Facts Normans Flashcards
What were the names of the 5 levels in the Anglo-Saxon hierarchy?
King, Earls, Thegns, Peasants (free and unfree), Slaves.
What were the names of the 5 levels of the Norman hierarchy?
King, Barons and Bishops, Knights, Peasants (free and unfree), Slaves.
What were these systems of hierarchy known as?
The feudal system
What was the Act of Homage?
When a vassal would kneel before their lord and submit to him by offering him his hands and then swear the Oath of Fealty.
What was the Oath of Fealty?
When a vassal promised to be be faithful to the lord and to serve him.
What were Royal Forests?
Areas of land created for the king to be able to hunt eg the New Forest in Hampshire.
What did the Barons and Bishops have to promise to give to William in return for land?
Their loyalty and a certain number of knights.
What were the main pieces of equipment that a knight needed?
Horse, lance shield, sword, chain mail hauberk(armour), helmet.
What did William create on the English border with Wales?
The Marcher Lordships.
What were the names of the Marcher Lordships?
Earldoms of Chester, Shrewsbury, and Hereford
How were the Marcher Lords different from other Barons?
They had more power to make their own laws, castles and armies without the knig’s permission.
Under the Anglo Saxons when a landholder died what happened to his property and land?
It was divided between all his sons.
Under the Normans what happened to a landowners property and land when he died?
It was passed on to the eldest son (Primogeniture)
What was the Chancery?
A group of royal clerks who wrote royal documents, first set up by the Anglo Saxons.
What was it called when William gave an office eg Sheriff to encourage a persons loyalty?
Patronage
For administrative purposes England was split up in to a number of what?
Shires eg Gloucestershire
Who was in charge of each shire?
A shire-reeve under the Anglo Saxons which became a sheriff under the Normans.
What was each shire split into?
Hundreds or wapentakes
Why did the Normans keep the Anglo Saxon legal system?
It worked well and they wanted to show have continuity to show they were legitimate rulers.
What were the 5 levels of court in Norman England?
King’s, Shire, Hundred, Lord’s, Manor.
What was the job of a constable?
To enforce the law by arresting people, breaking up fights and preventing fires.
What was a watchman?
Someone who tried to make sure that people kept to the curfew, prevent crime and catch criminals.
What was a curfew?
The time by which everyone had to be off the streets and inside their houses.
What was a hue and cry?
When all people had the responsibility to catch a suspected criminal.
What was a tithing?
A group of 10-12 freemen who promised to prevent each other from committing a crime. If one of them did they had to all pay a fine.
What was the Murdrum fine?
A fine paid by the whole local community if a norman was killed by an Anglo Saxon and the killer had not been found.
In a court case what did people have to swear?
An oath that they were telling the truth about a persons character or what happened
There were three different ‘trials’ used to establish someones guilt or innocence. What were they?
Trial by cold water, hot iron , and battle.
How were offenders punished?
Anglo Saxon traidtions continued such as paying compensation to the victim for less serious crimes or Wergild. The Normans introduced hanging and mutilation.
What was Wergild?
The amount of money paid to a murdered person’s family by the criminal.
When was the Doomsday Book finished?
1086
Why did William order it to be made?
So that he knew how much he could tax people in order to pay his troops.
Why is it so imoprtant to us today?
It tell us who owned what in 1066 and then 20 years later in 1086 in alost every part of the country.
What were castellans?
People who were in charge of castles.
In 1066 where did most people live?
In the countryside
What job did most people do?
Sheep farming
What did the Normans do to taxes?
Increased them
What did the Normans do with land?
Took it from English and gave to Normans
Did people have more or less freedom under the Normans?
Less
What sort of settlement did most people live in in 1066?
Villages
What were Villeins?
Peasants who worked on the lord’s land for no pay. They had no freedom. They received a small amount of land in return
What were bordars and cottars?
Peasants poorer than villeins being given less land.
What were freemen?
Free peasants who paid rent to the lord for their land.
What were slaves?
They had no land and no freedom
In a medieval village what surrounded each house?
A garden for growing vegetables.
What would there have been surrounding every village?
Fields
What were the fields sipit into?
Strips of land farmed by peasants
For religious purposes what could be found in every village?
A church
What would probably be the only other stone building in the village?
The manor house
Who lived in the Manor House?
The lord of the manor
How did the villages turn their wheat into flour?
Using a water mill
Did working life change much under the Normans?
No
What did the villages do in the woodlands?
Collect wood for their fires
What was the busiest time of the year for the peasants?
Harvest
What were peasant’s houses made of?
Wood frames and wattle and daub.
How many rooms would they have?
Where would peasant’s animals sleep at night?
In the house
What was the average life expectancy for a peasant?
35-40
What did most peasants eat?
bread, porridge and vegetable stew.
What did the peasants usually drink?
Weak beer
What did rich paople eat more of?
Meat
What did people eat with?
Their fingers
What happened to the size and number of towns under the Normans?
They increased in size and number
What was a citizen of a town called?
A burgess
Why did people move to towns?
To learn a trade or work as servants for rich people.
What did burgesses have that villeins did not have?
Freedom of movement
Where did most commercail activity take place in towns?
In the market place
What would have surrounded most important towns?
A wall
What was an apprentice?
A young person training for a trade for 7 years.
What was a guild?
A society of merchants who controlled who was allowed to carry out business in a town.
What were the ? main building vou might find in a town?
Castle and church or cathedral or monastry.
