KeyTopic1:Anglo-SaxonEngland and the NormanConquest,1060-66

Question 1

King Edward

Answer 1

Edward the confessor, King of England 1042-66

Question 2

anglo-saxon england

Answer 2

the period of history of the part of britain thta became known as england from the fith century until the Norman conquest of england in1066

Question 3

role of the King

Answer 3

head of the government, made all the important decisions, good military skills, laws made and obeyed and he had to manage his nobles by co-operating with them and controlling them

Question 4

who were the most important nobles

Answer 4

earls

Question 5

how many earls were there

Answer 5

about 6

Question 6

who were the witan

Answer 6

the wise men, most powerful nobles

Question 7

what did the witan do

Answer 7

offered their views to the king, offer a recommendation if the king wanted advice on the succession

Question 8

hundred

Answer 8

a subdivision of a shire, having its own court

Question 9

reeve

Answer 9

a local official, in particular the chief law officer of a town or district in Anglo-Saxon england

Question 10

sheriff

Answer 10

the chief officer of the crown in a shire, having various administrative and judicial functions

Question 11

shire

Answer 11

a county area in england

Question 12

what did the earls do

Answer 12

controlled large areas of england, prevented rebellions, upheld laws and raised armies

Question 13

who is the most powerful out of thegns and earls

Answer 13

earls

Question 14

most important earldoms

Answer 14

wessex,mercia,northumbria,east anglia

Question 15

who are thegns and what they do

Answer 15

nobles who held their lands directly from the king in return for military service in time of war

Question 16

what was land divided into

Answer 16

shires and hundreds

Question 17

who looked after the shires

Answer 17

sheriffs

Question 18

who looked after hundreds

Answer 18

reeves

Question 19

who were ceorls

Answer 19

free men who owned their land, they had to serve in an army if called on to do so

Question 20

who were peasants

Answer 20

rented land from the thegn and had to do work on his land for three days each week

Question 21

barter

Answer 21

exchange of goods for other goods without using money

Question 22

blood feud

Answer 22

a lengthy conflict between families involving a cycle of retaliatory killings

Question 23

diocese

Answer 23

an area administered by a bishop

Question 24

mutilation

Answer 24

injuring or disfiguring severely, especially cutting off body parts

Question 25

retaliation

Answer 25

the action of harming someone because they have harmed you

Question 26

tithing

Answer 26

a grouping of men, originally ten in number, for legal and security purposes

Question 27

trial by ordeal

Answer 27

a method of determining a person’s guilt or innocence by subjecting the accused person to dangerous or painful tests believed to be under the control of God

Question 28

wergild

Answer 28

the cash value of someone’s life in Anglo-saxon england

Question 29

what was wergild used for

Answer 29

compensate victims of crime, depending on the rank of the person in society- the higher the rank the higher the compensation

Question 30

what was the punishment for treason

Answer 30

capital punishment

Question 31

what was the punishment for a crime against the church

Answer 31

mutilation

Question 32

what was the punishment for reoffenders

Answer 32

mutilation

Question 33

what was the main form of law enforcement

Answer 33

tithings

Question 34

two types of court

Answer 34

shire and hundred

Question 35

what happened in shire and hundred courts

Answer 35

used a jury made up of people who knew the parties in the case, the jury listened to the evidence and made a decision

Question 36

what happened if the judge didn’t come to a decision

Answer 36

trial by ordeal

Question 37

village and town economy

Answer 37

villages had a subsistence economy: they produced enough food for themselves and some could produce other materials
some goods traded at local markets and either bartered or sold
towns would have weekly markets
craftsmen would trade their hand-made goods

Question 38

how much of the land did the church own

Answer 38

25%

Question 39

who attended church

Answer 39

everyone

Question 40

how was the church organised

Answer 40

hierarchically organised, 2 archbishops (Canterbury and York), 15 bishops and numerous priests. Bishops were in charge of a diocese and they ensured that the priests carried out their duties effectively

Question 41

which family was the wealthiest in England

Answer 41

Godwin family

Question 42

house of godwin

Answer 42

Harold Godwinson and his brothers were earls and controlled much of the country by 1060. Harold had a strong claim to the throne as the leading nobleman

Question 43

when did Godwin die

Answer 43

1053

Question 44

what happened when Godwin died

Answer 44

Harold Godwinson became Earl of Wessex

Question 45

when did Tostig become Earl of Northumbria

Answer 45

1055

Question 46

who was Harold Godwinson’s sister

Answer 46

Edith Godwinson

Question 47

who did Edith Godwinson marry

Answer 47

King Edward

Question 48

who did Harold Godwinson make a ‘danish marriage’ to

Answer 48

Edith Swan-Neck

Question 49

when did Harold G marry Edith Swan-neck

Answer 49

1045

Question 50

who was Morcar

Answer 50

Son of the earl of mercia. He became Earl of northumbria in 1065

Question 51

bayeux tapestry

Answer 51

an embroided cloth about 70 metres long, illustrating events leading up to the norman conquest and made between 1066-77

Question 52

what does the bayeux tapestry show

Answer 52

Harold going to normandy in 1064 to confirm Edward’s promise of the English throne to William of Normandy