King William, The Battle of Hastings and King Edward Flashcards
When was William crowned king of England?
Christmas Day 1066
Where and when was the biggest rebellion William had to face? Who was it led by? Who helped the opposition?
In York in 1069. It was led by Edgar the Atheling. The Danish and the Scottish helped Edgar
When was the battle of Hastings?
14th October 1066
Who were the 4 claimants to the throne?
William the Bastard, Harold Godwinson, Harald Hardraada and Edgar the Atheling
Who was Edgar the Atheling to King Edward
His Grandnephew
What did William order his soldiers to do during the years of 1069-70?
The Harrying of the North.
William ordered his soldiers to burn down villages, slaughter animals and destroy crops. Thousands of people were killed and many more died of starvation in the next years.
This devastated the north decreasing its population by 75% (according to the doomsday book). People either were killed, died of starvation or moved away. It took many years for the population to recover.
What message was William trying to send during the Harrying of the North?
William wanted to show that he was now very much in charge and would do anything to stop his opposition.
What did William stop Anglo-Saxon women doing?
Owning and inheriting land.
After many women inherited land from their fathers and husbands who died in the Battle of Hastings. What exception did William give them to keep their land?
Marry a Norman.
This put many women in a difficult position as forced marriages were designed to help the Norman’s control England. The women’s previous husband would be considered a traitor for fighting William so if they refused to marry they would be considered traitors too
What did some Anglo-Saxon women do when they were unwilling to marry?
Many women took refuge in nunneries
Some women taught their Anglo-Norman children English instead of the French the Normans spoke. Many people think this is the reason English survived the Norman invasion.
When did William wait until to change the church in England? What was the first thing he did?
- He replaced the Anglo-Saxon Bishops with Norman ones.
Who was the Archbishop of Canterbury at the time of William’s reign?
Lanfranc
What did the Normans replace the small, wooden churches with?
Larger, stone churches. They also built grand Cathedrals in places like London, Durham and York. They were filled religious art and could hold hundreds.
What were the family ties of the 4 claimants to the throne?
William - Cousin of Edward
Harold - Brother in law
Edgar - Grand-nephew
Harald - None
Who had the strongest promise to claim the throne?
Harold Godwinson
He was promised the throne while Edward lay dying
