Facts Normans

Question 1

What were the names of the 5 levels in the Anglo-Saxon hierarchy?

Answer 1

King, Earls, Thegns, Peasants (free and unfree), Slaves.

Question 2

What were the names of the 5 levels of the Norman hierarchy?

Answer 2

King, Barons and Bishops, Knights, Peasants (free and unfree), Slaves.

Question 3

What were these systems of hierarchy known as?

Answer 3

The feudal system

Question 4

What was the Act of Homage?

Answer 4

When a vassal would kneel before their lord and submit to him by offering him his hands and then swear the Oath of Fealty.

Question 5

What was the Oath of Fealty?

Answer 5

When a vassal promised to be be faithful to the lord and to serve him.

Question 6

What were Royal Forests?

Answer 6

Areas of land created for the king to be able to hunt eg the New Forest in Hampshire.

Question 7

What did the Barons and Bishops have to promise to give to William in return for land?

Answer 7

Their loyalty and a certain number of knights.

Question 8

What were the main pieces of equipment that a knight needed?

Answer 8

Horse, lance shield, sword, chain mail hauberk(armour), helmet.

Question 9

What did William create on the English border with Wales?

Answer 9

The Marcher Lordships.

Question 10

What were the names of the Marcher Lordships?

Answer 10

Earldoms of Chester, Shrewsbury, and Hereford

Question 11

How were the Marcher Lords different from other Barons?

Answer 11

They had more power to make their own laws, castles and armies without the knig’s permission.

Question 12

Under the Anglo Saxons when a landholder died what happened to his property and land?

Answer 12

It was divided between all his sons.

Question 13

Under the Normans what happened to a landowners property and land when he died?

Answer 13

It was passed on to the eldest son (Primogeniture)

Question 14

What was the Chancery?

Answer 14

A group of royal clerks who wrote royal documents, first set up by the Anglo Saxons.

Question 15

What was it called when William gave an office eg Sheriff to encourage a persons loyalty?

Answer 15

Patronage

Question 16

For administrative purposes England was split up in to a number of what?

Answer 16

Shires eg Gloucestershire

Question 17

Who was in charge of each shire?

Answer 17

A shire-reeve under the Anglo Saxons which became a sheriff under the Normans.

Question 18

What was each shire split into?

Answer 18

Hundreds or wapentakes

Question 19

Why did the Normans keep the Anglo Saxon legal system?

Answer 19

It worked well and they wanted to show have continuity to show they were legitimate rulers.

Question 20

What were the 5 levels of court in Norman England?

Answer 20

King’s, Shire, Hundred, Lord’s, Manor.

Question 21

What was the job of a constable?

Answer 21

To enforce the law by arresting people, breaking up fights and preventing fires.

Question 22

What was a watchman?

Answer 22

Someone who tried to make sure that people kept to the curfew, prevent crime and catch criminals.

Question 23

What was a curfew?

Answer 23

The time by which everyone had to be off the streets and inside their houses.

Question 24

What was a hue and cry?

Answer 24

When all people had the responsibility to catch a suspected criminal.

Question 25

What was a tithing?

Answer 25

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.

Question 26

What was the Murdrum fine?

Answer 26

A fine paid by the whole local community if a norman was killed by an Anglo Saxon and the killer had not been found.

Question 27

In a court case what did people have to swear?

Answer 27

An oath that they were telling the truth about a persons character or what happened

Question 28

There were three different 'trials' used to establish someones guilt or innocence. What were they?

Answer 28

Trial by cold water, hot iron , and battle.

Question 29

How were offenders punished?

Answer 29

Anglo Saxon traidtions continued such as paying compensation to the victim for less serious crimes or Wergild. The Normans introduced hanging and mutilation.

Question 30

What was Wergild?

Answer 30

The amount of money paid to a murdered person's family by the criminal.

Question 31

When was the Doomsday Book finished?

Answer 31

1086

Question 32

Why did William order it to be made?

Answer 32

So that he knew how much he could tax people in order to pay his troops.

Question 33

Why is it so imoprtant to us today?

Answer 33

It tell us who owned what in 1066 and then 20 years later in 1086 in alost every part of the country.

Question 34

What were castellans?

Answer 34

People who were in charge of castles.

Question 35

In 1066 where did most people live?

Answer 35

In the countryside

Question 36

What job did most people do?

Answer 36

Sheep farming

Question 37

What did the Normans do to taxes?

Answer 37

Increased them

Question 38

What did the Normans do with land?

Answer 38

Took it from English and gave to Normans

Question 39

Did people have more or less freedom under the Normans?

Answer 39

Less

Question 40

What sort of settlement did most people live in in 1066?

Answer 40

Villages

Question 41

What were Villeins?

Answer 41

Peasants who worked on the lord's land for no pay. They had no freedom. They received a small amount of land in return

Question 42

What were bordars and cottars?

Answer 42

Peasants poorer than villeins being given less land.

Question 43

What were freemen?

Answer 43

Free peasants who paid rent to the lord for their land.

Question 44

What were slaves?

Answer 44

They had no land and no freedom

Question 45

In a medieval village what surrounded each house?

Answer 45

A garden for growing vegetables.

Question 46

What would there have been surrounding every village?

Answer 46

Fields

Question 47

What were the fields sipit into?

Answer 47

Strips of land farmed by peasants

Question 48

For religious purposes what could be found in every village?

Answer 48

A church

Question 49

What would probably be the only other stone building in the village?

Answer 49

The manor house

Question 50

Who lived in the Manor House?

Answer 50

The lord of the manor

Question 51

How did the villages turn their wheat into flour?

Answer 51

Using a water mill

Question 52

Did working life change much under the Normans?

Answer 52

No

Question 53

What did the villages do in the woodlands?

Answer 53

Collect wood for their fires

Question 54

What was the busiest time of the year for the peasants?

Answer 54

Harvest

Question 55

What were peasant's houses made of?

Answer 55

Wood frames and wattle and daub.

Question 56

How many rooms would they have?

Question 57

Where would peasant's animals sleep at night?

Answer 57

In the house

Question 58

What was the average life expectancy for a peasant?

Answer 58

35-40

Question 59

What did most peasants eat?

Answer 59

bread, porridge and vegetable stew.

Question 60

What did the peasants usually drink?

Answer 60

Weak beer

Question 61

What did rich paople eat more of?

Answer 61

Meat

Question 62

What did people eat with?

Answer 62

Their fingers

Question 63

What happened to the size and number of towns under the Normans?

Answer 63

They increased in size and number

Question 64

What was a citizen of a town called?

Answer 64

A burgess

Question 65

Why did people move to towns?

Answer 65

To learn a trade or work as servants for rich people.

Question 66

What did burgesses have that villeins did not have?

Answer 66

Freedom of movement

Question 67

Where did most commercail activity take place in towns?

Answer 67

In the market place

Question 68

What would have surrounded most important towns?

Answer 68

A wall

Question 69

What was an apprentice?

Answer 69

A young person training for a trade for 7 years.

Question 70

What was a guild?

Answer 70

A society of merchants who controlled who was allowed to carry out business in a town.

Question 71

What were the ? main building vou might find in a town?

Answer 71

Castle and church or cathedral or monastry.