Booklet 1 : Normans Flashcards
What did most people do in anglo Saxon England?
Peasant farmers
What did they produce?
Sheep (wool), wheat, barley, oats.
Who became the King of England in 1042?
Edward the Confessor
What was the name of the 4 English Earldoms?
Wessex, Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia.
Which family was in charge of Wessex?
Godwins
With which area did England do much of its trade?
Scandinavia
What was the Witan?
The advisors to the English king who were all nobles from the leading faimilies in the kingdom.
In the late 1050s what did Harold Godwinson become?
Sub-regulus
What were the names of the 4 claimants to the English throne in 1066?
Edgar Eatheling, Harold Godwinson, William, Duke of Normandy, Harald Hardrada.
Who became the King of England on 6th January 1066?
Harold Godwinson
What did the Pope give to William in 1066?
A papal banner
What did Harold Godwinson do for the summer of 1066?
Wait for William to invade.
The first army to invade England was led by whom?
Harald Hardrada
Which of Harold Godwinson’s brothers joined Hardrada?
Tostig
On 20th September Hardrada and Tostig defeated Earls Edwin and Morcar at which battle?
Gate Fulford
On 25th September Harold Godwinson fought Harald Hardrada at which battle?
Stamford Bridge
When did William arrive in England?
28th September 1066
When did the Battle of Hastings take place?
14th October 1066
How many troops did the English and Norman armies have each?
7000
Which 3 types of troops made up the English army?
Housecarls, thegns and fyrd.
How did all the English fight at the battle of Hastings ?
On foot
What formation did the Englishline up in?
In a shield wall.
What type of soldiers did the Normans have?
Knights(cavalry), foot soldiers, archers.
What type of armour did many of the soldiers wear?
Chainmail
Where did the English line up?
On the top of a hill - Senlac Hill
Who did most of the attacking in the battle of Hastings?
Normans
What was the turning point of the battle?
The Norman feigned retreats.
Why was the Norman feigned retreats a turning point?
The English shield wall was badly weakened and started to break up
What happened to Harold Godwinson?
He was killed.
What was a vassal?
A person who promised to be loyal and serve their lord militarily in return for land.
When was William crowned King of England?
Christmas Day 1066
What happened to the English lords who promised to be loyal to him?
They were allowed to keep their land.
What did many English people do against the Normans soon after they took control?
Rebel against them
Why did William carry out his series of attacks against the North of England in 1069?
In reprisal for a rebellion against him.
What was this series of attacks called?
The Harrying of the North
Who was made Earl of Hereford?
William Fitz Osbern
Why did the Normans build castles?
To protect them from the English.
What was the name of the early type of castles built by the Normans?
Motte and Bailey
What surrounded the castles?
a moat
What was built on top of the motte?
the Keep
What was the English custom for naming a successor?
The Kings last words were seen as being more important than any previous promises.
What was the Norman custom for naming a successor?
Any earlier promise was seen as being final, the Kings last words could not change this.
What was Edgar Aethelings claim to the throne?
He was Edward the Confessors Great Nephew and his father had been named as heir in 1056 before dying in 1057.
What made Edgar Aetheling unsuitable for the throne?
He was 14 and lacked money, soldiers or any military experience.
What was Harald Hardrada’s claim to the throne?
His father Magnus had an agreement with King Canute that he would be the next King of England, however Magnus was busy defending Norway and Edward was able to take the throne.
What made Harald Hardrada a suitable candidate for the throne?
He had been King of Norway for 20 years giving him experience. He was also and experienced military leader (commanding the Varangian Guard) and was ruthless.
What made Harald Hardrada an unsuitable candidate for the throne?
He had almost no support in England and was relying on the support of Harold Godwinsons brother Tostig to gain him support in Northern England.
What was Williams claim to the throne?
He supported Edward by giving him soldiers in 1051 to protect him from Earl Godwin, in exchange Edward promised to name him as his heir. Harold Godwinson also swore an oath when he would support William. He was also a distant cousin of Edward.
What made William a suitable candidate for the throne?
He was an experienced ruler and had a good reputation as a soldier.
What made William an unsuitable candidate for the throne?
He did not have the support of the Witan and was illegitimate which removed his biological link to Edward.
What was Harold Godwinsons claim to the throne?
He was Edwards brother in law, acted as sub-regulus (the Kings deputy) and was named as Edwards heir on his deathbed.
What made Harold Godwinson a suitable candidate for the throne?
He was rich and had vast military strength as well as the support of the Witan. He was also a skillful military leader and had previosly defeated the King of North Wales.
What made Harold Godwinson an unsuitable candidate for the throne?
He had previously sowrn an oath to support William’s claim to the throne.
Who became King of England?
Harold Godwinson was crowned on January 6th 1066.
