Landholding in Norman England

Question 1

5 reasons why the importance of the Anglo-Saxon earls declined

Answer 1

• failure of conciliation towards Anglo-Saxon earls
• involvement in rebellions
• earldoms were large and gave too much power to the incumbent and could be a threat
• divided up the earldoms so they were similar to shires
• allowed earldoms to lapse

Question 2

Give an example of an earldom that was divided so that it was similar to a shire

Answer 2

Cheshire

Question 3

Give an example of an earldom that William allowed to lapse

Answer 3

East Anglia

Question 4

Give an example of an earldom that was divided up soon after William’s coronation

Answer 4

Wessex

Question 5

When did the earldom of Mercia lapse?

Answer 5

After the murder of Edwin as a result of the rebellion of 1071

Question 6

When did Northumbria lapse?

Answer 6

After Gospatric and Waltheof joined rebellions in 1069 and 1075 respectively

Question 7

When did East Anglia lapse?

Answer 7

1075 following Ralph de Grael’s involvement in the revolt of the Norman earls

Question 8

When did earldoms decline?

Answer 8

Some were divided up after William’s coronation whilst some others declined when earls became involved in rebellions

Question 9

Where did William keep earls in place?

Answer 9

Important frontiers e.g Kent or Welsh borders

Question 10

Who were the most important landholders?

Answer 10

Tenants-in-chief

Question 11

Who were the barons?

Answer 11

Major tenants-in-chiefs

Question 12

How many barons were there according to Domesday?

Answer 12

150-200

Question 13

What had the most significant barons done?

Answer 13

Helped William in Normandy and Hastings - they were getting their rewards

Question 14

Give examples of the most significant barons who had been rewarded for helping William?

Answer 14

Odo and Robert of Mortain (his half-brothers), William fitz Osbern (his cousin)

Question 15

How did the most significant barons play an important role in government?

Answer 15

They acted as regents or ran the important Marcher earldoms on the border with Wales

Question 16

How did William ensure that his power was enhanced?

Answer 16

Tenants-in-chief did not hold their land in absolute ownership. They had to supply soldiers and knights for the king

Question 17

How many troops could the barons supply a force of?

Answer 17

4,000-5,000 troops

Question 18

What did the process of giving barons power in return of soldiers provide William with?

Answer 18

Military service, money, source of patronage, social and political control of the country

Question 19

True or false: the barons did not hold all their land to themselves

Answer 19

True! They granted about 45% of their land to tenants

Question 20

What % of land did barons grant to tenants?

Answer 20

45%

Question 21

Why did barons grant land to tenants?

Answer 21

To win friends, gain influence and reward followers

Question 22

Most of the land was under the control of approximately how many people?

Answer 22

280

Question 23

What was the value of William’s land?

Answer 23

£12,600

Question 24

What % of the total land recorded in the Domesday survey had William kept for himself?

Answer 24

17%

Question 25

Who held the land of the highest value?

Answer 25

William's close family

Question 26

what did the dominance of William's close family play a crucial role in?

Answer 26

Enabling William to keep a close hold on England

Question 27

How did the distribution of land enable the Normans to control England?

Answer 27

their lands were spread out over a number of counties but with their core in a particular region

Question 28

why didn't William give all the lands in one county to one person?

Answer 28

he wanted to prevent them from a building up a power bloc to challenge his position

Question 29

give an example of where William created small power bloc to hold down particular areas?

Answer 29

Henry de Ferrers gained virtually all land within Derbyshire's Appletree wapentake Concentrations of Clare holdings around Tonbridge Castle Sussex - land was concentrated under one lord because it was seen as an area vulnerable to invasion

Question 30

give an example of a Norman magnate who was granted the property of a dispossessed Anglo-Saxon

Answer 30

Roger Montgomery or Hugh of Avaranches

Question 31

what was the most important development?

Answer 31

change in terms on which land was held

Question 32

what created a new tenurial hierarchy

Answer 32

change in which terms on which land was held

Question 33

why do some historians argue that the Normans/Norman land-holding in England created feudalism?

Answer 33

the contractual arrangement between the king and his tenants-in-chief and between the tenants-in-chief and their men brought in a new social development

Question 34

why do some historians argue that some feudal traditions already existed in England before the conquest

Answer 34

- the system used Anglo-Saxon customs and traditions, which generally developed over a period of time - there was no uniform system imposed after the Conquest - William did not import the system from Normandy was the process was far from complete there

Question 35

Why do some historians argue that feudalism in England did not predate the conquest?

Answer 35

The system was not familiar to anything in England, where there was a great variety of lordship and tenure, ranging from those who held land in a similar way to that found after the Conquest

Question 36

Who was the head of the tenurial hierarchy?

Answer 36

The king - William

Question 37

What was the land that tenants held called? What does it mean? What word does it come from?

Answer 37

Feodum A fee 'Feudal'

Question 38

What did tenants have to provide in return for their land?

Answer 38

Knights for the royal army or to defend the royal castles

Question 39

how could it be argued that the idea of 'knight service' simply evolved from earlier, Anglo-Saxon practises?

Answer 39

Raising of armies - core continued to be household forces Land could be forfeited for failure to turn up when summoned to the army

Question 40

What was the core of armies?

Answer 40

Household forces e.g thegns, housecarls, household knights

Question 41

What could happen if someone failed to turn up when summoned to the army?

Answer 41

land could be forfeited

Question 42

What were the new elements of tenure called?

Answer 42

Feudal incidents

Question 43

Give an example of feudal incidents/changes to tenure

Answer 43

- Payment of a money fee on the death of a tenant by the heir - Wardship of the lands and revenues where the heir was too young to inherit - Control of marriages of widows of tenants - King had the power to control the descent of land when there was no direct male heir

Question 44

What did the King having the power to control the descent of land where there was no direct male heir give him the opportunity to do?

Answer 44

Redistribute land to those who were in his favour