty to him at Berkhamstead.
Who was Odo of Bayeux?
William’s half brother
How did Odo of Bayeux help cause the Edwin and Morcar rebellion?
Odo seized Anglo-Saxon land unlawfully and allowed soldiers to rape Anglo -Saxon women.
What were the economic causes of the Edwin and Morcar rebellion?
William issued a heavy geld tax in 1066. The English were angry that this money was being spent in Normandy and not England.
What were the military causes of the Edwin and Morcar rebellion?
The castles were very intimidating to the Anglo-Saxonsand seen as a symbol of their repression. The castles were resented and help cause the Edwin and Morcar Rebellion.
Did the rebellion last a long time?
No it was a very brief rebellion
What happened to Edwin and Morcar?
They surrendered to William when they realised they couldn’t win.
What does this tell us about the leadership in the rebellion?
Weak
What was Edwin and Morcar unable to do which caused the rebellion to fail?
Edwin and Morcar were not able to unite the North against William who all had different grievances with the King.
What had William done which helped the rebellion fail quickly?
He had built castles and had a strong army which intimidated the Anglo-Saxons into ending the rebellion early and for some to not join in the first place.
Who was Edgar the Aethling?
The nephew of Edward the confessor and a 1066 claimant to the throne.
What did Edgar do after William won at Hastings?
Sworn an oath of loyalty to William of Normandy
How did Robert Cumin help cause the ‘Edgar the Aethling’ rebellion?
Cumin attacked saxon towns and villages on his way to take over his Earldom which angered the locals.
Who was Robert Cumin?
A Norman Earl
Edgar the Aethling became the figurehead of the rebellion. Who else joined the rebellion?
King Sweyn of Denmark sent and army led by his brother
Why did Sweyn send an army?
To get rich from raiding and perhaps take some land.
Why was it particularly dangerous to William that a Danish army was in the North of England?
The North is Danelaw and would have welcomed the Danes.
Who else backed Edgar from a foreign country?
King Malcolm of Scotland
Why did Malcolm back Edgar?
Malcom was married to Edgars sister
What other causes were there to the Edgar the Aethling Rebellion?
Heavy taxes, castles and Norman cruelty
How did William deal with the Danish threat in the Edgar the Aethling Rebellion?
He paid alot of money to pay them to leave England. They accepted but it was very expensive.
How did William deal with the Anglo-Saxon English rebels?
He laid waste to York and built a castle
How many soldiers did William loose in the Edgar the Aethling Rebellion?
3000
Was the Edgar the Aethling Rebellion a major threat to William?
Yes
Why?
The invasion of the Danes was a huge threat and the cost of removing them was very high. Also it showed that the Anglo-Saxon Earls were very difficult to control.
What caused the Hereward the Wake Rebellion?
An Anglo-Saxon thegn called Hereward the Wake returned to England from abroad to find his land had been taken from him.
Which foreigners joinedHereward against William?
The Danes joined Hereward
Which Anglo-Saxon Earl joined Hereward?
Morcar
What was the difference between the Hereward the Wake Rebellion and the Edgar the Aethling Rebellion in terms of the Danish participation?
King Sweyn led the Danish personally in the Hereward the Wake Rebellion.
The Edwin and Morcar and Edgar the Aethling rebellions took place in the North. Where did the Hereward the Wake Rebellion take place?
In the South at a place called Ely.
What type of warfare did Hereward the Wake deploy in his rebellion?
Guerrilla War (ambushes)
How did William deal with the Danes in this rebellion?
The Danes were paid to leave (again).
Hereward was hiding in the town of Ely. How did the Normans break into Ely to defeat Hereward?
The Normans bribed local monk to show them the way in.
What happened to Hereward?
Escaped and never seen again.
Who did William manage to capture?
Morcar
After the Hereward the Wake rebellion what did William realise that he must change in terms of landownership?
He could not have Anglo-Saxons owning large areas of land. They had to be owned by Normans loyal to him.
In order to make himself appear like the King to everyone in England to prevent rebellion. What did William begin to do?
He carried out more royal ceremonies to show him as the ‘real’ king.
After the northern rebellions of Edwin and Morcar and Edgar the Aethling, what was the name of what William did in revenge?
The Harrying in the North
What was the ‘Harrying of the North’?
William sent his troops North and devastated the land. They lay waste into the area between the River Humber and the River Tees
How many people were killed?
100,000 people were killed
What happened to the crops in the North?
They were confiscated
What did William’s soldiers then poor into the soil?
Salt
What did both of these things result in?
Mass starvation
What happened to people’s homes?
They were burned down.
What did this result in Winter?
People froze to death
What % of Yorkshire could be described as a wasteland as a long-term consequence of Harrying of the North?
60% of Yorkshire as classed as wasteland.
Why would this have affected William in a negative way as well?
There is less money to take as taxes.
How long did it take for the North to recover from this?
20 years
Did the Harrying of the North work as a method of stopping rebellion in the North?
Yes it did
How did the Harrying of the North help prevent another Danish attack in the North?
People there hardly anyone there for the Danish to ally with
How do we know that this worked?
In the Hereward the Wake Rebellion a few years later, King Sweyn had to invade the south because there was no one in the North
After the Anglo-Saxon rebellions, what did William decide about who should own the land?
It should be Normans not Anglo-Saxons because they coudn’t be trusted
How did William take land away from Anglo-Saxons to give to his men?
If they had acted against the king (in anyway) he confiscated their land. Sometimes the Anglo-Saxon had done very little wrong, but William still said they forfeited their land.
Who would often illegally steal land from the Anglo-Saxons?
Sheriffs
Did William do anything to punish the sheriffs?
Very little
What percentage % of land was owned by Anglo-Saxons by 1087?
5%
The land was taken from the Anglo -Saxons and given to Normans called?
They were high ranking nobles, usually barons, that were given large regions of England to control, these areas of land were called fiefs. In exchange for this land the tenants-in-chiefs would pay taxes and provide soldiers (knights) for the king.
Who were the tenants-in chiefs and what role did they have in landholding?
The free peasants (ceorls) largely became unfree peasants (serfs)
Did the Normans landowners (tenants-in-chiefs) have to pay tax?
No
Sometimes they did. When was this?
When inheriting land from their fathers
Did the remaining Anglo-Saxons have to pay tax on their land?
Yes, high taxes
What did many Anglo-Saxons have to do if they couldn’t pay?
They often had to sell
What could a Norman tenant-in-chief now do if a thegn died in his territory?
Prevent the land going to Anglo-Saxon’s heir and give it to whoever the tenant-in-chief wants, usually a friend or ally.
Was this legal?
Yes, completely legal.
What did this result in relation to the thegn class?
The thegns were destroyed as a class.
What happened to the ceorls after the Normans took over?
Coerls (free peasants) became very rare.
William had lots of things to maintain his power. How did military strength and castles help to maintain William’s power in England?
The castles and troops were used to defeat rebels and intimidate the Anglo-Saxons
How did journeys around England help to maintain William’s power in England?
With William’s frequent presence around the country showed the people he was in charge and that he is taking an interest in all parts England.
How did oath-taking help to maintain William’s power in England?
Religion was a vitally important part of Anglo-Saxon Culture. Swearing under oath with bible was a significant promise that cannot be broken without betraying God.
How did coinage help to maintain William’s power in England?
The Kings head was on the back of the coin which reminded the people who was in charge and that the coins belong to the crown, thus increasing his control.
What did William stress in relation to his right as a king to help maintain his power?
He made sure people knew he was the rightful successor to the Edward the Confessor as he was a blood relation and Harold Godwinson was not.
How did landownership help maintain William’s power in England?
William owned all the land and could give it to people and take it away. This ensured people to stay loyal because they either wanted to have or keep their land.
What was different about this revolt in comparison to the previous rebellions in terms of participation?
It was primarily led by Normans rather than Saxons. Although one of the three was Anglo-Saxon.
Who were the three leaders of the Revolt of the Earls?
Ralph de Gael, Roger de Breteuil and Waltheof.
Which of the three were Anglo-Saxon?
Waltheof
Who was the leader of the rebellion?
Ralph de Gael
Why did Ralph de Gael rebel?
The decrease in power and wealth of his earldom since he inherited it from his father.
Why did Roger de Breteuil rebel?
Roger also resented the fact that much less land was handed down to him than what was given to his father
Why did Waltheof rebel?
Waltheof was power hungry and rebellious. He was willing to rebel in order to gain more power, wealth and influence.
William was absent in Normandy at the time of the rebellion starting. How did this help also cause the rebellion?
It encouraged the rebels to challenge for more power.
Which foreigners joined the rebellion?
The Danes
There was also military causes of the rebellion. what were they?
The earls lost some rights to control their armed forces.
What did the Danes do when they arrived?
They raided the East coast
Did the Danes actually join up with Ralph, Roger and Waltheof
No
Why?
They came too late to join with the Rebels
When did the Danes leave?
They fled back to Denmark when William came back from Normandy
What was the outcome of the Revolt of the Earls, 1075?
The rebellion failed to take off and it collapsed.
Why did the rebellion fail? (LEARN ALL)
- There was far less Anglo-Saxon support than the rebels expected.
- The Danes arrived too late to join up with the Norman rebels.
- Roger de Breteuil was excommunicated by Archbishop Lanfranc which forced him to retreat.
- Loyal Norman lords mobilised their armies to prevent the rebels from attacking William’s troops.
What was the Feudal System that was introduced by William in England?
The Norman social system of land distribution and service for that land.
What was at the top of the Feudal system?
The King
The king would give land to the tenants-in-chief (barons) to hold. what would the tenants -in-chief provide in return for that land?
They would provide knights for the king when he needed them. They would also pay him money when they inherited land from their father.
What was the tax paid to the king called when the tenant-in -chief inherited his land from his father?
A relief
How would William use reliefs to gain control over his tenants-in-chief?
He would charge small amounts to loyal Barons and higher for disloyal.
The tenants-in-chief (barons) would then divide up their land and give to knights. What would the knights provide in return for this land?
They would provide ‘knights service’ i.e. fight for the Baron/King when it was needed.
The knights would then divide and give up their land to peasants. What would the peasants do for the knights?
They would provide ‘labour service’ i.e. work on the land for their lord.
What was homage and why was it used?
Promising/providing service to a lord. e.g. barons pay homage to the king, knights pay homage to the barons.
What was forfeiture and why was it used?
Forfeiture was punishment for breaking the relationship between the landowner his/her tenant. e.g. if a baron did not pay his tax to the king. Punishments were usually confiscation
How was landholding important to feudalism?
The king owned all the land and it was ‘rented’ to the barons/tenants-in-chief. This meant all the power was given by the king, thus increasing loyalty.
what was labour service and who was expected to do it?
The peasants had to work the lords lands in exchange for protection and land for themselves to farm.
Who was Lanfranc?
The Norman Archbishop of Canterbury
What was the political role of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Major political advisor to the king.
What did he do in England?
He made lots of changes to the Church in England.
What did the Lanfranc do to all the Anglo-Saxon bishops and archbishops?
Replaced them with Normans
What rank did Lanfranc introduce, below a bishop but above a priest to help control Anglo-Saxon priests?
Archdeacon
What new messages were the Norman bishops and archdeacons ordering the priests to tell the people?
That the Normans were good for England
What did Lanfranc make all the new bishops do who sat in Church councils?
Swear homage to William. William now had the right to approve any decisions of Church councils.
After Lanfranc’s changes/reforms who had the right to choose new bishops?
The King
What rules did Lanfranc make for regular priests?
They were not allowed to marry
How did Lanfranc change the church building?
He replaced the wooden churches and instead made them with stone in the Norman style.
Lanfranc changed the location of Cathedrals. Where did they get moved to?
To important urban centres. They used to be in remote places.
What changes did Lanfranc make to the trial of priests?
Priests were now only tried in Church courts by bishops as judges, not regular ‘hundred’ courts for normal people.
William did lots of things to centralise his power. What does centralising power mean?
The King having the most power.
William centralised his power by using the Royal demesne. What was this?
The land land directly owned by the King
How did Williams Royal demesne compare to Edwards the Confessors?
It had increased in size under William compared to Edward’s.
How did the Royal demesne centralise William’s power?
It raised lots of money for William to pay for solders.
How did the Feudal System centralise William’s power?
The tenants-in-chiefs owed homage to the king. This meant the king could take their land away which kept them loyal.
What did the tenants-in-chief also provide for the king to help maintain power?
Knights
What tax could the King demand from Anglo-Saxon people to raise money to help him centralise his power?
Geld tax
Norman tenants-in-chiefs did not have to pay the geld tax. But what did they pay and when?
A relief tax and it was paid when a tenant-in-chief inherited land from his father.
What happened to the power of the earls in Norman England?
They had their land reduce to weaken their power. William did this to ensure they did not pose a problem for the king.
How did this help William centralise his power?
There were less people with a large amount power who could challenge him.
Explain the role of regents in the running of the government.
The regents were people who ran the country when the king was abroad, most notably Normandy.
Who did William use as his regents?
William FitzOsburn and Bishop Odo, were his first regents. Their brutality helped cause the Edwin and Morcar rebellion. Afterwards William used his wife Matilda as regent.
What was the role of Norman Sheriffs?
Sheriffs now had more power than under Anglo-Saxon rule. They organised defence, collected taxes and administered justice.
Why were Norman sheriffs unpopular?
They were given a share of the Kings taxes that they collected. Therefore, they were motivated to collect more than expected. They were also responsible to the land changes, taking land from Anglo-Saxons.
What were the Forest Laws?
Forest laws were introduced, protecting the animals were best to hunt and also prohibiting damage to the vegetation that the animals needed.
What did the forest laws prevent Anglo-Saxon people from doing?
The Anglo-Saxon peasants were not allowed to take wood or hunt animals in the woods. This made their lives very difficult.
Why were Forest Laws so unpopular?
The peasants depended on the forests for food and fuel. The harsh punishments implemented made the Anglo-Saxons feel further threatened.
What were the punishments for people ‘poaching’ (killing the animals)?
Fines, Mutilation or death.
How did the king gain more power from the forest laws?
He gained power from the money from fines of people breaking the forest laws. Also, it showed he can just take land and say its ‘his’ whenever he wanted.
What is the Domesday Book?
This was a recording of all the people, property and wealth of the entire kingdom.
In 1085, why did William order its construction?
to investigate the landholdings of each shire: who held what land, what taxes they owed the king and whether they could pay anymore.
What was the economic significance of the Domesday Book?
By working out how much money was available to tax, he was able to increase efficiency of taxation that resulted in more money.
What evidence is there that the Domesday book was heavily used for taxation?
There was a heavy geld tax in 1086.
What did the Domesday Book allow William to realise when issuing this geld tax?
The Domesday Book made William realise he could take more money this time
Usually the Norman tenants-in-chiefs/barons didn’t have to pay the geld tax. Did they have to pay it this time in 1086?
Yes they had to pay.
What was the name of the usual tax that the tenants-in-chiefs/barons had to pay and when did they have to pay it?
A relief. This is when they inherited land from their father
What happened to the relief payments after the Domesday Book?
They went up.
What is ‘wardship’ and how did the Domesday book increase the income for this?
Wardship was when the king looked after a young baron who inherited his land at a young age and the King would take the barons income from land as a payment.
How did the Domesday Book help William financially with wardship?
The Domesday book allowed the king to get as much money as possible.
What was the military significance of the Domesday Book?
William was able to identify how many soldiers were available to him if there is another Danish invasion.
William wanted to bring more soldiers over from Normandy. How did the Domesday Book help with this?
It allowed William to pay for them and to see who could house them when they were in England.
What was the legal/courts significance of the Domesday Book?
The Domesday Book therefore had a role in sorting out legal disputes over land.
Why was this so important to William?
It was very important for WIlliam’s claim to be just and air.
What was the Norman cultural approach towards buildings?
Large and impressive.
Within how many years had every church, cathedral and mostly abbeys been totally replaced and built in the Norman style?
50 years
How could these Norman buildings be described in comparison to Anglo-Saxon buildings?
They were made of stone and much bigger.
The Normans had built the longest cathedral in Europe, which one was it?
Winchester cathedral
The Normans had built the biggest stone keep in Europe, which one was it?
Tower of London
What was the attitude of the Normans towards the Anglo-Saxon religious culture?
Anglo-Saxon Culture was looked down on and seen as primitive.
What did the Norman clergy (churchmen) do to the Anglo-Saxon relics in their churches/cathedrals? (relic is a religious object)
They threw them out saying they were useless
What did the Norman bishops do to the tombs of famous deceased Anglo-Saxon bishops?
They destroyed them
What did the Norman bishops refer to these deceased Anglo-Saxons bishops as?
They called them ‘idiots’!
The Normans had a cultural of inheritance. Who would the Normans pass their inheritance to?
Their Eldest son
What is the name of this inheritance policy?
Premogeniture
How is this different to what the Anglo-Saxons did?
the Anglo-Saxons would split their land amongst their children
What language did the new Norman aristocracy speak?
French
How did the aristocracy view themselves compared to the native English?
They viewed themselves as superior.
Who was Bishop Odo?
The half-brother of King William
How much did he contribute towards the Battle of Hastings for his brother William?
100 hundred ships for the invasion
How did William reward for his help?
He was given the Earldom of Kent
When William was away from England (after becoming King) what position did William give Odo?
Regent of England
What was this position?
Power of the ruler of the country whilst the king was away
What did Odo do when he was regent?
He stole land off the English and built castles
What was Odo’s reputation amongst the ANglo-Saxon English?
He was hated
As well as stealing Anglo-Saxon land, who else’s land did Odo steal?
Church land in Cantebury
Who complained to King William about his brother Odo?
Archbishop Lanfranc
What did William decide?
William made Odo give the land back
In 1079, where was Odo sent by William to protect from the Scottish attack?
Northumbria
What did Odo do, thou, when he got there?
Odo laid waste to the land, this was land he was supposed to be protecting.
What happened to Odo in 1082?
He was arrested by his brother William and sent to prison.
Why was he arrested?
He apparently tried to take some knights out of England to go to Rome, but it is likely his reputation so William had to do something
What did William do on his own deathbed?
William released Odo
Who was William eldest son?
Robert Curthouse
What did his eldest’s sons nickname ‘Curthouse’ mean’?
Short stockings
How did Robert react to this nickname?
Badly as it was humiliating
What was William’s eldest son’s personality like?
Robert was physically strong but arrogant and impulsive
What did William I say Robert was not ready to do and why?
To take control of Normandy because of his immaturity
In 1077, what happened with Robert and his younger brothers?
Roberts brothers poured water over his head as a prank. A genuine fight broke out which William had to break up and Robert was furious
Why was Robert angry with his father after this incident?
Robert felt like his father did not punish his brothers properly for the offence
What did Robert do as a consequence of his father not punishing the brothers?
Robert rebelled against his father.
What did Philip II of France give Robert to help him fight his father?
A castle in Normandy
When William I and Robert fought in battle, what happened when they met on the battlefield?
William was unhorsed by Robert
In 1080, Robert and his father William I made up. Who organised the reconciliation?
His mother
What effect did this have on William?
William was humiliated
In 1087, William I died in a horse accident. Who did William decide should succeed him as King of England and Duke of Normandy?
His second son William Rufus was to become William II of England. His eldest son Robert Curthouse was to become Duke of Normandy.
How did Robert react to his father’s decision on the succession of his territories?
He was furious. He thought he should be King of England and the Duke of Normandy
Why did Robert argue that he should be in control of both territories?
Because of primogeniture. This means the eldest son takes everything
Robert then decided to rebel against his younger brother William II to take the throne of England from him. Who did Robert ally with?
He allied with his uncle bishop Odo.
Why did Bishop Odo join with Robert against William II of England?
He thought he could control Robert much more easily and empower himself
What is primogeniture?
Rule when the eldest son inherits everything from the father
William II (Rufus) defeated Robert and Odo. How did William II’s personal skills help defeat them?
William Rufus was a strong and inspiring military leader unlike Robert or Odo
How did the Norman barons help William win?
they supported William not Robert
Why did they support William II (Rufus)?
They didn’t want two different rulers of England and Normandy.
What was significant on why the people supported William II?
This was significant because Robert and Odo had very little support in England where as William had lots of support
Who did the Anglo-Saxon English support?
William II (Rufus)
Odo also made lots of tactical mistakes. What were they?
Odo did not install enough men and provisions for his defence of Pevensey Castle. Odo’s defence only lasted 6 weeks.
Which other castle did Odo make the same mistake?
At Rochester Castle
Why was Odo so poor in his tactical approach to the rebellion?
He had been in prison for 5 years and was simply unprepared.
