Chapter 1 Flashcards
Describe the role of slaves in Anglo-Saxon society
-10% of the population were slaves.
-They could be bought and sold.
-If slaves committed crimes they may not have been punished as much as it would affect their ability to work
-They were seen as property
Describe the role of Peasant farmers in Anglo-Saxon society
-The majority of the population were peasant farmers (around 89%)
-They rented out small farms and worked for themselves and their families
- If they did not do work for thegns they could lose the right to use the land
Describe the role of Ceorls in Anglo-Saxon society
-They were a group of peasants who were free to go and work for another lord if they wanted to
- They still had to carry out services for Thegns
Describe the role of Thegns in Anglo-Saxon society
-Thegns were local lords
-There were between 4000-5000 thegns by 1060
-They held more land than peasants and lived in the manor house with a tower and separate church
Describe the role of Earls in Anglo-Saxon society
-They were the most important men after the king
-The relationship between the earls and the king was based on loyalty
-Earls competed against each other to get more of the kings trust and respect
What were the powers to the king in the English monarchy 1060
Lawmaking
Money
Landownership
Military power
Taxation
What were the duties of the people in the English monarchy in 1060
-Obey the laws
-Using the kings coins (forging coins were a crime)
-Use land properly
-Landholders had to provide fighters for the army
-pay taxes
Why was Edward the confessor so powerful
-He had thegns and earls with strong military power
-He was a respected Law-maker
-He was very religious
What were the limits to king Edwards power
Half the country were ruled by Danish Vikings and under Danelaw
Earl Godwin was the richest earldom, and was richer than the king
Describe the role of the Witan in the Anglo-Saxon Government
The witan was a council that advised the king on issues of government, it was made up of the Earls, and archbishops. It discussed:
-Possible threats from foreign powers
-Religious affairs
-Land disputes and how to settle them
What powers did the earls have Economically
They were responsible for collecting taxes, and received a share of the revenue, this allowed them to use their economic power to rule their earldom
What powers did earls have socially
They oversaw justice and legal punishments in their earldom. This gave the earls strong social powers: controlling and influencing the way people lived
Explain the military power the earls had
They had great military power. They were the lords to many hundreds of thegns. They also maintained elite soldiers as bodyguards, known as housecarls
What were the limits to the earls powers
The earls powers relied on the strength of the thegns, this could lead to them being stripped from their title as earls if the thegns wanted to. e.g. Tostig lost his earldom
What were shire reeves
The shire reeves or sheriffs, were the kings local government officials and they worked within the earldom to look after the kings interests, such as:
-collecting tax and revenue from the kings land
-collecting fines from the shire court
-enforcing and witnessing law in the shire court
What was the fryd
It was a military service for the king:
-the select fryd gathered men to fight anywhere in England
-The general fryd gathered men to fight who didn’t travel outside their local area
When did Harold become earl of wessex
1053
When was Tostig made earl of Northumbria
1055
When was Harold’s embassy to Normandy
1064